How to Avoid Cold Feet

8/3/2019 How to Avoid Cold Feet

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How to avoid cold feet

How to Avoid Cold Feet

Major Per Kristian Dahl, Centre of Excellence for Cold Weather Operations

Introduction

Throughout the centuries battles and wars have been lost because of bad weather conditions.

One of the most famous ones is Napoleons campaign against Russia in 1812. You have most

certainly heard stories from World War I and the problem the soldiers faced in the trenches

getting immersion foot (trench foot). This is for many a distant problem ignorant to the fact that

this also was a problem for soldiers during the Falklands War and still is especially for units

operating in littoral waters. This short introduction in history points out some lessons to belearned. First of all; cold weather is more than low temperatures and includes humidity as well.

Secondly; the weather conditions will recur and affect future operations as well.

Cold feet feels devastating for many soldiers since it creates more concern, reduces the

motivation and combat readiness more than anything else. I have taught some lessons

throughout the years, which I will share with you in this article. I will bring you through a short

introduction to the multilayer system. Then the article will focus on three faces; preparations

before operations, routines during activity and routines in bivouac.

Multilayer System

The multilayer system does also apply with regard to your feet. The system or starting point we

normally have in the Norwegian Army during winter conditions is two pair of socks, one thin and

one thick pair, boots and insulated waterproof overboots.

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A single layer of socks is not always sufficient. Several thin layers of socks create betterinsulation trapping air between the layers. This gives a far better insulation than just one thicklayer. The outer layer of waterproof and insulated overboots offers protection against wetness.Insulating layers of clothes in themselves do not produce any heat but retain the body heatmore or less effectively according to their characteristics.Getting wet in a cold climate should be avoided at all costs. For this reason your attention tooverheated or sweaty feet must be emphasized. The moisture or sweat your feet produce willget cold when activity stops. It can even turn to ice inside or outside your footwear. This willdraw heat from the body until it evaporates and you will get cold.The multilayer system allows you to adjust the footwear according to the activity andtemperature. If in danger of becoming overheated remove the overboots if practical (i.e. in drycold weather), change from one thin and one thick pair of socks to two thin pairs or reduce toonly one pair of socks. Always adjust the combination of footwear according to the prevailingclimate and activity.Preparations

The more you prepare the less you will freeze. The following subjects include some advices you

should consider before leaving the barracks.

Personal hygiene

Spend some time taking care of your feet. Wash them properly, cut nails and remove old/ deadskin. Removal of dead skin should be done days in advance since some will experience sore

feet immediately after. This will help prevent getting blisters during the operation and blisters are

more exposed to frost injuries.

Socks

- Types of socks. Cotton socks or socks of only synthetic fibres should be abandoned

when operating in a cold weather climate. Cotton absorbs and accumulates moisture next to the

skin during strenuous activity. It also reduces moisture penetration through layers and to the

outside. The alternatives are wool and a blend of wool and synthetic fibres. Synthetic fibres in

general absorb very little vapour and transport it away from the body, but have poor insulating

properties when wet. Wool is less durable but can absorb a great amount of vapour equal to its

own weight, transport moisture away from the body and maintains its insulating properties even

when wet.

Some state that Gore-Tex boots need special socks of synthetic fibres in order to maintain

the full breathing effect. But remember when the moisture is transported to the outside it can

freeze to ice depending on the weather conditions. Icy boots has a similarity to rubber boots

keeping all the moisture inside. You will definitely freeze without proper socks.

- Number of socks. Always carry two different types of socks, one thick type of pure wooland another thin type of a blend of wool and synthetic fibres. The pair of thin socks should at

least consist of 60% wool. This set of two different types of socks enables you to keep warm

and gives you the possibility to vary depending of the weather conditions. Carry (minimum) one

set to wear, one set of socks for sleeping and one set for emergency. Spare socks can be used

as emergency gloves or scarf if required. Remember to waterproof your spare socks inside your

backpack.

- Laundry. Wash the socks regularly to ensure that the garment is able to function properly.

This should also be done during lasting operations if the situation allows it and you have the

possibility to dry them in a heated room. It is best to wash the socks by hand. If they are washed

by machine the loop stitch will lie flat very quickly, which results in the garment life andefficiency being shortened. Wash socks inside out to ensure that you get rid of dead skin and

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dirt.

Boots

- Type of boots. I will not go into a discussion about the different types of boots and todebate what the better might be. Every kind of boots has its advantages and disadvantages

depending on the climate and weather conditions. More important is to know the limitations of

your boots and use this knowledge to solve the problem you might face. Another reason for not

debating is that most soldiers do not have a choice but use the standard e quipment issued. I

normally use our standard issued military leather boots. These boots do fit well into our

insulated overboots giving me the possibility to make the full use of the multilayer system. Not

all boots manufactured do fit into the overboot and is something you must consider if purchasing

your own boots.

