Hunting Boots: Lightweight Possible?

[LandDiver]

So I spent this late season archery hunt in a pair of Cabela's 800g Insulated Iron Ridge hunting boots. I "broke" these boots in well before the season started, but I think the design of them showed it's ugliness while gaining elevation. On flat to semi flat walking the boots are fine, but once I start gaining hard elevation my heals rubs hard against the boot. I am wearing 3 layers of socks. Liner sock, a thin merino wool sock, and heavy duty cold merino sock. With the amount I spent on bandaids to prevent blisters I could have gotten a nicer shoe. I tired that mole skin, but that just rubbed off and I got blisters. The special blister bandaid, along with some fabric bandaids, and then taped over with some Transpore tape from 3M would last me the whole day out.

But with a stated weight of 3.9lbs (don't know what size that is for) for the pair, I figured perhaps the more exspensive boots come in lighter, and are more comfortable. I wear a size 11.5-12 EE shoe/boot. Looking at Kenetrek's and Crispi boots, the weight per boot (non insulated) is the same even more! Add to that it's 3x-4x's the price of the Cabela boot I just don't know if that's worth it. I liked the 10" height of the boot, felt great on steep descents. Even though it stated it was waterproof, and I put many generous coats of waterproofing rub and sprays on it, it wasn't. Crossed a small creek and regretted that almost instantly.

I've been looking at UA's Infil Ops Gortex, because of some of the reviews I've gotten from people I look up to. Problem is, is that they don't make them or are out of stock. I don't think they are going to make anymore. So I'm looking again for next year.

What do you guys wear that is light weight and waterproof? Breaths well, and has a nice flexible but sturdy sole if possible. Looking for an early season boot for September.

Thanks.

 

[Deleted member 28227]

First off I don't' think you can go wrong with Schnee's boots, Kenetrek, Crispi, or Lowa I would try them all on and see what fits you the best. I have narrow feet so I use uninsulated Schnee's. I used these boots with light socks in september during 85 degree Antelope hunts and heavy socks in -14 Elk hunts.

Second holy socks batman!!! You should never have to wear more than one pair of socks in a well fitting boot. Wearing more than one pair is actually what often causes blisters as the socks rubbing together and cause friction->heat->blister. When I fit a boot the number one thing I look for is that the heel is locked down, also important to make sure the laces are tied tight enough to lock you down.

Third I can't speak to your Cabela's but as long as you are wearing a pair of gaiters (so water doesn't come in over the top) with your well oiled boots you should be able to stand in a stream for minutes without getting wet. I have crossed knee deep creeks with my Schnee's with gaiters and exited with damp pants and 100% dry socks.

 

[LandDiver]

First off I don't' think you can go wrong with Schnee's boots, Kenetrek, Crispi, or Lowa I would try them all on and see what fits you the best. I have narrow feet so I use uninsulated Schnee's. I used these boots with light socks in september during 85 degree Antelope hunts and heavy socks in -14 Elk hunts.

Second holy socks batman!!! You should never have to wear more than one pair of socks in a well fitting boot. Wearing more than one pair is actually what often causes blisters as the socks rubbing together and cause friction->heat->blister. When I fit a boot the number one thing I look for is that the heel is locked down, also important to make sure the laces are tied tight enough to lock you down.

Third I can't speak to your Cabela's but as long as you are wearing a pair of gaiters (so water doesn't come in over the top) with your well oiled boots you should be able to stand in a stream for minutes without getting wet. I have crossed knee deep creeks with my Schnee's with gaiters and exited with damp pants and 100% dry socks.

I will look those boots up tonight. The UA boots I was interested in are just over a pound a side and waterproof as well. That's what made me look into weights of hunting boots. I threw on the socks because I was in 8" of snow, and didn't want to be caught with cold feet. But I never thought of it that way. Thanks. Shoe is laced as tight as I can get them without being uncomfortably tight. Shoe fits as it should, just hate the heel part of it. I really hate it when I start climbing, and why I want to explore other boots since my season has ended. I do wear gaiters everytime I'm out, I like what they do all around.

 

[MTGomer]

I have schnees absarokas and like them. Really have to keep them greased though and they seem to soak it up, otherwise I'm not so sure the eVent is that great. They will leak if not heavily greased and work in extended wet weather.

I think I'm going to go synthetic and get some La Sportiva Trango Cubes. If you can get past wearing rainbows on your feet, I've heard great things.

 

[MinnesotaHunter]

I have had great luck with Salomon Quest 4d gtx. They have held up well over 4 years of use.

