Great Hunting Boots, Severe Conditions

Handloader

Terrain: steep, rocky, granite, scree

Weather: damp, some rain, some snow, some stream crossings

Without consideration of cost, what would be your choice of boot?

Jack · Member Joined: Oct 19, 2005 Posts: 98

Danner

roklok

Danner makes some great boots, but I would stay away from Cabelas elk hunter boots made by Danner. Great boot, except for the lacing system. The speed lacers are not deep enough and brush and sticks pop the laces out. Very maddening when you have to relace your boots every couple hundred yards, especially with cold fingers.

jbwannafish

Danner Grand Slam can be uninsulated up to 1200 grams. At $179.00 I feel a great investment.

pth1947

Any good lightweight waterproof insulated boot with good arch support .Wear with wool socks. Was a walking mailman for 36 yrs. and as long as you keep walking and your feet are dry they will be warm.

SwampFox

I was recently looking for a pair of smooth sole 6 inch bird hunting / clays shooting boots and came across the site for Chippewa. I owned a pair of 8 inch smooth sole Chippewa boots years ago and they were the best hunting boots I ever owned. So I bought a pair of the upland style (lower top) lightweight insulated waterproof boots. So far, they are exactly like my old boots, light and easy on the feet and I can feel the ground through the sole.

They have a lightly ridged sole made of a rubber and sand mix that is designed for traction on ice or snow with the sole and top vulcanized together. The high top boots come with a lug sole.

I have a pair of Danners and a pair of Georgia Boots, both are ok for heavy hunting in cold, wet, swamp like conditions, but for lighter wear or need, I like the Chippewa better.
Ed

www.chippewabootshop.com/

moose2

Schnee Boots--Guide Series--Quality, Comfort, and great traction.--tr

Handloader

moose2: thanks for the link to Schnee.

Danners are out because they come apart on scree and granite. I've ruined two pair in less than two years on the craigy stuff in Arizona and Alaska. Any flexible boot will disable your feet with blisters when hillsiding or running steep rocky country.

Several Alaskan guides recommend Meindl, Hanwag, Lowa and others that have rands and a stiff footbed. Anyone use them?

Vince

Danner have quite a following over here in Australia, although there are some European brands that are also considered very good quality.

I've only ever used Army boots, the current issue being Redback.

Handloader, I disagree...up to a point...with your statement that a flexible boot will be responsible for blisters. I have used boots that vary from very rigid (with a stainless steel insert in the sole) to reasonably flexible boots, and I have found that all will cause blisters in certain scenarios.... the hard way. Sad

I believe that the composition of the sole is most important. It must be soft enough and "grippy/sticky" enough to provide purchase on firm or hard surfaces, yet strong enough to retain its integrity and not fall apart on the loose stuff. Then there is "wear and tear"....no-one wants a boot that wears out within 10 miles, regardless of its performance or comfort.

So long as the boot provides your foot and, most importantly your ankle, with adequate support then it is well on the way to being a reasonable boot. You will note I said "reasonable", not good. There are of course other factors that come into play; the boot must also be comfortable to wear and fit your foot well. Then there is the weight of the boot to consider. It is wise to have your boots fitted by a reputable supplier. All in all, its a big job selecting the correct boot for your needs.

I also advocate wearing Gortex, or similar, socks when you are likely to encounter a lot of moisture/water.

Thats my 47c worth.

Cheers, Vince

Handloader

Vince wrote:

. . .

Handloader, I disagree...up to a point...with your statement that a flexible boot will be responsible for blisters. I have used boots that vary from very rigid (with a stainless steel insert in the sole) to reasonably flexible boots, and I have found that all will cause blisters in certain scenarios.... the hard way. Sad

I also advocate wearing Gortex, or similar, socks when you are likely to encounter a lot of moisture/water..

Cheers, Vince

Howdy Vince: I certainly agree with you recommendation of Gortex, not only, however, for moisture but also for sweat. In our desert climes, the comfort of Gortex is an advantage, too.

Most blistering, IMO, is caused by slippage between the foot and the boot or pressure points in the boot. Several dedicated hunters I know prefer the Lathrop & Sons custom fitted GTX boots. The company asks that you send a foot trace and photos of your feet, instep, etc and then custom fit the boot. Those cost $369.

