Which boot for cold weather sits?
Equipment
I am looking to buy a pair of boots for stand hunting in below freezing temps that will help me to remain on stand as long as possible. I'm taking from +32* to +20* for temps below that I have my LaCross Iceman boots. I wear a 14 wide so my choices are VERY limited/ I have narrowed my search to one of the two fallowing boots due to size availability. #1-Genuine USGI white Mickey Mouse boots #2-Wood N' Stream Men's 10" W/P boots with 2030 grams of thinsulate insulation. The Mickey Mouse boots get great reviews, but I can not find out a lot of info on the Wood N' Stream. They are very close in price. Thanks, DJager/Art
I just got a pair of Sorel 1964 Model from Cabelas....it`s a smaller....lighter version of the regular Sorel with a thinner liner. Never had any luck with a boot with "built in Thinsulate" as the Thinsulate seem to be everywhere but in the toe area...lol. Schnee`s make a great boot but a bit pricey.
lacrosse ice kings are a good boot. buy big enough to avoid circulation cut off and extra sox in any such boot
buy an extra pair of liners for $34 and you will be set for decades of use. boots cost about 170.00 I would not want to hike ten miles in them, but they are warm and good for stand travel and hunting.
I have the best luck with a light to medium insulated boot that I can walk good in. When I reach my stand I loosen up my boots, put on arctic shield boot covers and toss a foot warmer in each one. If it is real cold I take off my boots, put on another pair of heavy socks and put a foot warmer between layers of socks then boot covers with foot warmers.
I mostly use Muck arctic pro's with 2 pairs of heavy socks, many of my stands are a fair hike in so I need warmth and boots I can walk in, the mucks are the best of both worlds
I got a pair of Baffin boots a couple of years ago as my toes get cold quick due to bad circulation. Last year in late bow season I sat in the stand in 15-16 degree temps for several hours with no problem. They have some that are rated for ultra, real low temps and they have great size selection. They are not cheap but to me the investment was well worth every penny. Also...there is a sock company in Wisconsin that makes some great cold weather socks too. I ordered a couple of pair of those too.
I'm from Wisconsin and later in the season it does get cold. What I've found work best for me are the Artic Shield boot covers. Pack them in and slip them on when I'm harnessed in my stand. Good luck & safe hunts.......Dave..... woops.........Icebreakers......
I've got some Meindl's that are pretty toasty. Great quality too.
I agree with JL I get cold feet but......never cold since I bought Baffin. The ice man is also a great boot, better than ice king IMO. That said you are looking for something to handle a specific temp range. For that range you target I've always used lacrosse alpha burly in different weights
Cabelas Saskatchewan PAC boots. Warmest boots there are. Wore em this morning, was about -5Celsius with a stiff wind. Feet were warmer last part on me in. 4hr sit. You just don’t want to walk much on uneven terrain
I second the Saskatchewan pack boots, nothing better.
Muck arctic pros keep my feet warm in single digits windy conditions .
Hikers or 400 gram boots +artic shield boot covers + hot hands body warmer rubber banded to the top of boots at the toes = toasty warm feet no matter the temp and walking is easy.
Have had La Crosse Ice Kings since 1991 & have hunted & fished in -30 degree weather & have never had cold feet with them & I NEVER wear more than 1 pair of merino wool socks. The only thing I added was a pain of wool felt in soles to them & I all so have an extra pair of liners for them. I have hunted cold weather since 1959 & have not found any thing close to being as warm as the Ice Kings.
I’ve been out all day long and a pair of regular old Sorels at 50° below and have never been cold as long as I was moving.... And I have yet to find a boot that keeps my feet warm much below 40° if I’m parked on my butt.
Up in northern Minnesota, I finally gave up and started packing in a down sleeping bag and a pair of 1-liter Nalgene bottles filled with water straight off the boil. Wear something you can walk in until you get to your stand, and cinch the bag up under your armpits with the hot water bottles in the foot. Problem solved.
