I wear LaCrosse insulated rubber boot when the temps drop with a good sock and my feet stay comfy. If the temps drop too low I use the boot cover mentioned earlier in this thread.
i dont get cold, seriously... i wear the Irish Setter Elk Tracker 1000gr (thought they were 800gr though, looked online and only saw the 1000gr) with a thin pair of performance wool socks and that it. snowmobiling, ice fishing, late season goose and bow.
I have worn wool socks one time this year and even then I wouldnt have needed them. I have been getting along with a pair of cotton socks and a pair of 1000grm Danner Pronghorn Boots. I will be honest though I have never really had much of a cold feet problem, but these things to me have been the ticket this year!! Also I agree Rocky Boots SUCK!!
Those boot insulators look like the ticket I've been looking for. I'd love to wear 'em right over my UNinsulated Kenetreks......IF you guys think that'll do the trick. It's not "so" cold, here. I've hunted as low as 12deg (F).....and the dampness/humidity makes anything in the teens - low 20's seem a lot colder (ask huck.....lol). Thanks for the info.
Jeff, I highly recommend those boot isulators. They definitely help me stay on stand longer. And like I said, I put them on pretty much as soon as I get on stand. It sucks having one more thing to carry but ill gladly do that in exchange for staying on stand longer.
Donnie, I know some guys who use them in extremely cold temps, but I always wondered how quiet they are. Can you stand up and turn in your stand without making much noise?
Ok, if you are serious about keeping your feet warm, there is an answer. I bought a pair of the Cabela's Sask Pack Boot's a couple years ago. If the temp is below 20 degree's, I will wear these. Wore them on stand this morning with a 30 mph wind, 20 degree temps, wind chill near zero. I've worn them in a tree at -25 and my feet were the only warm thing on me. Negatives; it's like putting on NASA issue moon boots. They are huge, kinda difficult to walk in, and tricky climbing trees. There isn't anything even close to them on the market as far as I'm concerned. http://www.cabelas.com/catalog/prod...R-_-RLP-_-830532-_-productname_link&cmCat=CRR
I've hunted in temps down to -40 below windchill, often hunt in 10 to -15 out here in the late season in Idaho, Hands down this boot is the best boot I have ever owned, rubber bottom pack boot with leather uppers, when it gets cold and you want warm feet and boots that will last a lifetime check out Schnees out of Bozman Montana, these guys know how to build a boot that will perform. This link is the boot I have. Love it, and when the sole wears out they will replace it for free. Great customer service etc. Easy to hike in and when its really cold you dont have to worry about the leather uppers and scent, anyone that hunts a ton in cold temps will tell you that scent is much less of a factor when you drop below zero. They will smell you first before the leather on the boots. The rubber bottom is great for tracks going in and out, I have yet to have a deer spook from smelling my tracks to and from stand with these boots and I was a little curious about it when I bought them. I do think it has to do with only wearing them when its below freezing.. http://www.schnees.com/product/2613/schnees-footwear
Well no Dan.... If it's 10-15 deg or lower my 900 gr boots don't work so well. But they work for 95% of my hunts. I have some lacrosse clob hoppers (used them for ice fishing when I used to be into that) that I have used once and hated how clumsy they are. I have merino wool socks so that helps. I've found if I do exercises with my toes it really helps keep them warm. Also, keep in mind that if you keep you body warm your feet will stay warm longer. If your body is cold your body will decrease blood flow to your extremities to try and keep your core warm which is the lesser of two evils.
I've got the same boots as Todd and they will keep your feet warm in any weather. Ditto the negatives, although I do alot of walking in mine while ice fishing and seem to manage ok. Obviously correct socks are the start to any warm feet/boot discusssions. I like the merino wool as well. Lots of good quality socks available nowadays.
I was trying to define what you meant by cold up here and suggest accordingly. I bought a pair of Cabela's Predator Extreme Pac boots a few years ago and absolutely love them. They are a bit big, but I have no problem climbing my Lone Wolf sticks and getting into the stand with them on. I have even worn them in Saskatchewan when the high for the day was -24 without the windchill. They worked amazing. One thing I think a lot of guys make the mistake on is just going by the amount of Thinsulate is in a boot. There is a lot more to a warm boot than how many grams of Thinsulate are in it. I've worn boots that had 2000 grams and they sucked.
I thought you bought the Predator Extremes like I had? Yeah, I've heard a lot of good about the Saskatchewans too.
I bought the Danner Pronghorn 1000 this year and I can honestly say that this is my favorite purchase for hunting equipment that I have made in years. These boots are light, warm and comfortable. They are awesome for stand hunting and stalking, which I did not think was going to be possible to find. Around here the temps are around 50s-20s. Sal
I'm getting the new "booze and lose" boots where you can store a half-gallon of fine canadian body warming fluid on the side. This season it could come in handy during the warm weather as well!
I have had them "squeak" on me while rotating my foot but I can't remember if that was my Summit or LW stand. You will have to have all your weight on that one leg before it does make the sound. BUT I do keep this in mind whenever a deer is in range and haven't spooked any due to it. Not a big issue as far as I'm concerned.
Dan, You are right about the thinsulate rating not being the gospel. This is the first year I will be hunting regularly into late Dec/Jan. I now have a spot that will be conducive to hunting when there is deep snow. I guess we will find out. As I'm sure you know in 2008 it was pretty cold for the gun deer season here in Wisconsin. I sat all day in 15 deg-20 deg highs, on my metal stand (more on that later), which means most of the time it was 10-15 deg and I was pretty good with my feet. My hands were actually harder to keep warm due to the fact I don't like thick gloves. Another variable some people forget about is where you are putting your feel. If your on the ground with snow the cold does not affect your feet as much as up in a tree stand with the cold metal sucking the heat out of them. Also the heat can escape out the bottom of your feet as opposed to when you are on the ground they are insulated by the snow. Just throwing out other contributing factors.
The muck winter boots are fairly warm. My girlfriends dad is a old farmer who swears by them. He wears them in -30 weather an they keep him warm. I got tired of my lacrosse hunting boots freezing my feet and bought a pair of windriver insulated boots. They are almost shaped and feel like snowboarding boots. They are amazingly comfy inside and warm. I paid 140 at marks work wear house. I'm sure they would be around 100$ US. Edit: here is a link. http://www2.marks.com/productdetail...60477F1FCE2EA712802577D0000B4E9E?OpenDocument
I have a pair of Muck Arctic Sports, yesterday I had a pair of Under Armour Wicking socks, and a pair of Redhead wool socks on top of those and those boots...it was 24 degrees with 25-30mph winds in the stand, and my feet only last 2 hours before I physically could not take it anymore...I need a warmer set up.
