Boots

[duckman18]

Looking to get a new pair of boots for Idaho. Looking at crispi Nevada, wild rock, or guides. Temp is anywhere from 10-50 degrees most years how much insulation do you think is required I don’t wanna make them too hot so I can wear them around home when it’s 50 or 60 out. What’s everyone’s favorite socks and liners. Usually encounter a little snow I always have kuiu gators on.

[fowl smacker]

I've been really happy with my Lowa Tibet gtx non insulated.  I usually wear the heavy over the calf smart wool socks and I'm usually comfortable when it's down to 10 degrees or so if I'm active.  When it's warm I wear a thinner sock.

[hughjorgan]

I've been really happy with my Lowa Tibet gtx non insulated.  I usually wear the heavy over the calf smart wool socks and I'm usually comfortable when it's down to 10 degrees or so if I'm active.  When it's warm I wear a thinner sock.

 

I have a couple pair of the lowa Tibet gtx as well one pair is non insulated and the other pair has 200 grams of insulation. I’ve been wearing the insulated pair all winter and have been plenty warm. I usually run darn tough or smartwools for socks.

My feet usually get cold easily so if yours are the same way and you sit on a stand at all I would recommend 400 grams or more. 200 grams works great for activity and the non insulated pair are my September go to boots.

[spoonman]

If you like wet feet go ahead and get the Crispi’s. Seriously if you hunt over here on the west side of Wa and you like dry feet I’d suggest going with another brand. There are tons and tons of people that have had Crispi’s and no longer do because after a year you can expect your feet to get wet. My brother is on his third pair of summits in 3 years and they are leaking again! Scarpa, Kenetrek, Han wag, and a few others out there that are much more durable, waterproof, and proven!

[jackelope]

I’ve seen too many complaints about Crispi boots to be interested in them. Everyone’s feet are different too so there’s no way to know if your feet are going to like the Crispis or Lowa or Kenetrek boots. I wear a pair of older than dirt Meindl Perfekt Hunters that are 400 gram thinsulate and I can wear them year round. I don’t do liner socks but have come to love a few different varieties of Darn Tough merino wool socks. Liners are the same as boots to me. Some can use them and some don’t. I’ve never liked them.

[Mossy]

Meindl because they fit my feet very well. Hoffman packs for everyday wet/snow/steep hunting. See what fits your feet and go from there.

[huntnnw]

If crispis are lined with gore Tex it has nothing to do with crispi and your feet getting wet.

[spoonman]

If crispis are lined with gore Tex it has nothing to do with crispi and your feet getting wet.

How do you figure? Just because Crispi uses goretex doesn’t mean that the construction of the boot doesn’t allow your feet to get wet. Maybe the way they are made makes Them have different wear points than other boots? I know a few people including myself with goretex in other brand boots that are still going strong after years of use. My hunting partner and myself use scarpa boots and hunt the Oly pen and do plenty of creek crossings and never get wet feet. Also goretex is not the shining star it once I’m was, there are better waterproof membranes out there now. Hdry and Outdry are superior in the way that they are built into the boot. They are a membrane that’s welded to the inside of the outer layer of the boot. Goretex is a bootie that is just lose in the boot between the outer and inner layer allowing it to move around and create weak spots. My point is not all boot are made to withstand the wet conditions we have here in western Washington and Crispi is one of those. You’ll read review after review and forum after forum of people with wet feet in Crispi’s.  To the OP, try on a ton of boots, get the ones that fit best for your feet not what we all tell you to buy, buy a reputable, long lasting, waterproof boot. Without comfortable dry feet your hunts will most definitely suffer.

[duckman18]

Oh I understand you need to pick a boot that fits your foot my original post is asking about insulation value for the scenarios I hunt. The boots I listed come in different insulation values. I guess my main question is do people like zero insulation or 200 g or  400 or 800 for hunting temperatures between 10 and 50°

[300rum]

For the temps you asked about, 400 gram is the way to go.  Any colder then go with 1000.  The only time I wear my 1000gr is in Montana when it is sub zero, I wear 400 gram for everything else including spring, early fall.  The only time I don't wear 400 gram is in the summer.  I stick a foot warmer to the top of the toe box (not the bottom) and I never get cold, even when being still.     