- Size. What many do wrong is that they have chosen too small sized boots. The size of

your boots must be large enough to fit using two pair of socks including insoles. If your bootsfeel uncomfortable small or are so tight that the garment are under pressure it indicate that the

layers of air is reduced and the result could be cold feet. Most people have to increase their

boot size with one number (or even two) when operating in a cold weather climate. Remember

that brand new boots can cause blisters indicating that you need time to get them well used

before operations.

- Waxing. Wax your boots and gaiter straps to prevent them from freezing up and to

prevent moisture from forming. This should not be done every day as wax tends to penetrate

the leather and makes it loose some of its insulation property. It is best to do this when you see

the leather is worn.

- Insoles. One thing that is of equal importance to the chose of socks is the insoles. To myshock I have noticed that some doesnt wear insoles and still wonder why freezing. I prefer pure

wool or felt insoles. There are different types of chooses but I have ended up using a relatively

thick wool insole with very short hair. Do always check to see if your insoles are worn out and

change if needed. This should be easy to remember as your insoles should be removed every

day to be dried. For lasting operations bring a spare set of wool or felt insoles waterproofed

inside your backpack.

The Insulated Overboot

Check to see if your overboots are without damage. If damaged in any way make sure to

change or repair if possible.

In most cases the overboots do not need insoles. However, if you are in a position with no or

little activity i.e. guards duty you might consider to wear insoles to your overboots as well. This

can easily be made by cutting up an old and thin insulated groundsheet for camping and shape

it to fit your overboots creating an extra insulated layer to stand on. Remember to test this

concept in advance since this might require larger sized overboots. In addition it might cause

some inconvenience if used during walking for longer distances and should be tested in

advance as well.

When not in use, these homemade insoles should be placed easy to access and be used as

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extra insulation when seated in snow or on frozen ground.

Newspaper

One trick of the trade is to always carry with you a couple of newspapers. I always carry mine

waterproofed in the back pocket of the field uniform easy to access. Newspaper is brought with

me for two main purposes, as emergency or spare insoles and to soak up water from the boots

and overboots.

As mentioned earlier our body will continuously produce moisture or sweat which in turn will

cool down your feet. In order to reduce the humidity inside my boots during activity I normally rip

off two to three sheets of newspaper equal to the size of the insoles. These sheets are thenplaced inside the boots under the insoles and will soak up a lot of the humidity that are

produced during the day. But this require some self-discipline as you will have to check these

newspaper-insoles whenever you have the possibility and swap to dry ones when they turn too

humid.

The same principal is used if you have to replace worn out or wet wool insoles, but in this case

you should increase the thickness of the newspaper-insoles.

I do also use newspaper to remove humidity from my boots and overboots during rest or sleep.

Take off your boots and remove the insoles. Crush some sheets of newspaper and wipe out the

humidity inside your boots. Place new and dry crushed newspaper sheets inside your boots and

overboots, and leave them there to soak out the humidity absorbed by the boots.

Routines during Activity

The preparation is half the job. Self-discipline is needed during the operation by continuously

working the details in order to avoid cold feet. The advices listed below should be followed

whenever possible.

- Technical break. In the Norwegian Army there is a routine to carry out a so calledtechnical break. This break is initiated every day and just after 10 minutes of activity (10 minutes

after the march have started) and will only last for 10 minutes. This allows the soldiers to adjust

their equipment if needed. Since the greatest challenge in winter is heat regulation, this break

should be spent to regulate clothing and footwear according to temperature and work load.

Dress as economically as possible if there is a risk of becoming damp or wet.

Think the operation through. If you know your men will become wet during insertion, plan to

conduct another technical break just before the action starts in order to prevent soldiers to

freeze during lasting periods on target (combat).

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- Buddy system. Pair up and take responsibility for each other. Check each others

equipment, clothes and look for frost injuries etc. Whenever you have the chance let your buddy

check your feet for blisters, touch toes to check for reduced feeling and give advices for

improvement etc. Blisters must be treated at once.Talk together and remind each other of important details. Be honest and tell each other if

you do not feel warm any longer. This goes not only for pauses, but also during activity.

- Nutrition. Your body needs energy and water. Be aware that you not will feel as thirsty in

cold weather as in hot weather. But your body still needs the same amount of fluid to function

properly. Reduced intake of energy and fluid will affect your bodys blood circulation and heat

regulation. This can result in shivering, headache, cold hands and feet. Establish good and

regular routines!

- Evaporation. Whenever possible untie your shoes and open up to allow the humidity to

evaporate. Consider to walk with your shoes untied during periods of low activity. If practical

take off your boots for better evaporation. This allows the moisture to escape into free air andwill result in drier socks and boots. Some say that a minute or so will reduce the moisture with

up to 40% by evaporation.

