Contributors to this thread:
Looking for a very warm boot, mainly for sitting long period's (all day sits). I do very little walking. Looked at the views on the heating elements for feet and don't want to waste the money.
My feet get very cold. I currently have lacrosse ice man, with smart wool socks, still not warm enough. No price limits.
Did you buy the ice men's big enough for your feet to move around in? That what I wear for late season stand hunting and have them about 2 sizes larger than needed in a boot. Feet stay warm and comfortable. I don't know of a warmer one than those. Possibly the old Micky Mouse boot?
When it gets cold I use a pac type boot with ample room and good wool socks. Sometimes I add a light liner sock too. Also, I use disposable heated foot or toe warmers. These disposable warmers keep my feet warm all day in very cold temps.
So far I have found none of the battery operated in-sole heaters to work. I rarely have any of the disposable heaters fail. If they fail I carry extras and change them.
Smokey is spot on, the battery powered socks do not work. I buy disposable foot and toe warmers as well. I wear 12 1/2 boots and the foot warmers are not long enough to cover my foot so I use the toe warmers in conjunction with the foot warmers. If it is very cold, otherwise the toe warmers are plenty. The key is to not overlap the two because where they touch one another it can get very hot even causing burns. If you buy the big packs on sale you can get enough to keep your feet warm all season for around $20
I was all set to buy the 2000g lacrosse boots (forgot the name) and decided to try these instead. My feet get cold in regular pack boots when it gets down to about 30 degrees or lower - very poor circulation. I haven't tried them yet but will post after sitting all day tomorrow. I also picked up some alpaca socks - those are fantastic so far based on walking around outside all day yesterday in just those socks and some old running shoes.
Circulation ? At age 62 my feet were getting cold and I thought my boots were the problem. 4 bypasses and a blood thinner later I have warm feet on the stand. With the same boots.
Cabela's predator extreme!!!!!!!!!!!
As I age my feet keep getting colder. I have bought better boots and higher gram, etc. The past two year I have been using Thermacell ProFlex Heated Insoles. I really like them. I bought 2 sets of batteries. Each set last 5 hours. So on really cold days I swap the battery out midday. Charge both up at night and ready again in the morning. I find they actually allow for me to use light boots which I find better for longer walk in. I use LaCrosse Hunt Pack Extreme 2000G. I also use the heated insoles for ice fishing and Packer games.
I'm 33 and my feet get cold regardless of the boots / socks I'm wearing and I don't like the thought of having to use something battery operated to keep me warm.
However I would highly recommend the Onyx-Arctic Shield boot covers. I can honestly as long as I want in temps well below freezing with my Arctic Pro Muck boots, wool socks, boot covers and a mini hand warmer in each boot cover. The boot covers with the hand warmer acts like a little oven for your feet.
Ive heard the secret with battery socks and things is just to turn them on when you start getting cold, then turn them off when warm. it doesn't eat the batteries as fast.
Artic shield boot. By far
One size bigger than normal and disposable heated foot or toe warmers does the trick for me.
Yes, size is very important. Always need to buy at least 1/2 size larger. So there is room for your foot to move around a bit and air to flow. Tight pack boots = cold feet.
My Father developed diabetes and of course the cold feet with it. Got him into those predator extremes and was the first time in his life did not have cold feet while hunting! Put my wife and daughter in them as well because girls always seem to have cold feet, LOl.
Most of the time these boots are too much for me. Just way to warm most of the time for my activity level. So I end up pulling the liners, and wearing that way if I use them.
That is one of the great features. Thinsulate in the boot, but also a heavy removable liner. Liner has a pocket in bottom to hold a hand warmer as well. One of the best features for me. Being they are too warm like I said. Is the moisture wicking footbed. Often the boot will be wet with sweat but my feet dry as it wicks the moisture away. That is a great thing!
Now a HUGE factor. Durability. Icemans junk, Sorels junk. IMO!!!! Never have these style boots lasted me more than a year. Always tearing them up. Leaking and falling apart by the end of the year. My predators are going strong into their 6th year!! That is impressive. Also waterproof to a much higher level. Almost to the top of them. Where most other pack boots this ends after the rubber.
A good boot that is not too hard on the wallet. At least you know now why I do like these boots.
I have a pair of extremely warm boots. I haven't tied them yet because they are too warm. Being a typical American you can listen to the advertiser and want more (warmer). BUT understand this, warmer is typically more insulation and therefore larger. One year I wore these extremely warm boot and discovered 3/4 of a mile back into the woods on opening morning that they will not work with my climbing tree stand. Too big to fit where they need to. I had to take the liner out and climb in just the liner, then put the liner back in the boot. That was a major pain, delay, noise maker, and my feet got cold doing that. Another thing I learned the hard way, is that one more pair of socks can be a bad idea. You need enough room in your boots to allow your blood to circulate. You may be able to cram one more set of socks on you feet, but they may reduce circulation.
Sorels junk ????? I had a pair for over 10 years, I did replace the liners twice though. And I did ware the bottoms to nothing.
