I just finished a nice snowshoe near the CD and for the first time in my life used some Chauffe Pied, or "foot warmers" for those of us who are not French-Canadians.

I'm a diabetic (for about 23 years now, and use an insulin pump while hiking.) I've fortunately had fairly good circulation. But I've always had numbness in my toes in cold wx. So I bought MANY of those foot warmers to try, but never had gotten around to using them until a few days ago on a snowshoe up Peru Creek near the CD and Loveland Pass in CO. My review of them -- they're unbelievably good.


Peru/Chihuahua Creeks, 3/24/11.)

I thought I would tack this comment on the topics on diabetic hikers, but realized they were all in the lite food category, and that this was the better place. I really believe the best thing a diabetic in colder weather can do is not pack a certain kind of food, but to pack some of these foot (and even hand) warmers in your backpack.

Diabetes is being described now more as a blood circulation problem than a disease involving the inability to process sugar. Controlling blood sugar or glucose levels is still extremely important, but keeping that circulation going is just as important, too.

The warmers are as cheap as $1.40, last 5 hours and give feet the warmth to keep the blood circulating. I'm going to carry a couple pair on hikes even in the summer.

Here's a start on where to find them:

http://www.amazon.com/HeatMax-Toasti-Toes-Warmer-Pairs/dp/B0007ZF4PE