Cold weather boots ? brand , insulation ?

[sportmuaythai]

Have you considered snow pac's. "bull" Have used Sorel Caribou pac for years and when there is snow on the ground or its froze they are the go-to boot. Just bought another pair last winter and these have a bob sole and traction on snow and ice is superb. Add two sets of liners and a pair of gaiters and your good to go. A pair last about 5 years using them about 4 months a year.

I also use the Danner Rainforest when its dry but the rubber in the soles are too hard and when it freezes up they just don't get a good grip. I have quit wearing them all together once the cold sets in.

I can vouch for Sorel Caribou pac . I've used same from Montana to NWT, with great satisfaction. However, I think there must be more improvements since then. I also liked Danner trooper with Vibram sole for dry ground. Same for wool pants. Modern synthetics must be better. Wool shed water amazingly, but they don't breathe like synthetics.

 

[FAL Shot]

The warmest boots I ever had were military bunny boots, but I wouldn't want to hike in them much. For stand hunting, they would work.

Boots are like other forms of clothing. You have to pick what works best for you and what you can afford.

There is variability in leather, and I have never gotten the same wear out of two of the same type. Also decide if you want replaceable stichdown soles (Danner) or randed soles that will never come loose, but can't be replaced.

Modern soles often last as long as the uppers, so the replacement option isn't a big issue for me anymore.

 

[Steyr Luxus]

Good old natural rubber boots made by Baffin rated to -50 F. Used them for several years in the Arctic. They have sufficient tread pattern and enough ankle support for walking.

 

[The Surgeon]

Not sure if this applies to your question but to increase the insulation of any boot use bread bags or zip-lok freezer bags. Just don't take the boots off when exposed to cold. We have used this method for years, since before good insulation was an option in boots. It does work.

 

[FAL Shot]

Danner just lost their limited contract for the Combat Hiker, AKA the "Afghanistan boot" issued to US Special Forces in Afghanistan. The military paid $310 for each pair of boots, with two pair issued to each (SF) soldier receiving them. Any general troops wishing to purchase their own paid $310 per pair. The retail price per pair would have been $350, if they went into permanent production and available for civilian purchase

Belleville 950 Mountain Combat Boot was selected over the Danner Combat Hiker for general army distribution to Afghanistan troops (probably because it was the cheapest). Danner redesigned the Combat Hiker to the Improved Combat Hiker and it now sells to anybody for $380 per the Danner website. Belleville 990 Mountain Combat Boot is the non-Gore-Tex version of the Belleville 950 for hot weather use, at a lower cost. Wellco makes a version of the Combat Hikers with the same Vibram Bifida outsole for less money than Danner Combat Hiker, and generally better liked by troops than the Belleville 950 MCB. All three boots use the Vibram Bifida outsole, and IT IS AWESOME IN MOUNTAIN CONDITIONS.

I picked up a pair of the Danner Combat Hikers at closeout special at Shipton's Big R in Billings for $99.99 just before Christmas. A guy came in right behind me and picked up the last pair in my size. WOW!!! Are these boots ever awesome in steep terrain! They have better ankle support than any other 6" boot I ever wore. They are better than my Italian made LL Bean Cresta hikers in grip on any kind of steep slope, and the Cresta is an awesome Gore-Tex hiking boot at the price. I feel like a mountain goat in these boots.

At the Danner Portland store, the Danner Combat Hikers were available for $50, walk-ins only. You may find some of them being sold on eBay at this time by folks wishing to make a few bucks. They are no longer in production, but they were developed from the Danner Talus mountain hiking boot, which sells for $190 and is imported. The Vibram Bifida sole is the same in both cases, but the Talus rand is lower and the top lace hooks are different and the leather is probably lower quality.

My Combat Hikers are awesome and I never had a blister or hot spot during break-in on steep slopes. The Improved Combat Hiker should make an excellent cold weather boot if you buy them a size bigger than normal for an extra pair of wool socks and an insulated insole. The Wellco Combat Hiker should do you good if you can't find the Danner and it will be cheaper. The Belleville 950 Mountain Combat Boot seems to not be available to the general public at this time as it is the current issue boot and military orders are being filled first.

There are always various versions of the Danner Acadia and Ft. Lewis that include various degrees of insulation that make excellent cold weather hunting boots. My cold weather hunting boots for the past 18 years have been Danner Ft. Lewis with 200g Thinsulate insulation.

