Best rubber boots for tundra hiking
Equipment
Contributors to this thread:
My rubber boots I got off of Camofire a couple years ago finally bit the dust.
I need a new pair and I want the best. I wear them to and from work every day in AK because of the snow/slush/rain and will also use them for duck/goose hunting on the tundra and various other tundra hunts.
So I need something that's absolutely waterproof and will retain it's waterproofing for a long time and through a lot of use, but also boots that are as comfortable as possible for walking on tundra.
I don't care about the cost; I want the best.
Thanks
I found that LaCrose Burley were up to the task on my last Caribou hunt in the Artic.
I wear Mucks, a lot. I love them. Been using the same pair since 2015 and I have no idea how they are still going strong. I keep threatening to buy another pair when I get a good whiff of these, but once I put them on it goes away and so does my ambition to spend more money.
https://www.muckbootcompany.com/collections/men-style-tall-boots/products/mens-muckmaster-hi-boots?variant=12625578098782
My only experience with warm, waterproof and comfortable rubber boot's have been with Mucks.
Do the rubber boots have enough support for long hikes on the tundra (ie caribou hunting)?
Nick, I see a lot of people wearing those up here. How comfortable are they for long walks?
I've worn Mucks for nearly every caribou hunt I've done up here, worn them days on end hiking all over. I've worn them for days on Kodiak as well, for deer and bear. Moose, no problem either. Some people don't like them, but with a nice insole they sure are comfortable, for me. And being 100% waterproof certainly has it's advantages over your typical leather hiking boot and gaiters. I had some foot issues early last fall while caribou and grizzly hunting, to the point I could barely walk without severe pain. I can't say it was because of the rubber boots, but I sure would have loved a more solid footing boot at that time. The pain went away as soon as I switched out boots and we hiked up a pretty gnarly mountain to check on a bear. I think I may have rolled my foot on some tundra possibly, not sure. Overall, in most cases they work for me, but your method may vary.
I will agree that the mucks are comfortable but iv destroyed every neoprene boot iv bought in short order. red cedar stobs. briars. even had a deer horn get the back of one dragging a buck. I like the black rubber lacrosse the watermen where there comfortable enough & super tough. if you do consider a pair get 1 size smaller than usual as there oversized for me
I personally like Lacrosse Alphaburly's. Two drawbacks to the Muck's are durability (they get chewed up easily if you are going through pokey stuff which may not be an issue on the tundra) and they are very sloppy in the heel for me. I have a narrow foot though and find that the Lacrosse grabs my foot a little better. This may not be an issue for you in the Muck.
La Crosse Areo boots work well, put a proper fitting insole in and you should be good to go on the tundra. Planter fasciitis can ruin your hunt, dealt with it during hunting time and the last thing you want to walk on uneven terrain, no joke. May want to spend some money on custom insoles and save on the pain.
I'm going to say it depends on your foot. Although I love my Alphaburlys for sitting in a treestand, they don't fit my ankles real well. It would've been hell walking in them for days on the tundra caribou hunting (compared to a short walk to/from the treestand), so I ended up buying a pair of Irish Setters. They held on to my foot/ankle much better and added more support to the ankle area. I had no issues putting the miles on them on the tundra and don't regret the purchase.
I like Muck Arctic Pros sized large enough to wear at least two pair of wool socks in. I wore them on two back-to-back caribou hunts in the NWT and N BC last fall due to several inches of melting snow, muskeg, etc. Packed out parts of 3 different caribou wearing them, some in fairly steep terrain with no foot issues. I bought these back in 2015 and wear them around S BC in the winter as well. One Shoe Glue patch in a neoprene upper during that time...about what I'd have expected from a LaCrosse Burly rubber boot during the same use. The bottom 6" of the Arctic Pro are fairly stiff making them worthy on steep hills and in the muskeg.
I wore Alphaburlys on Kodiak in steep country. I've worn them for several snowy elk hunts in the mountains. Not ideal but they certainly do the job. For whatever reason my Mucks rub the inside "ball" of my ankle and create sores after a 5+ mile day with any significant elevation change.
I have tried them all, high dollar to cabelas basics and come to treat them as a disposable with a about a two year life. If they don't fall apart or rip on something then they will begin to crack at a flexpoint. So instead of buying a $160+ pair with all the bells and whistles I just get something decent on sale. I would love a rubber boot that had better ortho support built i, after several mile hikes my feet ache. I use mine year round but not everyday.
