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| One of Us |
I am preparing for my upcoming sheep hunts in AK & UT. I have been in the process of obtaining gear. One of the items is a pair or pairs of boots. This is where I have my questions. Currently, I have the following: 1- I have an 11 year old pair of Cabelas mountain boots. I have hunted with them in the Yukon, New Zealand, Utah & Spain. I like them. I have walked hundreds of miles in them. They are, however, old. In the Yukon, they leaked. It was so wet there that I doubt anything short of rubber boots would have leaked. I don't know if I should trust such an old pair of boots In AK. 2- I purchased a pair of Kennetrek something or another. I sent 2 pairs back that didn't fit right. The third pair felt better. I wore them several hours around the house before I headed out to the golf course with the new boots and my 48 pound pack. I have walked about 20 miles in them. While generally comfortable, they move up and down on my heel. I have concluded that there is no chance in hell I will wear them in AK. I WILL get blistered. That is about $400 wasted. 3- I have a new pair of Scarpa Koflach's. I swore them around the house a bit. They are awkward on a flat, hard surface but felt fine. Tonight, I took them out on the golf course (no pack tonight). I noticed a few things. They are LOUD. They squeak constantly. It is a little annoying but probably not a big deal. The bigger issue is keeping them tied tightly. I REALLY cranked down on the laces and still had to tighten them up 3 different times in 4 miles. They shoes are pretty comfortable when tight. However, when they start to loosen up, they are not and slide on my foot a lot. I have to wonder of a pair of the flat Kevlar laces would help? What advice would you mountain hunting experts give me? I am thinking of getting a custom pair of the Hanwags. Thanks. | ||
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I buy my Boots at REI if they don,t fit or have issues you can return them no questions. Boots will feel great till you use them then the issues show up. kk alaska | |||
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Larry Not sure the problem with Kenetreck boots I love mine use them all the time Call up am for Jim he is the president of the company he would be glad to help you I am sure. Larry | |||
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I would check back with Kennetrack. I like you had problems. First pair didn't fit. 2nd pair came and were still too tight. Moved and forgot about them till I drew a sheep permit in Wy. Sent them back 3 rd time 4 YEARS later and they still replaced them for free. Worked very well on my hunt. They had finally opened up the width a little more. Best of luck. Bruce | |||
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Regarding your Kennetreks...it sounds like they're a little big for you. Unless they're really big, that can be fixed by going to a thicker insole. Try adding a thin pair of shock absorbing insoles (get flat pair versus a contoured pair) underneath the insoles that came with the boot and see if that helps. It should force your foot further back in the boot, keeping your heel from slipping. If it doesn't, you'll only be out $10-20. I've found with leather boots that they often stretch width-wise during the break in process, and especially after being worn with heavy loads going downhill or after being worn completely wet. The insoles will take them back to their original width and add a little extra cushioning, which never hurts. | |||
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I don't have the custom hanwags, but did buy the HANWAG MOUNTAIN LIGHT GTX BOOTS. They are the best boot I have ever worn and I've been through a lot of boots over the past 23 years in the mountains. | |||
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| one of us |
Boots fit every person differently, so trying them on is your only option. That said, Lowa Hunter GTX boots are what I used in AK. They worked great for me. The Scarpas did not work for me, the rock slides would have destroyed my knees in them. I can roll my ankle almost 90 degrees and it doesn't bother me but take away the roll at the ankle and move it to the knee and I'll be in surgery right quick. Good luck in your search. I'd actually start by asking the guide for suggestions and go from there. Wish I were going back! ______________________ Ken A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in. --- Greek Proverb | |||
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I am worried about the same thing. | |||
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Buy a pair of Lowas and forget about ever owning another brand of boot. I go through a pair of boots every two years and I won't buy another brand. I've tried most of them over the years and I've settled on Lowa for the rest of my mountain days. Tibet GTX early season and Mountain Hunter Extreme late season. | |||
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Be careful of the gel type sole inserts They get cold they stay cold I could not figure why my feet kept getting cold pulled the inserts out they were ice cold. So just back to cabelas medium weight socks. Oh well Larry | |||
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That often tighten Dilemma is normal for new not much walked boots! But you may help as well: tighten them not normaly Normaly I mean: waving up with each slope BUT you could make it other way : coming with the rope above the laces, surround them in the laces and starting the next slope from the lower side of the laces to the next upper. Maybe the Picture helpes more:  | |||
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Just use a surgeon's knot; one additional wrap before you do the final tie. Start young, hunt hard, and enjoy God's bounty. | |||
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| one of us |
You won't go wrong with the Han-wags. Mine fitted like a glove out of the box. Next day it was off to the local cross country ski traild with my pack board & a 40 lb. bag of water softener salt for a 3 km. uphill, down dale hike. Nary a problem. I wear 1 pair of Smartwool socks with 'em. Love 'em. As an addendum, I wouldn't trust those old Cabela's boots at all. The scree will chew 'em up. Bear in Fairbanks Unless you're the lead dog, the scenery never changes. I never thought that I'd live to see a President worse than Jimmy Carter. Well, I have. Gun control means using two hands. | |||