 

[Deleted member 28227]

Yeah the sock thing definitely is counter intuitive. I coaching freestyle skiing for years and inevitably on a really cold day there would always be a kid with two pairs of socks on that had frozen feet. I have been told that the double socks cuts of blood circulation which is why your feet get cold. Definitely a bummer when a boot feels great but your heel slides and blisters my wife had to ditch her scarpa's for that exact reason.

 

[Pair of jacks]

My local mountaineering shop had lowa Tibet's on clearance for 180$ from 350$ I think. Half size to big or I would have snagged them.
I have some Solomon Xa pros goretex and they are plenty light, only gripe is the lace system. But a lot of options are out there. Personally I would steer clear of under armour shoes as well as cabelas. No offense but others have been in the business of shoe making for a lot longer.

 

[Dan O]

I really like my Kenetrex Mtn Extremes uninsulated. I only wear 1 pair of socks. They may weigh a little more than what your looking for but in the long run I think they will make you happy. Light weight is not the most important thing. Comfort and longevity is important to consider. Try on various boots and pick the most comfortable and then bite the bullet.

 

[grizzly_]

Take a look at the Kenetrek Bridger Ridge. They are a lighter-weight boot that I love for early season.

When its colder I wear Lowa Tibet Insulated that took almost no time to break-in and will likely last me many years. I wear SmartWool liners and KUIU socks and have never had a blister but I think it has more to do with getting the right boot for your foot than a sock combination.

 

[LandDiver]

My local mountaineering shop had lowa Tibet's on clearance for 180$ from 350$ I think. Half size to big or I would have snagged them.
I have some Solomon Xa pros goretex and they are plenty light, only gripe is the lace system. But a lot of options are out there. Personally I would steer clear of under armour shoes as well as cabelas. No offense but others have been in the business of shoe making for a lot longer.

I just stumbled onto Lowa boots while doing some research. I was actually going to come on and ask about them ha ha! I'm liking the Lowa Tibet GTX Hi's. I got all excited because on their home page it listed their the weight in grams, so after doing some math they came out to a little over 2lbs! Then I read the description on another site and that weight was per boot lol! No offense taken. It was a boot that was cheap, on sale, and did keep my feet warm. After reading some more it does seem that UA seems to be a hit or miss type of deal when it comes to performance and quality. It's looking like a little heavier boot is the only option when it comes to good quality boots. Thank you.

I really like my Kenetrex Mtn Extremes uninsulated. I only wear 1 pair of socks. They may weigh a little more than what your looking for but in the long run I think they will make you happy. Light weight is not the most important thing. Comfort and longevity is important to consider. Try on various boots and pick the most comfortable and then bite the bullet.

I will read up on them now. There has to be a mountaineering shop, or a place that carries all these boots in the big city about an hour form me. I don't know if Cabela's would have all these boots we are listing up, but I'll check the site real quick. I highly doubt there is a dedicated shop like that here where I live ha ha. It is looking like what you said. Sacrifice weight for comfort, and with what they cost longevity is a must for sure. Thank you.

Take a look at the Kenetrek Bridger Ridge. They are a lighter-weight boot that I love for early season.

When its colder I wear Lowa Tibet Insulated that took almost no time to break-in and will likely last me many years. I wear SmartWool liners and KUIU socks and have never had a blister but I think it has more to do with getting the right boot for your foot than a sock combination.

I will look at these as well. It's good you mention the same boot I was looking at has an insulated version as well. I tend to stick with the same brand on things. I bought most of my hunting clothes used off eBay, and it's all KUIU in Vias. I saw their sock, but wondered to myself if a sock was really worth that much. I'll have to see if I can find more reviews on them to. Thank you!

Thanks everyone for the replies. Really helps me widen my search and gives me more to read up on. Appreciate your time greatly. Thanks.

 

[WapitiBob]

My last 3 pair of boots, water tested at less than 50 miles. I wouldn't count on waterproof.

Lowa Rengade



Salomon Quest 4D



Lowa Cevedale Pro

 

[Hunting Wife]

I've had great luck with Meindls. The Cabelas version went a little cheap on manufacturing, but you can still find the original stuff at other boot dealers.

That said, I've learned that if I really cinch the two lowest hitches of the laces down tight (the ones right at the ankle/foot joint) I will get heel blisters bad on the inclines. If I back off how tight I pull those two, and just snug up the hitches higher up the ankle, no such problem. Not sure if that would be true for others, but it works for me.

Good luck. Finding boots to fit well can be a pain.

 

[RobG]

My last 3 pair of boots, water tested at less than 50 miles. I wouldn't count on waterproof.

Are you filling them with water and seeing where they leak?

I have to apply waterproofing to my Lowas every 50 miles or so if the trail is dirty. I forgot to last weekend and paid the price.

