So, there have been a bunch of posts asking for suggestions for the best elk hunting boot. I'd like to add another with a small twist. FWIW, I've been using an old old pair of Danner Elk Hunters with 400 grm of thinsulate. The books are pretty darn good, but they are wearing out and have a few shortcomings.

The Elkhunters I have, have a small toe box and I think that contributes to their being rather cold. And I have cold feet anyway. Too many episodes of frostbite I guess. So, a bigger toe box would be good. Maybe more insulation too.

I walk a lot, so they can't be super heavy or clunky like felt lined pacs.

Finally in size 10.5 D's they may occasionally have to fit into stirrups that are not mine.

Some of the Cabelas Meindle boots look pretty bulky, and I can't say much about their toe box volume. Though the Meindle-Cabelas Ultralight Hunters with 800 gr of thinsulate might fit the bill. There must be some folks here with experience and suggestions.

Thanks

I hunt in the Meindl from Cabelas and have for 3 years now. Mine are uninsulated. My Danners are insulated and I cannot walk very far in them. I prefer uninsulated to walk in, and we cover a lot of miles a foot on a hunt. I wore them 17 of 20 days this year. I have horses and do not ride in the Meindl. The meindl is just too big for stirrups in my opinion. I hung up a boot, not a Meindl, several years ago and just do not take the chance. I have bad feet and cannot wear a lot of boots, the Meindl has a large toe box, an excellent innersole, and footbed that works well for my foot. I wear 2 pair of wool socks and have not been cold yet. I do carry a pair of insulated over boots if it is really cold, but have not needed them. I have worn Danners, Rocky, and a couple of others, but nothing is like the Meindl. It is all about fit and the Meindl is great for me. My brother wore a boot from LL Bean and loved them. Another guy I hunt with wears Vasque and rides in them.

Maybe Meindls have been changed over the years, but a couple of us with "meaty" feet found the toebox to be too low - top to bottom. It was in 1994 when we had drawn sheep tags, and Cabela's was running a special introduction deal where you could buy and actually field test the boots, return them if you didn't like them. We wore them on a short scouting trip. It was short because the boots were so low over our toes that they literally sanded the skin off several toe knuckles on each of us.

Better try them on and see how they are for your foot. If you have long skinny toes, maybe OK, but I personally have never worked up the interest in trying another pair.

They do look like a great boot, and were well made. Nice boot, but not for these feet.

I agree that uninsulated boots are better for walking, but if I can have only one pair of boots in the backcountry, I guess I want some insulation to avoid freezing my feet in camp. Like I said, I get cold feet easily.

Boot covers is a very interesting idea though. hmmm.

Will be driving past a Cabelas today. May have a few minutes to stop in and try on pair.

My Elk Hunters are comfortable enough of flat ground but less than idea on side hills. I've had other boots that fit better, but wouldn't be up to the cold and wet.

I think the perfect boot, like the perfect pocket knife, remains to be invented.

FWIW, I have bought all of my hunting boots at REI for at least the last twenty to twenty-five years. Mostly Vasques, but a couple of pairs of Asolos, too. I can always find something that will work with my long, narrow feet and extremely high arches. I make it a point to have two pair at a time, one narrow enough to fit in garden variety stirrups.

I wear the Meindls Alaska Hunter, and had them in some stirrups just 2 weeks ago with no problems.

I've also found myself with a tight (and damn dangerous) stirrup fit with the same boot. Not all stirrups are created equally sadly.

The Meindls fit the bill for a good sidehill boot however, and the 200 grams of thinsulate isn't too warm for me and the normal temps one finds during elk season.

i bought a set of irish setter trail phantons for my elk hunt in Co this year in 2nd season. to date i have nothing but good to say about them, zero issues during my hunt very light,extremly comfortable, waterproof. Im sure they wont hold up as long as the higher end boots but for 119.00 its the best pair of boots that ive owned rockys and danners is usually what i wear Ron

May give these a look:

http://www.schnees.com/product/2640/hunting

I wear Asolos also. Very comfortable and high quality. As far as the toe box, I think the Asolos may be on the smaller side so that may be an issue

Tough to beat Kenetrek, I have the uninsulated Hardscrabble and the Mountain Extreme.
http://www.kenetrek.com/products.asp?dept=12&pagenumber=1&sort_on=&sort_by=

I have elk hunting in hiking boots from Vasque, Reichle and Asolo. I keep trying to make them work but in the snow, my toes freeze and gaiters are a must. Just don't work for me for some reason. In warmer - snow free conditions, they are hard to beat for traction and projecting the bottoms of my feed from bruising. My first elk hunt was in LLBean boots with the rubber bottoms - stealthy as all get out for bow hunting but by the end of the week I thought a marching band soles for base drums. Damn they hurt.

