What kind of boots should I get?
 

I am reviewing my last season and thinking of improvements for the next. One problem: coldness. I am not a " thick" guy and the cold gets through me easily. I froze on the stand last year. When moving around I was OK, but sitting still was a killer. Especially my feet.

So, new boots this year. Regular hiking boots aren' t cutting it.

Here are the parameters I have to work with:
1) I am 6' 2" , 185 lbs. Not stringy, but not huge either.
2) I usually hunt public land, so a 1-2 mile hike in up 800-1000 feet of altitude it not unheard of.
3) It is often around freezing, sometimes as cold as 15 degrees when hunting, espcially early and late.
4) I will prob. be carrying a 25 lb stand in with me. Plus the usual water, snacks, rifle, cleaning gear, etc.
5) I have a budget of under $100, but cheaper is better, I have a kid on the way.

The question really comes down to:
1) Mickey Mouse boots, like these:
http://www.sportsmansguide.com/index...Fad_id%3D69157

OR
2) More general boots like these:
http://www.sierratradingpost.com/pro...?base_no=61532
with more insulation:
http://www.sportsmansguide.com/index...Fad_id%3D72219

Those Mickey boots are heavy! If it was not for the hike in, then I would consider them. Can you really hike a mile up a hill in them or would it turn into the Bataan death march?

Please let me know your experiences and pros/cons.

Chubber

RE: What kind of boots should I get?
 

I use a pair of Herman Survivors 1000gr insul. I bought at wally world for $60-70.They are nice and comfortable and walk good.I also use La Crosse in non-insulated and 800 and 1200gr insul.They last good and keep my feet warm where it can get pretty cold during deer season.Boot blankets can also add warmth to your feet for extended periods on stand in the cold.Tried Cabelas and Red Head insulated rubber boots but both type failed in our conditions up here so I stick with La Crosse now.

woods

RE: What kind of boots should I get?
 

Good advice from woodseye! I used to be a " Rocky" fan, but made the switch to LaCrosse a few years ago and haven' t regretted it one bit! I use the Burly 1200 for those cool days down to 32 degrees, and from 20 degrees to freezing I use the LaCrosse Buckmasters with 1200 grams of insulation. And if it' s going to be below 20 degrees, I carry the boot blankets along for the stand hunting.

RE: What kind of boots should I get?
 

Well footwear IMO is not a place to skimp, when hunting. Clothing you can get away with layers. I have had Rocky, Danner, Browning, Sorels, Columbia & last fall bought some Irish Setters. The Irish Setters Stalkers (i believe)should be close to your budget. they are very light, great tread, 800 Grams thinsulate and Goretex bootie. Where I hunt it is always below freezing and my feet were toasty warm all hunting and even ice fishing with these boots. I also wear a pair of polypropelene sock liners and good pair of wooly' s when she cold.

RE: What kind of boots should I get?
 

cabellas and bass pro shops sell a kind of a boot blanket that uses velcro closures. they go over your boots. I put mine on after I get up in my tree stand. BEFORE your feet start getting cold. They work great and only cost about 30 dollars. a great investment . and they fit in your pack or in back of your coat.

RE: What kind of boots should I get?
 

Good advice from everyone so far. I had not thought of the boot blankets. I did not use a treestand or anything like that last year, so I never thought of something like that. I might give that a try.

Does anyone have experience with the Mickey boots?

RE: What kind of boots should I get?
 

i bought a pair of 1000 gr thinsulate rubber boots from dick' s down in fredericksburg. not sure of the brand but only paid $60 for them. i bought a couple pair of polypro liners and this helps as well. my feet were even sweating when it never got above freezing this december in virginia.

RE: What kind of boots should I get?
 

over the years i have tried just about every boot there is,all of them failed misserably for keeping my feet warm on stand becouse my feet swet somthing fearse.the mickey boots you refered to will keep your feet real warm if you put them on after your in the stand.this means you will have to carry those and wear somthing lighter while walking in.those boots are big and heavy to carry ontop of all your other gear,not an option in my book.the boot blanket is about the cheapest way of going about it.wear a pair of light weight 800 + gram thinsulate-gortex boots(these work great for walking)with a good pair of wool blend socks(no cotton).after your on stand(be it in a tree or on the ground)put the boot blankets on and your feet will stay warmer for many more hours then they would with out them.

