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What Are Camp Booties?

Elizabeth West
Elizabeth West

Camp booties help keep feet warm and toasty in the coldest weather when winter camping. They consist of a polypropylene outer shell and a warm insole, and are lined with a synthetic insulating material. Usually they are worn over socks, and help contribute to the layering effect that keeps the body warm. The outer shell has a low permeability and high vapor loss to block the wind and cold but still allow moisture from sweat to wick away from the body.

Most camp booties have a rubber sole with a dot or other textured pattern on the bottom for light traction if the wearer has to walk around camp on packed snow or ice. The insulating material goes all the way around the foot to protect it. A removable foam insole provides a cushion when walking around, and can be taken out to reduce bulk when wearing the camp booties inside a sleeping bag. The booties typically have a ribbon lacing that feeds through loops on the sides and adjusts to the right fit.

Campers often wear socks inside camp booties.
Campers often wear socks inside camp booties.

Campers usually wear socks inside camp booties, but the right kind is critical. Cotton is a very absorbent fabric and is not recommended for layering, as it will suck up any moisture exuded by the body and takes a long time to dry. This will chill feet, hands, and limbs instead of keeping them warm. In extremely cold weather this can contribute to hypothermia and even death. A synthetic blend is recommended, and campers should bring extra socks to allow rotation while the other pair dries.

Camp booties keep feet warm and dry during the winter.
Camp booties keep feet warm and dry during the winter.

There are booties that contain goose down, but while down is an excellent insulator, it clumps and collapses when wet and is difficult to dry. A savvy camper looks for camp booties with a good synthetic insulation material. The dead air space between the fibers helps hold in body heat to keep extremities warm. The thin synthetic fibers typically don’t absorb water and provide fill power very close to that of down, without the worry of clumping.

During the winter, people who are outside for an extended period of time should dress in warm layers.
During the winter, people who are outside for an extended period of time should dress in warm layers.

Winter camping can be fun if basic rules of safety and care are followed. There are plenty of websites that carry camp booties of all types, or they are available in outdoor wilderness stores. Before buying, especially if they are new to cold-weather activities, campers should read reviews of products and talk to others who are experienced with winter camping. They will undoubtedly have recommendations for the best products. If good booties cost a bit more, it may be worth the money to avoid losing toes to frostbite.

Discussion Comments

jonrss

I have a pair of down camp booties that I wear around the house. They are so soft and they keep my feet so warm that I just wear them like slippers. I figure why not, you don't have to be knee deep in the middle of the woods to enjoy these.

backdraft

I will be honest, I wear camp booties when I go deer hunting. The simple fact is that they work better at keeping my feet warm than anything else I can think of.

I have tried sock warmers and all kinds of different wool socks but my feet always end of freezing by the end of the day. The sock booties really work though. I just wish they had a different name.

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    • Campers often wear socks inside camp booties.
      By: Bert Folsom
      Campers often wear socks inside camp booties.
    • Camp booties keep feet warm and dry during the winter.
      By: Gorilla
      Camp booties keep feet warm and dry during the winter.
    • During the winter, people who are outside for an extended period of time should dress in warm layers.
      By: RTimages
      During the winter, people who are outside for an extended period of time should dress in warm layers.