I think that Bill Fornshell had started a thread about a pair of cuben booties he made a couple years ago, though I couldn't find it, so I'll start a new one and maybe someone can provide the link for the old one. My vision is a bit heavier, but potentially a little more utilitarian as well. I've used some left over momentum 90 to fashion the front end of the bootie, and some scrap dyneema to make the "under foot" material. They can be worn as booties or finger warmers and the silnylon bottom version could also be used as a rain mitt. Total weight using 5 oz XP is 1.7 oz for the pair. The 2.5 XP pair I made with sylnylon is .95 oz, but the fabric is VERY slippery if using on snow. Initial testing had my feet sweating in 40 degree weather within 20 minutes. This weekend will be my first field test, though my girlfriend has used them 5-6 times with warm and comfy results.
The inspiration for these came from my own thoughts as well as reading about the pair of cuben ones Bill made a couple of years back.

Edited by auckjam on 11/13/2009 16:35:26 MST.

Their maiden voyage went well, keeping my hands warm by wearing them over a pair of liner gloves in temps around 6 degrees while hiking. I slept in them at night and they are the only reason my feet stayed warm when pushing my sleeping bag 10 degrees past its limit (unintentionally). I also found that when I need my fingers for something, they are very easy to slip off, while keeping the elastic on the backs of your hands allowing you to do the task at hand, then slip the mitts back on.
I apologize for the poor quality of the image.

Nice work. I'll have to build me a pair of those sometime. I assume the cloth on the back of the heel is to make it a bit more comfortable than just having cord around the heel. Is that right?

Are these just shell or is there fill or liner on the inside/ What exactly is dyneema, a fabric or fibers?

So the 5 oz XP I refer to is a synthetic insulation that a company called climashield makes. I put the fabric under the foot and up the heel both for comfort and for something that runs the length of my foot so when I want to walk around camp, I have something protecting my socked feet from water, dirt, etc. I've found them to be highly versatile (in my limited field usage of them) as both an insulated mitt and an insulated bootie.
Dyneema is actually a very high tensile strength material (very similar to or the same as kevlar, the stuff they make "lightweight" bullet proof vests out of. When I say dyneema, I'm referring to the black fabric with the white gridstop pattern (which is the only dyneema actually used in the dyneema gridstop fabric). The black is a high threadcount, urethane coated nylon, I believe.

Edited by auckjam on 11/18/2009 23:34:50 MST.

Thanks, Nate. I do have some momentum scraps and maybe a piece of polyfil from Ray Way quilt. I think I see a piece of dyneema in one of your photos, a fabric with grids of white fiber in the heel and wrist area.. I remember using it on a homemade pack. It would probably give the palm area a better grip, less slippery than silnylon. Nice idea for an xmas gift for my wife. I really like the momentum colors. Now if I can just figure out how to make a comfortable workable thumb!

PS Just remembered....The Golite Jam (pack) is made of Dyneema.

Edited by rambler on 11/19/2009 04:21:34 MST.

Hi Nate,

Yours look great.

I called mine "Toe Cozies" and I did not use Cuben Fiber for them. Mine were made during a hike with what I had with me. I sewed them with a needle and some thread in my very small repair kit. I used some cord from a tarp tie out. I had a short piece of Combat and Silk from a quilt I made and was carrying it to wrap around my neck at night. My toes got cold but my neck was fine so I cut the small scarf in half and made the "Toe Cozies".

This was in Georgia on the Duncan Ridge Trail in October. Note I am sleeping on the ground with no pad.




Toe Cozies Link

It turned out to be a really great way to use those small bits of left over insulation.

Edited by bfornshell on 11/19/2009 10:55:28 MST.