RE: What kind of boots should I get?
 

i think you should check out the schnee hunters

RE: What kind of boots should I get?
 

i used these last season found them pretty good i got them after my $160 rocky' s fell apart in their second season


http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/te...ype=index&rid=

RE: What kind of boots should I get?
 

i' ve never found a boot that my feet would' nt get cold in until this year. i did' nt change boots but i did change socks. i found out this year that not wearing cotton socks was as important as the type boot. most of the time i wear lacrosse rubber boots, la grange down to the upper 30' s then burlys with 800 grams of thinsulate. the grange is a good walking boot, but the burley is not. i would' nt want to walk over a 1/2 mile at a time on flat ground with the burley

RE: What kind of boots should I get?
 

You might want to check out Cablea' s or Bass Pro. Each have some really good boots for reasonable prices. I would say get at least 800 or 1000 grams of thinsulate. I have LaCross 800 thinsulate and I love them. I also agree with some of the other posts. When buying footwear, your going to want to put in some money. Your feet will thank you for it later.

RE: What kind of boots should I get?
 

IM yet to find a real good boot for the real cold days down well below freezing, but this year im going to try a few differnt brands of boots ive never tried yet.

RE: What kind of boots should I get?
 

Finally tried rubber boots last year. Love them!! I wear merano wool socks with them and my feet were plenty warm.

RE: What kind of boots should I get?
 

Hey everyone, thanks for the great comments. I am leaning to the Mickey boots right now. If they are just too darn heavy, I might go ahead and get something lighter with Thinsulate. I found a pair of very lightly used Mickey boots at $30 in black, so I will be giving those a try.

I usually wear a polypro sock liner, and 1 or 2 pairs of socks over them. When it is really cold I wear a thinner wool sock and then a thicker wool and synthetic oversock. My boots are too tight for much walking if I have all that on. In fact, the decreased circulation may be one of the problems.

Thanks for the help. Keep the comments coming.

RE: What kind of boots should I get?
 

I think that rocky boots are the best thats the only kind i wear when hunting and working and my feet never get cold.

RE: What kind of boots should I get?
 

I agree with coyoteseeker I have never found a boot that keeps my feet warm after they have started to sweat. Like he said carry them in to your stand with you before you put them on. I use a scent-lock bag to put them in once I take them off. To avoid killing everything around. [ JUST KIDDING ] but this does keep the sweat scent down. But like said before, boots are no place to skimp on the quality. As I believe they can make a good hunt go bad.:)

RE: What kind of boots should I get?
 

Your gonna regret those Mickey boots! When I was stationed in Alaska, we wore them out in the field when temps dropped to -25. They are great in those conditions, but for hunting they S@CK!!!! Way to heavy!!! A boot with 1000 grams of thinsulate and a GOOD pair of socks is the key. I wear LaCrosse Burly' s with a nylon liner sock and Patagonia mid-weight or expedition-weight Capilene socks. Trust me, I lived and hunted in Alaska for 4 years and this combo is the BEST!!!

RE: What kind of boots should I get?
 

I bought a pair of lacrosse burleys 1200gr thinsulate last fall for a moose hunt . After wearing them for a week in canada i really think they are the best hunting boot i ever had.I retired all my other boots.

RE: What kind of boots should I get?
 

ok my two cents
i work up on the north slope for 3 years sometimes at @ 43 below! the ONLY
bots that worked were the WHITE mickeys
another two cents- went ice fishing i wa state and ptocede to go in up to my
knees it was about 28 degrees and i was ok so my feet were soaked into the said boots but was abvle to stay out for the rest of the day fishin with no problems
what boots do i wair on stand? same said boots now@18 years old!
its your feet baby!