Anyone use Battery Heated Socks.......

[Logan]

Anyone have experince with these things? I have a problem with my feet alway getting cold, even in my boots that are rated to -100C in a heated shack my feet get cold as hell, I was looking into some heater socks as kind of a last resort and was wondering if anyone has had any experince with them?

[PigShanks]

I've tried a few different types and IMHO they are a waste of money. A good set of boots, some Helly Hanson sock liners under you thermal socks, and if required, some of those hand warmer placed under the your boot liner.

[littleoldlady]

I've tried a few different types and IMHO they are a waste of money. A good set of boots, some Helly Hanson sock liners under you thermal socks, and if required, some of those hand warmer placed under the your boot liner.

  What are HellyHanson liners and where do I find them?  We don't have an ice fishing tent,  and after a couple of hours my feet get very cold!
I had wondered, as well, about the battery heated sox...

[PigShanks]

  What are HellyHanson liners and where do I find them?  We don't have an ice fishing tent,  and after a couple of hours my feet get very cold!
I had wondered, as well, about the battery heated sox...

They are a sock liner. 76% polypropylene, 16% nylon, 3% lycra. Rapid moisture transportation. Anatomic construction, reinforced heel and toe. Optimum temperature regulation.

They basically wick the moisture away from your feet to keep them dry.  DRY=WARM. I get mine at Mark's Work Warehouse, but most places that sell work outerware should carry these or something similar.

[hollis]

Logan, Here is an older post of mine that tells what I did,...maybe it'll help,...


Once your feet get cold its amazing how much external heat it takes to warm them up! OK keeping the feet dry is a big help. Personally I won't use the antiperspirant deodorants. They work by having aluminum salts go into your skin and "freeze" the nerves that make your sweat glands work. A few neuroscientists think it also gets into the bloodstream and lodges in your brain for future Alzheimer’s.

Anyway what I did so years ago is get those electric socks, the regular batteries are not very good and you burn them up pretty fast. So I cut those wires and soldered some flexible wires to them and to some smooth terminals, like the male plugs in type. . I then get a 12v security light battery from Home Depot (you can recharge them with your 12v battery charger) and I use clip-on terminals to connect them to the battery for xx # of SECONDS. You have to be careful here, lots more amperage and you could have flames coming out of your boots.

 Try a few experiments in timing them at home not on your feet BEFORE you go out. When you determine the time it takes to get a good amt of heat to the area. STICK to that time in the field...DO NOT get distracted or you may be able for the first time to do a good version of RiverDance! Again, it takes a LOT of heat to warm up toes that are already cold due to vasospasm. So time it, wait a few minutes and add the same again as many times as it takes to get those tootsies warm...don’t think that because they don't feel warm the first few tries that you should go any longer. You ARE putting a lot of heat in that boot, and eventually the whole boot will be very toasty and will stay that way for quite a while, once you get them warm. (Try not to let them get too cold in the first place and make sure your boot and socks are not at all tight)

Also do the polypro 1st sock and get them long enough that they will wick out the top of the boot, also (as you probably know) never wear cotton socks. I roll up the wire and stuff them into the top of the sock, or you could glue a Velcro loop in the back and store the wire there. I put the battery in a cheap fishing/tool type box and have the wires from that and the clips well separated so they can't touch each other and short out (again be careful, you could start a fire transporting it if you don't)

[ice dawg]

I wear Polypropylene socks under my warm boot socks. I also spray my feet with an antiperspirant spray and it helps keep my feet warm. My feet got cold before I started wearing socks to wick the moisture away from my feet.

[littleoldlady]

They are a sock liner. 76% polypropylene, 16% nylon, 3% lycra. Rapid moisture transportation. Anatomic construction, reinforced heel and toe. Optimum temperature regulation.

They basically wick the moisture away from your feet to keep them dry.  DRY=WARM. I get mine at Mark's Work Warehouse, but most places that sell work outerware should carry these or something similar.