Well anyway, a couple hours ago I was in a Cabelas and got to try on the Meindle Ultralights. Quite an experience actually, I was blown away at how light they were and comfortable with a bunch of support that the Danner Elk Hunters never had. I wish the soles were more agressive but they look workable.

The toe box is huge, no problem there. They seem to run a bit large too, so I think I'll go with less insulation and more sock.

As for the stirrups, it occurs to me that I think I'm going to actually have to ride a horse, I can bring my stirrups from home. They are plenty large. I really don't have much use for riding horses - we own two, and I think they are much better on a leash (preferably with a dead elk on their backs - but my oversized dogs will probably stay home and someone else's horses will get the exercise).

The Kenetrek looks like great boots but pricey. Might be more durable than the Meindles too, so the price might balance out in the end. Something to really look at but I like what I saw in the Meindles today.

Brent

I wear boots year around and my approach may not work for you, but here it is anyway. I generally buy uninsulated boots with a Gore-Tex lining that are a half to a full size longer than my dress shoe size. Every year, I�ll spend a good amount of time at REI selecting the newest and greatest socks and liners of various blends and materials to have on hand to adjust for the season of the year. I use skip and/or double wrap lacing techniques to adjust for the blend of sock that I am wearing and the ground conditions in which I am working.

One of best deal out there today is on ebay. The government has turned loose a bunch of new ICB Gore-Tex lined boots that you can pick up on ebay, in about any size and in several different configurations, for under $50.00. I bought three pairs last week, and they are every bit as good as any pair of the $250.00 Danner boots that I have. CP.

Here, drill down through this link�
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_trk...nkw=ICB+boots&_sacat=0&_from=R40

I tested a pair of the Cabela's Meindl Ultralight Hunter (no insulation, but Gore-Tex liner) this fall, starting in September in South Texas and ending up (so far) in early November in southwestern Montana. Wasn't prepared to be impressed, due to the made-in-Vietnam label, but was. The size ordered (9-1/2 EE) was just right for my feet, and took maybe 2 hours of break-in just walking around. The traction is very good on dry ground, but prefer my Kennetrek 400's when it's wet.

Used them from 90 degrees while still-hunting in Texas to riding horses and hiking much up-and-down in Montana in 20-50 degree weather. They could have been a little slimmer for the stirrups but weren't bad.

So far they haven't had any care, but do have had some pig, pronghorn, deer and elk blood on 'em. Dunno how they'll hold up after another season or two but am very pleased so far.

I can see why you didn't expect the Meindls to work too well. They are so darn light. I too worry about their longevity.

CP, if I didn't have a pair of uninsultated boots, I'd buy some of those for bird hunting. That looks like a heck of a good deal. I use Russel Mocs for uninsulated boots. I had to try a custom boot just once. Since I have pretty normally shaped feet, I sure could have spent that money better. They are okay but nothing super special.

In all of my boots, I hunt with a liner sock and a thicker insulating sock. Even in the summer. But in the winter it's not warm enough unless I'm out for only a couple of hours and have a warm truck/house to return too. For some reason, when I elk hunt it is -10F in the morning, knee deep snow and then somewhere, it melts enough to get everything wet and then freezes again. Maybe climate change will help with this

I am pretty hard on boots- Central and Southern Arizona is pretty rough and you walk in rocks a LOT. I have/have had, three pairs of Meindls. My current pair, with worn out soles and rands, is Alaskan hunter. They are very good boots. I have hundred of hours in stirrups with these boots and similar but I run overshoe sized stirrups when hunting. I also have a fairly new pair of Kennetreks. I am not particularly impressed by them. They tend to hurt my feet more than the others. They also came unbonded on their maiden voyage. Maybe I just got a bad pair? They seem to fit pretty good.

