Boots boots and more boots
- Thread starter bwcatripper
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bwcatripper
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- Feb 28, 2016
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Yeah, I appreciate all the advice. I plan on doing mid to late season elk hunts, so I know that I'll need something that can temper the weather. However, I do not care for insulation in my boots, regardless of the temp. The issue I'm having is MN does not have many places that have kenetrek boots(at least that I have found). I know I have time to look around and break them in. Again, thanks all.
Rob Allen
Member
putting on a good pair of boots that fits right should feel about the same as a cold glass of water on a 110 degree day. they should make your feet go AHHHHHHHHHH...
MinnesotaHunter
Well-known member
Scheel's in Saint Cloud carries Kenetreks and Zamberlands.
FWIW, I hunt in Salomon Quest 4d GTX boots into October. My current pair has gone through 4 seasons, so far. From there I switch to Ktrek Mountain Extreme 400s. I wear my Ktreks a lot in MN as well. I love the ankle support kicking through sloughs for pheasants.
FWIW, I hunt in Salomon Quest 4d GTX boots into October. My current pair has gone through 4 seasons, so far. From there I switch to Ktrek Mountain Extreme 400s. I wear my Ktreks a lot in MN as well. I love the ankle support kicking through sloughs for pheasants.
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TheSleepyHunter
New member
def buy the pair that fits your feet the best, then match the conditions you'll be hunting in to the features of the boots...ie hot/dry- skip the gtx and go leather lined, side hilling across mountains- make sure they are very sturdy, very rocky -look for full rubber randing, archery- flexible and softer midsoles etc
Hunting in UT my favorites are the Lowa Tibet Hi & Zamberlan 980 Guide, I prefer the taller heights but they both have several versions to fit your preferences. Both can be resoled if that's wanted down the road. I also got mine from campsaver.com, they had a bunch of the brands previously mentioned and a great policy. Don't forget to clean and re-treat your boots, always kills me when my buddy spends $300+ on boots and then doesn't buy $6 leather treatment, they'll perform better and last longer if ya do.
+1 trying on boots with the same socks you'll be hunting in. Don't skimp here either, its not hard to find a great pair. My personal favs are from Darn Tough.
Hunting in UT my favorites are the Lowa Tibet Hi & Zamberlan 980 Guide, I prefer the taller heights but they both have several versions to fit your preferences. Both can be resoled if that's wanted down the road. I also got mine from campsaver.com, they had a bunch of the brands previously mentioned and a great policy. Don't forget to clean and re-treat your boots, always kills me when my buddy spends $300+ on boots and then doesn't buy $6 leather treatment, they'll perform better and last longer if ya do.
+1 trying on boots with the same socks you'll be hunting in. Don't skimp here either, its not hard to find a great pair. My personal favs are from Darn Tough.
I use Salomon Quest 4D GTX for just about everything. Plenty of stability when hauling heavy loads, great traction on all the usual terrain. Ankle stability was a must for me given rough terrain, and distance from vehicle. These have exceeded all my expectations. Mine have been through 4 (?) elk seasons. First rifle in CO, which has everything from rain, to 9" of snow. I tried on Kenetreks, Meindls, Danners, and others I can't recall. None were comfortable. I now have a second pair of Salomons.
Gellar
Well-known member
I hunt the west in September and deer hunt in Iowa in November-January. In my opinion you want two different boots. Your feet will thank you later. In September I often use an uninsulated 6" boot, I've tried many different brands and will just say get the best, most comfortable pair you can afford. For deer hunting I would go with a boot like a Muck or LaCrosse rubber boot. They are very warm while sitting in a stand whitetail hunting and are surprisingly comfortable if you have to walk a distance to your stand, they are heavy though. And no matter what boot you go with do not skimp on socks. Get good merino wool socks to compliment your boot.
RobG
Well-known member
Finally got my Tibets back after wearing out the soles with 3 years of hard hiking. They pretty much made the new, the soles, the rubber on the sides, the insoles, even the shoelaces were replaced.
They are like new for $95. That is a very good deal.
Downside: they did the repairs at the shop in Germany it took almost 4 months. Next time I'll bring them in at the end of hunting season, but that will be another three years.
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Kenetrek Hardscrabble Hiker. Fantastic boot all around. Uninsulated, but mine were good down to about 10 degrees last season.
http://www.kenetrek.com/KENETREK-HARDSCRABBLE-HIKER/productinfo/KE-420-HK/
http://www.kenetrek.com/KENETREK-HARDSCRABBLE-HIKER/productinfo/KE-420-HK/
That's what I've been using since 2013.
