Gear

The pursuit for the ultimate minimalist winter footwear continues but I think I am getting closer. The preceding stages have been as follows:

• Russell Moccasin Russell Tracker boots: I bought these with the hopes of making them my general purpose winter boots. They were made with waterproof leather, they had flat soles, and I had them sized to accommodate thicker socks. They ended-up being not as waterproof as I needed, stiffer than I wanted, and not particularly warm, even with thick socks. I have found that in cold weather, having insulation under the soles of your feet is very important for keeping them warm.

• Quoddy Trail sheepskin lined Grizzly Boots in combination with NEOS Adventurer overboots: The idea behind this combination was to try to solve some of the the problems I had experienced with the Russell Moccasins. The sheepskin lining would keep my feet warm, and the overboots would keep them dry. The other benefit would be that I could wear other footwear under the overboots if I didn't need the warmth of the sheepskin. The moccasins were very warm and flexible, and the overboots were definitely waterproof. The system was not without problems however. The overboots were not breathable and thus had a tendency to get hot and sweaty during physical activity. The overboots were also very bulky/baggy, making them feel sloppy and rather large for fitting in crampons or snowshoe bindings. The moccasins still had a tendency to get wet (from sweat, etc.) and took a very long time to dry due to their leather construction.

I am now in the third iteration of my winter minimalist footwear search, and I think I am getting closer. The current system that I am trying is based on research and recommendations from a series of articles on BackpackingLight. I am taking the ideas from those articles and am slowly adapting them for use with minimalist footwear. The approach involves treating footwear as a layered system (not unlike we are used to doing with clothing) for use in a wide range of weather conditions. The various components of this system and how they work together is outside the scope of this article, but I plan on writing more about it once I have completed more in-depth testing.

Note: For the record, I just wanted to say that I purchased all of the products described above with my own money, none were given to me as samples for review. Yes, it gets expensive, but I have managed to sell most of the failed experiments to recoup some of the money. The same goes for the new system I am testing (with the exception of the Kuuvas). I thought it was important to say this so that you know that this is genuine, that there are no perks/incentives for me in talking about these products.

One of the components of this system is a light weight overboot made by Forty Below: The Light Energy TR Overboots. The TR stands for Trail Runner, which means that these overboots were designed to go over light-weight running shoes. They are described as having the following key features:

• Designed to help insulate trail running shoes and light hiking boots for a variety of applications.

• Superlight and Supercompact!

• Low profile, and dynamic fit design.

• Stretchy nylon covered neoprene foam insulation on sides of foot.

• Upper gaiter has stretchy side panels to allow for wide range of clothing and temperature range.

• Coated rear calf area to reduce snow buildup and melt through.

• Removable closed cell foam bottom insert to help reduce conductive heat loss.

• Light and flexible Rubber Dot patterned sole fabric.

• Easy to put on in the cold.

An added bonus is that when you purchase a pair of these, they send you several different thicknesses of foam inserts that you can stick inside to accommodate various shoe sizes. Because the lower section is made with stretchy neoprene they fit snugly over your footwear, and because the gaiters are breathable they don't get nearly as hot and sweaty as the NEOS did. The soles are thin, flexible, and have no heel (a huge bonus as far as I am concerned). One downside is that the outsole is not really designed for heavy use on it's own (it is not highly abrasion resistant like a normal boot), it is designed to be used in snowshoes or crampons. If you want to be able to use them on their own, then they need to be paired with a pair of external soles/cleats like STABILiciers.

Pictured here with my STABILicers Sport (not recommended, get the Originals instead)

I have only had the opportunity to take them out on two occasions so far, so I don't have much to report as of yet. At this point I am very pleased with the results and can't wait to do more testing. Tomorrow we are heading out do do some winter hiking and I am planning on trying them out with my Feelmax Kuuvas. Stay tuned for future posts on this topic!

My friend Spring sent me this message the other day, and I thought it would be a good topic for a blog post.

Cold Feet

So, as we set our goal to make this our most active/outdoor winter ever, I am worried about my poor circulation and cold feet. Any suggestions, for warm feet especially? Or under-layers, etc? I don't want our goal to fail because I was too cold to do it!

My Response

That's a great question. And no doubt cold feet will thwart winter outdoor activity. I have several suggestions for you that can help to keep your feet warm...

For your feet:

• Get a really good pair of warm socks. Something like Smartwool heavy/expedition weight, or Darn Tough Vermont boot socks. Make sure they come up to just below the knee, completely covering the calf. They may be somewhat pricey, but they will be really comfy and warm. Make sure they are not too tight as to restrict circulation.