 

[Flatland Crusoe]

A boot brand that doesn't get a lot of attention in the US from hunters is Salewa. I've been using them for a season now and they are about as good of a lightweight to stable boot platform as exists. This set I'm using is about 1.3 lbs and goretex that so far has been quite good.

http://www.salewa.us/en/rapace-gtx-men.html?color=9432

 

[WapitiBob]

Are you filling them with water and seeing where they leak?

I have to apply waterproofing to my Lowas every 50 miles or so if the trail is dirty. I forgot to last weekend and paid the price.

Yes, but I have wet socks to tell me they've leaked before I dbl check them. My liner socks show water but not the moisture from sweat. One of those odds things you see after years of leaky boots.
The problem I have had with applying boot grease is the nylon mesh. The water comes in thru that, soaks the liner till it gets to the toe box hinge, and then goes thru the torn gore-tex liner in that area. I haven't had that liner last more than 50 miles in a boot in the last 20 years. I cut/file/bevel toenails every day to make sure I'm not cutting thru that liner too. My current boot is the full leather Hanwag Alaska. So far so good but they haven't seen much wet grass, mostly just frost for a short distance. I'm liking the feel of them. The Cevedale had a slight ski boot feel but not the Alaska. Not heavy either.
The Crispi Nevada is close to the Alaska and is getting some good press. My hunting partner has the Selewa Repace and loves them.

For heel lift I bought a roll of 3/4" Gorilla tape at Home Depot. I love it. Leukotape works better and both are better than duct tape.

 

[1_pointer]

I've had great luck with Meindls. The Cabelas version went a little cheap on manufacturing, but you can still find the original stuff at other boot dealers.

That said, I've learned that if I really cinch the two lowest hitches of the laces down tight (the ones right at the ankle/foot joint) I will get heel blisters bad on the inclines. If I back off how tight I pull those two, and just snug up the hitches higher up the ankle, no such problem. Not sure if that would be true for others, but it works for me.

Good luck. Finding boots to fit well can be a pain.

Mind me asking where you are finding real Meindl's? I agree with your assessment of the Cabelas version vs. the ones straight from Meindl. First pair I had was from Lathrop and Sons, but they no longer carry them. The only place I know of is Hoffman Boots for Meindl Meindls.

 

[Hunting Wife]

Mind me asking where you are finding real Meindl's? I agree with your assessment of the Cabelas version vs. the ones straight from Meindl. First pair I had was from Lathrop and Sons, but they no longer carry them. The only place I know of is Hoffman Boots for Meindl Meindls.

I actually got my last pair on Amazon, of all places. The retailer was in the UK I believe, but I had no problems. That was three years ago and I'm still wearing them.

 

[Beartooth83]

I have had great luck with Salomon Quest 4d gtx. They have held up well over 4 years of use.

I have had the same experience with these boots. They don't break the bank, and comfortable out of the box, and hold up very well.

 

[plains2pines]

I've had great luck with Meindls. The Cabelas version went a little cheap on manufacturing, but you can still find the original stuff at other boot dealers.

That said, I've learned that if I really cinch the two lowest hitches of the laces down tight (the ones right at the ankle/foot joint) I will get heel blisters bad on the inclines. If I back off how tight I pull those two, and just snug up the hitches higher up the ankle, no such problem. Not sure if that would be true for others, but it works for me.

Good luck. Finding boots to fit well can be a pain.

i had the exact same rob with my meindls. other than that a great boot! UA boots are overrated IMO. hugely disappointed with the brow tines. they were very comfy though and fit my feet perfect, idk if they make an all leather pair, but if they do I would give them a chance..... maybe... kentrk and the crispi line are insanely awesome. as far as waterproofing goes....... has to be all leather and treated well for any boot other than an all rubber boot. once ou get water on the inside it doesn't serve the purpose was designed for.

 

[plains2pines]

Yes, but I have wet socks to tell me they've leaked before I dbl check them. My liner socks show water but not the moisture from sweat. One of those odds things you see after years of leaky boots.
The problem I have had with applying boot grease is the nylon mesh. The water comes in thru that, soaks the liner till it gets to the toe box hinge, and then goes thru the torn gore-tex liner in that area. I haven't had that liner last more than 50 miles in a boot in the last 20 years. I cut/file/bevel toenails every day to make sure I'm not cutting thru that liner too. My current boot is the full leather Hanwag Alaska. So far so good but they haven't seen much wet grass, mostly just frost for a short distance. I'm liking the feel of them. The Cevedale had a slight ski boot feel but not the Alaska. Not heavy either.
The Crispi Nevada is close to the Alaska and is getting some good press. My hunting partner has the Selewa Repace and loves them.

For heel lift I bought a roll of 3/4" Gorilla tape at Home Depot. I love it. Leukotape works better and both are better than duct tape.

those Hanwags have grabbed attention too.