Keeping feet dry

[kboatman107]

I’m looking for any advice on how to keep my feet dry. My feet sweat 24/7 it seems like. I’ve fought it for years and within the first mile of hunting, running, rucking, etc my feet are already soaked. I’ve tried powders and antiperspirant. On last years elk hunt I lost count of how many blisters I had due to wet feet. Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

[sc88]

The only thing that has worked for me is wearing a lighter pair of darn tough socks and changing them out once or twice a day. I also use leukotape to help prevent getting blisters.

 

[xcutter]

Same problem for me. My feet sweat constantly unless wearing slides or flip flops. I use plenty of Leukotape and change my socks. Usually have a pair of socks strapped to my back pack drying out. I also pull my boots off to let my feet breathe anytime we are going to be stopped for awhile taking a break.

One tip. If you get a blister. Put a bandaid on it then apply the Leukotape over top. This gives a little padding and won't tear the skin off when removing the Leukotape.

 

[doverpack12]

Have you tried synthetic socks to help dry faster? Stone Glacier socks are doing well for me with limited use so far. They are also pretty thin so I don't feel as hot as I do with similar weight merino.

 

[WannabeHunter]

Botox

Not kidding. Look it up.

 

[kboatman107]

Thanks for the replies. I wear the light darn tough merino socks. I’ve tried synthetic as well. I’ll definitely throw in some Leukotape in my pack for blisters or hotspots. And now I guess I’ll be doing some research on Botox.. lol

 

[5MilesBack]

Thanks for the replies. I wear the light darn tough merino socks.

Uhhhh......poly liner socks.

My feet........as well as the rest of me, sweat continually on an elk hunt running up and down mountains all day. At the end of the day I take my boots off and open them up to dry, and take my wet merino boot socks off to dry, and my poly liner socks and feet are good to go. How and why do so many people only wear merino socks?

 

[kboatman107]

Uhhhh......poly liner socks.

I’ve tried poly liners throughout the summer and could not notice a difference

 

[Jskaanland]

Not sure if it would work for feet but I pit out when its 32 degrees and I'm sitting on a couch wearing a tshirt and flipflops... until I started wearing this Driclor Antiperspirant Roll on 75ml https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001TU1EPU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_zfdtDbNRA6YWR

I'm not sure if it will work on feet but it may be worth a try.

P.s. I'm figuring there's a 90 percent chance that I'm gonna get cancer from it, it works that well for pits.

 

[5MilesBack]

I’ve tried poly liners throughout the summer and could not notice a difference

For me it's night and day difference. And my feet get hotter than heck with just merino socks. The merino socks absorb the sweat, so that sweat is still right up against your skin. And being inside a boot, it has no way to dissipate. At least with the liner, it can wick the sweat to the next layer (the merino socks) for better comfort and less friction on your skin. If the poly socks are slick enough, the friction is between the merino sock and the poly sock.

 

[hayesplow]

There are some info here https://www.rokslide.com/forums/threads/sweaty-feet.51330/

 

[JCohHTX]

check out this stuff. I believe the sell it at CVS now: https://www.mycarpe.com/

 

[kboatman107]

check out this stuff. I believe the sell it at CVS now: https://www.mycarpe.com/

Definitely going to have to give this a try!

 

[Cng]

At least with the liner, it can wick the sweat to the next layer (the merino socks) for better comfort and less friction on your skin.

I hear this all the time and it drives me crazy. It’s not that you’re wrong, it’s just that you’re drastically underestimating the amount of sweat we, of the sweaty feet camp, are dealing with!

If I go out on, say, a three or four day backpacking trip in 70 degree weather, my liner, sock, and entire boot is soaked within the first day or even half day. No poly liner can help an entire boot that’s as wet at the end of the day as if you took it off, dunked it in a stream, poured it out, and put it back on.

By morning, my boots are still more than damp. After an hour of hiking, they’re soaked again. This is one of my biggest outdoor hurdles! I’m constantly dealing with very wet and stinky boots.

 

[kboatman107]

I hear this all the time and it drives me crazy. It’s not that you’re wrong, it’s just that you’re drastically underestimating the amount of sweat we, of the sweaty feet camp, are dealing with!

If I go out on, say, a three or four day backpacking trip in 70 degree weather, my liner, sock, and entire boot is soaked within the first day or even half day. No poly liner can help an entire boot that’s as wet at the end of the day as if you took it off, dunked it in a stream, poured it out, and put it back on.

By morning, my boots are still more than damp. After an hour of hiking, they’re soaked again. This is one of my biggest outdoor hurdles! I’m constantly dealing with very wet and stinky boots.

This describes my feet exactly. I went on a run during my lunch break today and when I got back to the house my feet were so sweaty that the sweat was seeping through my running shoes

 

[Catahoula]

I only wear merino wool liner socks. My feet stay dry. Everyone sweats at different rates no doubt. I’ve always stayed away from synthetics on my feet. My spouse is exact opposite, wears synthetics.

 

[*zap*]

Stick some newspaper in a boot and it will dry it out overnight....mostly.

 

[Desk Jockey]

What boots are you running?

My feet are medium sweaty. Some boots make it worse and I don’t run boots with insulation until much later in season or when static.

On either angle to think about is boot type. A goretex and leather boot is only going to move so much interior moisture from your feet over a g Ken period of time. If you exceed that by sweating your feet will be soaked. You May want to look into a nongoretex boot. Perhaps something textile. It will breath and move sweat better. Downside is obviously moisture from outside.

 

[5MilesBack]

I hear this all the time and it drives me crazy. It’s not that you’re wrong, it’s just that you’re drastically underestimating the amount of sweat we, of the sweaty feet camp, are dealing with!

If I go out on, say, a three or four day backpacking trip in 70 degree weather, my liner, sock, and entire boot is soaked within the first day or even half day. No poly liner can help an entire boot that’s as wet at the end of the day as if you took it off, dunked it in a stream, poured it out, and put it back on.

By morning, my boots are still more than damp. After an hour of hiking, they’re soaked again. This is one of my biggest outdoor hurdles! I’m constantly dealing with very wet and stinky boots.

And that describes my feet exactly as well. When I'm covering 10+ miles every day in elk country in 70+ temps my boots and socks get soaked with sweat. And my boots are still wet every morning.......and cold, but my merino socks have mostly dried by morning. If not I can heat them over my heater in base camp or over my Micro lantern on a pack in. But my liners are good to go and I'm comfortable for the day. The liner socks don't help my boots, they help my feet. And even a wet poly liner sock is better than no poly liner sock. Poly fibers don't absorb moisture, they trap it between the fibers when they get wet. Unlike cotton and merino socks which actually do absorb that moisture.

 

[muddydogs]

Your not going to keep your feet from sweating and getting wet, think about it. Your feet are in a sock shoved into a boot which is basically a closed system, ya some boots have Gortex which breaths but only so much vapor can escape.
Wicking socks are all good and fine but where is the moisture going to wick to? Only so much can wick into the outer sock before its wet and the moisture isn't going to wick up hill very much so your not loosing a lot out of the top of your boots. Not to mention when the outer sock is wet any pressure against the outer sock with your foot is going to force moisture back into the wicking sock
When hiking around with a pack your back is going to have wet areas were the pack touches it due to the moisture not being able to escape, well thats whats happening in your boots.
If your getting blisters from wet socks then your boots aren't holding your feet tight enough, once the moister builds up your feet are slipping around more because they have room to slip. Get a pair of boots that fit right or a thicker sock to help take up the room.