US Special Forces receive the very best gear above and beyond what the regular army ever gets, so I took the Danner Combat Hikers very seriously, and they compare well against any cost-no-object European mountaineering boot like Lowa, Zamberlan and La Sportiva. The Danner Improved Combat Hiker at $380 is thus not overpriced at all. That Vibram Bifida outsole should have been named the Mountain Goat outsole. After 5 hikes in steep terrain, I had to look hard to spot any wear at all, and it was very minor.

The Iraq type desert combat boots went to pieces in as short as two weeks when used in the mountains of Afghanistan due to the sharp rocks and steep talus slopes. These Danner "Afghanistan boots" have gotten everybody through a tough tour of duty in Afghanistan without falling apart, and you can cruise the military gear boards if you don't believe me. These are some of the toughest and stickiest mountain boots you will ever come across.

I'm looking for a second pair if I can snag them at a closeout price like I just paid. Just buy a size larger if you need them for cold weather boots.

 

[6.5Express]

These are what I have:

LOWA Sheep Hunter made exclusively for Schnee's - Hunting Boots

However, I see they've come up in price quite a bit! I've worn them on quite a few hunts and have no complaints. Real supportive for steep / rocky terrain. Looking at the price now for a comfortable, warm, deep snow boot, I don't think you can beat the Schnees Pac's. I've worn them a lot for coyote calling during the winter and wear them daily for work when the snow is deep. My only recomendation is to buy an extra pair of liners. If your feet sweat, it's good to change back and forth to give them a day to dry. I think this helps them last longer too. I've had my Schnees pac's for about 6 years and even in and out of corrals full of cow $&*# they have held up really well. I've had the sheephunters for about 5 years, and they too have held up really well. However, I save them strictly for hunting. For a lot of years I bought "cheaper" boots once every year. Paying the $$$ up front is well worth it for a good pair of boots that last.

 

[FAL Shot]

Lowa is a good replacement for Meindl as they are both excellent German made boots.

You might also consider AKU made in Italy. AKU was my first true world class Europen hiking boot, and I still have the original pair from 15 years ago. They make some of the most high end mountaineering boots in the world worn by top mountaineers. They are also a full range boot manufacturer. They offer very good mountain hunting boots with a choice in Vibram soles on the same model boot, which is rare.

AKU has a few US dealers, mostly in western states. There is a dealer in Bozeman, MT. I just bought my third pair of leather hiking boots made by AKU, the LL Bean Cresta Hiker. It's not rated a winter boot, but it's less than $200 from LL bean and compares to the Meindl Alaska boot that Cabelas sells for $100 more. It makes a good winter stalking boot for southern states, and LL Bean sold a taller version called the Cresta Hunter. AKU boots are famous for comfort out of the box. If they didn't last, LL Bean couldn't sell them because of their total satisfaction warranty.

Many of the AKU boots are now made in the AKU factory in Romania. My old Italian made AKU boots and the new Romanian replacements are of the exact same craftsmanship quality as far as I can tell. They share the same extraordinary comfort right out of the box and fit exactly the same. A Romanian made boot will save you $100 or more over a German or Italian made boot, and if it is made in the company owned factory it will be of the same quality as the previous German or Italian boot. I have Rossignol ski boots made in Romania and Fischer skis made in Ukraine in company owned factories. They are every bit as good as from the home countries.

The Danner Pronghorn boots are now made in China, and previous owners of US Pronghorns are VERY dsssatisfied with the new Chinese Pronghorn boots per the Cabelas website. About the best thing you could do with a Chinese boot is pour dirt in the boot and use it as a flower planter or something, or as a chew toy for your new pup....if the possibility of poisoning your pup doesn't concern you much.

 

[FAL Shot]

Another boot brand I forgot to mention was Crispi. They offer hand made Italian boots, with quite a few models in the hunting line. I have never owned any, but they get good ratings from owners. I was on their website recently, and they have a sale on several of their models in the hunting line. They are leaders in all the areas they make boots for. However, their sale prices are still high. I suppose you get what you pay for. Some of their hunting boots push up toward $500 at retail price. Crispi make boots for military special forces applications for several countries, so they are probably quite good.

In the winter your feet should stay warm, if they are in Crispi boots.

 

[FAL Shot]

I want to say something about boot materials and construction. Few people learn the good stuff and how to look for it in footwear. I have had very bad results with EVA foam, which is commonly used in midsoles in cheaper footwear. Any plastic or rubber that has a "V" in the name is probably vinyl based and is probably not a stable product. I bought a couple of pairs of Merrell hiking boots on half price sale, they were comfortable out of the box, so I figured to stick the spare pair in storage for later use.