Last weekend I was elk hunting in some very rough stuff and decided to dust off my Danner Santiams. Although the bobs only lasted two outings, they did better than I remembered. I think I will have them resoled with something more durable than the useless bob type sole.

The Danners are quite a bit narrower than either the Meindl or Kennetreks. I wear EE and the Danner EE are not quite wide enough- forcing me to up a size.

I will probably buy some other Euro-made boots for my next pair. Lowa is on my short list.

I agree with dghuppert..."tough to beat Kenetrek's"!

I don't have any answers for great boots but i can tell you this. I wear an 11.5 or 12 ee and even a cowboy boot will hang up in the wrong stirrup. When i go elk hunting i use overshoe stirrups as even an uninsulated boot will hang up. Seems to me a 2 or 2&1/2 inch is better than the wider ones.I tripped steers for a while and found the 2 inchers easier to get away from.
I'm looking for a pair of insulated boots as well. Have a pair of cabelas mountain hunters that i've had for years come unbonded. They were warm and dry but slick in the snow. Is there somebody that can change soles on them?
If i were going on a hunt away from home i would darn sure take my own stirrups. The cossack drag is a stunt i preformed once and hope to never again.

Fred

Thanks for the pointers on stirrups Fred. I may own horses, but I'm sure not an expert about them.

Brent,
Valley Manufacturing at 503-928-1271 builds all kinds but i like a 2 inch deep roper overshoe stirrup.

Fred

I use a pair of Wolverine boots I got for half price at Bass Pro Shops in 2008. Leather and nylon with 200 or 400 gm Thinsulae (can't remember exactly). They have a bob sole. Have used them in 2010 and 2011 plus wearing around town...very comfortable boots. I have also worn Wolverine steel toe boots at work and was very impressed by them.

danner is a totally different boot fit than meindls. meindl is sized more european and the lasts as such are different than most any other boot I have tried. for me the heel area on the meindls is way too big. I tried out the hiker model on a 50 mile backpack trip. I just never was happy with the heel fit. my favorite danners are the discontinued frontier model that boot fits my feet really well. however if you want a large toe box the danner pronghorn has a ton and for me the toe area is kinda too big. you might really like those if your heel doesn't do well in meindls. otherwise if you get your heel to fit meindls are great boots especially over rocks and with a load on your back.

scheels had some crispi boots that I really liked but at the time last fall they wanted $400 for them last I looked they were marked down to $250. they are the best fitting boot I have ever tried on in a store. I don't see why you would go with more than 400 grain insulation in a general hunting boot. I use my 400g boots in the snow and in very cold temperatures and do just fine. I would suggest useing a good pair of wool socks and matching your sock thickness to the temps you plan to hunt in. light early fall or heavy wool cold and snow.

Check out Crispi Boots. The model I bought is called the "Wild".

I've owned a lot of boots over the years, but these are my all time favorites.

donsm70

Meindl Perfekt. Still going strong for over 6 years of 365 days a year wear.

Made in Germany.

Well, I got a pair of Meindle's for Christmas and we are going to give them a try. Lots of toe room and an interesting heal. Seems like they will be easy to slip on even when semi-frozen in the morning - damn I hate that. They are ridiculously tall boots but snow won't be sliding down them that way. Seem like a good boot, now time will tell. I'm drawing an elk tag in WY this year.

I'm another Kenetrek fan. I have a pair of Mountain Extremes that performed well on a recent elk hunt in CO. But, I will caution that they do require break-in before serious use. The manufacturer suggests 50 miles. I had about 35 or so miles on mine before a CO elk hunt and wish I would have had time for more. I did get a small blister on one foot but, the boots are COMFORTABLE, warm, and waterproof and provide excellent support. I'm not about to let a blister get in the way of a fine hunting boot. I've got some time to finish the break-in before an upcoming New Mexico elk hunting trip planned for later this year.

I like Danner Canadians. I am on my second pair and wore out another pair from Cabelas that were the same boot. I use them for everything except ice fishing and stand hunting when Schnees pacs get the nod.

Well, I took my Meindle's out for a spin today. They work well. My toes got a bit cold after an hour in 20F weather. I guess I just have cold feet. But there is room for better socks too. Otherwise, they are perfect for just about everything I put them to, though a bit twisty on steep side slopes along a river cut bank. I like 'em.