Thank you...I think we all have issues with feet at one time or other...BTW, did you get any of this storm that hit, or are you too
far south?  It is finally clearing, but it left a dump of snow drifts....the wind is still 40 kmh, chill factor -37.  I think that I"ll head for MWW
and shop instead of fish this afternoon!!

[Poppy]

I have used the polyprop liners with the dry type heater packs with great success both deer hunting & ice fishing.  They make an inner sole that allows you to put a small heat pack directly under the toes.  They work great.

[bhorn]

Buy yourself a pair of bunny/mickey mouse boots. The warmest boots I have owned. Just wear your normal outdoor socks. No heaters required.

[crappieslayer22]

nope scared i would get electrocuted

[Russell]

If he is referring to the white rubber Arctic boots the military uses, they are by far the warmest. There is an air inflation valve on the side of the boot to inflate it to fit your foot. ALso, if the ice surface is wet your feet stay dry. Have and use Sorrels, Rocky's and USAF Mukluks too, but to be safe and warm....Bunny Boots... and the ice cleats will fit them too! Big cleats on the bottom for traversing snow. ALso my snowshoes work with them. They are heavier than most boots make today.

[PigShanks]

Thank you...I think we all have issues with feet at one time or other...BTW, did you get any of this storm that hit, or are you too
far south?  It is finally clearing, but it left a dump of snow drifts....the wind is still 40 kmh, chill factor -37.  I think that I"ll head for MWW
and shop instead of fish this afternoon!!

Had about 30 minutes of whiteout and then the snow stopped, but 80kmh winds have cooled things down. -42c windchill forcasted for tonight and real temps of -30c for the next day or too.

[littleoldlady]

Had about 30 minutes of whiteout and then the snow stopped, but 80kmh winds have cooled things down. -42c windchill forcasted for tonight and real temps of -30c for the next day or too.

  Same same...do you ever get up here to fish?

[PondPro]

my parents bought me battery heated gloves and the work good so the socks should to.

[PigShanks]

  Same same...do you ever get up here to fish?

Nope, never made it that far north with the fishing gear, but one day!!!!!

[littleoldlady]

Nope, never made it that far north with the fishing gear, but one day!!!!!

Well, PigShanks, you will need your battery heated socks for the next couple of days.  BTW, did
pick up some of the propylene socks and just wore them around while shovelling the snow...they really work!
But if you ever plan a trip up here, drop Sweetie and I note...if you can stand the cold it is worth the wait!!

[PigShanks]

...if you can stand the cold it is worth the wait!!

Been married almost 14 years(twice x 7). Beleive it when I say "I CAN STAND THE COLD"

[ICU]

I wouldn't go with the battery socks.friend of mine had them and ended up throwing them away.I would go with a good pair of socks the toe warmer inserts,and or the bunny boots.had the bunny boots while stationed up in maine at the air force base,back in the early 70's,and they were great.I used to stand out on the flight line at minus 50.they took the dogs in at minus 11.

[jeepsw1]

The problem with the battery socks is they are heated by a thin copper wire woven into the sock.  If this wire breaks any where inside the sock, which they often do after a first wearing, the sock become virtualy useless, as it is made out of a cotton blend, rather thatn wool, which is a very poor material for insulating and keeping your feet warm.  There is also no safe way to wash them without damaging the copper wire, so after a couple uses, the odor  might force you to trash them.
As other said, use polypropelene sock, then a good wool sock (70% or better) and you should be fine.  Always check you wool content, most brands place wool content on the packaging, but you might have to look for it. Most of the "outdoor" socks are less than 50% wool, and some contain no wool or wicking fibers at all, which is what you need in a sock to keep your feet warm.
I sell this stuff for a living, it i am just reporting on my experiences, and customer feedback as well. about 60% of the battery socks we sell end up returned as defective.

