MG:
As you know I am familiar with the terrain where you told you hunt annually in Monroe Co. I've also got a lot of experience with different types of boots, for hiking, and also for anything for hot weather, to dealing with 30 below in wet terrain in Northern MN...
I've found real expensive hunting boots are living on past Laurels, when they use to make good ones...for a reasonable cost. Those days are gone.
My time serving Uncle Sam, I was in the Medical Corps and had to look after troops, being out in bad weather, where foot problems can eventually bench the entire unit. In my experience, as far as hiking, in my younger years I was a hiking fool. On my resume, I can pass on I've hiked the entire Appalachian Trail, in parts, but the entire length of it from Maine down to Georgia, and then my time stationed in Washington State, I've hiked the Pacific Crest Trail, from the Canadian Border down to Bend Oregon...and then partial parts, south into Southern Oregon and Northern California.
Wet and cold, or hot and dusty. in 1969 in Scouting, I was with a crew that went and hiked 292 miles in 3 weeks in Glacier NP in Montana and Waterton International Peace Park in Alberta.. Everyone of the other guys had spendy boots and 292 miles in Glacier Destroyed their footwear by the time we were done... what I put together, they just got broken in...
So I think I have a good handle on talking about footwear and severe duty in the out doors...
For the last 20 years or so here in Oregon, I picked up a set of Herman Survivors. They've been out in all sorts of weather, hot and dry to cold and extremely wet. Feet stayed dry regardless of weather. They are getting sort of bald on the bottoms, but when I'm out in snow at altitude, I just put on some aftermarket ClampONs..giving plenty of traction on ice and packed snow.
To keep your feet both warm in cold and cool in heat, that boils down to your socks.
For that, I recommend using a set of Polypropelene Socks.. They are thin, but hold in heat, yet dissipate heat by breathing in warm weather or when your feet start to sweat... (which can later get cold after the sweat gets a pair of socks wet.) Over those, I wear a set of wool blend socks. They will also breathe in warm weather, but hold in heat in cold.
And to cover the two pairs of socks, order your boots 1/2 a size larger.. Always bring along an extra pair of both the polypropelene and the wool socks. Change them every couple of hours . to air out the socks you just took off, I've always carried an extra 72 inch shoe string... and a pair of clothes pins. Pin the socks on the boot shoe string and hang it on my pack, if hiking, or just around my neck when hunting.
a Lot more than once, I've walked or hiked 25 to 30 miles in a day, rotating the socks, never ended up with any blisters... that happens by keeping your feet dry and dousing them with some baby powder ( talc powder) when needed.
How you take care of your feet matters a lot more than having spendy hiking boots...just a comfortable pair, waterproof of course....foot health is best accomplished with a decent couple of pairs of breathable socks... Polypropelene and a pair of Wool mix goes a long way to having happy feet...
and in case, for what ever reason one might get a blister or two, some "Mole Skin" is great for covering those blisters and not making them grow, and ruining your day.
and its always wise to carry a pair of foot inserts, in case the ones you have give out on you way out in the middle of nowhere...
Oh,and those Herman Survivors? I picked those up at Walmart for about $55 bucks, somewhere before the year 2000. They still carry them at our local Wally World...I think the price is up to like $69.00...
Hope this helps you out my friend...feel free to PM me if ya got any more questions I can help ya out with.
cheers
john chr/ seafire
Thank you Sir for the great advice. My buddy who's camp we normally hunt out of in Gap Mills swears by those Herman Survivors. I probably should have taken his advice years ago. I'll try them this year. Thanks again and good hunting!
Scott
