Extreme cold weather boot
Equipment
I'd appreciate some input on extreme cold weather boots. These would be used for all day hunting and snowmobiling in northern Alaska.
I'm considering buying some military bunny boots for now and getting a better boot later when I have time to shop and try them on.
Thanx,
Ike
Go no further than Bunny Boots.
Sorel glacier Not great for long walks, but very very warm
Try schnees extremes...your going to be looking at a pac boot to get insulation under your feet
I have a pair of Sorel Glaciers(use them for ice fishing). Very warm indeed, but I couldn't walk more than a mile in them without having to take them off and re-arrange my socks. Hard to drive a vehicle with them too, it's like strapping a basketball to your feet.
Bunny boots will be great for snowmobiling, not so good for hunting if you have to walk much.
You might also consider those steel toed work boots TBM wore in his live deer hunt. No place is as cold as wherever he hunts in Alabama
Jaq...Have you walked in Bunny Boots? I think I could play basketball in mine if I had to. They're awesome. Seriously, I walk and snow shoe all over the country with mine in the winter chasing coyotes. WAY better than most of the big pacs I've tried. I also climb into treestands with mine on all winter.
I have a rack full of extreme weather boots that mostly sit now that I have bunny boots. I have both the black and the white ones.
I've got two pairs of bunny boots and I wear mine everyday from now until spring. Ice fishing, snow mobiling, hunting, trapping and to and from work... No complaints and when it's -40 they still keep me warm.
Mickey mouse are the best.
Bunny boots same as mickey mouse boots?
"Bunny boots same as mickey mouse boots?"
yup....and I think they are easy to walk in as well with the snug fitting ankle they have. When it's really cold, I put in the full size chemical warmers in the bottom when sitting in a tree stand and my feet stay toasty warm. Just make sure you have a boot dryer to sit them on every night and always start with dry socks.
Had a pair of those Mickey Mouse Funny Bunny boots. Crap. Way too heavy and the rubber seam peeled along the sole. I have two pairs of Muk Like, one all moosehide and the other are the Kamuk Extreme. The warmest lightest weight boots you will find. I like the soft soles so I can feel what I'm walking on. I can feel branches so I don't snap them.
Bunny boots are white. Mickey mouse boots are black. Both claim they are good to -20 degrees.
I checked out the Mukluks a couple weeks ago. I like what I see, hear and read. Tuesday I made a call on a customer and she's wearing a pair of Stegers and had nothing but good to say about them.
I have a pair of Mickey Mouse boots and agree 100% with Knife2sharp.
If your not walking, nothing beats the Old Surplus White Mickey mouse Boots.
One boot that I can say unfortunately DOES NOT keep your feet warm, are MUCK ARCTIC SPORT. They're rated to -40° F so I bought a pair before heading to Iowa last week. At 10° in the deer stand, my toes were freezing cold within the first half hour every sit. And that was with super-heavy wool socks and a nice loose fit on the boot size. They're comfortable to walk in due to the thin wall design, but there's just too little material there to keep out the cold in "arctic" conditions. Thank goodness for the chemical foot-warmers I brought along!
I love my Bunny/Mouse boot, but they are a little cumbersome for my liking. I wear them all the time, but for situations where a lot of walking is required over uneven terrain (I live in the mountains) I prefer the Kamiks with the removable liner.
Lot of good options out there.
It definately helps to try the Muk Luks on and not just order over the internet. But if you do, buy at least one size or a size and a half larger for thick socks. You also want one of their wool insoles inside the wool liner. If there is too much room, then get another insole. They offer multiple liners too. The boots are so comfy I sometimes wear them to work. I also sleep in my moose hide ones if I'm ice fishing and staying in a sleeper house.
I've had pack boots rated at -40 too and at 20 degrees my feet would get cold and much colder I couldn't stay in the stand. With the Micky's my toes would stay toasty warm to the point I didn't need the toe warmers. A couple of reasons Micky s are the best...they don't have liners so there is nothing to get wet. Should you get them wet you can just wipe out and they are ready to go. Micky s also lace up tight at the top so snow doesn't get in. I have snuggled them up tight and waided creeks and my socks didn't get too wet. They have ample toe room for good circulation too. You canwear ankle wts to get accustomed to the extra wt and the mickys don't feel too heavy. I've had mukluks that were fleece lined and they were fairly warm and really lite but not water proof at all...orolly better ones than what I had out there.
TBM,
The reason they stay warm is the thick rubber and totally sealed boot that traps heat!
Mine are waterproof to the top. Not sure about the ones you had. if no holes they will keep your feet dry in water all they way to the top. Water cant get in until it spills over the top of the boot.
I have had that happen and my foot froze for a while until it warmed up from walking. If wet and you sit they will get cold. Any boot will.
In any other boots when my foot got wet it would never get warm again even when walking until i had dry socks and dry boots on.
That's what I was talking about is over the top...lace them up tight and go through running streams kind of fast and not a lot of water will get in. I have wore them without socks, waided the creeks, took them off and dried them with a paper towel, put socks on and hunted comfortably. Try that with a pack boot and the incerts will be wet for 2 days.
Anyone here ever use Skellerup boots?
G5smoke21 completly summed it up short and sweet.
Schemes are the last boot youll ever need to buy. They are a little bit more than your normal boot. Its what serious guides use, apparently, as my elk guide let me use his after bad feet experience. The removable liners are a huge +. Pull the dirty, smelly, wet etc. etc. liner out. Pitch it in the wash. Put yout fresh liner in. Go hunt.
And forget about cold feet. Ain't gonna happen.
One of the best investments in clothing/footwear I've ever made.
