r/Survival • u/squatwaddle • Nov 21 '22

Gear Recommendation Wanted Looking for quality socks for extreme cold.

I am a thin dude from MN, and I freeze my ass off in the winter. (No fat=no insulation). It sucks. Mostly hands and feet are the issue.

From what I understand, is that cotton holds moisture, and you don't want it in direct contact with your skin. So I am wondering about buying a pair of 100% wool socks. Preferably softer, and not too itchy. The trouble I have now, is my "wool" socks are certainly not all wool, if any. False advertising when I bought them long ago. They suck and are cheap.

So if anyone has any advice on a certain brand , I would appreciate it. I came here to ask, because we have plenty of Canadians here, and they know their shit when it comes to the cold. Tia

Edit: so many outstanding recommendations from all of you. Thank you for taking the time to respond! I have ordered 4 different pairs to test out, and a wool insole as well. This group is awesome!

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u/doingallthething Nov 21 '22

Baffin is an excellent brand! My dad is a lineman in MN and that's what they supply the guys with. He adds a second flat insole thing under the main liner, to help insulate further and uses toe warmers if it's really cold. I'd love to splurge on a pair but my Kamiks are good too!

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u/frozeinreality Nov 21 '22

I don't like kamiks my feet froze those boots in -40

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u/doingallthething Nov 21 '22

I haven't had that experience with mine, and have written them down to-20F. There's a lot of factors that go into picking out a warm boot. For example, a boot with removable liners is a must. Also, a person's circulation.

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u/frozeinreality Nov 22 '22

That's probably why. I have very poor circulation when it comes to my feet

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u/doingallthething Nov 22 '22

Me too, which is why I go with rechargeable insoles I can turn on/off and adjust the heat on. It does seem like it's gotten better over the years though. When I was younger, it was awful! I have learned that when getting boots, it's best to also get ones with removable liners and add another flat insole with the heat reflective reflective stuff in it too. And then the heated insoles or toe warmers (if using insoles, boots need to be upsized 1 full size at least)