Contributors to this thread:
How did your boots hold up? Did they leak water? Did they give you blisters? Did they handle a full pack load? What brand worked for you? Was there any toe pinch? Did they feel ok coming down in elevation? Etc...
I used keen targhees. Very comfortable but they leaked a lot from walking in wet grass and rain. They almost ruined the hunt so I'm using some asolo 520's next year. They're full grain leather with goretex so should be waterproof. Asolo's were the only full grain leather boots i could find that fit my wide feet and i like them so far
I tried the following before settling on the asolo's
-Meindle denali dont make my size in wides
-kenetrek mountain extreme are oddly shaped with very high arches that didnt work for me but are well made boots
-Schnee's granite are awesome but their wides are narrower then most regular width boots i've tried so they had to go back
Are your boots the hiking boot style or do they have 10” or 12” uppers? Are they insulated 400 grams or uninsulated? It also seems like I switch out about 3 different pairs of boots on a Elk hunt. Due to being wet or foot pain, blisters, etc...
Lowa Tibets GTX high. Perfect. THE NORMAL HEIGHT VERSION IS FINE AS WELL
For the last 2 years I have used Crispi Summits.
Right out of the box they have fit very good. Very comfortable to wear as well. No break in time has been needed.
I have a wide foot so went with the wide version and very glad I did. The toe box fits me perfect.
3 pack outs with pack weights over a 100 lbs as well. Performed flawlessly
If I had to guess there are a couple hundred miles on them so far. Heavy use from September all the way through February hunting elk, mule deer, whitetails and coyotes. They are still in great shape.
They're the hiking boot style and are uninsulated. If they didn't work i was going to try the crispi nevadas but the hardwear isn't as nice on those and they're made of nubuck leather instead of full grain.
I finally wore out my pair of Lowa Tibet Wides after 5 hard seasons of use. So I bought the exact same pair with Lathrop and Sons inserts this past month for replacements. I don’t like change if I already love what I have
Lowa uplanders for turkey and bow hunting- no leaks. Crispi wild rock for gun hunting- no leaking at all in the wettest season in years.
Danner Pronghorns, was surprised at the quality, for the price, wearing them all fall for all hunts,,,,,, so far so good, first pair I ever owned
2 pairs of Crispi's. Love them!
Hanwag Alaska, 2+ years old and working better than any others in decades.
Lowa Sheep Hunters and 30 year old all leather Danner Pronghorns are my "go to" boots. Only get worn on certain hunts. Like many are finding out, replacements don`t come easy.
Asolo Powermatic for me. Fit my foot perfect and are built like a tank. No water/leaking issues at all
Kennetrek Hardscrabbles.Not light but tough and supportive.Best boots I’ve owned except possibly their sorrels which are truly amazing.
Lowa Tibets for me. On my second pair. First lasted 6 years. Best boots I have ever tried on.
I own Asolo, U/A, Crispi HTG GTX, Lowa GTX HI, Lowa Renegade, Kennetrek Hardscrabble & Kennetrek Mountain Extremes. All do well & I could elk hunt in nearly any of them. For the more rugged or All Terrain boot my # 1 is the Kennetrek Mountain Extreme, it's the lightest/toughest boot of all 10" high+ & incredibly comfortable with or without heavy pack loads. Crispi is # 2. The 8" high boots I have are OK, but not suitable enough for me under the more extreme terrains especially with a load of meat on side-hills or lots of steep downhill with loaded pack! If you feel otherwise then you most likely haven't packed out too many quarters under trying conditions & distances. The support of the taller boots is unmatched during those pack-outs. Good luck, boot decisions can drive you nuts! (grin)
ElkNut/Paul
Scarpa Zanskar for me this year. Love the boots, fit is perfect for my narrower foot. Lots of miles on them from Idaho to Iowa including 3 heavy pack outs which they handled quite well. They leak like a screen door but that is my only complaint.
noguts - where are you hunting? Hitting the really steep stuff?
Hanwag Alaskan for me this year . Very pleased with them .
This was my second season with uninsulated Lowa Renegade’s. For where I hunt, these boots have been ideal.
