Gear Review: Outdoor Research Tundra Aerogel Booties

After a day of fun adventures in the snow, your feet might be on your mind. Maybe tight snowshoe bindings or uncomfortable boots have caused your feet to take a lot of punishment. Either way, time in your tent at the end of the day is a welcome chance for your feet to catch their breath, stretch and relax a little.

The problem I always had was that I would take my boots off at the door and jump straight into my sleeping bag, trying to not step on the frigid tent floor where the cold snow would radiate through on contact (an adult version of “the floor is lava”?).

Outdoor Research’s Tundra Aerogel Booties were the perfect solution to my problem. Despite being very conscious of my backpack’s weight, 263 grams (9.3 oz) for the pair was a no-brainer when going through my checklist of things to pack.

So why bring these over a pair of down or synthetic booties? The PrimaLoft® Aerogel 1.5mm insert is what makes the difference. Aerogel (a material that is 99.8% air) was created by NASA and creates a thermal layer between you and the frosty ground. I found them dramatically better than the regular foam inserts found in other booties. Foam would squish as you moved around and you would loose that warm cushion. The Aerogel lasted the test of time and removed one more component that would make winter camping slightly less enjoyable.

Each bootie has a little loop so that you can carabiner them to your pack or top of your tent to air them out during the day (or for storing them when you get home). There is also a little pull tab to cinch up the top of the bootie to keep snow out and your heat inside the VerticalX insulated walls of your boot.

The soles are abrasion resistant which also wraps up around the bottom of your foot and they look like they could take quite a bit of punishment without any sign of it.

My only complaint is that even though the bottom of the boots are textured, they can be very slippery on packed down snow. They are great on a tent floor or fresh snow, but you might find yourself skidding around when making a bathroom run in the middle of the night during hard packed conditions or on a hill.

If you enjoy winter camping, definitely grab a pair of Outdoor Research’s Tundra Aerogel Booties! They are comfortable on the feet and the perfect way to give my feet a little rest and relaxation after a hard day’s work. The sizing ranges from XS to XL and they are unisex, so be sure to pick out your favourite colour because everyone in your tent will be fighting over who gets to wear them.