https://pmags.com/quick-tip-blue-foam-for-changing-winter-boots Practical advice and musings on the outdoors, hiking, backpacking, ski touring, packrafting, and camping. Thu, 11 Nov 2021 01:10:10 +0000 hourly 1 https://pmags.com/quick-tip-blue-foam-for-changing-winter-boots#comment-568889 Wed, 13 Jan 2016 18:17:13 +0000 https://pmags.com/?p=9697#comment-568889 I do the same when I put on my waders. The foam keeps the neoprene of my waders feet clean while donning/doffing my wading boots. Clean feet equal longer waders life.

]]> https://pmags.com/quick-tip-blue-foam-for-changing-winter-boots#comment-568868 Wed, 13 Jan 2016 16:27:58 +0000 https://pmags.com/?p=9697#comment-568868 I think that a pad to stand on when putting on or changing shoes is a great thing. As I’ve gotten older, I find that I no longer have the balance to put shoes on while standing up, I need to sit, preferably on something elevated. If I don’t, I am likely to get cramps in the foot I am trying to put the boot on. Shoes are bad, boots are worse, especially pull on rubber boots. So now, I need a pad to sit on and a pad to put my feet on. The blue foam is OK, but I think that I’d rather use a segment of Z-Lite or a Z-rest sit pad. What I usually use is for my foot pad is a scrap piece of vinyl or polyester canvas. The polyester is better for cold weather. I’ve got a bunch of scraps of some stuff called Low-e insulation. It’s a polyethylene foam about 3/16″ thick with aluminized sides. It’s used for insulating buildings under metal siding. It’s strictly subjective, but I do think that it makes a good winter insulating layer under a sleeping pad. I made a z-fold pad to fit my frameless pack and it does OK. It’s not that commonly available, so I don’t think that many people have tried it. If you see someone putting up a pole barn, they might be using Low-e insulation.

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