Best boots

[338savage]

Another for hanwags

 

[ofbandg]

I like the Scarpas. I wore Vasque Sundowners for twenty or so years but when they moved the factory from Italy to China they quality wasn't the same so I switched. Getting the right width was the tough part. I have a narrow foot, like many people who wore boots every day to work and nowadays more boots are being made for people with wide feet. I buy my boots a half size large so I can add upscale inserts or put heavier socks on. I also use liner socks when I hike. I have hunted Bighorns for over thirty years and they hang out in rugged country where stiff boots are a must. Steep side hills with a pack on are a killer with boots that collapse around the ankle and sometimes you have to be able to stick the toe of your boot in a crevice and support your whole weight. I tried Danner once and they didn't hold me up so they became my deer hunting boots. The few times when I hunted Thinhorns in the North the hiking wasn't as rugged so you might get away with a less stiff boot but I didn't try to. Another factor to remember is getting a boot that can be resoled easily. The good boots have soft, grippy soles that wear out fast and need to be replaced every couple of years. You hate to throw a boot out that feels so good on your foot just because the bottoms are gone.

 

[Danehunter]

Lowa GTX with "SOLE" heat moldable insoles (from REI in 3 thicknesses) Get those insoles and you will never have another foot sole blister.

For warmth wear a VBL (Vapor Barrier Liner) of 3 mm neoprene diver's sock over a thin polyester liner sock. I prefer US Divers brand B/C they are seam sealed and have left and right foot specific socks. Be sure to take one pair of thin liner socks for each day in the field as they will be soaked with sweat and "skanky" at the end of the day. Put the used liners in a tightly sealed Ziploc bag!

These closed cell neoprene liner socks keep sweat out of your boots and thus keep them warmer. And no sweaty boots to freeze overnight to be like blocks of ice on your feet early in the morning. Plus the closed cell neoprene gives more insulation than thick wool socks.

Eric B.

 

[five 0]

Crispi Hunter Gtx. Legit

Do the Crispi D width boots run small or are they true to the size on the width?

 

[Jeremy338]

I bought 1/2 size bigger because my feet swell after extreme hikes. I usually wear a 10-10-1/2 and I got 11's in the crispi. With the ABS system you can tighten them up to a uncomfortable level. Kenetrek seems like the eyelets are so close together(side to side) you can only tighten so much before they bottom out. I would say that crispi runs skinny to answer your question

 

[Mike 338]

Just spent 5 days in wet, snowy, slushy conditions. Boots (Kennetrek Mountain Extreme uninsulated) were wet the entire time but the gore-tex liner kept the water out. Many boots claim to do that but not that many come through when it counts. I do get blisters on the heel if I don't start with moleskin as a preventative. Otherwise, a very solid boot.

 

[KyCarl]

I have 2 pairs I like? There are things each has I wished the other did.
La Sportiva Karakorum are probably my favorite but the Kennetrek Hardscrabble
are pretty cool too. The weights and"stiffness" are different so it depends on what you need them for?

 

[ofbandg]

Hey Mike 338, I used moleskins for awhile to fight blisters but they didn't hold up in the tough going. A friend told me to put duct tape on the heels beforehand and they worked better.

 

[Mike 338]

Hey Mike 338, I used moleskins for awhile to fight blisters but they didn't hold up in the tough going. A friend told me to put duct tape on the heels beforehand and they worked better.

Yep, I've used duct tape too but it's common for me to keep what I'm using on for days on end. 9 out of 10 times, when I get back to camp, I'm cold, frozen and out of gas, and all I want to do is get something to eat and pass out. Unless I have a stove in a tent, I usually don't take care of my feet like I should, so I leave what's on them, on. The adhesive on duct tape gives me a reaction after a while. It'll eat the skin up after a long exposure. Funny... on almost every boot I've ever worn, I can break in the heel area and not get blisters but not on these Kennetreks. A very well made boot that can go and go but they light up my heels pretty fast. I'm thinking about using a horse wrap around my heel/ankle area to build it up so there isn't so much slipping. I tend to get my use out of an expensive boot, come hell or high water. Or maybe I'm just to thick to know when to throw in the towel. I had some Scarpa's that were absolutely bombproof. You could walk through a volcano with those things but they were by far and away, the most uncomfortable things I ever put on my feet. A true mountaineering boot is like a block of concrete on your foot. For hunting, I need a little "flex/feel" and foot roll. The Kennetrek is good for that but those darn heels... I wonder if they by chance modified their design, since I last purchased their boots? Very curious about Hartag.

I've been reading this thread and am thinking about those Hartag's. Wondering if they fit a little different than the Kennetrek's.

Anyway... my biggest complaint about moleskin is when you can't get the backing off the adhesive. It's a big throw away. And if you didn't bring extra, your screwed because when I but a piece of moleskin, I often can't gett the backing off of the adhesive. Even when I start to peel it back, it often leaves paper backing on the part I need to put on my feet. This is beyond stupid. People who need this product, need it to be reliable. My advice is to test moleskin out way before you ever need it. There's crack heads who are involved with it's manufacture and honesly... IMO, they don't have a clue about your feet, your needs or your problem. Heck... I doubt they even care about their own feet when they go from their flat to their drug dealer.

I just bought a bunch of moleskin from RightAid. Wondering if I can get a piece of it on my feet without throwing it away? Moleskin... it's a barrier between your skin and rubbing. Hope you don't have the same problems I have with just gettin a piece on your foot without a total failure in a remote location. All moleskins are not created equal. I have yet to determine which one isn't a total joke.

 

[shphtr]

Sheep hunting boots - some think this item is just as important (some say more) as your tent or rifle - after all can't even pull the trigger is you can't get into sheep country.

Meindle Canada Boot - all I used for the first 20 years of sheep hunting, bought same for 2 of my sons that sheep hunted with me, now that Cabela's makes them the quality has nosedived and I no longer wear, used to be great out of the box without any break in needed, never blistered and never leaked ... til quality deteriorated
LaSportiva - never tried
Lowa Sheep Hunters - well made boot but run about 1/2 size small - cost me a couple of toe nails
Scarpa - never used
Kenetreks - pretty much my go to boot for the last several years, have all three levels of insulation
Crispi - recently purchasep a pair, have not hunted in them yet but have liked after several hikes
Russell G.S. Sheep Hunter - too soft without suff ankle support for me so returned
Hanwag Trapper GTX - have not tried but want to, many whose opinions I respect give them high marks

 

[glasser]

I'm still searching. My new Kenetreks leak.

 

[five 0]

I bought 1/2 size bigger because my feet swell after extreme hikes. I usually wear a 10-10-1/2 and I got 11's in the crispi. With the ABS system you can tighten them up to a uncomfortable level. Kenetrek seems like the eyelets are so close together(side to side) you can only tighten so much before they bottom out. I would say that crispi runs skinny to answer your question

You were right about the crispi's being skinny. Had to send them back.

 

[corsair4360]

You were right about the crispi's being skinny. Had to send them back.

Thanks, my feet are very skinny... I know many are not that way

 

[Threejs]

I bought a pair of kennetrec hardscrabble for an elk hunt. I have had them for about 3 months. They are miserable. I am wearing them at work for 5 hrs a day. I am on my feet constantly. They are still miserable to wear. They hurt my heels so bad I cringe when I have to put them on. They do feel like tough well constructed boots. But I may break out my scarpas for my hunt in 2 weeks