Put into perspective, $369 for a custom fit that works all day long and assures comfort may be a bargain. Given how much it costs to take a week off, travel time, food and camping costs, the $369 takes a proper perspective. It may be an option worth considering if extreme condition hunting is the order of the day.

Vince

Handloader wrote:

Most blistering, IMO, is caused by slippage between the foot and the boot or pressure points in the boot.

Several dedicated hunters I know prefer the Lathrop & Sons custom fitted GTX boots. The company asks that you send a foot trace and photos of your feet, instep, etc and then custom fit the boot. Those cost $369..

I agree totally with the cause of blisters. I have tried just about everything, except the custom made boots (can't afford them), to overcome this problem.....nylon socks, cotton socks, woollen socks, two pair of socks, bare feet....I still get the bloody things. I even lost both big toe nails once to blisters under and around them. Mad

There is no question that custom made boots are the best way to go....if you can justify the cost. I suppose that I am a walking advertisement for them....well the "don't do this" part anyway. Laughing

Cheers, Vince

Dimitri · Super Member Joined: Nov 25, 2005 Posts: 5946

I guess I'm lucky, my foot fits just right in most size 13 boots and shoes. I don't get many painful big blisters normally they are smaller and sort of don't hurt till I try walking without my boots on. Laughing

Dimitri

moose2

Vince wrote:

Handloader wrote:

Most blistering, IMO, is caused by slippage between the foot and the boot or pressure points in the boot.

Several dedicated hunters I know prefer the Lathrop & Sons custom fitted GTX boots. The company asks that you send a foot trace and photos of your feet, instep, etc and then custom fit the boot. Those cost $369..

I agree totally with the cause of blisters. I have tried just about everything, except the custom made boots (can't afford them), to overcome this problem.....nylon socks, cotton socks, woollen socks, two pair of socks, bare feet....I still get the bloody things. I even lost both big toe nails once to blisters under and around them. Mad

There is no question that custom made boots are the best way to go....if you can justify the cost. I suppose that I am a walking advertisement for them....well the "don't do this" part anyway. Laughing

Cheers, Vince

Well Handloader and Vince, boots can be just about as controversial as rifles or bullets. Like alot of folks I have my take on them also. I have found hard leather boots to cause blisters and an agonizing breakin peroid sometimes. My theory is because they are not flexible enough. I find them also to be heavy and noisy. This applies to custom made boots also. The best setup I've found to help prevent blisters was to where a pair of cotton socks under a good pair of wool socks, no matter what the outside temp. When I finally went to using the Bobbed soles many years ago my feet finally started being happy. The first ones I bought were from LL Bean. They were great and extremely durable.
What I liked the most was you could really feel the ground under you all the time and they were quiet. I've gone to the Shnee's now and they are awesome. A great outdoors boot in any terrain. Will be using mine today while operating the snowblower. Have a good one--tr

tracker

Any boots I wear hunting have one thing in common, they pull on and off. Laces freeze, pain in the butt. I gave my kid a pair of those Irish Setter Buck Tracker's, they set me back about 200. He swears by them, wears them all winter long, worn them in swampy areas and rocky areas. He hunts more than I do. I'm thinking of grabbing a pair for next fall. Oh by the way, he's diabetic so foot care is a huge concern for him and he loves those boots, so...

Arizona Hunter · Member Joined: Jul 22, 2006 Posts: 275

Meindl!!!!

The Alaskan Hunter model ($270.00 at Cabelas).
In addition to a rubber toe cap it has a rubber rand all around the boot. All leather and Gore Tex liner. For insulation it has 200 grams of thinsulate, which is plenty for a guy walking and climbing a lot. If you need to sit a long time in severe cold just slip some boot insulators over them (I have the Arctic Shield brand).
One thing I like about this mfg. is that they have cork and polyurethane midsoles not the softer EVA, which is what you usually get in a running shoe.
For the past 10 years I've been wearing the Meindle Denali, they are great. But they lack the rubber toe cap and rubber rand, so that is why I suggest the Alaskan, and which I plan to purchase next year.