Footwear

[CoffeeBoy]

Was out all day Friday. After 3 hours in the stand, my feet were frozen. My boots are 600g insulation, but they are pretty old. I guess it's time for a new pair.

 

What is everyone doing to keep their feet semi-warm? What boots/socks are you partial to?

 

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[vizslas]

get the electric insoles i think they are a hundred bucks. Or 1000 grams and wool socks. put heater packs in your inside pockets of your pants I use the hot to go they last for about an hour but require no oxygen.after a couple hours when the chill starts i crack the ones in my pants pockets it helps.

[The_Real_TCIII]

I just bought the 1600 graham lacrosse alpha burlys and $30 heavy smart wool socks: feet still frozen. I may try the boot blankets for on stand

[genesee_mohican]

I have Rocky Lynx w 600g  and a pair of Danner High Grounds with 1000g of insulation.  But.....I use the disposable toe warmers. They work like a charm and keep my feet really warm.

[grampy]

4 minutes ago, genesee_mohican said:

I have Rocky Lynx w 600g  and a pair of Danner High Grounds with 1000g of insulation.  But.....I use the disposable toe warmers. They work like a charm and keep my feet really warm.

I too use the Rocky's in 800g and 1200g, and the disposable toe warmers do work great! I also buy my cold weather sitting boots, two sizes big to fit a thin and heavy wool sock, with plenty of room left to wriggle the toes when they start chilling. I also put a hand warmer in each front pocket of my pants. With all the blood flow near the groin, this helps keep the feet warmer for longer too. 

[turkeyfeathers]

Cabelas brand rubber with 2000 gram insulation. Buy a size up. $150. Hunted 5 hours in mid / high 20’s after filling them up with creek water. Heavy smartwool socks and I was good. But honestly I rarely get cold.


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[NYBowhunter]

I currently use cabelas 2000 gram rubber boots, the key to keeping my feet warm is i first put on a pair of lite dress sock and over that i use Alpacha socks. And another key ingredient is to go 2 sizes up with any boot you get so you have enough space to move your toes. A tight boot is your worst enemy. This combination has worked very well for many years. I recently ordered a pair of Baffin boots  and will test them out in the late season. Although i like my rubber boots,  they can make slight noises at times as i walk.

[CoffeeBoy]

What about Muck brand boots? Any good or mostly hype?

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[Five Seasons]

5 minutes ago, CoffeeBoy said:

What about Muck brand boots? Any good or mostly hype?

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muck's are the shit. try to find them on sale. You'll easily get 10 years out of them and that averages out to like $10 a year. 

 

[Five Seasons]

i think boots are a lot like gloves. there are different types for different seasons. Many of us, myself included try to buy the one pair of hunting boots. But your 10/7 boot will not be ideal on 12/7 and vice versa. I have a good pair of rocky pack boots but only bust them out on the coldest of cold because i can barely walk any hilly terrain in them. My mucks are my go to, but I'm thinking of trying to find a lighter pair for early season and turkey. I have the woody max which aren't as warm as the arctic pros. More of a middle of the road temp. I counter this with thermacell liners and a good layered sock approach. 

Edited November 27, 2017 by Belo

[SilverPharmer]

Rocky "Brute" w/2000gm of insulation along with socks and toe warmers have kept me warm in the stand all day so far.

[monahmat]

I too use the Cabela's 2000 gram rubber boot.  I bought a size up and wear a pair of smart wool socks.  On cold days I'll sit the first few hours then take them off and drop in hot hands foot warmers.  I've found if I double up on socks or start out with the foot warmers in my feet sweat on the walk in and it only makes things worse.

[TreeGuy]

Muck hands down. Went through a bunch of others before trying them as I didn't think a rubber boot could be warmer than a pack or leather etc. I have the arctic sports and arctic pros. Sports are prob pushing the 10 year mark and I still wear them all seasons. Turkey to Yotes. Pros are bigger so I use them for long cold sits. You won't be dissapointed.

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[moog5050]

I use and like the muck woody elite for all season but I am going to try some Baffin titans next year when its cold.  Buckmaster gave them very good reviews for warmth but stated they are specialty boot  - not an all season all purpose type deal.

[stubborn1VT]

1 hour ago, Belo said:

muck's are the shit. try to find them on sale. You'll easily get 10 years out of them and that averages out to like $10 a year. 

 

They are decent and comfortable.  I wear them for work in the spring,fall, winter and I barely get a year out of them.  I like them, and keep buying them, but I don't love them.  They are overpriced and don't come in half sizes.  If they did, then I wouldn't wear them out so fast.  Even if I wore them just for hunting there is no way they would last me 10 years.

[moog5050]

7 minutes ago, stubborn1VT said:

They are decent and comfortable.  I wear them for work in the spring,fall, winter and I barely get a year out of them.  I like them, and keep buying them, but I don't love them.  They are overpriced and don't come in half sizes.  If they did, then I wouldn't wear them out so fast.  Even if I wore them just for hunting there is no way they would last me 10 years.

