Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Backpack Hunting NEOS overshoes; any experience?

Score!

I bought a pair of these for up there...



I can't help with your main question, but I will be bringing my Kenetrek Northern Pac Boots, in addition to muck boots. Worse case, you can borrow my packs unless size 9 is too small. When paired with some heavy socks, my Arctic Sport muck boots have served me well when it is well below -20. They're not bad for somewhat short hikes either.

I did spring for the NEOS; just need to try them on to see if they will fit over my boots. If they don't, I'll probably put an order in with Hoffman boots for a pair of their pacs.

Nice mits! I'm thinking I may spring for some lined choppers too.

Well, I'm back and I didn't freeze my feet off! I'm actually quite pleased with the purchase and know I will get more use out of the NEOS Navigators. The overboots (XXL) were a very snug fit over my Cabelas Denalis. The strap across the top held them in place well and they did not flop around or cause me any trouble in walking. The insulation in them is a semi firm foam. Not too stiff to cause them to feel like boxes on your feet nor too bulky. The sole is a bit soft-ish with somewhat of a two tier design. The out treads weren't as deep as the inner and they were softer. I'm guessing they are to help give some "float" in snow. I'm heavy enough that it wasn't a help, but it did make for some neat looking tracks!

Though we didn't experience weather the area is known for, we did see -20º and colder a couple of times. My feel stayed warm with just a pair of Darn Tough Hunter socks, the uninsuated Denali's and the NEOS. I didn't put in any big mileage days, but did some walking and didn't feel anything different than with out the NEOS. No hot spots or flopping around. They stayed put and stable on the couple of days we had that involved some elevation gain/loss looking for birds. The one small knock is that the soft outsole took a bit more effort to get 'bite' on the ground when side hilling. These will see use in midwestern whitetail woods, possibly even cold or wet days chasing roosters, and likely even on a snowy elk hunt. While I will not say they are as good or better than good pacs (I've never had any), I see them as a very affordable and capable option for someone wanting to extend the weather/temperature window they use their current boots in.

So.... bison?

The tag holder shot a cow bison. I'm glad I didn't get to experience any weather that DJ is infamous for...

Good deal.

I don't blame you on the cold. We did a winter Caribou hunt "sort of" in that neighborhood a couple years ago on snowmachines. Even -30 ambient is not any fun, and its easy to get yourself in trouble when the wind is constantly blowing.

One of the days we climbed to the top of Donnelly Dome to look for ptarmigan. Up til about noon it was beautiful. Temps made it close to 20º. Then the wind started and just kept on blowing. A day like that with colder temps I could see where things could get interesting.