I still think your ahead to have a down bag without socks to rub your feet together to generate heat . I use a down jacket with the sleeves and neck tied up . I always think well it's not that cold tonight and forego the bag and then regret it later when I can't find the darn thing in the dark .
I have really long skinny feet and they just do not generate many BTUs on their own .
Hmmm I don't think so. Sounds like a job for Mythbusters.Originally Posted by lostagain
My friend and I were having the same argument over his sleeping bag. He's convinced he sleeps warmer if he crawls in it with just his underwear on.
If your wool socks were blocking the heat from getting to the down, then by definitions they are doing plenty of insulating on their own and your feet would feel plenty toasty with just the socks on.
The general tip I see in outdoor magazines is that people will make the mistake of wearing two pairs of socks when they go out for a winter adventure of some sort. If your shoes fit there really isn't room for two socks and it both compresses the dead air spaces in the fabric/wool and or it constricts circulation in the feet which prevents body warmth from entering your feet in the first place.
I purchased the thickest pair of socks Darn Tough makes for winter camping. While experimenting in my hammock in the backyard below freezing I found that if I put these on normally (they are almost knee length) my feet were REALLY cold. I don't get cold feet often so I thought this was weird. I took them off and my feet were fine inside the sleeping bag. So I tried putting them back on and rolling down the top to about my ankle and things were fine. Apparently they were snug enough around my calves to reduce circulation. I have a feeling this probably points to my being out of shape more than an issue with the sock, but taking these skiing would be a horrible mistake if that's what they do to me. YMMV.
For my friends sleeping bag I think he's lost his mind. Unless he is suggesting his clothes are so bulky they are causing the pirmaloft to compress against the outer layer of fabric, they shouldn't be reducing R value.
Another option would be if his clothes are damp when he climbs in the sleeping bag or if they somehow allow an escape path to form. If he had something on with a stiff collar that let his torso vent easy it might make him colder.
Of course to test some of this, all we need is a reasonably accurate thermometer with a probe on it. Wear your booties while hanging around the house and measure how warm it is between the bootie and your feet. Then try it with socks. Measure inside and outside the sock and see what findings you get.
This is very interesting. I have a pair of down booties and I always wear socks with them. But I have said to myself, "Gee--I don't understand why everyone's so keen on down booties. They just aren't that warm!"
I have a pair of loose fleece booties I'll try inside the down booties. And I'll try the down booties alone. Thanks for the suggestions!
"Booties!" That's funny!
"Pips"
Mountains have a dreamy way
Of folding up a noisy day
In quiet covers, cool and gray.
---Leigh Buckner Hanes
Surely, God could have made a better way to sleep.
Surely, God never did.
I've also always worn socks with booties. Actually, my booties are quite bulky (felt-type bottoms for walking) so they don't come backpacking too often.
I may try them without socks sometime.
Does anyone know what the military is currently teaching (Army/Marines)? They tend to do the research along with having the experience.
Enjoying the simple things in life -
Own less, live more.
When plucking the down off of a duck, is there ever a pair of socks around there body?
I have found circulation is a big part of it. If i pitch the foot end of my hammock too high my feet get cold. If it is more level my feet stay warm. I switched to bridge hammock now and can pitch it level and my feet are warm and I am completely comfortable.
"Rudeness is a weak man's impression of strength"
I find that true also, but circulation is also important to make sure your socks aren't tight.
"No whining in the woods"
How about using a diabetic sock?
"A diabetic sock is a non-binding and non-elasticated sock which is designed so as to not constrict the foot or leg.[1] Typically sufferers of diabetes are the most common users of this type of sock.[2] Diabetes raises the blood sugar level, which can increase the risk of foot ulcers. Diabetic socks are made to be unrestrictive of circulation.[1]"
They even com in ultra lite http://www.amazon.com/Diabetic-Socks.../dp/B00BMDAJ32
"Rudeness is a weak man's impression of strength"
I have some thin loose socks I will be wearing with my down booties from now on.I don't know much about the diabetic socks.
"No whining in the woods"
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