The best socks I have found are Smart Wool and Darn Tough although I prefer Smart Wool for hunting and Darn Tough for day to day use. 

[spoonman]

Oh I understand you need to pick a boot that fits your foot my original post is asking about insulation value for the scenarios I hunt. The boots I listed come in different insulation values. I guess my main question is do people like zero insulation or 200 g or  400 or 800 for hunting temperatures between 10 and 50°

For me I’d choose 200, maybe the 400 but definitely not the 800. I tend to run warm so that’s just me but 800 is a ton of insulation on your feet. I think either 200 or 400 depending on you. As for socks I run a liner and different pairs of Darn tough socks.

[HAGEMANIAC]

I run the insulated Crispi Nevadas and love them. Great boot.  Hiking around, my feet have yet to get cold.  Last year at about 19 degrees in the treestand, my feet were cold after a couple of hours.  I run the Darn Tough crew hiker socks year round.

[boneaddict]

400

[JakeLand]

I wear the crispi Idaho GTX and the best boot I’ve worn and I e gone through a lot
Not to mention elk deer and bear hunting I did just over 300 miles snowshoeing my high mountain pine marten line and my feet were bone dry every day and the most comfortable boot I’ve ever worn

[M_ray]

I wear 400 kenetrek year round all conditions

[huntnnw]

If crispis are lined with gore Tex it has nothing to do with crispi and your feet getting wet.

How do you figure? Just because Crispi uses goretex doesn’t mean that the construction of the boot doesn’t allow your feet to get wet. Maybe the way they are made makes Them have different wear points than other boots? I know a few people including myself with goretex in other brand boots that are still going strong after years of use. My hunting partner and myself use scarpa boots and hunt the Oly pen and do plenty of creek crossings and never get wet feet. Also goretex is not the shining star it once I’m was, there are better waterproof membranes out there now. Hdry and Outdry are superior in the way that they are built into the boot. They are a membrane that’s welded to the inside of the outer layer of the boot. Goretex is a bootie that is just lose in the boot between the outer and inner layer allowing it to move around and create weak spots. My point is not all boot are made to withstand the wet conditions we have here in western Washington and Crispi is one of those. You’ll read review after review and forum after forum of people with wet feet in Crispi’s.  To the OP, try on a ton of boots, get the ones that fit best for your feet not what we all tell you to buy, buy a reputable, long lasting, waterproof boot. Without comfortable dry feet your hunts will most definitely suffer.

My point is that boot companies do not make gore and they purchase the liners and install them. The failure isnt the boot company and is gore. Gore is junk and have yet to own a single piece of gore lined anything that has kept me dry..from jackets,pants to boots

[fowl smacker]

If crispis are lined with gore Tex it has nothing to do with crispi and your feet getting wet.

How do you figure? Just because Crispi uses goretex doesn’t mean that the construction of the boot doesn’t allow your feet to get wet. Maybe the way they are made makes Them have different wear points than other boots? I know a few people including myself with goretex in other brand boots that are still going strong after years of use. My hunting partner and myself use scarpa boots and hunt the Oly pen and do plenty of creek crossings and never get wet feet. Also goretex is not the shining star it once I’m was, there are better waterproof membranes out there now. Hdry and Outdry are superior in the way that they are built into the boot. They are a membrane that’s welded to the inside of the outer layer of the boot. Goretex is a bootie that is just lose in the boot between the outer and inner layer allowing it to move around and create weak spots. My point is not all boot are made to withstand the wet conditions we have here in western Washington and Crispi is one of those. You’ll read review after review and forum after forum of people with wet feet in Crispi’s.  To the OP, try on a ton of boots, get the ones that fit best for your feet not what we all tell you to buy, buy a reputable, long lasting, waterproof boot. Without comfortable dry feet your hunts will most definitely suffer.

