This morning I took my girlfriend on her first hunt. I picked a terrible morning. 25* and wind blowing 20 with 30 gusts. Normally by now this wouldn't be too bad but its been so warm this year that we haven't acclimated to cold weather yet. We have outfitted her mostly but I suspected her boots weren't up to the task. We sat for maybe 5 minutes and her feet were already freezing. Everything else followed quickly and needless to say our hunt ended earlier than I wanted. She was trooper and hung in there till 8am. I have 2 issues. #1 is boots. We both need a good pair of cold weather boots. I can do fine with my Wolverine Woodmans 600 down to about 20 but I will admit its not the most comfortable sit in the world. Kind of decided on going with Muck Woody Elites for both of us. Heard great things about them and we don't have a ton of walking to do so I feel they will work out rather well. #2 is socks. I know they are as important if not more important than the boots. What do you guys use that seems to work the best? Been looking at the Smartwool socks and some Merino wool socks and some good liners. What do you guys like?
Cabela's Ingenius socks. It's a wool sock with a liner all in one! You won't be disappointed! They come in light, medium, and heavey. I own them all. Here is a link to the heavey: http://www.cabelas.com/product/Cabe...ts&Ntt=socks&WTz_l=Header;Search-All+Products
http://www.basspro.com/RedHeadreg;-...product/34659/92083?cmCat=CROSSSELL_THUMBNAIL These are the best damn socks i have ever owned , snug stretchy comfortable fit and they stay up , they are extremly heavy and warm , but when it warms up your feet dont roast or sweat , they stay dry and i like the taller socks myself for hunting , i'm gonna get me a few more pairs after Christmas , if there anything else i find that i like after a year they stop making them so i'm gonna go get me a stock pile of them for the future .
I have the muck and they are great but are not good down to minus 20 or whatever they claim. Your feet will get cold under 30 because you are sitting. Moving is not an issue with warmth. I used a handwarmer stuck in the toes last year and it worked well but a few below zero days were tough. I bought some artic shields to try this year. People swear by them and i hear good things. Again muck woodys are the best boots out there IMO but here in the Midwest you need a little more help. I can tell you that my buddy uses some Sorels which are supposed to be good down to -60 but he uses handwarmers in his boots too.
As far as socks - merino wool is the way to go with the mucks - too heavy of a sock and your feet sweat & get cold. They actually recommend a medium weight sock.
Here is what there made with •Fully cushioned construction •Stretch fibers from top to toe for snug fit •Moisture-wicking performance •Double nylon reinforced impact areas •Over-the-calf length •Ideal for hunting on foot or from a stand •88% merino lamb's wool, 5% stretch nylon, 5% Thermolite®, 2% spandex
they key for any boot is to check the grams. most boots (unless you pay 50 bucks for them) can be judged pretty well on its grams of insulation. my old man uses 1200 grams, my boots are 800 but my feet have never been my problem, its always my shoulders and arms. have your girlfriend outfitted with a 1400 gram boot and she should be good, also i like double layering my socks on real cold days, just make sure its not enough to make your feet sweat. under armor lightweight skin tight sock underneath and a cabelas heavy weight have always done good for me.
Walmart sells Rocky brand. Haven't had cold feet yet. I put on a liner sock them a wool sock. I'm still using my 800 gr rubber boots until it gets really cold. I also use Puma athletic socks, not sure what the name is but they work very well as a liner sock also. They are a little thicker that a liner though.
http://www.basspro.com/Smartwool®-Hiking-Heavy-Crew-Socks-for-Men/product/1109050501073/242097 Smartwool is hard to beat too. I have 3 or 4 pair. I'm actually wearing them right now haha.
I have had several pairs of boots over the years I thought would be great in cold weather. Some Cabelas 800 gram and some Rocky 1200 gram are the latest. Both weren't as warm as my Wolverine 600 gram. I think it has more to do with how the shoe is built than the gram rating. Think I'm going to buy about a pair of each of what you guys have told me and see which I like best. She probably won't be hunting anymore this season anyway. Gun season is here and I will probably be tagged out by the end of the weekend and since this is her weekend to work our season is coming to a close unless my brother decides to buy me another tag.
Couldn't agree with you more! I have a bunch of pairs from thick to thin and tall to short. I wear mine hunting and for everyday wear. They are sooo comfortable and warm.
I think the socks I use are called "Alpaca" They have a booth at some of the deer shows. They are the best I have worn to date.
