Elk Hunting Boots....

[Magnum_Willys]

17 pairs in the last 3 years.  So far I'm still searching.......

I would too !   

[Naches Sportsman]

I wear Hoffman explorers as my main hunting/hiking boot and have had good experiences with them since I switched in 2018 from Danners to them.

The last two pairs of treadless Whites Smoke Jumpers I wore during fire season were brought to the cobbler and corked. I use them in the shoulder seasons, especially in the ground I elk hunt and shed hunt in as there is a lot of dead and down and slash which makes it tricky to get solid footing. There's an in between time where micro spikes don't make sense so the corks filled that void. I also use them for work so they aren't my dedicated hunting boot like Hoffman's.

[b0bbyg]

As stated it is very individual, I love the build and the durability of some of the Danner GTX military boots. But my darn foot is just never completely comfortable in them.  Wife has 2 pairs one gortex one not and absolutely loves them. Some times just wears them because they are warm around town in the winter.

The US made military Danner boots have been solid, don't trust the offshore made ones as much, sold lots of pairs from the factory store in years past.

[Skyvalhunter]

Some people are ok hunting with lower boots while some require higher top boots. Like Karl said nobody's feet are the same. Its a matter of finding the boot that's right and fits best for you. There certainly is a wide range of boots and prices.

[WapitiTalk1]

The Karakorum and the "blue boots" the frango TRK GTX have been just an absolute kick butt early season boot.

Karl, how were/are the LS Karakorum boots for being relatively waterproof?  I do like the look of them. 

[Karl Blanchard]

The Karakorum and the "blue boots" the frango TRK GTX have been just an absolute kick butt early season boot.

Karl, how were/are the LS Karakorum boots for being relatively waterproof?  I do like the look of them.

they have been great so far. I keep them well waterproofed though. The locking grommets are fantastic and I wish every boot ever made had them. I did replace the laces though as the stock ones seemed to like to slip a bit. Some rhinos and all is good now.

17 pairs in the last 3 years.  So far I'm still searching.......

I would too !   

I should specify that some were sent back. I think I've kept 12 of the 17. The ones I've kept serve some sort of a purpose. One nice thing about having multiple pairs is it spreads the use around and I get a few years out of boots now vs single seasons like I used to on a pair.

[Karl Blanchard]

The Karakorum and the "blue boots" the frango TRK GTX have been just an absolute kick butt early season boot.

Karl, how were/are the LS Karakorum boots for being relatively waterproof?  I do like the look of them. 

ill add that though they are considered uninsulated,  they are on the warm side. I wear them on later season hunts in CO or MT. They were the boots I took on our February Kodiak Mountain Goat hunt and they performed very well. Crazy good grip in snow and on slick rock.

[Karl Blanchard]

Some people are ok hunting with lower boots while some require higher top boots. Like Karl said nobody's feet are the same. Its a matter of finding the boot that's right and fits best for you. There certainly is a wide range of boots and prices.

this is spot on. My boss is a hiking machine but ankle injuries have left him with big time sissy ankles. He could roll an ankle on flat ground  he has to wear a 10" stiff mtn boot.   I have always been a tall boot guy and would feel very unstable in lower boots, especially with 100lb+ pack.  Trail running and hills in shoes has cured that for me though. Strengthening those support muscles is huge.

[WapitiTalk1]

The Karakorum and the "blue boots" the frango TRK GTX have been just an absolute kick butt early season boot.

Karl, how were/are the LS Karakorum boots for being relatively waterproof?  I do like the look of them. 

ill add that though they are considered uninsulated,  they are on the warm side. I wear them on later season hunts in CO or MT. They were the boots I took on our February Kodiak Mountain Goat hunt and they performed very well. Crazy good grip in snow and on slick rock.