- Newspaper. If using newspaper inside boots check and change if wet. Use the

opportunity to dry out as much as possible of the moisture with paper inside your boots and

overboots.

- Dress code. The moisture and dampness will be absorbed by the clothing and will make

you cold when the physical effort is reduced. Get rid of this heat and moisture by ventilation

when you stop, then closethe chimney in order to trap the warm air. During longer breaks put

on more clothes (change to dry clothes) and cover your head thoroughly. This will affect your

feet temperature as well. Damp socks can be dried using your body heat. Do so whenperforming light work. Use pockets inside the field uniform to dry socks, insoles etc. Change

back to the damp clothes after the rest. Always have a set of dry socks in case of emergency.

- Circulation. Make it a routine to move your toes when low or no activity. This will increase

the blood circulation and increase the heat. If you are still cold even with all your warm layers

on, generate your own heat by continually moving around. Do not sit on the ground as it will

drain heat from your body.

- Insulation. If you have to stand still for a longer period of time i.e. during guard duty,

place the homemade insoles cut out of groundsheet for camping into your overboots. Do also

consider to place your insulated groundsheet for sleeping on the ground to stand on. This willreduce the cooling effect from the ground to your benefit. If you still feel cold place your feet

inside a bag (emergency blanket, backpack or the cover to your sleeping bag etc.) in order to

create additional insulation by layers of air.

Remember that your body is a complex system and will reduce blood circulation to feet and

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hands in order to keep the main body parts warm. In other words, cold feet can have its origin

in an exhausted, underfed or cold body. If the temperature in rectum drops 2OC the surface

temperature in hands and feet will be reduced with up to 8OC. It is important to make sure that

your stomach, chest and head are warm in order to ensure sufficient blood circulation warming

up your hands and feet. The fact that a lot of heat is radiated from your head emphasizes theimportance to cover your head properly. Change to better headwear if your feet are cold.

Routines in Bivouac

Good and appropriate routines are vital to maintain combat readiness in a unit. This chapter will

discuss some routines to be conducted before going to sleep.

- Remove snow. Remove snow and ice from the uniform and equipment before entering aheated tent, building, vehicle etc. to avoid melting snow being absorbed by your equipment and

to avoid unnecessary dampness. A tool everybody should possess is a clothes or snow brush

easy to access.

- Reduce moisture. Take off your boots and overboots, and remove the insoles. Wipe out

the humidity. Place crushed newspaper inside your boots to soak up moisture.

- Foot inspection. Team leaders and NCOs must make sure that their units have good

routines and step up their inspections. Foot inspection must be held according to the situation,

but at least once a day. This should not be left to the individual. Use the

buddy-system, and make sure there is time enough to check their condition. Dont forget, tocheck officers and NCOs, they get frostbite too. Clean your feet by carefully rubbing them with

water, snow or a moist cloth before the inspection. This will remove dead skin and sweat. Dry

your feet properly.

- Change socks. Put on dry socks after the foot inspection. Take off dry clothes in the

morning and put on your wet clothes, they will dry out during the day. Yes, putting on wet

clothes is not very pleasant and requires self-discipline. Always have a set of dry socks in case

of emergency.

- Drying. Wet clothes should be dried in a heated room, tent, building etc. Use your time

well during the night shift to do so.

A lot of soldiers have been taught to dry clothes in their sleeping bag. It works but you need

to think it trough in order to prevent moisture being absorbed by the sleeping bag. Try only to

dry underwear, socks, insoles and gloves inside the bag, and make sure to wring it before you

put it in your sleeping bag. Boots should be kept outside the bag, under your knees. This way

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they will not freeze and remain supple. Generally you should not sleep with your boots on,

unless you absolutely have to. If you do; change your insoles, use newspaper and put on dry

socks. Dry your damp insoles/socks by placing them under your armpits.

- Sleep. Warm feet and a warm head/ neck makes you sleep better. Fill your water bottle

with hot water and place it inside your sleeping bag, make sure that its not leaking.Use your field jacket as a blanket covering the sleeping bag. This will create an extra insulated

layer of air.

Closure

It is vital that each soldier and particularly each NCO and officer has been taught proper use of

cold weather clothing in various conditions and enforces good routines. This requires

knowledge of how the human body produces heat and how the choice of correct clothing can

regulate and maintain the heat according to the activity taking place.There are no short cuts. It is not possible to buy your way past the problem. There is no

equipment that will keep you warm if you dont use it properly or take the right precautions.

Such equipment isnt invented. More important than equipment is self-discipline. The struggle to

avoid cold feet is a battle against humidity!

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How to Avoid Cold Feet