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Larry, What sheep hunt do you have in Utah and with whom are you hunting? What unit? (I'm not writing a book, I just like talking with other sheep hunters..especially about Ut sheep) Good luck with the boot issue. It's such a personal item that advice from others, concerning fit, is worth but little. IMHO Zeke | |||
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Larry I’ll share some rambling thoughts I wouldn’t worry about the brand or model only what you can find that fits, handle you load / side hilling etc. Maybe get some obenaufs and waterproof your cabelas boots if they work. The hanwags from lathrops are not really custom but they can manipulate the shape a little for you, might be running out of time to mess around with that, hanwag are a decent boot, the heel is narrower than most mendls, lowa or kenetreks, the forefoot is about the same, maybe slightly narrower. Hanwags are a little less stiff than lowa, personal preference what you prefer, the hanwag Alaska / Yukon soles are grippier/softer/less durable, than the most lowa mt boots. Fit and function has to come before durability imo, but Lowas are tougher and better built than hanwag and way better than kenetrek Depending on your foot shape you might try the schnees granite, they had the best heel fit and design I have seen but the forefoot was too narrow for me, it appeared to be a very well made boot and I really wished they would have fit a little better in the forefoot. They now make a wide model Yes Kevlar laces don’t stretch and only the compression of the boot insulation etc will cause it loosen, I use Kevlar. Don’t be afraid to use leather lined boots, test them for sewing issues voids in the tongue, especially hawags, and wax them with obenuafs You can buy a couple foot fitter stretcher to modify and shape your own boots a little to push out a pinky toe problem or other issue A pair of E-soles and or supefeet is nice to have around when fitting yourself, also .99cent odor eater type inserts to take up volume under the insole if necessary. Good luck on your hunts Jad | |||
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Thanks all. I have spoken with Lathrop & Sons. It seems the Hanwags are not available. However, the Lowa's are readily available. I am probably going to try those. I have 4 months until my first sheep hunt. I have lost 4 months messing around with these other boots. I am beginning to get nervous. I changed the insole in my Kennetreks. Plus I really tightened down on them. This made a difference. The people at Kennetrek told me this was a common problem. I needed to walk at least 50 miles in them. Thanks again. | |||
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I wouldn't give up on your Kenetrek's. I have about 60 miles on mine and they are just now about broken in and, most of those miles were carrying a 40 to 60 pound backpack. Also, I'm on my 3rd insole and finally settled on Spenco Polysorb Earthbound insoles. They have improved the overall comfort of my boots and have eliminated what little heel slip I had. Again, I would encourage you to try using the surgeon's knot snug-up your laces. Start young, hunt hard, and enjoy God's bounty. | |||
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It is really tough to ask advice on boots, everyone has different feet, and what is fine for me may not work for you. I like Danner Canadians, I love my Koflachs, and have very good luck with the Meindls boots Cabelas sells. Unfortunatly you have to try lots of boots to find out what works and what doesn't. | |||
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I've used a few Lowa Sheephunters,Sportiva's, Kennetreke, but I keep coming back to Meindels! They do have 1 issue that if you have time you can work it out,, they grow pretty fast when new! I buy a 1/2 size smaller and get them soaking wet and use them for a few days. Cabelas has a great return service if you can't make them work for you anyhow. The Canada Boot or the Perfect both break in easy and will last 2 full sheep seasons,,not guiding sheep anymore mine will last longer than I will! I tend to use more than enough gun | |||
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A friend of mine just purchased hiking boots from Schnee's for a up and coming trip to BC and says so far so good | |||
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You won't go wrong with Lowa's. I loved my Lowa's, but don't need to height of them, so switched to the hanwags. Both are good boots and sure there are other good boots. I think whatever boot feels the best on your feet is the way to go! | |||
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Lowa makes several heights of boots. The Tibet GTX is a much lower boot than the Sheephunter or Hunter Extreme as they call it now and the Tibet is non-insulated. Lowa also has a proprietary sole that is impossible to match for grip in the rocks compared to everything else I've worn. | |||
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Apparently, I have a wider than normal forefoot and have found that Crispi fits me better than Lowa or Kennetrek. Nothing against any of the others, the Crispis are just a better fit for me. | |||
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Do not buy any boots without TRYING THEM ON, no matter how good somebody else thinks they are. I know in my case, I've got big fucking feet, high arches, too wide etc... there are many, many types of high-dollar fancy boots that I have tried, and my stupid big feet will just not fit them! Top of the line or not. So that's my $0.02. | |||
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That doesn't work too well in Orlando. Not much in the way of boots available here . | |||
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The best boot is the one that fits, saddly thats the only advice I can give, I have wide, wierd shapped feet, and its hell getting boots to fit, the only solution I have found is to have custom insoles made by a foot doctor, and to try all boots extensively before buying. | |||
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| one of us |
