I need some info on pac boots. Im looking for something to keep my feet warm on stand & ive read somewhere that you just cant beat a good pac boot.anyways i was wondering if any of yall have any & what you think. Im wondering between wool & felt liners vs. thinsulate liners i would think the wool/felt would be warmer. Im particularly looking at hoffman & schnees boots. Any help would be appreciated.
It's been awhile, but I think the wool felt is better. Better still is to replace the felt liner with a shearling liner. It wicks the moisture away from your foot much better imo.
My Sorel pac boots are 30+ yrs old and still going strong. One piece of advice whatever you choose get the wool inserts the new material sucks and your feet will freeze...PR
What Paul said!!!! Amen brother! Sorel Pac boot with wool felt liner and a back up pair to rotate when the first pair gets used a few days in a row.
Bob.
The sorels are good, wool with a backer is also a great idea. I don't like the synthetics for sitting, you freeze.
Might want to take a look at a pair of White's, great insulation factor but some find they have to much arch. Baffin makes some damn fine boots as well
Did you ever try the Mickey Mouse Military boots? They are inexpensive and warm as toast.
For a different spin for you. I love the LaCross Ice Man boot. Wool felt only.
However you are not done here. Socks. One layer of cool max sock with wool over that. I am a huge fan of Smart Wool socks. Keep extra cool max and never wear them for more then one day. I don't know why but if you wear them for the second day they don't work well. Once you wash them they are fine again.
I don't wear the wool socks when I am walking in. I put them on after I get to where I want to be.
Get over the calf length because I have had plenty of sores up on my shins from the corse wool all boot companies use for their felt liners. It is a catch 22 because the corse wool is stronger and will wear longer with no pilling but it is by no means soft like a marino wool.
Bill, I'm with you on the SmartWool socks. I use polypro liners with them, and they're both the best and the most expensive socks I've ever owned! I wear them with my uninsulated Bean boots, and they keep my feet warm down to freezing. After that, it's the pack boots. If I could just find some that were light in weight... but that's another thread.
QuoteOriginally posted by Mint:
Did you ever try the Mickey Mouse Military boots? They are inexpensive and warm as toast.
Bunny boots! Probably the most comon winter boot in Alaska.
Cabela's Predator Extreme Pac boot.
I sit for hours on stand (like today) with these boots and they keep my feet warm. Good product for a good price.
http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/links/link.jsp?id=0020833830435a&type=product&cmCat=SEARCH_all&returnPage=search-results1.jsp&Ntt=predator+boots&Ntk=Products&sort=all&_ D%3AhasJS=+&N=0&_D%3Asort=+&Nty=1&hasJS=true&_DARGS=%2Fcabelas%2Fen%2Fcommon%2Fsearch%2Fsearch-box.jsp.form1&_dyncharset=ISO-8859-1 (http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/links/link.jsp?id=0020833830435a&type=product&cmCat=SEARCH_all&returnPage=search-results1.jsp&Ntt=predator+boots&Ntk=Products&sort=all&_D%3AhasJS=+&N=0&_D%3Asort=+&Nty=1&hasJS=true&_DARGS=%2Fcabelas%2Fen%2Fcommon%2Fsearch%2Fsearch-box.jsp.form1&_dyncharset=ISO-8859-1)
Ed
Regarding felt liners and/or insoles:
If you don't get around salt water these tips might not be worth much to you....but I live on an island surrounded by the ocean, and am getting in and out of boats all the time when hunting and will get my boots wet with sea water sometimes.
Somebody who lived here longer than me(an Old Salt?) pointed out that after getting your feet wet, you have to rinse out the felt (and boots) with fresh water to get rid of the salt. Otherwise, even if you dry them real well, the salt will absorb moisture from the air (or your feet) and they will be damp and clammy all the time.
Of course, the other thing is to change the liners out each day with an extra pair to let the others dry out, and to change your socks a couple of times a day if you can.
My boat has an inboard diesel engine, and I put the felts in the engine compartment while I am underway. It gets to be about 100 degrees in there, and everything gets toasty warm and dry in a hurry. This lets me use a fresh dry pair every day, instead of gradually getting more damp on multi-day hunting trips. At home, I use a Peet shoe dryer on the liners for the same effect.
I like the Sorel