I bought a pair of rubber boots with 1200 gram of insulation and used them with a pair of smart wool socks while hunting yesterday.
I walked about 1 mile into state land and got situated by a swamp. By the end of shooting light I could barely feel my feet! I have a pair of pac boots with 1200 grams of insulation and my feet NEVER get cold. Why did my feet get so cold? Is that just the way rubber boots are? Or do I need a different pair with 1600 or 2000 grams of insulation for winter hunting boots?
The sweating is a big issue with rubber boots. Take a dry pair of socks along. After a big hike in, change socks before you get in your tree. Also, I've found that rubber boots, (come to think almost any pair of boots) will keep your feet about 10 deg. warmer if you put a felt insole in the bottom. A lot of cold comes up through the hard sole and compressed socksfrom the ground. I've warn regular La Crosse burly's down to about 19 deg. F forhours in comfort with the right setup.
Tried many different things this year to solve that problem. Changing the socks is a good idea. Once I tried just wearing some liners and that worked well. Another time I wore some socks made out of alpacha wool/no liners. They worked well. Just wool socks and smart wool didn't work too well.
i have these Columbia breathable hunting socks that i wear with my 1200 gram rubber boots and my feet stay warm as hell, even when hiking. they werent that expensive either.
I have the same problem with my Alpha Burlys... I've tried the wicking socks with the smart wool. There just no way around it in cold weather unless you change your socks when you get on stand! But lets be honest, thats a huge problem when your hunting in 10 degree weather! Well for me it is! I'm looking into a new pair of COLD weather boots for late season and next year! Cabelas Have a nice looking boot, just not scent proof!
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I bought a pair of rubber boots with 1200 gram of insulation and used them with a pair of smart wool socks while hunting yesterday.
I walked about 1 mile into state land and got situated by a swamp. By the end of shooting light I could barely feel my feet! I have a pair of pac boots with 1200 grams of insulation and my feet NEVER get cold. Why did my feet get so cold? Is that just the way rubber boots are? Or do I need a different pair with 1600 or 2000 grams of insulation for winter hunting boots?
The rubber knee high boots, even if insulated,aren't the ones to wear for "stand" hunting!! The "pak boots" like you mentioned,are the ones to use for that. The rubber knee highboots are great to wear "if" you'll be contantly moving around, such as still hunting or on a drive.
I don't really like rubber boots in cold weather, because of the sweating issue. If your able to change socks, then it's good to go. But I prefer a good boot over the rubber boots in any condition. The only problem I could think of, is if you were in a stand, changing your socks, and you drop your boot![8D]
Location: On an Island in the west coast of New England
Posts: 13,132
RE: Winter Hunting & Rubber Boots?
When I deer hunt all I use are LaCrosse Alpha Burlys in 800 gram thinsulite and my feet never get cold. I don't have any problem with sweating in the boots. I wear one pair of thin cotton white socks and a pair of light weight wool socks. I get the boots 1/2 size larger than my shoe. I use 1200 gram Alpha Burlys all winter ice fishing and barely ever feel the cold on my feet and that is while sitting on a pail catching pan fish all day. I live in Northern Vermont so we do getcold weatherhere.
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Too busy with fishing to spend much time here.
Winter Hunting & Rubber Boots?
thats what im tryin to say...