Same here in Fairtown. Not too many places with a wide selection. Sportsman's? They sell what the bean counters tell them to. There's one other place in town but again, I couldn't have gotten my Han-Wags without ordering them. Bear in Fairbanks Unless you're the lead dog, the scenery never changes. I never thought that I'd live to see a President worse than Jimmy Carter. Well, I have. Gun control means using two hands. | |||
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The most difficult thing about getting gear for a hunt is when one lives in an area where no such gear is available. Attempting to get gear in Orlando for an Alaskan hunt is virtually impossible. I quickly realized this when I visited Barney's Sports Chalet at the shows . It is also difficult attempting to buy gear when the type of hunt is not something that you do often. Hell, I think about me trying to buy a bevy sack. I had zero idea what I was looking at. | |||
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we just scored a pair of these: http://www.cabelas.com/catalog...ut3rYCFRN0MgodswgAnA for my wife this weekend at cabelas for $136 normally $319. | |||
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I love those Meindl boots - best boot for the money and the most comfortable boot I have ever worn. | |||
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| one of us |
Cats have nine lives. Which makes them ideal for experimentation... | |||
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http://www.mahoneysports.com/ Cats have nine lives. Which makes them ideal for experimentation... | |||
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| One of Us |
Order a couple pairs from a place like Baker Shoe Company and just return the ones that don't fit. They are awesome about that. | |||
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What talentrec said. I have a pair of Kenetreks also. Used them on a Tur hunt in Russia and was very glad i had them. | |||
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I have a pair of kenetreks Mountain extremes. I wore them for what I thought was decent amount of time probably 100 miles or so. They felt pretty good no big issues. i even did a couple of 14ers here in Colorado with a light pack and no issues. Then I went on my solo goat hunt September before last. BIG FRIGGIN MISTAKE!! Out of shear stupidity on my part I hadn't worn those same Kenetreks on really steep off trail terrain with a heavy load on while scouting all that summer. Well on the way into camp which was about a 6 hour climb with a 75Lb pack on I started to develop a bit of a hot spot on my right heel. By the time I got to my base camp that friggin Kenetrek had blown a full blister into my heel. A deep nasty red oozing blister. This was day one!!! With the application of tons of mole skin and a maniacal desire to succeed I was able to finish the hunt. But I've got to tell you that by the time I was packing out my goat three days later every step was shear burning agony and I was limping like I had a wooden leg. Those friggin boots just about killed me. There is nothing that I've found that will fix them, from different socks to insoles to tightening the crap out of them. If I go steep and heavy they try to blow a hole in my heel. I'm not trashing on kenetrek here but the moral of the story is MAKE SURE and use your boots in the type of terrain with the same load you'll be carrying on the hunt. Mine went from pretty good boots to absolute torture with a simple change in payload and terrain. | |||
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This is what scares the hell out of me. I have no where to climb. | |||
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What surestrike wrote is the crux of the problem. Before I got my Han-Wag's, I got a pair of La Sportiva's. I thought they felt fine and took them on a Brooks Range sheep hunt. Not too bad. On the second Brooks Range trip, into the same area as before, I developed blisters on both heels and could hardly walk. I spent 2-3 days in spike camp, hoping I could keep going. Finally, my partner talked me into bagging it and get back to the airstrip (about 8 miles). We decided that it would be hell if we had to haul out even 1 sheep & our gear, let alone 2 animals. We got back to the strip & called in the plane early. Once in town, I went to the "foot doc" & he said that my boots were at least 1 size too small. In addition to the blisters, I lost the toenails on both large toes. That's when I got the Han-Wags from Lathrop & Son's & haven't looked back. I consider myself rather experienced in the bush and always try to get top notch gear. I thought I was fine with the La Sportiva's. It's a rather humbling lesson in life to find out you screwed up like that. An expensive, early curtailed sheep hunt for us. Just be very careful in what you do & make certain you take moleskin with you. Good luck, Bear in Fairbanks Unless you're the lead dog, the scenery never changes. I never thought that I'd live to see a President worse than Jimmy Carter. Well, I have. Gun control means using two hands. | |||
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I have photos and drawings into Lathrop & Sons right now. Unfortunately, the Hanwags are not available. The boot issue is the one that scares the hell out of me. | |||
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I like the la sportive boots but mine has the calf hide inside seems to work for me. About the only thing you can do is order 4 or 5 pairs and try them send back the ones you don't like. every one is different the boots that work for me can be torture to you . toughen up your feet I do all my training with 5 toes shoes even my long run days by the end of last summer my feet were so tough I think I could have done my sheep hunt bare foot. this also helps straighten your legs and ankles after a year of using them I only have good things to say about five toes shoes. | |||
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This has been a monumental pain in my backside. If I don't make progress soon, I am going to use my 11 year old Cabelas mountain boot. While they are 11 years old, they have only been used for the following trips: Yukon (10 days) Spain ( 2 trips, 5 days total) Utah ( 1 day of climbing) New Zealand (2 trips, 5 total days of climbing). I have walked hundreds of miles in them training here in the flatlands. | |||
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