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Boots, Hiking

The Best Down Boots And Other Camping Gear You Need To Survive

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camperDown boots are an absolute necessity for any camper out there. These types of shoes will provide you with a lot of warmth, especially when the nights get cold. When you wear then around your camp or cabin, you can rest assured that your tootsies will remain warm. The reason why boots made of down protect you from the cold so well, is because they have insulation, which keeps the cold outside. This is the reason why they will not only keep your feet warm, but also dry. If you are looking for a good pair of down boots, then you are going to have to get yourself a waterproofed pair. They will also have to feel soft and snug.

Many of these types of boots have been made of 100% nylon, which is going to do a really good job from keeping ice and snow out of your boots. Nylon for boots is usually also treated with silicone. This makes it even more water resistant, thereby increasing its durability. For the ultimate in comfort and warmth, you should really go for fill power goose down. Most brands use this, by the way. Boots made of down are designed in such a way that they keep your body heat locked in there. And that’s the reason why they are essential for outdoor activities.

winterMake no mistake… campers, hikers, trekkers and trailers aren’t the only people that can benefit from these kinds of boots. Some people suffer from chronically cold feet. They can benefit from down booties as well. Originally, this footwear was made for outdoor use. But plenty of people have found other types of uses as well. It’s no surprise that people are choosing to wear these boots in the comfort of their own home.

Always keep in mind that durability as well as comfort are important when you set out to buy down booties. If possible, you will have to wear them for a few minutes to see how well they fit. If you are ordering online from, say, Amazon… then you will simply have to rely on buyer reviews. Once you have a pair of down boots, you will be surprised at how incredibly comfortable they feel. Especially when you are walking around outdoors.

There are a lot of good brands and manufacturers out there who make these kinds of boots. Not only offline, but also online. The best way for you to figure out which booties are the best ones, is to compare. Read some reviews from people who have reviewed their own boots on the web. They will give you many insights.

Winter Camping With The Best Down Camp Booties, Winter Parkas And Pedometers Money Can Buy

high cut blueThese days, you can get some really great outdoor gear on the market. It will enhance your outdoor experience. Next to all the usual stuff such as pedometers, warm jackets and what not, you are also going to have to have a comfortable pair of down booties for outdoor activities in cold areas. Think about skiing, mountaineering, camping, hiking and whatnot. When you are thinking of hitting the hiking trail with your down booties, then you might also want to bring along a pedometer such as the Sportline ThinQ. This is about the side of a credit card and you can easily fit it into your pocket to measure the steps you take with your boots. It’s a really handy little device that I’ve taken along on my own hiking adventures in the past. It’s totally cutting edge and I would not want to live without it. The ThinQ has a pretty sleek design. It only weighs, like… 2 ounces or something. It will measure your calories, distance and steps. It’s too bad that this Sportline pedometer has not have an integrated clip. But you can still hook it up to a key chain loop though.

But I stray… If you are serious about staying warm, then you will not only need all sorts of warm winter clothing to ensure you will not freeze your butt off. Take for example the DriZone down booties. These are among the most comfortable around. They get good reviews all over the place. They will make you feel like you never want to take them off anymore. They have a very thick ridged rubber sole for good grip. But they also have a soft nylon ripstop with a thick layer of featherweight down running along the calf. You can get the DriZone boots in all colors of the rainbow, and they are available for both men and women. Your tootsies will be grateful you bought these.

western mountaineering expeditionIf, next to a solid pair of warm winter boots, you are also looking for a warm jacket… then you might want to consider the Snow Princess Parka. It’s made of down, just like your down filled camping booties! The great thing about it is that it is full length. It will cover your body whole, from shoulders to your thighs. At the same time, it does not make you look fat, like so many other women’s parkas. It has quilted fabric, which is always good news. It has a silky kind of feel to it. There is a soft shearing around the neckline to make sure cold can’t get in and warmth can’t get out. It also comes with a two way zipper. And then there is a flap over the zipper, which provides yet extra insulation. It’s got pretty big pockets, so you can stuff a credit card in there, or maybe some extra cash. Or you can also use them to warm your hands. And in case you need to take off your gloves, you can store those in there as well.

Next to down booties and a winter parka, you will aos need to keep your head warm. For this, I suggest a Tilley’s Wool Winter Hat It sort of looks like a fedora. Most people think fedoras look totally stylish and distinguished. I happen to agree! This totally suave head gear can make any person look like a million bucks. But it will also protect your neck and your forehead from cold. The downward slope brim in the back and the front make this a really great design. It has an exterior made of wool, which is water proof. But at the same time, it is also stain proof. The best feature on this winter fedora is that the inside crown has a thin foam layer, which will help keep your body heat in. You can also keep your forehead warm by tucking it farther in. But it also has these really handy ear flaps that will keep your ears warm, even when there is a storm brewing in the cold climate you just so happen to be visiting at the time. You can get this fedora in a number of colors, such as autumn tweed, charcoal, navy blue or black. And it also comes in a variety of sizes.

Winter Camping, Mountaineering And Hiking  In Extremely Cold Temperatures – What Gear You Need To Survive

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAI once went winter camping when it was about -25 degrees. My friends called me crazy, I remember it well. I say to them that they need to grow a pair and man up. If you’re like me, then you will get a total thrill out of camping in harsh conditions. Assuming that you know what you are doing, this can be loads of fun. But if you manage to screw up, you will suffer because of it. I would like to give you some tips on how to avoid getting beat up by cold weather on your camping trip.

