Questions about Butyl Rubber (& alternatives to WBP shoes & neoprene socks)

[Anonymous]

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[Anonymous]

Reading threads like this one, https://backpackinglight.com/forums/topic/gore-tex-trail-shoes-or-not/
got me thinking about better alternatives to WPB and neoprene.

One of the things that came to mind was getting some thin, mostly polyester socks, and treating them with a butyl rubber coating. Butyl rubber has one of the lowest thermal conductivity’s of solids there are, except for aerogel and foam (and these trap gases, so it’s different). It’s much lower than neoprene.  Take a look:
https://www.electronics-cooling.com/2001/11/the-thermal-conductivity-of-rubbers-elastomers/

My question is can things like butyl rubber sealant be successfully thinned with solvents without degrading it’s properties?  I already know it can’t used with things like mineral spirits, naphtha, but maybe could be thinned with ethanol/denatured alcohol?  I’m thinking of using it similarly to how silicone is often used to treat fabrics.

Btw, if the sock covered with butyl rubber gets overly sealed up, I would perforate it. I might do one form fitting sock and then a much larger sock to be able to wear two pairs if need be.

Then when you meet a very attractive, available person on the trail that you hit it off with, you can say, “hey sexy, I’m already wearing my rubber.”….

(NO, don’t actually say that!)

[Sam Farrington]

Justin,
Have you considered water shoes. They have sturdy leather or sometimes polymer outers that criss-cross around the foot so water will quickly drain out, but the whole foot will be protected. Also, decent soles for stream bottoms. They are good for trail work for long periods in wet areas, and come in many styles. But a sock would quickly wet out when stepping in water. However, they are beefier and provide more support and protection than sandals and foam wear. And if you can hike without sox, they would certainly eliminate any ventilation problems. Not talking about the cheap plastic or foam ones, good for maybe a ford or two; but burly ones that if they fit, would handle hiking in rough terrain.

[Anonymous]

Hi Sam,

Water shoes sounds like a good solution to the protective footwear part of this, and yes, I like them–wore a pair on the CT because of the properties you outlined.

But the thread I referenced to, on an earlier thread that the OP started, he was talking about snow and submersion in cold water, which is why some folks recommended perforated neoprene or WPB socks.

Hence, the butyl rubber part is not for keeping the feet completely dry, but for insulation while they are wet in very cold water, and to dry very quickly once they are wet.

I thought of butyl rubber because it doesn’t absorb water, is fairly tough,, you can easily get it in a semi liquid/to be cured form, has low toxicity (most chewing gum is made out of butyl rubber), and most importantly, it has a rather low thermal conductivity of the material itself (and not just speaking of air or other gases it may trap, because that won’t matter as much in this application).

Butyl rubber having a thermal conductivity of .09 vs neoprene’s .19, or in other words, butyl rubber having slightly less than half the thermal conductivity of neoprene.

I can imagine wearing socks with a thick’ish covering of this stuff, perforated (if need be), would help to keep one’s feet warm enough while wet in rather cold water.  But I think it would need to be thinned a bit before applying to said socks.

[Anonymous]

I’ve been reading reviews of a butyl rubber sealant and people are reporting that this one, at least, doesn’t ever truly firm up and dry out, stays tacky permanently.  Wouldn’t work for this application if that’s the case. Perhaps baking it for a bit would help?   And/or mixing it with some fibrous content?

[Anonymous]

There are a few other options that I can think of.  Using solid butyl rubber sheets and bonding and/or stitching them together and perforating them, taking solid butyl rubber sheets and dissolving it in naphtha and treating a polyester sock, or convert thick butyl rubber gloves into sock like covering and perforate them.

[Sam Farrington]

Justin,
Might you use heavier neoprene socks inside the water shoes? Not completely waterproof either, but warm, and no fuss and muss with the butyl? There is quite a variety of neopreme socks in different shapes, sizes and weights available.

[Anonymous]

Could certainly. Am just not a fan of neoprene. It feels cold when it’s drying out and seems like it takes a long’ish time to dry.

But yes, it’s an easier and quicker solution. When I have time, will probably try the “taking solid butyl rubber sheets and dissolving it in naphtha and treating a polyester sock”.  That way, I can control the viscosity and curing time better.

I don’t know if it will work or not, but I have some scrap small pieces of high density EVA CCF that I might put in a blender to get much smaller, fiber like size, and then dope the butyl rubber while it’s drying out, boosting the insulation and maybe the toughness of the butyl.

[Author]

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