Winter Footwear

[Black_Fly]

Is it too early to talk about snow and cold? What do you wear when things get frosty? Mukluks? Hunting boots? Insulated leather? Penny loafers? I've been wearing the same Sorels for 20 years. Never really that warm, especially when doing prolonged outdoor activities like snowshoeing, hunting, ice fishing. They suffice for shoveling the driveway in Ohio, that's about it.

 

[Sdrew22]

Keen Revel boots. Lightweight, waterproof, rated for -25. Great for snowshoeing and winter hiking.

 

[Waterdog]

Miendl uninsulated boots down to upper teens than change to Moose hide muks. If paddling in sub freezing temps I wear NRS neoprene boots over thick wool socks. For some reason I like crocs with heavy wool socks when I’m next to a campfire. After setting camp and gathering wood the snow is knocked down in the camp site enough to switch to crocs.

i had some tall Danner boots insulated with 400 gram thinsulate once in the military and they were effective even when standing still.

barry

 

[TrailBlaser]

Winter hiking: Salomon X Ultra Winter CS WP 2 Boots with wool socks. Cold weather paddling: LL Bean 10" Gore-Tex/Thinsulate Bean Boots with wool socks or Sealskinz Waterproof All Weather Socks.

 

[dramey]

US Army White Bunny Boots good for -60°F standing still or US Army Mickey Mouse Boots good fo -20°F standing still. I personally like wearing a thick pair of wool socks with these boots for the cushioning of my feet. I have personally wore the White Bunny Boots at -55°F standing still on ice and never got cold feet.

 

[scratchypants]

My dad bought me a pair of Sorel Caribou's for my first, extended moose hunting trip - I was 14. 35 years later, they are still my go-to once the Danner Mount Hoods become too light. The Sorels are heavy and a little big, but such is my price for braving the cold. The extra room allows for thicker socks and a goodly amount of air space inside which I believe to be key with this particular, old-school footwear.

 

[Bob B.]

Kenetrek Grizzly pac boot or moose hide mukluks with extra wool under footbed for deep cold and deep snow.

 

[ppine]

Sorel type pack boots with felt liners are the standard wear. For a lot of walking the LL Beans pack boots with thinsulate work great. I don't snow camp anymore, so now I mostly wear insulated hunting boots around Nevada. Deep snow is not that common except in the Sierra.

 

[Boreal Birch]

In the dry cold in interior Alaska I wear smoked tanned moose hide mukluks with felt liners. Unless you know how to make your own smoke tanned leather and make mukluks or know someone that does, then Steger Mukluks in Ely Minnesota makes the commercial next best thing. For normal every day outside chores or going to town in -30 degree F. we wear wool felt boots from Norway called Lobben which we get from Pia's in Anchorage. Lot's of Iditarod and Yukon Quest sled dog racers wear Lobben's inside of Neos overboots, something I'm going to try this winter for ice fishing as some models come with studs. I have a pair of white military Bunny Boots, but they are not much fun to walk around in, if you are used to mukluks that are light, almost like wearing slippers. Early and late winter when the snow is sloppy I wear Nokian rubber boots from Finland with felt liners or Schnee's Pac Boots with liners, from Bozeman, Montana, these are like Bean Boots only more rugged.

 

[Alan Gage]

I wear plain leather Red Wing boots down to about -10F. No insulation and no problem. My feet seem to stay warmer than when I used to wear insulated winter boots that didn't breath.

I wouldn't want to wear those Red Wings if I was just sitting around in weather like that but as long as I'm walking/working it's not a problem. Feet start out a little chilly but soon warm up with activity. No moisture build up at all, which seems to make all the difference.

Alan

 

[Cheeseandbeans]

When it’s crazy cold I wear Red Wing pac boots. They have a wool felt boot that fits inside the insulated leather boot. Some wool socks with liners can almost be too warm. Haven’t found anything that comes close.

Bob