Pretty sure my Mickeys are at least 20 years old....army surplus for around $30, and still going strong.
I can't emphasize this enough...there are tree stand sitting cold weather boots and walking cold weather boots. Sitting still in a stand for longer than 4 hours is the ultimate test for boots.
Hey IdyllwildArcher,
+1 on gulfcoast's comments. Been wearing Schnee's pack boots for decades...and always bring along two pairs of liners on cold weather trips. If I'm staying somewhere with 120VAC power available, I also bring along my own boot dryer. Small and inexpensive to purchase and easy to bring along in your suitcase.
Here's what you do: Wear the pack boots with the first pair of liners on day 1. That night, pull the damp liners out and place the pack boots without any liners in them on the boot dryer. In the morning, take the dry boots off the dryer...place the damp liner from day 1 on the dryer (for the day)...place the fresh second liners in the boots and go hunting.
Repeat this everyday you hunt, and you'll never have cold feet again...period.
I've done this treestand hunting in Montana several years over Thanksgiving week...with temps below zero several times. Works like a champ...but I've got to warn you...the whitetails hate it !!! =:~)
Best of luck on your cold weather hunting.
KAMIK. - last wordd in warm dry cold weather bioots
Whoa! Lemme get this straight...
You are getting advice on boots for extreme cold weather from a guy in Alabama?
Be still my beating heart!
Pete
They can't get better all day sit boots than the Cabelas Saskatchewan PAC boot. Look em up. I live in Manitoba Canada and all my serious hunting friends have them. A boot being rubber and having nowhere for moisture to go is the dumbest thing I've heard of if you want to sit a long time in real actual cold. They are by far the best boot I've worn and slightly lighter than Sorels. Plus they have a GoreTex outer that runs to the top.
Waterproof really only comes into play ice fishing for me cause anytime you wear that level of boot any moisture coming down isn't remotely wet, and all water is frozen.
wow, talk about timely, I was just looking to buy a pair for my dad on his birthday.
Anyone ever tried the Baffin Control Max Pac Boots?
he used the Muck Artic, definitely didn't cut it for 25 degree temps.
I used my lacrosse alpha burly 1000 and was farirly warm.
Mickeys are way too heavy for long walks and I still don't think they are super warm when you sweat them up trying to lug them around.
I have disliked them Micky boots since the first I was issued them in 81. Way too heavy for me.
My redballs are over 30 years old. I cant find anything to replace them. I paid 160 bucks for them way back when. Cabelas sold a boot called the Saskatchewan, pretty close to them, but, they quit making them now too...
It would be interesting doing a heat loss study on boots. All you would have to do is fill them with warm water and see which stayed warm the longest. I know my mickys will frost up on the outside at around 25 degrees and there is not enough body heat escaping to melt the frost.
Pete in Fairbank, lol I was thinking the same thing.
TBM if your walking around in water then it's not cold out.
I ordered a pair of Lacrosse 1600 gram Alpha Burlys for the wife yesterday. She tried the 800 grams on at Cabelas and liked the way they fit but they don't stock the 1600's so I ordered them. If they work for her I might get a pair also.
Springs coming out of the ground never freeze.
Maybe down South springs don't "ever freeze...!"
Google up "auf ice" or "overflow...."
Pete
i will be hunting in late march in the artic for Muscox, and the Bunny boots is one of my alternatives, do you think they will be Ok for that hunt? I am sure that we will not find many water, but snow and ice for sure.
Here is a combination that will keep your feet warm and dry anywhere in the world.
Insoles form these folks www.hightalesaplpaca.ca
Socks from the same people
Mountaineer tent booties.
This combination will really keep them toasty.
G.
I have a pair of Schnee's Extremes on the way here. My 20+ year old Rocky pac boots have given up the ghost. The uppers are in good shape but the soles are missing bobs and have serious cracks. A total sole loss was imminent........
These Schnee's are HEAVY, 7lbs or so from their web site. I've had Mickey Mouse boots and wasn't too impressed.
I have a pair of Hoffman's that I bought about 10 years. They are also heavy and not too warm. Their strong suit is for walking in deep stow in cold temps. Great boots just not warm enough for stand hunting for ME.
Different reviews for the same boot is probably related to the fact that other body parts were not covered in the same way so the blood circulation changed to the feet. As the body core temp drops so does the circulation to the extremities so it is difficult to do an Apple's to Apple's test. I've always heard if your feet are cold put something in your head. There is a lot of truth to that.
Sorel boots, have you heard or have any of these?
if you go with the bunny boots you won't have to worry about cold feet and the plus is they are reasonably priced. Look em over good before you use them in the field, if the outer rubber is damaged they are worthless. Also make sure the air valve is closed while wearing them! The first time your wrestling your sled out of overflow, and the cooold water is getting in your boot, you'll be glad you don't have anything even resembling felt next to your foot !!!
Check out Baffin.com great boots and reasonable priced. I used them in Nunavut and worked great
I had worn bunny boots and mickey mouse boots for years. No more. I am on the Steger Mukluk bandwagon now. Bunny boots are fine for walking around on flat ground. The traction is not so hot for steeper grades. They are probably the best value in a cold weather boot but not the warmest or lightest. When I was younger, they worked great. Now that I am older they just are not as warm as other options.
Lacross Iceman pack boots. I have sat on stand in single digits and feet remained warm, can't say that about the rest of me. For extreme cold I dont see how you can beat pack boots. Not ideal for long walks, but they ensure cold feet will never again cut your hunt short.
Get a good pair of pack boots, or look at USGI Micky Mouse boots no personal experience with them, but I always heard great things about them. Do MM pack boot review search on google.