Anyone try Dan's boots out of Ohio?
https://danshuntinggear.com/boots-frogger.html
LaCrosse Alpha Burleys are the most durable and comfortable I've ever owned.
I got something different to try this fall. Watch any show where there are people working outdoors in AK and you will notice that they all have these brown rubber boots. Finally figured out that they are Xtratuf boots. I bought a pair and have been wearing them around home and seem to be comfortable and relatively quiet. They are not neoprene and they are not insulated (at least the ones I got). You can insulate with socks or liners and that is what I prefer to do. They have been fine so far. Hope they treat me well this fall chasing moose.
Have no tried the LaCrosses but hear good things. I just haven’t felt the need to upgrade from my mucks. Bought a new pair this year, had about 7 years on the last pair for farm chores and hunting. Slightly stiff with some structure. I don’t believe they are as light as some of the other higher priced boots, although they are definitely thicker
I have used Lacrosse Burly 800g boots for a few years, they are ok for flatland, a bitch to remove and my feet freeze in two hours on stand in Nov-Dec deer season in Ma-Vt. I have replaced them with Mucks Artic boots and am very happy with them. I get about 1/2 day before my feet get cold and are comfortable to walk in.
"I got something different to try this fall. Watch any show where there are people working outdoors in AK and you will notice that they all have these brown rubber boots. Finally figured out that they are Xtratuf boots."
Those things are terrible and most replace them throughout the year. No ankle support what so ever, tight as heck around the calfs (if you have them). I tried them when I moved up here and found out very quickly they are not for me. Good luck using them on a moose hunt though, they may be fine for you.
LOL Nick. Xtratuffs began as a disposable fish cannery boot but they have somehow become a cult status thing. I agree: not for me.
Well, I guess you aren't an Alaskan Nick:) Lol! Everyone wears them up there it seems....feel like an outcast running around in Mucks:)
Well, damn it! Where were you guys before I bought them!
Some people love them Shiras, you might too! They used to be American made and comm fisherman swore by them... then they went to China and I'd assume like everything else they went down hill.
SaddleReaper's Link
Ike,
If you're considering mucks, consider this, the original founder/ designer of muck has started a new boot company called Dryshod, making very similar but better boots.
The most attractive difference to me is that by design they provide better lateral and torsional stability, so that mean less fatigue from walking uneven terrain for extended periods.
See the link
I'm with Nick. I swear by Mucks and have had three pairs (still have them, one is a year old only). The two old pairs I have a re 20 and 30 years old, and althought hey are cracked, they still do not leak, and they are still comfortable. I have used them in every type of terrain, from the Rockies, in the cascades, in NY swamps, everywhere, and my feet have never been cold, never got blisters, never uncomfortable in them. I wore them in AK on a caribou hunt up into the Lake Clarke area and never got wet. I wear them on the coldest of days, well below zero and never get cold. And they are not even the insulated ones. get those - that's my recommendation. They last forever. I have put in many 20 plus mile days on the Toutle river and into the surrounding mountains and never got sore or wet. Great traction in mud and snow. How's that for a sales pitch?
Whoops, never heard of Dryshod, and didn't see that before I posted.
The brownish stuff is the glue I patched the Alpha Burleys with.
The brownish stuff is the glue I patched the Alpha Burleys with.
More cracks and areas patched with glue
More cracks and areas patched with glue
Muck boots with patched neoprene uppers, but still going strong.
Muck boots with patched neoprene uppers, but still going strong.
Just goes to show, different strokes for different folks.
I have an older pair of Lacrosse Alpha Burley side zips. I wore them for whitetail hunting for a couple years and they rubbed my ankles raw at the flex point when I had long walks to my stand. They also cracked at all of the flex points and I patched them with Marine Goop.
Then I bought some Muck Boots and now have two pair. For me, the Mucks are much more comfortable and much lighter. They have never rubbed my ankles or caused any discomfort. My first pair of Mucks have been used for at least 10 years and they're still going strong. There are some rips in the neoprene that I also patched with Marine Goop and P6000 but they have never leaked.
Thanks SaddleReaper, I'll have to check out the Dryshod's
I’ve only owned a couple pairs of Lacrosse boots with no complaints. From my research and talking to friends etc it seems that in GENERAL, the mucks are a shade comfier which makes sense due to the all neoprene upper, but the Lacrosse are a little more durable, again due to the neoprene upper.
For my last pair i got the Lacrosse Aerohead, a blend of the two worlds.