• Underneath those warm socks, wear a thin polyester or polypro liner sock. This will help wick away moisture, keep your feet dry, and eliminate any itch you might feel from the thick wool sock. Again, make sure the liner is not tight.

• Make sure that whatever footwear you have on (shoes, skates, etc.), it is not tight or restrictive. This will cut circulation and contribute to your feet getting cold. You may have to size-up if you are wearing thick socks.

For your legs:

• Keep your legs nice and warm. By keeping your legs warm, the blood circulating to your feet will be warm too.

• Don't wear cotton, especially against your skin, it will make you cold as soon as it gets damp. If you are wearing long underwear make sure it is polyester or wool. A couple of my favorite places to get deals on long underwear is the Sierra Trading Post, the Patagonia Freeport Outlet, or the Patagonia online store (check the web specials section).

• Whatever insulation you wear on your legs, make sure it isn't baggy. The looser fitting it is, the harder it will be for your body to heat up the space.

Nutrition:

• Make sure you are hydrated. Dehydration easily leads to getting cold.

• Make sure you aren't hungry. Insufficient calories can also lead to you getting cold.

Anything else?

I just covered the basics, there are many more things that could be discussed depending on the activity and temperatures encountered (i.e. thermal insoles, overboots, etc.). Does anyone else have anything that they would like to add? Please let me know in the comments!

For the last few weeks I have been in sewing mode and loving every minute of it. According to Renee, she wouldn't have thought I liked it so much based on all the mutterings she hears emanating from the sewing room. I guess I am rather vocal when I hit a little snag. Despite the small frustrations that happen along the way (an integral part to the learning process), I find sewing to be incredibly satisfying. It is the combination of art/creativity, engineering, math, and precision that I like so much, not to mention the fact that the end result is something that is necessary and useful.

Being a computer programmer by trade, much of what I do on a daily basis is both foreign and unseen by most people. I like to think of software engineering as poetry - it is a very creative process for me. The problem is that the art of software engineering is often unseen and not understood by the majority of people. My family largely has no idea what exactly it is I do to pay the bills. I am finding that sewing is a way for me to express myself in a way that is visible, appreciated, and understood by my family and others around me. Not to mention the fact that there are many practical reasons for learning to sew as well.

My three most recent projects are:

A Winter Coat for Celine: A few months ago Celine saw a pattern for a coat that she really liked. The pattern was relatively simple and could be made out of fleece so she decided that she wanted to try to make it (with my help). We ordered the pattern and the fabric and soon discovered that it was too much for her to handle so I offered to finish it for her (much to her relief). I learned a lot through the process and I am very happy with how it turned out. Celine loves it, it is now her favorite coat.

Pattern: Jalie Stretch City Coat
Fabric: Polartec 300 Fleece

A Pair of Yoga Pants for Renee: We like to keep the heat turned down during the winter months to conserve energy and minimize the bills. We compensate by putting on a few extra layers of clothing. Renee's biggest beef with this is that wearing extra layers usually means her having to wear clothes that are less figure-flattering. One solution I decided to try was to make her a pair of slim-fitting pants out of a thermal fabric. I found a pattern for some yoga pants and decided to try making them out of Polartec Wind Pro, a very warm, stretchy, and wind-resistant fabric. The end result was again very good.

Pattern: Jalie Yoga Pants
Fabric: Polartec Wind Pro

A Soft-Shell Jacket for Laurent: The boy is growing-up. A few weeks ago he put on his fleece jacket and what was once big and baggy on him (wasn't that just yesterday?) is now too small. A staple for our fall/winter hiking is a soft-shell jacket. It is difficult to find anything like this for kids, so I decided to try my hand at making one for him. I found a pattern for a hooded fleece jacket, ordered some Polartec Power Shield fabric and gave it a shot. Again, the result was very successful (this is getting addicting!).

Pattern: The Green Pepper Polar Jacket
Fabric: Polartec Power Shield

Are you getting inspired yet? Looking for a new project?

Time for a Giveaway!

It so happens that in my frenzy of online ordering, I accidentally purchased a pattern twice. Rather than send it back, I have decided to give away the extra pattern to one of you. The pattern is for The Green Pepper Sandpiper Wind & Rain Suit for kids (the same pattern I used for Brienne's windbreaker). All you have to do is leave a comment and you will automatically be entered in the draw. The draw will be made in one week, on Sunday December 13th, and the winner's name announced at the end of this post. Good luck!

Update (12/14/2009): I just wanted to post a note of congratulations to Jim White, the winner of the pattern giveaway! Good luck with your sewing adventures, and I hope you will share the results of your projects with us one day! Thanks to all the rest of you who participated. Please continue to check back with the blog, we have more great post ideas as well as some additional giveaways planned for the new year.