[killitandgrillit]

I have a pair. I will tell you that they are not the most comfortable thing in the world to wear. The wires rub your foot raw, and they dont get all that warm. They eat batteries too. You'r much better off with a quality set of boots and some good wool socks.

[Logan]

Been married almost 14 years(twice x 7). Beleive it when I say "I CAN STAND THE COLD"

And you sir win the award for line of the day 

Thanks for all the tips guys, Ill give them a shot this weekend when I head out.

[littleoldlady]

And you sir win the award for line of the day 

Thanks for all the tips guys, Ill give them a shot this weekend when I head out.

  I know how PigShanks feels...took three tries before I found a husband
that could fish!!  Also, speaking of husbands, Sweetie says that putting cayenne
pepper in your socks works...and it does...it is a vasodilator, absorbs in, and keeps
the blood flowing and toes warm.

[PigShanks]

Sweetie says that putting cayenne pepper in your socks works...and it does...it is a vasodilator, absorbs in, and keeps the blood flowing and toes warm.

Just make sure you wash your hands to get off any residue from the peppers, Just in case your unmentionable gets itchy and in need of a scratch, or the tears may start flowing as well.

[hollis]

Jeepsw1,
 I wonder if the ones that they are returning as defective are really not defective but just don't work very well. I thought they didn't work, that is, that they were defective  until I checked with a mulitimeter and the circuit was ok,..a temp probe showed the small batteries WERE heating albeit not well.  I never had problems of the wires breaking. Maybe its the manufacturer? Anyway the coldest my feet ever have been have not been ice fishing but sitting in an aluminium boat fishing in 40 degree weather,..all that sitting and not moving your feet. Anyway under THOSE conditions, I never found any combo of socks mentioned here or the Micky Mouse air boots that worked as well as my modified super amp socks (OK I might be a bit like Tim The Tool man Taylor) but I''ve never had my feet get as toasty as my high amp socks! Like having your feet near your fireplace. One brand I have (can't find any name on it now) had a oval PAD of wires under the whole front of the sock. You were supposed to use a 6 volt lantern battery that was hitched you your belt (cumbersome) That one worked best with my set up.

They have some higher priced ski boat pads that are used by those guys. That cost something like 150.00 and have rechargeable Nihd batteries that attach to the back of the boot. I'm told they work well. They also have some for motocyclists,.The guys that tell me they have them say they work very well (they also have gloves and vests) However I think they run off the alternator of the machine. Might take a lot of juice from a battery if you try to use all that.
I know the Modified socks DO work. They didn't take long to do it (probably could work a reostat thing to make it more user friendly) Depends if you like to build gizmos.

[PigShanks]

Jeepsw1,
 I wonder if the ones that they are returning as defective are really not defective but just don't work very well. I thought they didn't work, that is, that they were defective  until I checked with a mulitimeter and the circuit was ok,..a temp probe showed the small batteries WERE heating albeit not well.  I never had problems of the wires breaking. Maybe its the manufacturer? Anyway the coldest my feet ever have been have not been ice fishing but sitting in an aluminium boat fishing in 40 degree weather,..all that sitting and not moving your feet. Anyway under THOSE conditions, I never found any combo of socks mentioned here or the Micky Mouse air boots that worked as well as my modified super amp socks (OK I might be a bit like Tim The Tool man Taylor) but I''ve never had my feet get as toasty as my high amp socks! Like having your feet near your fireplace. One brand I have (can't find any name on it now) had a oval PAD of wires under the whole front of the sock. You were supposed to use a 6 volt lantern battery that was hitched you your belt (cumbersome) That one worked best with my set up.

They have some higher priced ski boat pads that are used by those guys. That cost something like 150.00 and have rechargeable Nihd batteries that attach to the back of the boot. I'm told they work well. They also have some for motocyclists,.The guys that tell me they have them say they work very well (they also have gloves and vests) However I think they run off the alternator of the machine. Might take a lot of juice from a battery if you try to use all that.
I know the Modified socks DO work. They didn't take long to do it (probably could work a reostat thing to make it more user friendly) Depends if you like to build gizmos.