I hated them after the first year. They seemed to wear way too fast and weren't comfortable at all. After hiking in them all of the summer of my goat tag year they finally broke in right to my feet and I've loved them since. Very high quality boot, although sometimes I'm wishing I had something lighter for warm weather hikes and scouting trips.
406Family
Member
I've been through a set of Kennetrek Mountain extremes, and now Im wearing the Schnees Granites. At this point they are both outstanding boots, but my next pair will again be the Kennetreks. They fit my foot better, and were just a little bit more comfortable.
windymtnman
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- Sep 17, 2014
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Living in the Rocky Mts., I like a 8 or 9" boot to wear yeararound. The Danner Pronghorn model, but with the rubber toe bumper model, is what is the lightest, most supportive, and comfortable for me.
I bought a pair of Meindl's that is quite similar to the Danner's, however they were super wide and didn't fit well. They actually caused a foot injury on my side hilling I have to do.
Thing is, many of these boots are all made in Vietnam. I got to looking at the tongue tags on Danner's and Meindl's and the tags make me thing they're both made in the same factory????
I like buying from a reputable dealer like Cabela's. I had boots that appeared to have the beginnings of a sole separation, and they were beat up and 9 months old. Cabela's replaced them free. That counts for a lot.
I've also learned that boots that may feel great in the Midwest, may not be so swell in the steep mountains. The radical gradients can raise cane with your toes, or heels. Never go hunting in the mountains without some blister preventative stuff, like moleskin. It can save a hunt.
I bought a pair of Meindl's that is quite similar to the Danner's, however they were super wide and didn't fit well. They actually caused a foot injury on my side hilling I have to do.
Thing is, many of these boots are all made in Vietnam. I got to looking at the tongue tags on Danner's and Meindl's and the tags make me thing they're both made in the same factory????
I like buying from a reputable dealer like Cabela's. I had boots that appeared to have the beginnings of a sole separation, and they were beat up and 9 months old. Cabela's replaced them free. That counts for a lot.
I've also learned that boots that may feel great in the Midwest, may not be so swell in the steep mountains. The radical gradients can raise cane with your toes, or heels. Never go hunting in the mountains without some blister preventative stuff, like moleskin. It can save a hunt.
topo_trekker
New member
Hey guys this is my first post, I just joined and can tell you Ive already gained a ton of knowledge from previously browsing the vast amount of content on this forum. I'm a long time backpacker who recently found my way back to hunting. I know this is kind of long but haven't found this info on this forum yet, anyways this is my 2 cents on boots, mainly some techniques for breaking them in. Most people should be able to get just about any brand of a mountain style boot(full rubber rand, full shank) to fit right with a couple tricks. I don't think most guys realize how long these boots take to break in, the proper way to break them in, and the difference in the way you hike in them. It takes me almost a full summer of hiking/backpacking in steep terrain the proper way to fully break in no matter what brand. The most important part of all this is the way in which you hike in this style of boot, especially when breaking in. You're going to want a shorter slower stride at first as well as lifting your foot almost straight up and down with each step, most important when climbing hills. Trekking poles will aid with this style of hiking. These boots are not meant for cruising up hills to cut off an elk at least until they are well broken in. I also like to get a 1/2 size to full size bigger. You're going to enjoy the extra space when your feet start to swell when you have meat in your pack. Ill wear two pairs of socks, as it helps with rubbing. Put band aids on your heels as a preventative, obviously bring mole skin for post-care, and take your boots and socks off and let them air dry every break you take until they're mountain terrain broken in. You are also going to want to adjust the laces until you find the right fit. There are different styles of lacing that can seriously help with problematic boots(google search, hiking boot lacing techniques). Use a hand sanitizer on hot spots and blisters instead of a greasy antibiotic. The alcohol will help clean and dry the area. So if you don't have the real time to break in a true mountain boot by hiking in the mountains or the money for a custom fit, I suggest sticking with a standard trail boot under $300 that requires hardly any break in time. It will save you time, money, and pain while on a western hunt. Right now I'm wearing the Lowa Mountain Expert GTX EVO. I havent seen hardly any hunters in these. When compared to the Tibets, they're more durable, offer more protection, and weigh about the same. They did however take a little more patience and technique to break in.
bwcatripper
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today the boots arrived. I was able to score a new pair of kenetrek hardscrabbles for $325, so i went with it. picked up a pair of 10's, which is about the median size that i wear, and they feel great so far. just a touch of room in the toe box, the ankle height is quite nice, and the construction seems rock solid. i'll follow up with the break in process as i go, but so far they seem optimal. thanks for all the advice.
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