This guy wasn't so crazy about them however

I've tried lots of boots and keep coming back to Danners. I usually go over to the factory store, which is right near the Portland airport, and look at the seconds before paying the big bucks for the first runs.
It seems they change their line up every year, but I can usually find a good pair that fit my feet well. The ones I bought this year are the canadians and I like them a lot, but didn't put a lot of miles on them as my other Danners still have several years' worth of life left in them.

A couple things I like about the Danners is they don't need to be broken in and they are as warm as you buy them- if I want boots with no insulation or lots of insulation you can buy them that way.
The drawback to Danners is that with the waterproof Goretex bootie, you need to wear the socks you are going to use on your hunt to try them on or they may not fit. The bootie never stretches out and if you wear lighter socks on your hunt, you will slip around in them. If you wear heavier socks on your hunt you risk cutting off your circulation which can cause cold feet and much worse- don't ask me how I found this out. Luckily, the 10D's fit my feet perfectly and I can walk many miles in them any day and never feel uncomfortable (at least due to my boots).

Bob

Hey Brent, I also just got some Meindl boots. I blew out my other boots deer hunting, half way thru a 6 mile hike. Luckily I had a pair of Meindl hiking shoes with me. After I bought the hiking shoes, I have not put my tennis shoes back on. Most comfortable shoes I have worn. Same goes for the hunting boots.

I did not have time before my elk hunt to buy boots and get them "ready" so I was leery about buying new boots and taking them right out into the field.

I was pleasantly surprised at how comfortable they were. I tried them on at the store, but you just never know what they are going to "feel" like while hiking up and down canyons/rocks.

I did not have to break them in at all. They were quiet on the rocks, flexible and I didn't feel all the sharp rocks poking the bottoms of my feet. I hope they last a few years and if they do, I will be buying another pair when they wear out.

I think the pair I have, have 400 mg thinsulate. Not super insulated, but enough for the freezing temps I had while hunting and my feet never got cold, and should be good enough for the warm weather hunting here in AZ.

Hope yours are as comfortable as mine.

Mainly I wear two different brands. For easy contry not to much sidehill, my ASOLO 535's with Gortex for water resistent. For the heavy stuff, rocks and steep sidehills, I use the La Sportiva Glacier, also water resistent. I say resistent because I sometimes hunt the rain forest in Western Wa. This year 7 inches of rain in 10 days. Nothing other that rubber will stay totally dry in those conditions. I am on my second pair of the La Sportiva's and 3rd pair of the 535's. I hunt and hike in them 70+ days a year.

Two summers ago I dropped the hammer on a pair of Meindl Vakuum (memory foam) boots, and wish I hadn't. I have a D width foot, and they fit too tight in the toe. Funny, they felt fine at first, but seemed to tighten up considerably once broken in.

Then this summer, I went for a pair of Lowa Hunter GTX Extremes, and can't say enough good things about them. They fit like a glove, and was pleasantly surprised when they kept my feet totally warm on a 10-day hunt in northern B.C. this past Oct. 19-29 when the temperature ranged between -4*C to -12*C for the duration of the hunt.

I'll second these as very good boots for the money. With good socks I can wear them sitting still for hours in temps as low as the 20s and be comfortable. I get cold feet very easily. For temps lower than that I plan on buying a set of Schnees.

If you look, you'll notice a lot of those boots are Danners and similar from military contracts. Great boots and a terrific price for boots of that quality.
New, those boots are over $200 from Danner.

Bob

I bought a new pair of kenetrek mountain extremes a couple months ago. I will reiterate about the break in. I went on a few walks with mine to "break them in" but they weren't ready by the time I went hunting. I did about 1300 vertical feet and about 4 miles total (with some snow) the first day and by the end of the day the back of my heels were killing me. I went the next weekend and did the same thing and they were much better. Then the next weekend I went again and the boots were good to go.

I have a really bad ankle so the 10 inches of support is greatly appreciated. I would highly recommend the boots, just make sure you take the time to break them in ESPECIALLY if you are planning a > 1 day trip.

This is what I like about the Meindl Perfekt boots. It only applies to this model. I went for a long hike with mine the first day i got them. No breakin was needed.


"When German master boot maker Alfons Meindl finished this series of boots for us, he had one word to describe it � "Perfekt". In fact, they�re built so well, they�re recommended by the American Podiatric Medical Association for their foot-friendly construction."