Icemans Junk, I don't think so. I have a pair I bought when I was 21, I'm 44 now. They are still going strong, I only wear them for hunting, ice fishing, plowing on the 4-wheeler. These boots still look and work damn good. I don't like the weight of them, so I will be wearing my Red Wing Irish Setters with Arctic Shield boot covers when it gets cold enough. But my 16 year old son loves the Icemans and will wear them all through gun season.
Hey now. I said IMO! Also stated they dont hold last for me. I put a lot of miles on in the field, and on the hard water. So I will tear up a lot of boots real fast unless constructed really well. Boots that work well for you and last for many years. Just dont have the say results here. That is why IMO,( in my opinion) Am only stating the experiences I have had. Heck, I can shred a pair of boots in just the bear season alone. Some really nice ones I thought too. Cabales full draw, nice boots it seemed fell apart in one month! The miles I put on in a day at times. Is more than some might put on in a season. Along with scouting,etc. I have been cutting a lot of boughs lately. Average day is about 12 miles of hiking through a lot of logging slashing, blow downs, just some nasty terrain. Wet boots almost every day. This stuff wears out boots fast! The bear hunting, coyote hunting, cat hunting, trapping, scouting and woods work. Lots of rough miles!
If a pair of boots lasts me a couple of years. You can dam well bet they are well made!!
Hey White Oak do yourself a big favor and buy a pair of U.S. Black Mickey Boots. 100% waterproof and the warmest damn boots you will ever need. Can get them for under $80 and most Alaska trappers would not lea e their cabin without them on their feet. I've worn them for last 5 yrs. and NEVER get cold or wet feet. Only drawback is that they are a little heavy. Best $$ you will ever spend on a boot!
Predators from Cabelas. Best investment in cold weather gear I've made. Very warm pac boot
My Lacrosse Ice Kings are on like year 15. I replaced the liners a few years ago. They are warmer by far bar none than any of the thinsulate rubber type boot I have ever bought. I would not consider Ice Kings to be junk in the slightest. I have yet to see a warmer boot. No booties required with these.
I'm glad you found a great boot for you but to say that Mickey boots are junk is laughable. I guarantee you ha e never tried them before. If you regularly sit in temperatures of -20 then maybe you do indeed need something different.
Ice Kings are the ones lacrosse use to make that were an all rubber pac boot right? Believe so, and I had a pair of those. Were great boots. Loved mine, until they were stolen from the back of my truck one night. Lacrosee quit making them probably 15yrs ago though. Closest thing now is that Baffin and just not the same. Nope I checked quick. Maybe tey were the dominators?? DOnt recall name other than being an all rubber pac. They got nothing like it now. Lacrosse just not the same since going to china
Dont think anyone said anything about the mickeys being junk. Never owned a pair myself. Always heard good things about them.
My vote still goes to the Predator extremes. Guess it all depends on how you hunt.
The Sorels were great when they were still made in Canada. Like the LaCrosse boots, someone thought they'd make a few more bucks so the manufacturing was moved to China at the expense of quality. I found some NOS last winter of the Canadian-made Sorels and they ARE super.
My Ice Kings are leather uppers. They have served well for long sits and especially for ice fishing. They are not great due to lack of height (and leather uppers) when parading through marsh or slush when ice fishing. I use Kamik Goliath 1 boots for the very cold when parading water and ice fishing when I have a heat source. I use my Lacrosse Aeros most of the time when bowhunting but don't find them to be all that warm.
Here is the system that has served me well for many years for all day sits in cold weather:
It’s a long walk to many of my stands so I don’t want to wear heavy warm boots on the walk in because it’s too much work and my feet would be soaked from sweat.
I wear light hikers and light merino socks for my hike in. When I get to my stand I take off the hikers and light socks and put on a pair of heavy Smartwool merino wool socks.
Then I put a chemical heater on top of my toes and slip on another pair of heavy Smartwool socks so the heater is on top of my toes sandwiched between the two pairs of socks.
Next I slip on the felt liners from my LaCrosse Iceman pac boots.
Next I put on the thin Arctic-Shield boot covers over the felt liners.
Then I top it off with the big puffy Icebreaker Boot-Blankets.
So, I’m not wearing any boots; just socks, felt liners, Arctic-Shields and Icebreakers, kind of like big puffy warm slippers. Using this system I’ve sat in a treestand in single digit temps for 11 hours and my feet stayed warm. Sometimes I switch out the chemical heater at midday.
The system is actually very light and it all stuffs inside of the Icebreakers and is strapped onto or stuffed into my pack for the walk in.
For half day sits I've had good luck with Smartwool socks and Muck Woody Max or Arctic Pro boots with the Artic Shield boot covers.
I like boot blankets.
A few secrets: wear light hiking boots and put the boot blankets on right when you get into your stand.
The hike is super easy with light boots. Then, before you cool off, put on the boot blankets. I can sit for 4 hours around 10F with nice warm feet.
If you really want the ultimate system, do what cheesehead mike recommends.
