Wet, rain, cold and trips
 

I was wondering about concurring cold and at times wet. I was thinking about the
body and feet.

Right now I use the usual rain suit that works OK. ANd I have cold weather
wool jerseys. That all seems to work OK. However, the feet is another question.
I have been letting my shoes get wet if it raining. Could protect the shoes,
or could protect the foot (with a bag or somthing)and let the shoes get wet.

In cold weather I have not found out a good WARM method for them.

In the clod I have been using wool sock with a linner sock. A neopreme bootie
over the shoe, but I still get cold.

I started looking at water proof shoes lately. Also came across vapor barrier
cloths and socks. But I do not know. On a trip it is good to not have to carry
two pairs of shoes. And I am not sure the vapor barrier stuff is the answer.
After all, up to now all I have heard is wick away the sweat and
layer for warmth. The vapor clothing guys have a completely different thought.
They say hold moisture next to the body and then layer, but being you are
making your own micro climant next to your skin, you will not need so many
cloths.

Any thoughts?
What do you carry for cold or wet?

You might check out this rain story at travellingtwo.com for some ideas on gear.

I carry seal-skinz waterproof socks. They are a bit odd but have worked the one time I needed them.

Ray

Here's a discussion about wet, cold feet in the site referenced above.

http://forum.ctc.org.uk/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=33618

If I had the problem, I'd sure give the seal-skinz a try. Or a couple of plastic sacks. Apparently, there is no one really good solution to dealing with both rain and cold where feet are concerned. Hands either for that matter.

I have used Gore-Tex socks with good results. They're a little stiff and crinkley (not to mention expensive), but your feet stay dry.

Thanks for directing me that discussion. I would sure like to get a pair of the Maplin soles to try.
However, they do not sell to the USA. they would be great for other things also.

Yes, touring while constantly wet and cold can be a real drag. It can also build a ton of character.

I just resign myself to the fact that sometimes my feet are going to be cold. It hasn't killed me yet.

How cold are you thinking? Winter touring? Personally I wouldn't plan a tour where the weather is expected to be sub-freezing for much of the trip. I think there are more fun things to do in the winter than be on a bicycle. Backpacking, trail running, skiing, snowshoeing, etc. are all more pleasant in cold weather than being on a bike IMO. That said you need to be ready for some cold weather in the higher mountains no matter the time of year. In that case I would tough it out with double socks and plastic bags on my feet.

I usually try to camp lower when it is cold up high and if possible hit the passes in the warmer part of the day.

A cheap approach you might experiment with -- wool or other insulating sock(s) next to skin, then plastic bread bag (or other strong plastic bag; bread bags seem to work pretty well) over those socks, then another layer of socks over the bread bags. Then shoes.

It can help to have roomy shoes for this sort of thing. The extra insulation possible will keep your feet warmer. Just going up a size (or more, depending on thickness of socks) works for some of us.