Brent, what model did you end up with?

I have 2 pair of Meindls - the Perfekt Hunter (400gr) and Denali w/fit IQ (uninsulated). If these ever wear out I'll be looking to get the same ones.

I ended up with these ultralights with 400 gr, though the Perfekts sure look good too.
http://www.cabelas.com/product/Cabelas-400-Gram-Ultralight-Hunter-Boots-by-Meindl/1394676.uts?Ntk=AllProducts&searchPath=%2Fcatalog%2Fsearch.cmd%3Fform_state%3DsearchForm%26N%3D0%26fsch%3Dtrue%26Ntk%3DAllProducts%26Ntt%3DMeindl%2Bultralight%26x%3D0%26y%3D0%26WTz_l%3DHeader%253BSearch-All%2BProducts&Ntt=Meindl+ultralight&WTz_l=Header%3BSearch-All+Products

How about a WIDE WIDTH boot. I tried on the PERFECT BOOT made by Miendel for Cabelas...it fit me terrible!!

Brent - tell us about the smokepole in this picture, it looks interesting - what make(r), caliber, length, etc

setch,
It is a flintlock built by myself. It has a .54 Colerain barrel that si 42" long. Just another roundball gun that uses between 100 and 127 grs of powder, depending on the application. The former in this case.

Hard to get a good picture of a rifle that is as long as this one, but here are a few others. It is a rifle that has killed a lot of game.

My Danner Ft Lewis boots were tough, but my Asolo's - the high end leather ones, I cant rememberthe three letter "name" they give them, were the toughest boots I have ever seen. The last pair is still in action for everyday use 8 6 years after I got them, and they did Mt Klimanjaro and the Chilcoot trail.

The new pair is being worn this morning for the third time, they feel like new sneakers instead of new boots.

I tend to do 6-7 day backpack hunts and have to have something lightweight. I have gone through a number of boots across the price spectrum but ended up having really good luck with a fairly cheap boot. Last year I used Keen Targhee's (about $140). They have 200 gram of thinsulate and are extremely light and feel like a tennis shoe. I wore them with the heaviest Smartwool socks you can buy and had no problem with warmth at 11000 ft in zero degree weather. Still too early to tell on how they will hold up long term, but my feet were never cold and I had no issues with foot pain. Also, they require little to no break-in time. Not sure they are for everyone, but this is what worked for me.

I don't know how you guys get by in truly 0 degree (O F right?) weather in boots with that little insulation. Sure, they are fine when walking and moving a lot, but when I qm hunting, I am moving slow for long periods or even not moving at all for shorter periods of time. I'm not a big stand hunter, but I don't hunt at full speed either.

When on a backpack hunt, the sun goes down early at that time of year, and I find myself trying to burn my boots in a campfire if I'm lucky and more often, I'm camping cold and just suffering with cold toes until I finally have to turn in, if only to warm them back up to the point where they don't hurt quite so much.

Must be a wimp, but I need more insulation than you guys use. So, 400 will let me get by, if I have room for heavy socks too.

I think the Smartwool socks make all the difference in the world. And yes it is 0 F.

You can't run fast enough to give me wool socks for cold weather hunting in Gore-Tex boots. I use Dahlgren socks which wick the moisture out of the boot allowing my feet to stay warmer. Either that or change to dry socks when you stop or start still hunting.
Yes, I've done lots of both in uninsulated boots in temperatures below zero. E

Smartwool is pretty hard to beat. Rag wool, esp. if it has cotton blended in, however, is about as bad as anything I've seen.

Fleece socks become matted pretty quickly and really have failed miserably for me, much to my surprise.

All you guys that hunt barefoot in the sub-zero snow are real men. Somehow, I've never met such people all the time I lived in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Iowa. I'm impressed. Wish I could do the same.

Maybe we need a good sock thread. I think I'll start one.

I bought a new pair of USA made Danner Ridgemaster's to wear Elk hunting this year. Turned out really well, considering I did not get to give them a proper breakin. 400 grm's Thinsulate and with Merino wool socks. Feet stayed warm and dry and had plenty of stability while carrying a heavy pack.
Love that smokepole Brent. That is a thing of beauty! Make's me wish I had my Lyman Great Plains Rifle back!

Try the thick Smartwool hiking socks. I bet you change your mind.