Are used a kid-sized sleeping bag which was probably never intended to be warm below freezing, but is long as I had a reasonable amount of layering going on, I was just fine. A poly-fill bag might be a more practical choice, and I guess you can get it as warm as you want, Within the limits of what you’re willing to carry.
Just make sure the sleeping bag has enough room in the foot so that you can stand up and shoot.
I'm usually on the leatherwall but enjoy and often read the discussions here.
Another vote for Baffin. Used trappers boots for 10 years hunting. Need to but a new liner because it is shot! Only real downside of Baffin: the insulation is 2/3 of the boot.
Also own the hunter boot for walking around when there is heavy snow on college campus. I'm not a fan of the liner nor the sole.
If you have to be cheep or feet aren't too commonly frozen: the hunter will do fine. If you want the best: get the trapper pac boot.
I can only speak for the over the sock rubber pack boots.
I have tried so many different kinds of boots, but nothing ever worked for me. I would carry my 6 billion gram thinsulate ice fishing boots in, change into new socks before putting them on, cold feet an hour later. I've jammed warmers in the boots, but it seems like they run out of oxygen and cool off, and they are annoying to walk with. I think I just have poor circulation?
What finally started to keep my feet warm was to place a couple of chemical hand warmers ON TOP of my boot toes, then wrap them with a sweatshirt, or boot covers. I don't even wear insulated boots a lot of days anymore, but this method keeps my feet warm. I can actually lift my toes up tight to the tops of my boots and feel the warm leather.
Now I wear the most comfortable walking boot, not some super heavy, awkward pair.
Weather this morning in Winnipeg is 5 degrees F. Will be colder than that overnight tonight. Next sit is definitely the "put everything on and see how long you can last" type deal.
I've tried/used about everything mentioned above and then some up here in the North Country. We too were 5 degrees last night! Way too cold for this early, but that is another topic. I've used the Cabelas Sask boot, Rocky 2000 gram packs, boot covers/blankets, heated insoles, Baffin Arctic Boots, but I always seem to go back to Mickey Mouse Boots. I have no problem climbing trees with them (and I'm a size 12), and always joke that I could play basketball in them as they are that comfortable. A little bit heavy, yes, but very comfortable. In fact, I hike all over the country in them in the dead of winter coyote hunting. Even wear them snow shoeing. (they are a bit big for most bindings but they work)
On a recent Polar Bear hunt this past spring, I wore the Arctic Baffins and FROZE my feet. After a couple days of frozen feet and frost bite, I switched to Mukluks with hand warmers and made it through the hunt. As I get older, the circulation in my feet isn't what it used to be. I almost took my MM Boots on that hunt, but in the end opted not to. BIG MISTAKE.
The key is keeping your feet dry while walking in. If I have a long walk, I will change socks when I get to the stand. Dry socks and MM boots and I can get through about anything.
First I have to do a lot of walking to get to my stands and I don't want my feet to sweat, (sweaty feet are cold feet) so I wear uninsulated boots with wool socks and a 5 toe liner under the wool, plus it's just way easier to walk in uninsulated boots. When on stand I put my, (a little big) boot covers on. And if needed I throw in a hand warmer in each boot cover. This has worked really well for me. Ed
I vote for the Micky boots. No liners to dry out and fairly comfy to walk in. I have used them for years.
Schnee pacs-get a second set of liners...not cheap. Hunted down to -27 in Canada and my feet get cold in August. Wicking socks, 100% wool socks, disposable warmers and these boots. feet great. rest of me froze solid.
I have struggled with cold feet my whole life until last year. As mentioned earlier uninsulated boots with artic shield boot covers & a chemical body warmer.
Wear your regular boots and throw on as one artic shield covers, rubber band some hot hands body warmers to the top of your boots at the toes and your feet will be toasty warm and you won't save to walk around in big clumsy boots.
If folks would only learn to get some kind of full body bag, all over your cold problems everywhere would go away its that simple..
