Re: [Paddlewise] Dry Feet

In a message dated 10/17/98 4:43:43 PM Pacific Daylight Time,
foxhill_at_shore.intercom.net writes:

<< last year i used a dry suit to keep the bod safe. to keep my feet warm, i
 used 25 yr old neoprene booties. well the booties had holes in them so i was
 concerned that my feet would be cold. no such problem, water drained before
 entering yak and there wasn't much air movement in the cockpit, so my feet
 were warm all winter long. >>

   As Mr. Bliven has stated, neoprene booties will work really well to keep
your feet warm even when wet. I would like to add, however, that although they
are fine for day trips, I would not recommend them for anything longer.
Several years ago I did a trip over about a week in which I packed a pair of
hard soled neoprene booties as my primary footwear. With the hard soles they
are as good as tennis shoes for walking, and the neoprene will keep you warm
even when wet. What I hadn't considered were the consequences of wearing
neoprene over a prolonged period of time. By about the third day I had to keep
those booties well down wind of camp in the evening, and the things that were
going on with my toes and feet are simply too frightening to go into on this
list. Sandals with or without socks, wet shoes and rubber boots are all better
options then neoprene booties.

Scott
So.Cal.
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