My point is that boot companies do not make gore and they purchase the liners and install them. The failure isnt the boot company and is gore. Gore is junk and have yet to own a single piece of gore lined anything that has kept me dry..from jackets,pants to boots

My Sitka gear with Gore keeps me bone dry in torrential downpours.

[spoonman]

If crispis are lined with gore Tex it has nothing to do with crispi and your feet getting wet.

How do you figure? Just because Crispi uses goretex doesn’t mean that the construction of the boot doesn’t allow your feet to get wet. Maybe the way they are made makes Them have different wear points than other boots? I know a few people including myself with goretex in other brand boots that are still going strong after years of use. My hunting partner and myself use scarpa boots and hunt the Oly pen and do plenty of creek crossings and never get wet feet. Also goretex is not the shining star it once I’m was, there are better waterproof membranes out there now. Hdry and Outdry are superior in the way that they are built into the boot. They are a membrane that’s welded to the inside of the outer layer of the boot. Goretex is a bootie that is just lose in the boot between the outer and inner layer allowing it to move around and create weak spots. My point is not all boot are made to withstand the wet conditions we have here in western Washington and Crispi is one of those. You’ll read review after review and forum after forum of people with wet feet in Crispi’s.  To the OP, try on a ton of boots, get the ones that fit best for your feet not what we all tell you to buy, buy a reputable, long lasting, waterproof boot. Without comfortable dry feet your hunts will most definitely suffer.

My point is that boot companies do not make gore and they purchase the liners and install them. The failure isnt the boot company and is gore. Gore is junk and have yet to own a single piece of gore lined anything that has kept me dry..from jackets,pants to boots

My Sitka gear with Gore keeps me bone dry in torrential downpours.

Apples and oranges

[pianoman9701]

If crispis are lined with gore Tex it has nothing to do with crispi and your feet getting wet.

How do you figure? Just because Crispi uses goretex doesn’t mean that the construction of the boot doesn’t allow your feet to get wet. Maybe the way they are made makes Them have different wear points than other boots? I know a few people including myself with goretex in other brand boots that are still going strong after years of use. My hunting partner and myself use scarpa boots and hunt the Oly pen and do plenty of creek crossings and never get wet feet. Also goretex is not the shining star it once I’m was, there are better waterproof membranes out there now. Hdry and Outdry are superior in the way that they are built into the boot. They are a membrane that’s welded to the inside of the outer layer of the boot. Goretex is a bootie that is just lose in the boot between the outer and inner layer allowing it to move around and create weak spots. My point is not all boot are made to withstand the wet conditions we have here in western Washington and Crispi is one of those. You’ll read review after review and forum after forum of people with wet feet in Crispi’s.  To the OP, try on a ton of boots, get the ones that fit best for your feet not what we all tell you to buy, buy a reputable, long lasting, waterproof boot. Without comfortable dry feet your hunts will most definitely suffer.

My point is that boot companies do not make gore and they purchase the liners and install them. The failure isnt the boot company and is gore. Gore is junk and have yet to own a single piece of gore lined anything that has kept me dry..from jackets,pants to boots

My last hunting partner, who's a boot designer, had the exact same problem with his Crispis. He felt it was the fault of the GoreTex.

[fowl smacker]

If crispis are lined with gore Tex it has nothing to do with crispi and your feet getting wet.

How do you figure? Just because Crispi uses goretex doesn’t mean that the construction of the boot doesn’t allow your feet to get wet. Maybe the way they are made makes Them have different wear points than other boots? I know a few people including myself with goretex in other brand boots that are still going strong after years of use. My hunting partner and myself use scarpa boots and hunt the Oly pen and do plenty of creek crossings and never get wet feet. Also goretex is not the shining star it once I’m was, there are better waterproof membranes out there now. Hdry and Outdry are superior in the way that they are built into the boot. They are a membrane that’s welded to the inside of the outer layer of the boot. Goretex is a bootie that is just lose in the boot between the outer and inner layer allowing it to move around and create weak spots. My point is not all boot are made to withstand the wet conditions we have here in western Washington and Crispi is one of those. You’ll read review after review and forum after forum of people with wet feet in Crispi’s.  To the OP, try on a ton of boots, get the ones that fit best for your feet not what we all tell you to buy, buy a reputable, long lasting, waterproof boot. Without comfortable dry feet your hunts will most definitely suffer.