A few years later, the sole fell off one boot while hiking along an easy sandy trail. I got back home, and easily tore the sole off the other boot. The EVA foam had deteriorated and gotten very soft. There was no rand on the boots, you could see the various layers of EVA foam from the side of the sole.

I dug out the spare pair of boots, tugged on the soles, and they tore off easily. The EVA foam had deteriorated, even though they had never been worn and were stored in their box under a bed under controlled temperature.

I have done research on the European top footwear manufacturer website and came across the info that EVA was not a stable material and quickly broke down. It may be good for sneakers that are worn a year or two and are thrown out. You do NOT want EVA foam in hunting or backpacking boots you expect to own for many years. The higher quality boots will have PU foam in their midsole construction, and it is rated to last at least twice as long.

All the foams tend to break down in time. I don't think that Limmer uses any foam in their classic all-leather hiking boots. They are specifically intended to be resoled, such as classic Danner stitchdown soles are. If you intend to resole boots in the future, then foam midsoles become an issue. The foam will have to be replaced along with the outer soles. This is probably why randed boots with foam midsoles are generally listed as not being resolable.

Further and perhaps more importantly, as any vinyl plastic or foam rubber breaks down, hazardous byproducts that are dangerous to your health will be produced. You want to avoid all plastics and rubbers that are not stable and suffer rapid breakdown. For this reason, I will no longer buy cheap sneakers or shoes that use EVA foam in their construction. Some of the top European footwear companies are on a campaign to get all such materials out of their footwear due to the environmental issues. As Lowa states, their footwear last twice as long and half as much waste ends up in landfills, half as much energy is used in making and shipping the shoes, and far less toxic byproducts result being released into the environment.

This is not true of ASIAN sourced footwear that is based on low prices and high production rates and frequent replacement schedules. I have literally had to pack up mailordered Asian clothing that stunk from the chemicals they were releasing and send it back for a refund. China seems to be the worst offender, but it is common in all cheap Asian products to sacrifice a lot in many areas to get a low price.

It is not only economically more sound in the end to buy QUALITY American and European footwear, but it is much better for your health. The money you save by avoiding future foot and health problems from using cheap and toxic Asian footwear is even greater than the economic benefits of footwear that costs twice as much but lasts three times as long. Do some research and notice if the adhesives and materials used in construction are safe for your health. If it is not mentioned on the website, then it is probably full of toxic materials. Environmental health issues are being addressed by all the top manufacturers that build up to a quality level rather trhan down to a price.

Avoid all "branding" companies such as Merrell who do not own their own factories. They have not a lot of say over the quality control. A pair of Merrell shoes I bought several years ago has rapidly worn through the thin outsole into the foam midsole. I bought them for a trip to Russia as they were comfortable and I would do a lot of walking on the trip on concrete. After three failed pairs, I now know that Merrell is made to impress you in the shoe store then fail you in the field after a relatively short lifespan.

You should know some of the companies to stick with, who build in their own factories: Danner (USA), Whites, Meindl, Lowa, AKU, Crispi, and quite a few others. Most of my good boots are made by Danner and AKU right now, but that is based mainly on personal fit and availability. There are other brands just as good but fit is important and they have to be available at a price you can afford. I have learned what suits me and I buy boots on sale where I have to pay no more than the price most folks pay for Chinese boots. A couple of ski boots, custom cowboy boots (which I almost never wear) and my Italian motorcycle boots are the only boots I have paid over $200 for.

None of the Italian boots I ever bought have been a poor fit or poorly made. Not a one. I can't say that about any other country, even the USA. There are or were lots of companies in the USA making trashy shoes and boots that I got stuck with all my life. If you think you get a good pair of shoes or boots just because it has a USA tag in it, then you will probably get taken to the cleaners. It has not been hard for the Chinese and Asians to compete against such companies, at a low cost. They just don't compete against the good stuff, and that's a fact.

 

[vandal]

I work in the wood and use hoffman pac boots, specifically the thinsulate pro series. They are tough, warm, and comfortable.

 

[mtntrapper1]

Hoffmans are the best Pac boot made. I have worn out more poorly made Schnees and Whites over the years and had my first rebuild of both with new bottoms done at Hoffmans and never looked back, Now I only use Hoffmans, They have great service and a small town charm. For hard use in construction, mining, and Hunting they are the toughest, better soles, better overall specialty designs. Ive had Mountaineering high dollar boots too that were great, but for good Pacs that hike steep tough country well, Hoffmans cant be beat. Made in Kellogg, Idaho.