Warm Feet Please,

[Clare]

When we were ill with a fever, my mum always used to wash us down especially those parts of the body where the blood was nearer the surface, - back of neck, underarms, in the crook of your elbows and behind the knees.

The reason she did this was to cool the blood in your body which has the effect of cooling you down.

Conversely when we needed heating up, these were the parts of the body where direct heat was placed - be careful not to burn yourself though - to heat the blood as it went around your body.

Instead of putting a hot water bottle on your feet, a far more effective place was to place it behind both knees. This warms up your blood when it travels to your feet.

So use a hot water bottle or a heat filled can, -wrapped in cloth to prevent burning - and this should do the trick.

It always worked with us.

[Pagan-Mist]

When I've been camping I have used opaque tights and thermal socks and my feet have been like toast I hope it helps

[Tonka]

It sounds simple, but a warm sleeping bag helps. Lots of tight socks restrict blood flow, and in fact insulate your feet from the warm air inside the sleeping bag generated by the rest of your body heat. I pair of loose warm socks is what you need, it's the air that does the insulating.
I use an old down filled military bag, it's very heavy, but as warm as readybrek.
On long winter motorbike rides, the wind chill and UK humidity can make it deadly cold very fast. You can't wear too may socks and boots and still be able to change gear. It's even worse for hands. As your core temp drops your body cuts the blood supply to your extremities, and I found a good way to stop my hands and feet freezing is to wear extra layers on my body. Heating my core allows my body to pump warm blood back to my limbs. 2 hour motorway rides in -5 require very good clothing... not expensive necessarily, just well thought out. Winter camping with a bag is comparably far more comfortable.

A lot of the herbs work, cayenne pepper, ginkgo and ginseng etc. I've used them for various reasons. But a tablet doesn't beat good bedding. It's also better to be nude in good bedding than in thermal PJ's and 17pairs of socks in bad bedding.

My circulation is pretty good, but my wife's feet turn to ice at the first sniff of a breeze, so I've learnt a lot trying to keep her happy when I suggest that camping in the February snow at high altitude would make for a fun weekend.