For starters… do not underestimate the temperature of the ground. Ground does a really great job at conducting heat. This means that, anything that comes in touch with it, is going to have the heat sucked right out of it. If you want to stay warm in the cold at night, you are going to require an inflatable sleeping pad. A mere tent is not going to save you from freezing over alive. You need more protection from conductive heat loss. Just believe me when I tell you this is worth your money right here. I figured I could stay warm using nothing but my trusty old Therm-A-Rest Prolite 3. But that turned out to be quite a mistake on my part. My toes nearly got frostbite, because they were hanging over. It made me shiver of cold all throughout the night. You will have to bring a darn good pad. Also, if you are wandering around in an area that has lots of leaves or hay, then you can use this to get even warmer. You should layer loads of hay and leaves between you and the freezing cold earth that is directly below you.

downies2The ground is not only what you sleep on, it is also what you stand on all day long. You may have heard your momma tell you that you need to dress warm from the bottom up, or you will be cold for sure. Well, guess what… your momma was right! And that’s the reason why you can not afford to miss out on a good pair of hard sole down booties for your winter camping trip. If you are dead serious about surviving in sub zero temperatures, then you had better get your priorities straight and buy a good pair of goose down boots. These will insulate your feet. They will keep warmth in and cold out. That’s exactly what you need. You’ve only got so many body heat and you can’t afford to conduct it into the ground. You’ve got to keep it all to yourself. And that’s why downies are so important for any camping trip in the winter.

Make sure to put your water bottles right inside of your bag. If you are visiting very cold areas, then your water bottles will freeze over if you do not protect them from the cold. They are going to burst along the sides, because frozen water expands and takes up more volume. It will make your water as well as your bottle useless. Rather than a Camelback, bring a Nalgene instead. And make sure that you keep those warm over night. It’s best to wrap them in a sleeping bag. Some people have the genius idea of eating snow when there is no water around. The problem is that this will make you cold to the core. The temperature alone is enough to make you feel miserable. But also keep in mind that there is no water purification around for you to purity that snow before you eat it. You never know where it’s been!

original drifts redIt’s also a good idea to bring a stove with you that you can light up whenever you like. The problem with some of these portable stoves, is that they can not ignite at cold temperatures. I once had an alcohol stove like that. When you find out you can’t light your stove when it’s cold and dark, you will not be able to melt snow and ice into water. And you will also not be able to make dehydrated foods. Canister stoves are the best for this purpose. They will light up in any type of weather conditions. If you don’t want to go dehydrated, hungry and freezing, then a cannister stove is best for you. I went with the MSR Pocket Rocket myself.

Also be sure to bring a good sleeping bag for the conditions you are in. When you are going to places where there are going to be below zero temperatures, then you absolutely have to get a bag that can withstand such temperatures. I once went winter camping with a standard issue sleeping bag. I almost lost my life that day. I wasn’t even one quarter through the night, and I had already put on two pairs of pants, a parka and my trusty old hiking down booties. And I still was not warm enough. The sleeping bag might as well not have been there in the first place. I promised myself to never make a screw up like that again. I want to spend my night sleeping, not freezing. Before I bought a new sleeping bag, I tried outfitting my standard issue bag with a foam insert and a down cover (yeah, I did not have a lot of money at that point). It improved the situation, but it’s still not as good as a super warm sleeping bag.

Make sure to bring a fourth season tent. Plenty of people bring ultralight mesh tents, which are absolutely fantastic for when you are going on a summer walk. However, when temperatures start dropping below zero… they are less than useless. Sure, a fourth season tent costs more… but it will also save your backend from freezing over in the winter. Check out some tents from The North Face and Black Diamond. These are my personal favorite brands. These tents are built to last. They are built to withstand the cold and strong winds. You can not afford to miss out on these if you are going camping in the winter.

If all else fails… remember that you can always go back home. When I was younger, I insisted on finishing the number of days I had told myself I would stay. Even if it turned out my equipment wasn’t on par, I still stayed for longer than I needed to. Nobody is going to be harsh on you when you decide to go home when it’s -25 degrees out there and you’re getting frostbite on your fingers, toes and nose. If at first you don’t succeed, come back and try again. Nobody said you had to become the world’s toughest mofo overnight. Nobody wants frostbite. So either put on those down booties to insulate yourself or go home! 😛

Back to the Boot Bomb.

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About the author

Brian

Hi, I’m Brian Bradshaw. I’m a super duper mega hiking enthusiast, with a love for everything that has to do with outdoors, hiking, gear, footwear and more.

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6 thoughts on “The Best Down Boots And Other Camping Gear You Need To Survive”

    • Not sure. I’ve always intended to actually finish this page by placing actual reviews on it. Never got around to it. Maybe in the future, though.

      Reply
  1. Sorry Dude, much of Blabla, no serious review and pics without having any relationship to the text.
    This Blog Post is a waste of time. Sorry to say it. Better remove it OR improve it.

    Reply
    • Hi Lukas,

      Thanks for your feedback. I appreciate your honesty and I agree entirely.

      This page has been on my list of pages to improve upon for a long time. I’ll be sure to get that fixed soon.

      Sincerely,

      Brian

      Reply
  2. Greetings
    you probably won’t remember but I wrote you last year regarding a hard soled down booty, “you can not afford to miss out on a good pair of hard sole down booties”. I’ve been searching for at least a year and would appreciate I’m 67 disabled an suffer from Reynauds and am totally flustered. When I have found anything on the web they’re always out of stock or more likely discontinued. Does anyone still make a sole other than that ridiculous syn.material that transmits the cold straight to your foot or that won’t tear or puncture? Any help you may be able to provide.would be appreciated.

    Reply
    • Hi Michael,

      Yes, I remember that. Not sure what I wrote back, though.

      Does it have to be a down bootie you are looking for, or will anything with a hard sole go?

      Sincerely,

      Brian

      Reply

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