I bought a pair of Sierra Designs women’s down booties last year and have used them on every backpacking trip I’ve taken since then: from summer time in the mountains to winter snow camping. When my feet are freezing, I’m unhappy. And I found a way to have happy feet when I’m camping or backpacking: down booties!
Now that I’ve found how wonderful down booties are, there are now no excuses for cold feet on camping and backpacking trips. They pack down very small, are extremely lightweight, and offer a tremendous amount of warmth.
I’ve slept with them on inside my 0 degree Marmot sleeping bag on a couple of extremely cold nights in the mountains.
I wear them when nature calls in the middle of the night (much easier to slip on than bulky hiking boots); I wear them when I’m preparing breakfast in the morning; and I wear them around the campfire a night (when camping) and at dinnertime when backpacking.
they are no longer for sale! Any other recommendations? I have cold toes!
Hi Viscara, the soles can wear out if you wear them on rough granite rocks repeatedly. I have used my pair on multiple backpacking trips in the Sierra Nevadas (which have loads of granite) and the synthetic fabric on the bottom has slowly worn out. You can stitch them back up pretty easily, or just plan to replace them after 2-3 years of use. Hope that helps! They are definitely worth it…even if you have to invest in another pair in a couple of years. And wearing them on dirt or sand doesn’t wear them out much at all.
Are these booties soled with some kind of material? or what are the soles made of? do they wear out quickly?