COLD FEET? - when overnighting

[AZClaimjumper]

Keeping my feet warm is the hardest body part for me to keep warm when inside my sleeping bag.
WHAT have you done to keep your FEET/TOES from getting cold when inside your sleeping bag? Plzzzz, don't suggest buying a sleeping bag with a lower temperature rating. That's NOT an option.

[whereveriroam]

Dry socks and on really cold nights, I use those toe warmers but open them up an hour or two before turning in.

[skillpore]

Wool socks. Can also layer socks.

[nonot]

Thick socks and either a very high thermally rated sleeping pad or setup your tent on a few inches of dry leaves so to cut down on the cold conducting down into the ground. If your sleeping bag and sleeping pad are barely cutting it at just keeping you warm enough, your feet will be cold.

You can also jam a water bottle filled with water warmed by a stove or campfire down into the bottom of your bag to get a jump start, but it won't last through the night and by morning the water bottle will be cold, so I suggest putting it in your bag 30-60 minutes prior to going to bed and taking it out when you get in. Don't boil the water - that's too hot.

[AZClaimjumper]

@whereveriroam
I put on a fresh, clean, dry pair of socks B4 crawling into my sleeping bag. I am going to try HOT HANDS, those chemical heaters for toes/soles to see if that works. All the rest of me was comfy warm, all night; but my feet were like they were in a frig all night. I've never experienced just COLD feet B4. And my cold feet kept me from sleeping most of the night. I wore a loose pair of polypro booties covered with Down booties, like always. Only this time my feet stayed COLD!
I was inside a 4-season tent; my inflatable air mattress & sleeping bag were inside a Military Gore-Tex bivy. There was no wind, just a cold 17º when I woke up in the morning. It was 32º when I crawled into my sleeping bag. And Thomas Creek was frozen over when I drove over the bridge on my way back to the bunker.
My inflatable air mattress is the Women's XLite NeoAir by Thermarest; it has an R5.4 rating the highest R rating of any inflatable air mattress. Strange, all the rest of my was warm & generating heat inside my sleeping bag. My Feet/Toes SHOULD have warmed up, as usual; only this they didn't.

[AZClaimjumper]

@whereveriroam
HOT HANDS Toe & Sole warmers is exactly what I'll have with me from now on. I've been scolding myself because I had a supply of the inside the bunker. I didn't have any in my backpack. I won't make that mistake again!

[big_load]

A lot of things can contribute to cold feet. You seem to already have socks covered. Less obvious things for me are not getting enough calories, being dehydrated, and even exhaustion. Paying attention to those things helps keep me on track, although I'll usually push the exhaustion more than I should. My wife uses chemical foot warmers sometimes and she likes them a lot.

(I do carry a warmer sleeping bag than most people and I still wouldn't rule that out as a solution)

[azbackpackr]

I go by the old adage, "if your feet are cold, cover your head," I learned in a mountaineering school I went to back in the mid 70's. A lot of heat is lost via your head, especially your forehead. I always wear a beanie to bed. (Not as cute as it sounds.) I do all those other things, too, the dry clothing and sox, etc. If bathing is possible during the afternoon (sometimes afternoons are warm enough for that, while nights are chilly) I find that being clean, and not having oily, salty sweat all over me, is noticeably warmer. I agree with all the other things as well, big_load 's statement, etc.

People always used to say to not wear much in your sleeping bag. I have found that to be too freezing in winter, and too sweaty in summer. I like to have some thin leggings or even pajama pants on, sox, and at least a t-shirt, plus the beanie. Carrying pjs while backpacking may not be convenient, but I mostly am paddling these days. Last backpacking trip in July I brought the leggings.

[RedRoxx44]

Might be a circulation problem too. I've used neoprene socks which are usually reserved for water wading to bed. Might get sweaty feet but they should be warm enough. I like long underwear thin for summer thicker for winter. Keeps sleeping bag clean and can be used under hiking clothing until I warm up then remove the layer. Beanie or head covering for sure.

[LindaAnn]

Down socks. Goosefeet Gear makes some good ones, but there are other brands too.

[CannondaleKid]

I go by the old adage, "if your feet are cold, cover your head"

I'll second that! Having practically a bald pate I always give it top priority, usually with a beanie, sometimes adding a warm cap on top of that.

[jillyonanadventure]

@AZClaimjumper I put some clothes into the bottom of my sleeping bag around my feet (and double on socks). Works like a charm!

[SuperstitionGuy]

Take your jacket/coat and zip it up with the arms pulled inside out and pull it up over your feet on the outside of your sleeping bag. This will keep your lower part of your body and feet warm and toasty thru out the night. Use two large safety pins to keep it in place if you like to roll over a lot and move your feet. Covering your head is important to as I used a cotton pullover with holes for the eyes, nose and mouth that would roll down over onto your neck. If it was really cold I would use a heavy knitted one over that.

[Nobody01]

Down socks.

Agreed. When I switched to a quilt system this year these helped.

[big_load]

I always wear a beanie to bed

I always wear a balaclava or even two of them.

[Pivo]

As many others have mentioned a fresh dry pair of socks, I also will apply antiperspirant to the soles of my feet. This helps with any moisture.