My point is that boot companies do not make gore and they purchase the liners and install them. The failure isnt the boot company and is gore. Gore is junk and have yet to own a single piece of gore lined anything that has kept me dry..from jackets,pants to boots

My Sitka gear with Gore keeps me bone dry in torrential downpours.

Apples and oranges

Not really, when the Gore Tex is the one doing the waterproofing.   Same product, different application.

[spoonman]

If crispis are lined with gore Tex it has nothing to do with crispi and your feet getting wet.

How do you figure? Just because Crispi uses goretex doesn’t mean that the construction of the boot doesn’t allow your feet to get wet. Maybe the way they are made makes Them have different wear points than other boots? I know a few people including myself with goretex in other brand boots that are still going strong after years of use. My hunting partner and myself use scarpa boots and hunt the Oly pen and do plenty of creek crossings and never get wet feet. Also goretex is not the shining star it once I’m was, there are better waterproof membranes out there now. Hdry and Outdry are superior in the way that they are built into the boot. They are a membrane that’s welded to the inside of the outer layer of the boot. Goretex is a bootie that is just lose in the boot between the outer and inner layer allowing it to move around and create weak spots. My point is not all boot are made to withstand the wet conditions we have here in western Washington and Crispi is one of those. You’ll read review after review and forum after forum of people with wet feet in Crispi’s.  To the OP, try on a ton of boots, get the ones that fit best for your feet not what we all tell you to buy, buy a reputable, long lasting, waterproof boot. Without comfortable dry feet your hunts will most definitely suffer.

My point is that boot companies do not make gore and they purchase the liners and install them. The failure isnt the boot company and is gore. Gore is junk and have yet to own a single piece of gore lined anything that has kept me dry..from jackets,pants to boots

My Sitka gear with Gore keeps me bone dry in torrential downpours.

Apples and oranges

Not really, when the Gore Tex is the one doing the waterproofing.   Same product, different application.

It is apples to oranges though. Yea same product but built into the clothing differently than in a boot. In the boot it’s a loose booty that moves around between the inner and outer layer making weak spots. In a coat the goretex a lot of times is the shell with a external fabric laminated to it.

[cavemann]

So there seems to be some good info and opinion on other waterproof brands.  Can anyone speak more to it?  I'm in the market for new boots as well and hunt mostly BT on the west side.  No more back country or hardcore packing/treking.  Just need a good pair of waterproof boots, uninsulated, high ankle for brush tromping. 

priorities in order - waterproof, ankle support, light weight, uninsulated

[pianoman9701]

I've been really happy with my Lowa Tibet gtx non insulated.  I usually wear the heavy over the calf smart wool socks and I'm usually comfortable when it's down to 10 degrees or so if I'm active.  When it's warm I wear a thinner sock.

 

[jrebel]

Just got my new Zamberlan Wasatch boots and they are pretty darn amazing.  These are replacing my 4/5 year old Zamberlan Outfitters which are also amazing.  I would put their waterproofing up against anyone's on the market.  They use gore-tex so for people that say it doesn't work...may not be the boot for you.  I have owned Zamerlan boots for the past 10+ years and my feet have never gotten wet.  I hunt from northern Alberta to Montana and back to Washington.  I have even worn these boots snowmobiling.....and my feet have never been wet. 

I think that fact I have bought and owned three different sets, is testament to the fact they work.  No way I would pay the money I do for boots that don't work.

Fit:  These fit very true to size.  I will say that if you are a "Wide" you may want to try them on before ordering a wide model.  I run on the wider side of normal and these boots are plenty wide in the "non wide / normal" version.  If I went with a wide width, I would be swimming in them. 

[Stein]

Gore tex works fine, when you have to stitch through it is where the problems arise, just like with tent material (sil-nylon or whatever).  Gore is also pretty fragile and can get damaged relatively easy which is why it's usually laminated to something stronger.