If your going to all that trouble to modifying socks, might just as well get the disposable hand warmers and toss them into your boots.

[BAZOOKAJOE]

Logan, Here is an older post of mine that tells what I did,...maybe it'll help,...


Once your feet get cold its amazing how much external heat it takes to warm them up! OK keeping the feet dry is a big help. Personally I won't use the antiperspirant deodorants. They work by having aluminum salts go into your skin and "freeze" the nerves that make your sweat glands work. A few neuroscientists think it also gets into the bloodstream and lodges in your brain for future Alzheimer’s.

Anyway what I did so years ago is get those electric socks, the regular batteries are not very good and you burn them up pretty fast. So I cut those wires and soldered some flexible wires to them and to some smooth terminals, like the male plugs in type. . I then get a 12v security light battery from Home Depot (you can recharge them with your 12v battery charger) and I use clip-on terminals to connect them to the battery for xx # of SECONDS. You have to be careful here, lots more amperage and you could have flames coming out of your boots.

 Try a few experiments in timing them at home not on your feet BEFORE you go out. When you determine the time it takes to get a good amt of heat to the area. STICK to that time in the field...DO NOT get distracted or you may be able for the first time to do a good version of RiverDance! Again, it takes a LOT of heat to warm up toes that are already cold due to vasospasm. So time it, wait a few minutes and add the same again as many times as it takes to get those tootsies warm...don’t think that because they don't feel warm the first few tries that you should go any longer. You ARE putting a lot of heat in that boot, and eventually the whole boot will be very toasty and will stay that way for quite a while, once you get them warm. (Try not to let them get too cold in the first place and make sure your boot and socks are not at all tight)

Also do the polypro 1st sock and get them long enough that they will wick out the top of the boot, also (as you probably know) never wear cotton socks. I roll up the wire and stuff them into the top of the sock, or you could glue a Velcro loop in the back and store the wire there. I put the battery in a cheap fishing/tool type box and have the wires from that and the clips well separated so they can't touch each other and short out (again be careful, you could start a fire transporting it if you don't)

 
OK  ...i think that sounds a little dangerous.  I'd rather have cold toes than none at all. 

[Oldbear]

Got a pair for Christmas from a Son and his wife.  Used them for late muzzleloader deer hunting the last couple weeks and even though it wasn't all that cold I was disappointed in them.  Switched batteries after a couple days and lets say they just weren't toasty.  Wear a couple good pairs of socks or extra good boots instead. 

[hollis]

I think some might be missing a point. SOME people either have Reynards syndrome or they have been smokers, had a case of bad frostbite  ect, something to create/trigger  easy vasospasm. If that happens, no amount of insulation is going to warm those feet up! You have to dilate the blood vessels. In some people it doesn't take much cold , I agree,... to wear good boots and sock combo to keep them warm in the first place but at a certain point,..IF you get vasospasm easily, it will happen if you are out there long enough.

The pepper powder DOESN'T really warm or dilate . It actually just fools your nerve endings to release pain chemicals that FEEL hot. Thats why when the bad guys in COPS get hit with the pepper spray they think their eyes are burning out of their head but there are no damage to tissues.
PazookaJoe,...not dangerous if you do it right !  Anyone with very cold feet might give a good portion of their life savings at times to get them warm.

[hollis]

Oh yea those warm toe packets can help to KEEP them warm so vasospam  doesn't happen , but the guys I know that have tried to use them ONCE the toes get cold, were very disappointed in the fact they didn't supply enough heat to do it.

[dabluz]

Keeping the main portion of the body warm is also important.  A person may not feel cold but that's because the brain is actively compensating for the loss of heat in the body by reducing blood supply to the extremities (nose, fingers, toes, ears etc) thus causing them to get and feel cold.