RE: Rubber boots....
 

I completely agree with this....I have had mine for 2 seasons and still look brand new. They are really warm with 1200grams of thinsulate. My feet still get cold in them, but i think i just have bad ciculation cuz they get cold in any boot. If you are looking for a warm boot this is your best bet.

My dad owns a pair of Muck boots and loves them, but they are not very good for keeping your feet warm. I do like the fact that you can roll the boot down to tuck in your pants tho.

RE: Rubber boots....
 

I first bought the Muck boots, liked them ok but then bought the Alpha Burlies w/ 1000 gram thinsulate. I like them much better in weather down to about 30.The other morning was 16 with a north wind and my toes went completely numb.

RE: Rubber boots....
 

I liked My Scent Blocker Dream Season boots a lot this year, They are very comfortable and impressed me in all areas.
When the temps drop to below freezing I get out the Alpha Burly 1200's. Those along with a liner sock, Smart Wool outer socks, and a pair of toastie toes and I've never had my feet get cold.
It's like having them propped up by the Fireplace;)

Dan

RE: Rubber boots....
 

Mobow,

I'm kinda a nut.. I own 3 pairs of Burly's.. non-insulated, 800 gr. insulated, 1200 gr. insulated.

Honestly.. the 800 is good til about 32 degrees.. 27-28 with a good pair of socks. But even after 3 hours your toes will start to get cold sometimes.

The 1200 you can get down til about 23-24 degrees.. 19-20 with a good pair of socks. But even after 3 hours your toes will start to get cold sometimes.

But if you use a hand wrmer inside the boots you can really get into some cold temps. comfortably. And for longer times.

I hope this helps.. it's all about comfort in the tree. If you can stay in comfortably.. you can stay longer and hunt harder.

RE: Rubber boots....
 

MeanV, I thought about a pair of the Dream Season boot as well. I gave them serious thought, and would still like to hear from some others that used them this year. Thanks for the response.

DM, yes, that helps very much! Kinda sounds like the best "all around" would be the 800 gram, or 1000. I guess if things just get out of hand, I could always use the boot blankets...

Guys, thanks alot for the replies. I appreciate it very much. I'm pretty much done w/ this trial and error method.

RE: Rubber boots....
 

I was really impressed with the Dream Season boots. As light and comfortable as a pair of Tennis shoes, and my ground trail was never pegged. I did spray them down with Scent Shield's new Titanium spray before walking in each time. I think they have a winner. Maybe they will come out with a Cold weather boot with 1200 to 1500 grams of Thinsulate next year. That was the only reason I pulled the Lacrosse 1200's out. Cold weather!;)

Dan

RE: Rubber boots....
 

Maybe it's just me, but my feet sweat an awful lot in rubber boots. I've been wearing them for years, and no matter what brand or how much insulation they have stuffed in them my feet STILL get cold when I'm there for a few hours in sub-freezing temps. Or maybe I'm just a sissy, who knows?

Regardless, I love my Lacrosse AlphaBurly Sports (uninsulated) for the majority of my hunts in moderate temps. We're probably talking low 70's down into the 40's, possibly even the 30's if I'm not sitting for too long. Any hotter than that and my feet feel like they're in a sauna, which is extremly uncomfortable. I went so far last year as to completely take my boots off in my stand because my feet were so hot after a long walk in. That sucks.

When it gets cold, I switch over to a regular pair of leather/cordura hunting boots with my Scent-Lok socks for a liner, a pair of Merino wool socks over them, and then my boots. That usually keeps me pretty warm as is, but when it gets super cold I have a pair of Thermal Feet that I've been using that I LOVE. Basically they're a set of cordura "booties" that slip over your boots and have a compartment that holds a big handwarmer on the top of your foot to keep you warm. They're pretty slick and so far have worked great.

The problem I've had with putting hardwarmers IN my boots is that first of all, it's very uncomfortable to walk in. Feels like I'm walking on two lumps, which I don't like. Second, they slide around and end up in an even more uncomfortable spot after I've walked with them in for awhile, then I spend a bunch of time in my stand trying to move them around with my toes instead of watching for deer. Again - sucky. Last but not least, when I put them in my rubber boots they basically die out due to lack of fresh air to keep them active. So they only stay warm for a little while and then they're basically two cold rocks under my socks. No thanks, I'll pass on that.

I'm in the market for a new set of comfortable 1,000 - 1,2000 gram hunting boots for cold weather and will most likely end up with another set of Rockys. I loved my old Bear Claws and my Bear Claw II's, so that's the way I'm leaning.

When it gets REALLY cold, like down in the single digits during the late season, I'll bust out the LaCrosse Ice Kings. They weigh approximately 56 lbs each, but they're the warmest boots I've ever put on my feet, hands down. (Wow, that was a bad pun).

So there you have it, my opinion on boots. Take it for what it's worth!

If anyone is intersted in learning more about Thermal Feet, here's a link to their website. Pretty handy little things to have, and they're nice and small/lightweight to fit perfectly in your pack or pockets - http://www.thermalline.com

RE: Rubber boots....
 

If I could take the comfort of Muck boots and combine them with the soles on the LaCrosse I'd have the perfect rubber cold weather boots.

RE: Rubber boots....
 

Thanks for taking the time for that Justin. I run into the same problem with rubber boots, sweaty feet. I use a good pair of liner socks to keep my feet dry and that does wonders. They of course get to that "sauna" state because rubber doesn't breath, which ironically is a good thing. Boots that breath let out odor, not good. Which is why I no longer use cordura boots. I had a pair of Rocky bear claws a couple years ago, and I did love them...VERY comfortable to wear, and durable. I had them for 7 years I think.

So the odor thing is why I'm strictly rubber anymore. Looks like the alpha burly is the way to go, so I'll pick up a pair of probably 800 gram. I'll take a look at those Thermal Feet as well, as well as the boot blankets.

I don't know about ya'll, but when my feet get cold, I'm DONE. Headed home. Can't stand it. I also know part of the equation is keeping my torso warm, so I'll be purchasing a good insulated vest as well. I layer up pretty good now, but I'm looking for some more warmth w/out the bulk, especially in the arms. I had so much stuff on the other day, my biggest challenge was walking. I felt like a penguin waddling to and fro.

I'm also not a big fan of those charcoal warmers. Yeah, they're GREAT when they work, but half of them I get don't work, then of the half that DO work, well, they only work for a couple hours. I bet I only get 1 or 2 out of 10 that stay warm longer than 4 hours, which is way under the advertised duration.

Thanks for all the replies, and if anyone has anything else I'm all ears......Or, eyes, as it were..:eek:

RE: Rubber boots....
 

Justin/mo you’re in the same boat as me when it comes to rubber boots. I used to wear them but with the right set up there are other boots that work just as well as rubber.
I use the Rockyhttp://www.rockyboots.com/Products/details.aspx?productId=4666&lehighproductId=16 00FQ0009115&PageNo=6&subCatId=126&CatI d=124&RecsPerPage=8 BearClaw hunting boots. They have rubber bottoms, cloth and just enough leather to strengthen the eyelets. I keep them in big Rubbermaid containers with earth sent wafers all year long. I only put them on by the truck out in the field to hunt as soon as I’m done I take them off at the truck and put them back in the container. I have nothad a scent problem because of my boots and I have used this setup for about 6 years.
I think the problem with none rubber boots are most use way to much leather, not stored properly, ect. One other benefit with the way I do it is your boots last about 12 years also.