Appreciate the feedback mister.  I have a pair of the Lowa Tibet GTX Highs for my serious ankle support, backwoods trekking, packing out boots.  Love em, bombproof, takes a bit of breaking in tho.  Prior to that, Zamberlans.. another tall, ankle support boot.  They were a bit narrow for me but served the purpose for many years.  I also always have a pair of shorter, lighter boots in my gear.  Currently, a pair of the Salomon GTX Quest fits that spot, but, like others have said... they don't last very long and are certainly not much more than water resistant after a few dunks/wet brush adventures.  I'm liking the look of those LSportiva's and they appear to be much beefier than the Salomons.  Gonna figure out the size transfer from EUR to US, add a 1/2 size, and get a pair ordered up soon.  Again, thanks for the feedback.  RJ

[Mtnwalker]

I've been on a similar mission as Karl, searching for the perfect boot. I think I've had 15 or so pair this year, though I've kept far less than him  so far I've done two rounds. Round 1 was Crispi, Scarpa, Schnee's, Hanwag, Zamberlan, Lowa. Out of those I kept a pair of Beartooth 200g for late season boots and a pair of Zamberlans that I ended up hating. Currently I have the new White's, Kenetrek, and Meindl at the house. Waiting on a different size in Meindl, I think the Kenetreks and Whites are staying. Haven't tried La Sportiva or Hoffman yet, would like to try the Hoffmans in particular.

[Karl Blanchard]

Rory, I'll say the Karakorum is a taller (9"?) and pretty stiff. Not as stiff as like an old meindl Alaskan but plenty of ankle support. Cool deal with some of LS lighr weight mountain trekking boots is the molded in grommets vs traditional pressed in ones. Theres no holes or "weak" points for water to find its way in. First day i had the blue boots i took them fishing and spent 4hrs standing in the water and not even a hint of moisture inside the boot. Disclaimer, I do not have real sweaty feet so I could see a non leather or breathable boot being an issue for guys with bad sweat issues.

[Karl Blanchard]

I've been on a similar mission as Karl, searching for the perfect boot. I think I've had 15 or so pair this year, though I've kept far less than him  so far I've done two rounds. Round 1 was Crispi, Scarpa, Schnee's, Hanwag, Zamberlan, Lowa. Out of those I kept a pair of Beartooth 200g for late season boots and a pair of Zamberlans that I ended up hating. Currently I have the new White's, Kenetrek, and Meindl at the house. Waiting on a different size in Meindl, I think the Kenetreks and Whites are staying. Haven't tried La Sportiva or Hoffman yet, would like to try the Hoffmans in particular.

I should never have even bothered ordering any crispi's after trying on yours. Im a slow learner 

[Mtnwalker]

I've been on a similar mission as Karl, searching for the perfect boot. I think I've had 15 or so pair this year, though I've kept far less than him  so far I've done two rounds. Round 1 was Crispi, Scarpa, Schnee's, Hanwag, Zamberlan, Lowa. Out of those I kept a pair of Beartooth 200g for late season boots and a pair of Zamberlans that I ended up hating. Currently I have the new White's, Kenetrek, and Meindl at the house. Waiting on a different size in Meindl, I think the Kenetreks and Whites are staying. Haven't tried La Sportiva or Hoffman yet, would like to try the Hoffmans in particular.

I should never have even bothered ordering any crispi's after trying on yours. Im a slow learner 

Don't feel too bad, I even ordered another pair after getting rid of those  different size, same crappy fit

[Shawn Ryan]

I'm on my third set of La Sportiva Trango's.  (The red boot.) My last pair is the Trango Cube, all synthetic; first two were Trango EVO's. The new version of the Trango Cube has an updated plastic upper. La Sportiva boots are last specific, so if you find a last that fits your foot shape well, its easier to know that another model built on the same last will fit you well.

They last about 2 years for me. Like all GoreTex products, the membrane breaks down where it flexes and bends.

They are lightweight boots with a grippy rubber compound sole. The Trango last is built for low volume feet.

[hunthard]

Geeeez, I remember when Rocky boots were good, does that make me old???