I only wear them for hunting/scouting.  I get about 3 seasons out of them.  You can get them after the season on ebay pretty cheap.

[stubborn1VT]

3 minutes ago, moog5050 said:

I only wear them for hunting/scouting.  I get about 3 seasons out of them.  You can get them after the season on ebay pretty cheap.

Good info Moog.  I will have to look around online.  I usually don't buy on ebay.  I think I would be all set if they had half sizes.  A smaller size would be tight and therefor cold. I wear the larger size and it makes the heel sloppy and it chews the guys out of the inside of the boot.  Either that or I get a hole punched in them, and then they leak.  I shouldn't badmouth Muck too bad, but I imagine they are making a killing on their Chinese made boots.  "Wish a Ford and a Chevy would last ten years like they should."  

[moog5050]

5 minutes ago, stubborn1VT said:

Good info Moog.  I will have to look around online.  I usually don't buy on ebay.  I think I would be all set if they had half sizes.  A smaller size would be tight and therefor cold. I wear the larger size and it makes the heel sloppy and it chews the guys out of the inside of the boot.  Either that or I get a hole punched in them, and then they leak.  I shouldn't badmouth Muck too bad, but I imagine they are making a killing on their Chinese made boots.  "Wish a Ford and a Chevy would last ten years like they should."  

You can usually find the elites with a retail price of $185 ish for under $100 shipped.  The lesser cost models even cheaper.  Watch for them post season.  Good luck.  Mine typically breakdown when the neoprene uppers get torn by thorns.  I patch em up for a while.  But the soles did separate by year 4.

Edited November 27, 2017 by moog5050

[CoffeeBoy]

Thanks for all the great info. My feet feel warmer already.

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[Jdubs]

1 hour ago, CoffeeBoy said:

What about Muck brand boots? Any good or mostly hype?

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Mucks are great.  I lucked out finding a $35 pair of Fieldblazers in a Cabela's Bargain Cave.  Mind you these are not insulated, but not heavy and clunky either.  I'd rather stay nimble.

Footwear is a personal fit thing and your blood circulation may be different too so go with whatever works for you.  To keep warm while hunting, I wear a heavyweight Smartwool hiking sock with a toe warmer stuck to the bottom.  On top of that I wear a second wool sock with a Hot Hands warmer taped on top of the Smartwool sock.  Feet stay toasty warm unless I'm in a ground blind with snow/ice directly underfoot.

[coonhunter]

I guess I am lucky like turkeyfeathers in the fact that my body takes the cold really well. I have a pair of morrells 600 gr. boots for above freezing. Then i have 1000gr. cheapy guide gear boots for colder hunting and for ice fishing.

Several, including me, have said that a lot of people get their boots too snug. Try to leave some room, including your socks. I use merino wool or a synthetic blend that wicks any moisture away. In case you happen to come across it, my socks that have the rating on the label say (TOG of 2.4).

[BizCT]

Cabelas 2000 Inferno Pac Boots.

You’re welcome.

I’ve never used them in NY (not cold enough by me), but used them in -21 F in MN once and I made it all day dark to dark. And I hate the cold!!


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[TreeGuy]

I'm really surprised at the lifespan of others mucks. Literally, I can't pinpoint but my arctic sports are 8 or 9. I have worn them from turkey to sheds, bow to muzzle then coyote for all those years. No there boot used. I have supplimented with the arctic pros for the last few years and kept using my sports for anytime I had a walk ahead of me. Also use them for cleaning the driveway or any other chore type duty all winter. They are in great shape and don't leak a bit. They are a bit loose with normal socks and the insides are still perfect. Maybe I just got a lucky pair ? I also stayed away from the Woody's cause I refused to pay extra for the camo. The sports are basically the same thing just black and the pros are rated a bit better for cold and they are brown.

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[Karpteach]

4 minutes ago, TreeGuy said:

I'm really surprised at the lifespan of others mucks. Literally, I can't pinpoint but my arctic sports are 8 or 9. I have worn them from turkey to sheds, bow to muzzle then coyote for all those years. No there boot used. I have supplimented with the arctic pros for the last few years and kept using my sports for anytime I had a walk ahead of me. Also use them for cleaning the driveway or any other chore type duty all winter. They are in great shape and don't leak a bit. They are a bit loose with normal socks and the insides are still perfect. Maybe I just got a lucky pair ? I also stayed away from the Woody's cause I refused to pay extra for the camo. The sports are basically the same thing just black and the pros are rated a bit better for cold and they are brown.

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I agree with you. I have a pair of Mucks for close to 8.5 years. I wear them throughout the year (in the summer I dig out/tend the garden) and the are in fair condition. Nothing is wrong with them except the outside color is meh! 

[Will_C]

I too am sold on the Arctic Mucks. I have a pair of Rocky super PAC boots that look like they should have their own zip codes, but the Mucks are 95% as warm and much easier to wear.

i wear a pair of polypropylene liner socks and Smart wool heavy socks, and some toe warmers when it gets in the teens.

Will