The Forty Below Penguin Overboots are the solution to cold feet on the mountain.
Even with insulated Scarpa Mont Blanc Pro GTX boots my feet got cold. I have put up with it for decades and had many a miserable day with numb feet. A while back I picked up some 40 Below Overflow Supergaiters for my mountain bike shoes which have worked wonders. After a recent day in the mountains with numb feet I knew I had to do something.
So of course I looked over on the Forty Below site and picked up a pair of Forty Below Penguin Overboots. I may not be climbing Everest, but it doesn’t mean I should suffer with cold feet.
Just the other day I was up above tree line with the plan to do one peak. But with the right gear including warm feet I was able to get in three summits.
The first thing you’ll notice is how small these pack. I roll them up in put them in an old accessory pocket I had. Where I go I usually I don’t need to wear them until I am above 11,000′. The compact size is great.
The Forty Below Penguin is made of 4.7mm neoprene with a blend of titanium and nylon.
The built in gaiter has a draw cord and is made of breathable material . This keeps the snow out and still lets your feet breath.
The gaiters go on in seconds, I can put both on in under a minute in the cold above tree line. They close with a 2″ wide velcro strip and a snap.
The bottom of the Penguin is a textured material not meant for hiking in, but enough for around camp. You should plan on wearing these with some sort of traction device (crampon, snow shoe, 32North,etc). And the neoprene and nylon construction is tough and repairable. Forty Below includes a repair kit, but I can’t imagine ever needing it.
You may be thinking “But when I see people on K2 they are wearing gaiters that go up to their knees, why don’t these?” These are meant to be paired with gaiters or pants with built in gaiters. In the event you want to pair them with traditional gaiters there is a loop on the toe to attach the gaiters.
The Penguin Overboots have a rubberized compound around the toe and heel to prevent wear and keep water out.
Really these are a revelation for me. I have suffered for miles and miles with feet that were numb and felt like walking on balls of ice. I never purchased overboots because I did not think I needed them in Colorado. But with these neoprene magic shoe covers from Forty Below I am a happy camper.
Forty Below Says: https://www.40below.com/products_detail.php?ProductID=14
Forty Below® Penguins™ overboot
Key Features:
Fits over both “single” or “double shelled” mountaineering boots.
Short height and compact design.
For use with an independent gaiter.
Stretchy and easy to put on in the cold.
Easy to repair.
The Forty Below® Penguins™ model overboot is a “shorty” style insulated boot cover style that is designed to work in co-operation with an independent gaiter. Great for use in situations such as mixed terrain climbing where you might want to be able to take the it on and off, and also in situations such as while belaying to help keep your feet warm. Because of the design and stretchy material they are easy to put on in the cold, and are compact in your pack. Use Forty Below® Penguins™ overboots with a separate set of gaiters, or gaiters on the pants or bibs you have, plus they are well suited for use over the top of supergaiters with rubber rands. A very compact style of overboot, it is built similarly to our K2 Superlight* model, except that it has a short 3″ tall gaiter, and does not have a crampon patch to help reduce weight and bulk.
The Forty Below® Penguins ™ overboot uses a special nylon covered, 4.7 mm stretchy closed cell neoprene foam insulation, with 2 layers of heat reflecting Titanium. This insulation goes from about the top of your climbing boot, completely around and under the boot, with no gaps in the insulation. The insulation panels are glued together, and stitched on the inside and outside surface, with no sewn through seams. They fit trim to the boot, and are not bulky. Because of the stretchy insulation material they are easy to put on in the cold, and they roll up small in your pack. The toe and heel area have small triangular shape panels made of a slightly thinner neoprene insulation that allows for many wire toe bails and flip lever heels to simply compress the insulation and rest on the toe and heel groove of the boot. The toe, heel, and lower side area of the overboots have a thin rubber paint applied to add abrasion resistance and help protect the stitching.
A 2” wide heavy duty velcro front closure goes all the way down to the toes allows for easy adjustment of bootlaces and includes a webbing gaiter hook loop sewn on near toe. The 3 inch short gaiter is made of a non-coated, windproof and breathable Cordura nylon to help minimize frost build up. Elastic drawcord top closure, with a cordlock on top of the gaiter.
One of the great features of Forty Below® overboots is that they are easy to repair! This is especially helpful, as crampons and rugged terrain are so hard on everything they come in contact with. Repairing is easily done by simply gluing the poke holes together, using glues such as those for repairing neoprene fishing waders, wetsuits, like AquaSeal from McNett, etc. For the fabric gaiter repairs, the iron-on style fabric patches work well and are really easy to put on, and can in many cases eliminate the need to sew patches on. The Forty Below® Repair Patches, which are a special sticky and stretchy tape that works great for repairs during a trip (one is included with the overboot).
