Boots for Elk Hunting?

[AggieHunter]

Insulation varies on personal preference. I have a pair of 400g Danner boots I love but are definitely a little warm for archery seasons. My feet do get cold in late season elk hunts during long sits but warm right up when I start hiking.

 

[hank4elk]

Never needed that much insulation myself.
Have Kenetrek Grizzy pacs. I am sending in for D-ring repair & reconditioning. 16 yrs on them.
Love my Lowas, GTX & Caminos I wear everyday now.

 

[44hunter45]

You didn't say where and when you were going, so it's hard to give an opinion.
I've gone back to Idaho born everything. That means EXo packs, Hoffman boots, and Kryptek kit. That's the plan anyway. It seems like all the brands product is made off-shore.
Here in N. Idaho I rarely need a technical boot. I prefer the Hoffmann 14" Pac boot almost all the time except high summer. Save the caulks for logging. get the bob soles for hunting.

X 2 on break in. Wear them in before your opener or you will be miserable with sore feet your whole trip.

 

[rsem]

Give Kenetrek Men's Mountain Extreme 400 a try. Hope you will love it!

 

[Mainewoods]

Hoffman Explorer’s are a great boot and in the higher end class like Kenetrek for sure.

 

[runningmt]

I think boots; like rifle brands, trucks, optics, etc, are all more or less the same when you shop at a certain price point. It comes down to which make tickles your inner pickle.

Personally, I'm a Lowa guy and run four different sets of Lowas for different applications. For late fall/early winter, I run Lowa Tibet GTX's, awesome boots.

I’m a big fan of the Lowa’s as well, I just retired a pair of Tibet NI they served me for 13 years.

 

[Flatlander3]

I am going elk hunting later this year out west, and I need some good boots for walking that are comfortable and waterproof. Also, they probably need to be 700 to 1,000 thinsulate. Thanks for all the info!

Just remember, the more insulation, the warmer, thus more likely to have sweaty feet walking around. It may be actually warmer to go with less thinsulate or even un insulated. It's weird to think, but my feet are warmer walking around with unisulated boots. Now this isn't sitting around in a treestand advice.

 

[Huntin' Fool]

My Meindl comfort fit hunters got here yesterday. Had tried to order them months ago - out of stock. Went for a lite 2 mile hunt yesterday evening. The are nice... Took this pic a few years ago for the fun of it. The right pairs are from my last season of cruising timber in '98

 

[diamond hitch]

Fowl Hunter --And you complained about your wife's shoe collection! My collection is similar just throw in some Whites loggers and a few pairs of caulked pacs.

 

[Browning55]

it’s a matter of wearing them and finding what you like. It almost sucks too bc I’ve been through so many. For me cripis in a wide size fit me the best and for an insulated boot a schnees granite or Kenetrek. One thing I will advocate is sheep Feet! I’m obsessed with mine.

but again don’t be brand loyal and let your feet tell you. I wanted to like SCARPA or Hanwag badly they just didn’t do well for my feet. Lots of good options out there

 

[NativeID 926]

Boots are like a pickup. It’s all about personal preference. I’ve gone through upteen amounts of boots before I settled on a pair I loved. I finally found the Scarpa Fuegos fit my feet the best. They’re stiff sole boots which take some getting used to but are great for steep mountain terrain.

 

[RoughCountry]

I like the Lowa Tibet GTX along with some tape on my feet and I’m good .

 

[LousyResident]

Man, I hate to think about this because boots can be so expensive but I'm probably in need of a new pair next year. My tall, heavy snake boots that I use in Florida just wear me out over a week hiking in the mountains lol.

 

[shannerdrake]

To echo what everyone has said:

• 1000 is probably too much. I hunted in single digits and the teens in Montana with lots of snow with uninsulated boots and never once had cold feet. But we were mobile hunting. I'd only want 1000 if I was sitting a treestand in December. Dry feet matter more. I like swapping socks midday.
• Fit matters more than brand - I've tried a lot of boots. I can't get a pair of Lowas to fit me right for the life of me. No matter what, I get heel slip. I can't get Keens to fit, I'm between a 13 and 14 and they don't do half sizes that big. Danners I need a wide. Merrells I need a standard. You get the point. My best fit currently are Merrell MOABs. Yes, these are not mountain boots, but they work nice for early season dry country hunts. I also called Merrell and asked for a list of all of their boots that share a common footbed with the MOABs. They have a couple leather boots that are more rugged than the MOABs so I've been using those the last two seasons. There are guys on here that will chastise me for using Merrells because they are "cheap" and "junk." Maybe, but I routinely pick them up for under $100 (watch REI sales and I always have coupons/member discounts), they last me a long time. I'd also add that my one experience with $400 Lowa boots resulted in a leak, wet feet, and awful blister, and the band came loose over the toe. I had to finish the last four days with my "cheap and junky" Merrells. I know that all things being equal $400 boots are better than $100.
• Don't underestimate break-in time. Premium boots take miles to break in.
• Asking for boot recommendations are a lot like asking guys about trucks, women, guns, and best calibers
• If you aren't backcountry hunting, the need for an ultra premium boot is probably overstated. When I am day hunting, I actually take two pairs and swap them each day so they have time to dry out.
• REI has a great return policy. Go there and get properly measured and then hike in the pair you buy. If they don't work, REI will take them back, no questions.

 

[LousyResident]

Does anyone have any opinions on those rollers in the lower lace area on the Schnees? Seems like they could either be really useful or a pain in the butt to actually get tight. Seems like I have a problem getting boot tight, and keeping it tight, over the arch of my foot.

 

[TheJason]

Does anyone have any opinions on those rollers in the lower lace area on the Schnees? Seems like they could either be really useful or a pain in the butt to actually get tight. Seems like I have a problem getting boot tight, and keeping it tight, over the arch of my foot.

I like roller eyelets. Look up different lacing techniques for what you’re trying to accomplish. That said, if your boots don’t stay tight enough they maybe don’t fit right.

 

[MTLabrador]

My Schnee’s are very easy to tighten consistently.

 

[brymoore]

Telling someone what boot to buy is like giving him advice on what woman to marry - what works for you might not work for him.

If you have the money, look at the European manufacturers - they’re building excellent boots. Lowa, Meindl, Crispi, Zamberlans, etc. Find a boot that fits your needs. If you have trouble with boots fitting, buy and try on for fit.

We elk hunt a lot in my family. We wear uninsulated Lowa, Crispi and Zamberlans. All of us love our companies but the difference in boots is really minor.

 

[Bailer]

Does anyone have any opinions on those rollers in the lower lace area on the Schnees? Seems like they could either be really useful or a pain in the butt to actually get tight. Seems like I have a problem getting boot tight, and keeping it tight, over the arch of my foot.

The locking eyelet above the rollers is what makes them work so well.

 

[specneeds]

I disagree with the majority on insulation- 800 is just right for me - confirmed in several brands. I hate cold feet and we hunt in November with snow Above 8,000 feet almost every day. Too hot is better than too cold for me.

The Meindl lightweight hunters are my favorites have 2 pairs so they get a rest every other day to dry out from snow & sweat. Bring 200’s leather from bass pro for warmer weather but seldom wear them.