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Winter Boots


Wyatt Tuzo

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I use the Neos line since a few years now with great success. A small pair for the city, and a bigger pair for outside trips.

I have Baffin and Sorel too but I prefer the Neos now. In Quebec we have pretty rough days in winter.

The trick is keeping the feet dry. Have several pairs of socks, and change during the day.

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If you'll be going in and out of heated spaces a lot, I'd take a look at Neos overshoes.

Best regards,

Jim

Have a pair of these and they are great!

Wouldn't want to do any driving in them, but they are the warmest thing I've ever had on my feet, and you can still wear your usual comfy hiking boots inside them.

Wore them in Iqaluit and would pop them on when shooting outside and then take them off when driving on the total of 20km of paved road they have up there.

R

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I've spent many a night out in the snow and cold.

Good boots is a good start. Sorels or Baffins are good.

But the best money I've spent in keeping my feet warm are these: http://www.cabelas.c...t-socks-1.shtml

They don't create intense amounts of heat, but just enough to keep your feet warm without getting too hot and creating a bigger problem by making your feet sweat.

you go through a set of C cells a day, but well worth it. I keep toying with the idea of hooking them up to some NPF style batteries ! LOL. That would crank up the heat.

I've got a lot of extra iPower 9V kicking around these days, it would be nice to find some electric socks that run on 9V!

R

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I have a pair of North face Chilkat II boots:

www.thenorthface.com/catalog/sc-gear/mens-footwear-filter-category-boots/mens-chilkat-ii-boot.html

A hundred of your finest US dollars would be very well spent. I have been working in deep mud over the past week and the warmth and dryness without undue weight has been a godsend.

Tim

I have the original Chilkats and liked them so much I also bought a pair of Chilkat II's. They were on sale at EMS for $75 so that was a no-brainer. When I was out in Yellowstone a few winters ago these boots proved themselves.

So many great suggestions here...

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Today I wore my Sorel 1964 Premium boots on a shoot in -20degrees Celsius, and my feet were cold the whole day... I wore Icebreaker Merino Wool Socks and and extra pair of woollen socks to no avail... I noticed that the inside of the boots and the inner-felt boot were wet, I just cannot pinpoint if it was persperation or that the rubber soles had a leak.. It was only the second time since I have this pair of boots that I wore them... Till now, I'm seriously dissapointed, but perhaps I should wear one pair of socks less? or change socks more often during the day as some other member on the forum mentioned?

I just don't know about the rubber part of the boot... rubber is not made to breathe that well, so if there is perspiration, it'll stay inside the boot, eventually becoming icy..

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I have spent a lot of nights outside both on the East Coast and here in the mountains (think Northern Exposure) and Sorels completely don't cut it as far as I am concerned. Here is a link to the only winter shoes that have been failure proof for me. The day before I bought them, after a really cold (15*) night in an upstate NY motel parking lot, the boomman on the show I was cabling said "If I said I could make your feet warm for $500, would you pay me?" The answer was an obvious "YES" and I went back to my room and ordered these boots FedEx First Overnight. I have never regretted the purchase.

http://www.northernoutfitters.com/our-original-arctic-boots/

D.

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Yes, moisture buildup can be a problem in boots with rubber bottoms. I have an enormous pair of Baffin Techs that I have worn at -50° C (with wind chill) and been very happy with. They have a plastic waffle grid below the inner boot that acts as a sump for perspiration buildup. At the end of every single day I would have to towel them out and dry them with a fan.

During the day there would be a lot of moisture management going on, with the boots coming off if we were inside. (a pair of sandals in the backpack are good so you can leave the boots at the door.) I don't generally change my socks during the day, but I will towel out the condensation. (and I usually have a spare pair of socks if they do get really wet)

A few other ideas...

-One of the best solutions I have found is antiperspirant applied to your feet. It's an old mountaineering trick to prevent the inevitable results of wet feet, non breathable boots and exertion. And mountaineers don't usually have the luxury of drying boots out other than keeping their liners in their sleeping bags with them.

-Are you running around? Maybe try lighter, more breathable boots so perspiration is not a problem.

-Fewer socks and more room for your feet can be good. Wearing too many socks can constrict the blood flow to your feet and cause them to be both cold and sweaty.

- A better sock setup than 2 pairs of wool socks is a thin pair of moisture wicking liner socks under your merino icebreakers.

Go to a outdoors or mountaineering clothing and boot shop and ask for them.

Good luck,

Brent Calkin

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To Dj and Doug,

I totally know what you're talking about. For anyone who stumbles across this thread in the future... Know that within an hour outdoors with my Sorels (also the 64 premiums) and wool socks, my toes were numb. We aren;t even in the thick of it yet! I put my Neo's over them (to keep them from getting dirty), and will be returning them as soon as I get an opportunity.

Those arctic boots are intense!

I wish I could find something that is as warm as it is wearable. I suppose there are always trade-offs

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To truly keep your feet warm in extreme cold you probably won't do better than these http://www.furcanada...miks-boots.html . Refined and tested over the past 2,000 years they are lightweight and breathe well, keeping moisture from building up inside the boot. Available in caribou for use in snow and waterproof sealskin for use on ice and in wet conditions. I've had the good fortune to have worn them in -30 degree weather and at worst my feet were comfortably cool while others on the crew, wearing military grade arctic boots, complained of feet so cold they were worried they were getting frostbite. A bit on the pricey side if you don't have an Inuit guide to loan you a pair. :)

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I bought a pair of bates cold weather boots. They are made for the US military and are gortex with a separate thinsulate liner and a super comfy footbed liner. I liked them so much I ended up buying 3 pair. Look them up on eBay. They are sold new for close to $300 but you can pick em up for anywhere between 25 and 50.

Look at this on eBay:

Bates .Cold Weather Leather Military Boot GoreTex 15.5R

http://bit.ly/UjOnBL

That's my size but that's the search. I take them snowshoeing, and hiking in winter and I sit in my mixer chair all through my Vancouver Canada winters in them. I also highly recommend merino wool socks. That's all I own now. Merino wool is a way better under layer than synthetic. It stays scent free for a very long time and never gets that gross permanent smell like the man made stuff. Good luck!

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Living in Michigan all my life, and having to work in extremely cold conditions I have a learned that one boot just like one microphone does not cover al situations. For next to zero or below zero work I have found Irish Setter Elk Hunter Boots by Red Wing to be the best for me.

1000 gram Thinsulate insulation and Gore-Tex liner. I usually wear a polypro liner and wool socks in them, my feet stay warm all day. They are a bit bulky though.

If I'm running and gunning, I have a pair of Merrell Thermo 6" with 200g Thinsulate, they offer warmth, and good support, much like a hiking boot. Just my .02

ed

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