Keeping your feet dry?

[huntnnw]

I've been wearing the same Meindl Perfekt hunter 10" boots for I'm not really sure how long now...probably at least 8 years now. My feet stay dry I'd say 90% of the time which is fine by me. I use Obenauf's on them a couple times a year. They've been hiking and hunting all over the place. There are so many different possibilities for wet feet. I wear OR Crocodile gaiters. They're expensive but they're really reliable. I almost never wear rain pants.

you must have the real german made ones, mine just fall apart from Cabelas. My Perfekts were used on 1 hunt 3 years ago, last year and now going into this year and the the sole on one boot is starting to peel off and the other boot the stitching on the heel is falling out.

[Jonathan_S]

goretex never lasts a year and boots rarely last 4 years.  I'm learning that the best way to keep stuff dry is to hunt in the rain less  I've had plenty of those Western Washington elk hunting days that if I were doing it again, I'd just put on rubber overalls and barn boots.

The fancy breathable rain gear breaks down quickest from wet abrasion and the best boots all break down eventually.

[jackelope]

I've been wearing the same Meindl Perfekt hunter 10" boots for I'm not really sure how long now...probably at least 8 years now. My feet stay dry I'd say 90% of the time which is fine by me. I use Obenauf's on them a couple times a year. They've been hiking and hunting all over the place. There are so many different possibilities for wet feet. I wear OR Crocodile gaiters. They're expensive but they're really reliable. I almost never wear rain pants.

you must have the real german made ones, mine just fall apart from Cabelas. My Perfekts were used on 1 hunt 3 years ago, last year and now going into this year and the the sole on one boot is starting to peel off and the other boot the stitching on the heel is falling out.

I got them at Cabela's in the bargain cave for like $68 or something like that. If I remember correctly, @coop2424  got a pair the same time as me. I've been contemplating a new pair, but I wore them last weekend on a hike and they're still comfy. The thought of having to put 50 miles on a pair of boots before they're comfortable makes me cringe. These boots were comfortable and blister-free right out of the box. They've been hiking all over the state in you name it weather, on top of Mt. Adams, all over the Goat Rocks last year in you name it weather, west side elk hunting...totally happy. Maybe a one-off but I'd buy them again without a second thought.

[ctwiggs1]

My Meindl's are holding up great as well.  My feet get wet, but I'm not convinced it's the boot at this point.  I'll upgrade my pants, gators, and socks (wicking to eliminate sweat) before I touch my boots.

[pygmy1985]

I’ve tried different boots, Asolo, Zamberlain and now Lowas, and after 1-2 years, they all leak. When I spoke with company about the leaking Goretex liner, rep suggested that it was probably water wicking down from bottom of pant legs. I wear waterproof gaiters, so not the issue.  I tested boots by standing them in sink with water up to just cover the sole, and both boots had fair amount of water intrusion in 1 hour. Even if the leather or sole seams are leaking, water should not bypass intact goretex liner. I’m sure the goretex liner gets a leak perhaps from sand, rock in boot, etc. and just like a rubber raft, leaking will begin.
I’m not planning on buying goretex boots every year, so now I just wear the Rocky goretex socks. They work well.

[Highhuntin]

I fill mine with water to test for leaks and tried this yesterday with my lowas and had no leaks in about 20 mins.. my feet were soaked on sunday and not from sweat, pants were dry under gaiters so no sure if flexing them when wet  is letting water past a seam or what.. I don't think ill buy gortex boots again either,  ill probably  go with  leather and grease them.

[yakimanoob]

Well, gotta give an A+ to Scarpa for their customer service.  I got a replacement pair of Zodiac boots in the mail today, no questions asked.  They said the early runs had a bad batch of rubber so they didn't think twice when they saw the condition of the lugs -- they just dropped me a new pair!

 

[shallowforks]

I wear kenetreks with kuiu Yukon gaiters and am always able to keep my feet dry. @yakimanoob how did your high hunt go? did you glass up any nice bucks with that new spotter? pm me

[Igor]

I have a pair of 8" Danner Elk Hunters.  I have had these boots for 18 years, and they have never leaked.  I only wear them for hunting, nothing else.  They have been to Montana and Idaho.  The GoreTex has not failed.  Both of my sons eventually switched over to the same boot, and they are happy with theirs.  Every couple of years I clean the leather up with a good leather cleaner.  I would recommend Danner whole-heartedly.

[Alpine Mojo]

Waxed leather is waterproof.  Brand name doesn't make any difference.  We all have our preference.

Goretex is breathable in a sprinkle.  If it is pouring down rain you might be better off staying inside with your pumpkin spice latte.

[cbond3318]

Danner Pronghorns regularly treat with Obenhaufs has worked for me. 3 seasons on this pair so far.

[pianoman9701]

We got pissed on for 5 days in September; torrential. The inside of my boots stayed dry. Make sure your rain gear is solid and covering the uppers of your boots. If not, you need longer rain gear. It also helps to use a Peet propane boot dryer (or electric if hunting from home). If your feet sweat, you'll have wet boots. Also, get good boots and keep them treated. I used bowstring wax (the cheap stuff in the red & white tube) in camp to re-treat and it worked really well. Wear wool socks and even if your boots do get wet inside, your feet will stay warm.

[StoneTrees]

New to hunting, but most of my experience is backpacking and hiking the wet side of the state so lots of experience trying to keep my feet dry over the years.

My personal recipe for dry feet is running the best fitting all-leather-upper boots with the fewest seams and then waxing them very well.  Before the wet weather kicks in each year, I brush them down well and wax them with NikWax cream.  After that dries for a couple days, I wax them again, really massaging in the cream each time.  The leather really soaks up the wax best, IMO (i.e. deeply) when really dry.  Couple that with knee-high gaiters to keep moisture from splashes, brush, and rain from propagating down your pant legs and you should be good to go unless your boot starts to break down.

Since I have wide feet and won't buy boots without trying them on first, I end up buying the best fitting boots where I find them locally.  My current set aren't high end boots, just simple Hi-Tec boots that fit better than any other boot I've ever owned (bought after a frustrating weekend of trying on tons of high end boots).  I've never run a goretex boot and with these relatively cheap $80 Hi-Tecs being successful with this waterproofing scheme, I'm pretty confident this method works.

Case in point, this past weekend, I was out scouting my general season hunting area and was in a steady drizzle and hiking through lots of puddles from a couple inches of melting snow.  Feet did great.

[Alchase]

Make sure your rain gear is solid and covering the uppers of your boots. If not, you need longer rain gear.

One year I could not figure out why my feet were getting so wet, then realized when hiking my rain gear would rise above the boot top, dumping all the rain into my boots. 

Gaters really do help, lol

 

[pianoman9701]

Make sure your rain gear is solid and covering the uppers of your boots. If not, you need longer rain gear.

One year I could not figure out why my feet were getting so wet, then realized when hiking my rain gear would rise above the boot top, dumping all the rain into my boots. 

Gaters really do help, lol

 

I use gators, too. I have some fleece ones from Cabelas that work well.

When I got out of the service in the early 80s and hunted in NH and ME, blousing my boots wasn't a problem because it never rained during hunting season, or rarely did. And, I looked cool. Then I moved to W. WA. The first season I hunted on the wetside, I learned why you don't blouse your boots.