Ok so I have packed Elk out every year for the past 17 years, and hunt in Idaho and it’s not extreme but it is Elk country. I have worn Irish setters, Danner,Meindl all of their styles, and Zamberlan. I have had the most problems with meindl probably because I have so many. Thanks everyone for the feedback!!
I agree on the Lowa sheephunters. They fit true to size and ate comfortable from day one and wear like iron. Support your feet very well!! Shawn
Meindl Perfect Hunters for me for the past 25 years or so. They last well and fit my feet! I usually have a new pair in the closet, a several year old pair I wear most of the time and a basically worn out pair around for hikes on the mountain above the house.
And the last pair I bought 1.5 years ago was still made in Germany and the fit, quality and construction still is the same as the first pair I had back in the 90’s.
Another vote for the Hanwag Alaska's. I put some hard miles on them packing my bull out solo this year and for me they fit better and are more comfortable than Lowa Tibets.
I think the only solid advice for boots is stick within the reputable boot makers and try them all on until you find the one that fits your foot best. They all make solid products but every foot is different and what I like you may hate.
Tibet’s for me also. Had Kennetrek before that. Both good boots but the Tibet’s fit my foot better! Hunt
Lowa Tibet GTX. Good right out of the box .
Note on customer service. Bought my first pair of Salomons last Spring. Broke them in over the summer. Wore them elk hunting but became squeaky to point I couldn't wear them. Loud as some cow calls! Couple weeks ago I called Salomon for a solution. They requested a couple pictures and in 24 hours said it was likely manufacturing defect and gave me full credit of $230. Didn't even require me to return the boots.
My vote is for the Meindle denali. I have ran them for the past two years. They have great ankle support for the steep stuff. They have never gotten wet inside. Even with walking in slushy snow for a week in idaho last year.
If you are hunting foothills I run the Danner pronghorn. Solid all around boot at a good price.
I used 2 different pairs for this years elk hunt. Lathrop & Sons mountain extremes, the ones that are partial synthetic and my older Meindl Denalis.
Full disclosure, i bought the L&S boots slightly used on Rokslide. They were in near perfect shape. However, walking in basically taller yard grass during a spring turkey hunt they leaked pretty bad. I then treated them with their recommended spray and it still didnt help. So i then used Obenufs heavily and that has worked much better but im still not certain the leaking has stopped. I will say L&S customer service has been very good. I had issues with heal rub and i sent the boots in for a reshaping and that fixed it 90%. I completely stop the rub with lukotape.
For the 2nd half of my hunt and for just about all of my whitetail hunting around home, i use the Denails. Ive had them for at least 4yrs and they have done me well. Fit was good from the beginning and i only use the lukotape on elk hunts as a preventative measure. They are starting to get beat up and might be starting to let some moisture in. I treat them twice a year with Obenufs but like most things, nothing lasts forever.
Now im torn on which boots to get next. Im looking hard at Crispi but also thinking about sticking with the Denalis. Decisions........
A Question for the guys using Hanwag Alaska's: How would you rate them in terms of being waterproof? I have worn a pair for the past few years and find them extremely comfortable, but have had real problems with getting wet feet when hunting in wet conditions.
Just spent eight weeks in the Himalayas,north india,nepal,and Bhutan sometimes trekking 25 kilometres a day Lowa Tibets worn daily,great pair of boots kept my feet warm and dry.
I wear Schnees Beartooth boots and absolutely love them. Lightweight, great ankle support and completely waterproof.
Lowa Sheephunter and Lowa Renegades. Bought the Sheephunters in 2008 and these are by far the best boot ever for rugged mountain, steel ups and downs, side billing all with a heavy pack. 3 sheep hunts, humorous caribou and moose, elk, deer and extended backpacking trips! Seriously impressed. The Renegades fit all other hiking/hunting needs. I just arrived in AZ with both pair getting ready to hunt some deer! The warranty and customer service are great. After a year with the Renegades the short toe cap started to peel so they sent me a new pair. After 10 years of mountain hunting I am having the Sheephunters resoaled for $95. The uppers and leathers are still great! Oh yeh and I wore out a pair of Lows GTX. Excellent boots.....although hard to cough up the initial cost but devided by the years of service totally worth it.
