# Useful item for your BOB if ever short on socks



## TG (Jul 28, 2014)

We had to wear Portyanki (square cloth instead of socks) at boarding schools (I was at one for 1 year) and most soldiers back home wore them instead of socks, portyanki are a lot more comfortable than they look and at times, a lot warmer than socks. It takes a bit of practice to wrap your foot properly but it's worth learning.
Have both, soft Summer-weight fabric and wool for Winter, they are easy to wash, they dry a lot faster than socks.

This is an old article but a good read: http://russiapedia.rt.com/of-russian-origin/portyanki/ Why Russian soldiers are finally replacing foot wraps with socks | World news | The Guardian


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## Denton (Sep 18, 2012)

"The most crucial aspect is that one can only wear portyanki that are wrapped tightly," Dimitriev says. "If the soldier doesn't follow the procedure exactly, he could hurt his feet and get painful blisters."

Very important point, right there. Enough to keep me from even attempting it. Regardless of what one uses, keeping them clean and fresh is mandatory.

As Gen. Patton said, "Wash your feet before you brush your teeth. Your feet carry you into battle, not your teeth."

Clean footwear will save us from a lot of pain and crippling.


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## paraquack (Mar 1, 2013)

Thanks for info and pix. What kind of dimensions on the cloth?


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## TG (Jul 28, 2014)

It took me about 10 tries to get the wrapping just right, you actually learn very fast because you feel it right away. 

If there is such a time that all commercial production stops and you won't find socks anywhere, Portyanki are easy to find, cut them out from whatever fabric you can scavenge and keep yourself warm and dry. Learning how to wrap them is a quick skill to teach yourself.


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## TG (Jul 28, 2014)

paraquack said:


> Thanks for info and pix. What kind of dimensions on the cloth?


It really depends on your foot size and how large your footwear is, you want them to go as high as your boot to keep you sufficiently warm and prevent chafing of skin with bare boots.

Basic size is 36 by 16 inches or 90cm x 40cm but you should play with different sizes to see what works best.


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## Denton (Sep 18, 2012)

Will I need to buy a larger sized boot?


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## Diver (Nov 22, 2014)

I've actually seen these credited as being one of the reasons the Russians prevailed at Stalingrad.


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## TG (Jul 28, 2014)

Denton said:


> Will I need to buy a larger sized boot?


Not necessarily, practice with what you have and see what works.


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## Denton (Sep 18, 2012)

OK. My curiosity is piqued.

Let nobody say I am skeered.


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## TG (Jul 28, 2014)

Diver said:


> I've actually seen these credited as being one of the reasons the Russians prevailed at Stalingrad.


I've heard this too.

I DESPERATELY didn't want to wear them at school but since they were doing mass laundry and boiling all items together, there was no way of having anything individual. I hated learning to wear them and the whole idea of communal foot-wraps haha But it wasn't so bad and I grew to like them when it hit -42C, I would never have been able to stay outside for hours if I had to wear socks.


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## Coolwater (Nov 25, 2014)

Denton said:


> OK. My curiosity is piqued.
> 
> Let nobody say I am skeered.


 *** Denton, do you have any idea as to how many ppl can't spell piqued? It's usually peeked or peaked, LOL, way to go


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## Coolwater (Nov 25, 2014)

Denton, I'll bet you didn't even miss me, but I actually thought of you while on vacation, re: spelling piqued. I came across another grossly mispelled word, lol, spellcheck says I just mispelled mispelled, and now spellcheck. I don't think we need to use perfect grammar or spelling on here, JMO. I've had my years of proofreading, but here is what made me think of you:: The sentence was, "Now without further __________, let's get right to it."


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## tinkerhell (Oct 8, 2014)

One place I think this could have a lot of great potential is for people that sleep in hammocks during the winter. Cold feet can be a problem, but not if you wrap them in the correct amount of fabric.


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## TLock762x51 (Nov 14, 2012)

Coolwater said:


> *** Denton, do you have any idea as to how many ppl can't spell piqued? It's usually peeked or peaked, LOL, way to go


 I agree. I've noted that quite a few times, but I'm loath to address it...because every time I mention something such as that, I instantly get labeled as a "Grammar Nazi". So, rather than cause much ado about nothing...I usually just say, "Adieu"! Or perhaps more appropriately, "Auf Wiedersehen" or even "Tschüß!"

Tim


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## Will2 (Mar 20, 2013)

I have been looking at the history of footwraps for a while now. It isnt exclusively a Russian thing. Russia didnt adopt socks as quickly. Fashion was more square in the past. The complexity of modern fashion is based on form fits. Try as low friction as possible such as a hardy silk or nylon as a base layer. Wool is a great second layer. 

I agree though learn wraps now and not just for your feet but for your entire body.

"Ethnic wear or traditional clothing is often superior to modern casual fashions. I wont go into detail but if your clothing isnt specialty survivalist wear it is likely tied to your now sedentary and dependant lifestyle. If you want good survival clothing you get them from people who need them to survive as opposed to look fashionable.

Ideal fabric and design is directly proprtional to the environment in which you are to survive in.

The same is true of body augmentation: hair, nails, etc...


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