From my experience, it seems like a crapshoot.  I have had high dollar boots that leaked first season and I have a pair of Cabelas off the bargain rack that are waterproof after over 10 seasons of light use.

My guess is that while they are building the boots sometimes they get it right, sometimes not.  If it were simple and durable, there would be more boot companies with waterproof warranties.

If it's really important to have dry feet for the lifespan of the boot, I would go with some type of rubber or something other than Gore.  You can also get waterproof socks.

[Mtnwalker]

Gore tex works fine, when you have to stitch through it is where the problems arise, just like with tent material (sil-nylon or whatever).  Gore is also pretty fragile and can get damaged relatively easy which is why it's usually laminated to something stronger.

From my experience, it seems like a crapshoot.  I have had high dollar boots that leaked first season and I have a pair of Cabelas off the bargain rack that are waterproof after over 10 seasons of light use.

My guess is that while they are building the boots sometimes they get it right, sometimes not.  If it were simple and durable, there would be more boot companies with waterproof warranties.

If it's really important to have dry feet for the lifespan of the boot, I would go with some type of rubber or something other than Gore.  You can also get waterproof socks.

A lot of people also don't properly maintain their goretex, drying it by the fire etc. It's definitely not perfect though, as is evidenced by the number of high end boot mfg's using other waterproofing besides gore these days. My feet sweat so dang much half the time I can't tell if it's the boot leaking or me anwyays. This year my wife and I both hunted late season in new Schnee's Beartooths in wet wet snow. Hers were amazing and kept her bone dry the entire time, mine I swear were saturating through from the outside (90% sure anyways) and I could only wear them every other day because the insulation took forever to dry in the wall tent. Go figure.

I also thought my Lowa Tibets had the best waterproofing of any boot I'd ever used. I liked them so much I insisted my buddy on the west side try a pair as well. He called me up a few weeks later and said "well the boots are awesome but the waterproofing sucks"... Huh? He sent them back to Lowa to have them tested and sure enough, they leaked like a sieve and they sent him a new pair. He said his new pair leaked too but not as bad so who knows? He now uses Crispi and loves them 

[BIGDOG253]

I run the insulated Crispi Nevadas and love them. Great boot.  Hiking around, my feet have yet to get cold.  Last year at about 19 degrees in the treestand, my feet were cold after a couple of hours.  I run the Darn Tough crew hiker socks year round.

Yep I have the same combo (Nevadas/Darn Tough) and its been great. I wear them both early season and late season. Ive never had an issue with feet getting wet, besides my feet sweating.

[bigdub257]

I've been really happy with my Lowa Tibet gtx non insulated.  I usually wear the heavy over the calf smart wool socks and I'm usually comfortable when it's down to 10 degrees or so if I'm active.  When it's warm I wear a thinner sock.

 

[phildobaggins]

I wear 400 kenetrek year round all conditions

I also rock Mountain Extreme 400's year round. Thin socks in warmer weather 

[cavemann]

Anyone know where I can try on some Zamberlains in Lacey/Tacoma/Puyallup area?  I think I hit the boot lottery.  Have someone with a crazy discount and looks like that will be my go to.

[craigapphunt]

I don't see much about them but I'll say the white's lochsa's I've been running this year have not disappointed.

[Mtnwalker]

I don't see much about them but I'll say the white's lochsa's I've been running this year have not disappointed.

I wasn’t overly impressed with the Owyhee’s. If you like the White’s line they’re all on Camofire right now 35% off

[KNOPHISH]

Boot day on camofire.

[craigapphunt]

What about the owyhee's let you down?

[Booner]

Anyone know where I can try on some Zamberlains in Lacey/Tacoma/Puyallup area?  I think I hit the boot lottery.  Have someone with a crazy discount and looks like that will be my go to.

Try REI or Cabela's.

I test fitted at REI and bought what I wanted online elsewhere. I found that if I purchased Zamberlan boots with the same last they fit pretty similar primary difference was the tow box height between the different styles.

I have used the 960 Guide GTX RR for about 8 years (hunting only) and they are still going strong. Would buy again but will likely need to go with a newer model. No leaks.


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