[AZClaimjumper]

As Paul Harvey woud say, & Now for the Rest of the Story.
This overnighter was a test of MEeee & my equipment. I intentionally camped less than 1/4 mile from my car so I could pack up & return to the bunker if I got cold. What puzzles MEeee is I was comfy warm from head to ankles; only my feet got cold. I've never experienced JUST COLD feet.
As several have said, keep head warm & the extremities will be warm & that is so true. My head neck & face was shrouded with a winter thick Buff Headgear & configured into a full face balaclava that left just my nose exposed. My Buff Headgear Balaclava was topped with a 100% wool Military watch cap & my head, was of course inside the Down insulated hood of my sleeping bag. Head, arms, fingers, torso, legs were comfy warm all night.
I went into this overnighter knowing my REI Magma 10 Sleeping bag is rated for 10º; comfort rating is 25º so I knew my sleeping bag was near the bottom end capabilities to keep me warm. And it did keep me warm except for my feet. My NeoAir Thermarest - Womens has an R5.4 rating which is as high a rating as is commercially available for a backpacking air mattress. Same as always, it kept me off the ground. No cold spots.
I had a long sleeve Down Jacket I could have put on, however, my torso, arms, hands all remained warm & I didn't feel the need for it.
There are 5 things I'll do differently should I overnight when the temperature drops down into the teens in an effort to keep ALL OF MEeee, including my FEET, warm when i overnight from now on.
1. I should have eaten some nuts/cheese/Beef Sticks during the night. I had them with me but didn't think to consume them.
2. I'll have HOT HANDS Feet & Toe chemical warmers on both feet when I crawl into my sleeping bag. And like always, I'll be wearing my polypro booties covered by my Down booties.
3. I'll exercise by doing a couple sets of 50 Deep Knee Bends & a set or 2 of 20-25 pushups to work large muscle sets in my body in an effort to jack up my metabolism B4 crawling into my sleeping bag. On this particular overnighter I had only hiked 1/4 mile which really didn't even get my metabolism cranked up. I hiked 1/4 mile, pitched my tent & crawled into my sleeping bag.
4. I'll insert my silk Cocoon liner into my sleeping bag. I didn't have it with me on this overnighter.
5. Henceforth, I'll know to try to avoid overnighting if I think the temperature is going to drop lower than 20º
I'm considering buying a SOL Escape PRO Bivy ($60.00) that weighs 8.5oz so I can put MEeee & my sleeping bag inside it with everything on top of my air mattress. During this overnighter I had everything wrapped up in my Military Gore-Tex Bivy, however, it weighs almost 3 pounds & is too heavy for me to backpack along with everything else.
I sincerly thank each & every one of your for your thoughtful suggestions/comments/ideas.

[wildwesthikes]

Interestingly when I was in the Weminuche in CO at 12k ft recently I did not have cold feet in bed when it was about 25 F at night with gusting 30-50mph winds. And I usually get cold feet even at like mid 30s F in places like the superstitions. I'm trying to figure out what I did differently.

I think the main thing was I brought camp shoes. I do not always do this except when I think it's going to be exceptionally wet. They are literally just foam flip flops. I also brought two extra pairs of socks (1 extra pair Darn Tough hiking socks and 1 pair of very thick Smartwool socks). I wear the Smartwool socks in my flip flops around camp (full dad mode) and in bed. They are always dry no matter what - that's the rule. I make a point to have dry feet in thick wool socks asap as soon as I find a camping spot. I guess I chalked my attention to this up to knowing it would be in the low 20s out there and that having even mildly sweaty feet much after dark would kind of suck.

I also devoured more calories at night before bed than I normally do on trips. It's common advice on a lot of backpacking forums that you sleep warmer after eating big meals that include plenty of fats. So I made really big, calorie dense meals that filled an Evernew 0.9L pot to the brim. Also snacked on high fat snacks like nuts and cheese while making dinner foods. I felt overall warmer in my tent in general having done this than I expected to.

My sleep system was a 20F Enlightened Equipment Revelation + the Hoodlum attachment, a NeoAir Xlite and a cut-down Gossamer gear 1/8" foam pad underneath that doubles as my camp seat. I've used this setup on a number of trips and again it felt warmer on this trip in colder conditions than it has on trips in warmer conditions. My feeling is the food has to have had something to do with it.

Sounds like you are going the vapor barrier route - I was going to also suggest this. Not that I do it but I'm curious about it. Let us know how it works out.

EDIT: Oh and one last thing. A lot of people are torn on this one - I think it may well be pseudoscience. But I was taking Ginko Biloba supplements prior to this trip. People say it helps with acclimatization to high altitudes. In fact the best studies on it are about that use-case. As a Phoenician I don't see a ton above 8000ft. There are some studies floating around saying Ginko can improve circulation. I have no idea if it's snake oil. But if you have cold feet... Well hypothetically improving circulation might help (?) Something to think about.

[AZClaimjumper]

@wildwesthikes
Thank you, thank you, thank you; for taking so much time & effort to delve into the details of your adventure, hike, clothes, gear, sleep system, etc. Have you ever tried or use any type of chemical heater inside your sleeping bag? Having cold feet, all night long, was a new & unpleasant experience for MEeee.
You said nothing about your tent/shelter.
Gloves, I realize I've not said anything so here goes. I was wearing a pair of Suede Thinsulate insulated gloves from the time I got out of my car, hiked the 1/4 mile to my campsite, pitch my tent then took them off as I crawled into my sleeping bag. My hands/fingers were warm all night. However, in the morning, when I put them on prior to breaking camp, I had to take them off for the dexterity of disconnecting plastic clips that attached the fly to my tent & my fingers & hands got cold. I tried folding the shock-corded poles with gloves on but that wasn't working so I took my gloves off. I put the gloves back on fingers & hands were cold by the time I was ready to hike the 1/4 back to my car. I had a pair of Gore-Tex thick Insulated cold weather mittens with me but never felt the need to put them on.

[ALMAL]

@AZClaimjumper
Do you have diabetes?