Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Backpack Hunting Hiking/hunting boots?

I bought a pair of Zamberlan GTX boots and wore them to the top of Kilimanjaro. They boots were hard to adjust and beat to crap after one hike (admittedly a long and very rocky hike). So, they went back.

What’s the consensus for boots for hiking and backpack hunting in the Western US?

I live in eastern Washington, but hunt in Western WA, eastern WA, sometimes OR or ID and Alaska.

Comfortable and durable are the targets.

Insulated would be nice, but probably not necessary.

My current Salewa Mountain Trainer GTX (I think that is the model) are the most comfortable serious hiking boot I've ever owned, and I've had a number of good boots from early Merrills, One Sport, Danners, Asolo, and several other name and unknown brands.

As you know, a lot depends on your foot, which boot company last fits your foot best, etc. I generally am easy to fit and don't blister or have much boot trouble. The Salewa's are so comfortable I knock around town in them more than any previous serious boot. Much of their wear time has been in misty coastal rain, snow and wet brush, with gaiters and sometimes rain pants, the rest on the east side. Very stiff sole good on steep talus etc. and I have worn them quite a bit with Katoola micro-spikes though not with crampons. They are a little stiff for a trail boot, about right for my ramblings off trail.

Second Ascent in Seattle is a good place to check for boots if you live close enough. New and used, usually at very good prices, close-outs etc.

I switched to Lowa Hunter GTXs, but may try a Scarpa at some point.

Kenereks, Danners and the other "good" boots would last less than one hunting season. Lowas seem to be good for 3 seasons for me in AK, ID, MT and WY, if they're waxed and oiled regularly.

I’m tagging onto this as I’m also looking.
Iv’ e been eyeing the crispi nevada’s.

This....

I love Kenetreks but I'm in this boat too. One season and they are destroyed.

I'm still searching....

The Salewa looks VERY good... early season I wear a very similar looking Salomon Quest 4D-3-GTX. Outstanding comfort. Been using this model for the last 8 years.

https://www.salomon.com/en-us/shop/product/quest-4d-3-gtxr.html#1191=9861

Later when it's cold/snowy, I wear a pair of 400 gram insulated Cabela's Meindl Perfekt's.

KG Bootguard will really help any leather boot last longer.

Backpacking late spring, summer, early fall I wear low hikers...

Kilimanjaro was tough on the boots because of the lava rock and scree. However, my wife’s Solomon GTXs are none the worse for the wear.

Keen Targhee II or III... best hunting/hikers I have had.

I also wear Keen Targhees. As I got older, the balls of my feet spread. The Keens are the only brand I've found that really fit me well. I have 1 hunting season in them and they seem to be wearing like iron.

I hunt mountains/desert with lots of rock too. My boots are literally shredded after one scouting/hunting season but I put more miles than most on them. Frustrating.

These?

https://www.amazon.com/Salewa-Mount...&hvtargid=pla-434985549542&psc=1

I really like my Crispis. They have done very well in the mountains of Idaho the last 2 years.

Currently wearing Kenetreks, but durability isn't that great. Especially considering the price of their boots and rebuilds. I do have to say K-trek has been trying to make it right with me though and I'll see how things go. The k-treks I've worn are waterproof which is a big deal for me.

I wear Salomon 4D GTX for kick around summer hikers and they are comfortable, but usually leak eventually and I need a water-proof boot most of the time.

I really want to try some Crispi's next time, but I've never even tried a pair on and talking with the rep at Black Ovis my narrow foot might only work well with a few Crispi models.

The old Meindl Perfekt's were about the most durable boot I've used. Don't know how the new ones hold up

Greg, the Salewa boot I have is the MS Rapace GTX, which is apparently no longer made. My bad for the earlier post. I bought them 3 or 4 years ago and made my first post from memory, but just now got the boot and read the inside label. They were a lot more expensive when I bought mine than the current GTX Trainer.

https://www.rei.com/product/881741/salewa-rapace-gtx-mountaineering-boots-mens

Lots of good boots now made. I mention the Salewas as merely a good one to check out. I hadn't planned to spend that much on a boot as I am slowing down, but they felt so superbly comfortable the moment I tried them on in the store that I bought them and have liked them even better than expected.

Mine have considerable miles on them in wet and dry, and have been in on two Pope & Young elk, about ten deer, an unsuccessful moose hunt, one black bear, coyotes, bobcats, lynx, wild berry picking and some backpacking. They have not been in lava fields.

Re lava & boots: I totally wore out and shredded a new pair of leather boots in one afternoon exploring a lava tube cave in WA State. Inside the cave the lava was unweathered and sharp as fresh broken glass and diamond abrasive.

Greg,

I looked the Salewa Mountain Trainer Mid GTX Hiking Boot up on Amazon, and according to the reviews, these might be better.

Salewa Men's Rapace GTX Mountaineering Boot

outdoorgearlab.com rates the Salomon 4D GTX the highest for hiking with a pack on.

For the Salewa Mountain Trainer Mid GTX they say "This super stiff and stable, durable midweight hiker is built for the alpine environment, but not for comfort.."

Thanks David - one day I'll find a boot I hope that holds up...

I may snatch a pair and see how long they last....

I have the Salewa Mountain Trainer Low. They’re super rugged, leather lined, comfortable, and supportive. I’ve had them a little over a year. The GTX has Gortex and isn’t leather lined. Other than that, they share the same construction.

https://www.salewa.com/en-us/men-trekking-hiking-shoes

I'm probably going to end up with one of the Salewa's mentioned (Mtn Trainer Mid or Rapace). I'll be following along this thread.

Can we please remove Danner from the list of "good" boots now?

I have 3 years on a pair of Vasque St Elias GTX's including 3 trips in the Andes Mountains most of which on sharp rocks and difficult climbs/descents and am happy with them. They are still in excellent condition except the rocks have taken their toll on the soles. They will be fine for this upcoming hunting season but will be replaced for the next trip to Peru. I wear these boots a lot. The are very comfortable, waterproof, breath well, and stable in rocks. I should have most likely been using heavy boots in the Andes and will buy a heavier pair for the next trip.

Years ago, when Goretex 1st came out, Vasque is one of the companies who about put them out of business. I bought a pair of Vasques with the new membrane and it was terrible. It leaked like crazy. The 1st companies to use it didn't bother to seal any of the seams. They just sewed and sold. Goretex quickly got a reputation for being worthless. They finally refused to sell the membrane to any company who didn't rigidly follow their instructions on sealing it. They even demanded to make inspections of the assembly plants. No clothing maker who didn't comply could put the Goretex name on their stuff. It took them a long time to get their reputation back.

Have had 3 pairs of Vasques and never experienced ANY leakage in the wet of the Pacific Northwest.


Just put 50th mile on a pair of KEEN Targhee II Waterproof Mid boots.

Most comfortable fit and performance of my many boots. No toe jamming on steep descents.

Goretex forced Vasque to do it right many years ago.

Agreed on the Vasque's ability to repel water. No leakage ever and they have been tested under real life conditions including literally hiking in a shallow creek for miles due to steep canyon walls.

On the Keen Targhee II's, Thank you for relating your experience with these. I have not considered this brand before. I am needing something a bit heavier than the Vasques for rocks of which the entire time will be spent above treeline at 14,500 strictly in sharp and unstable rocks the whole time. Do you think the Keen Targhee III's would be an upgrade? I have a few months to make up my mind and want to get the options on the table before the next trip to Peru.

Am trying to remember why I chose the Targhee II over the III...seems like reviews indicated the III's were on a narrower last. Toe rubber on the III is slightly different.

Wore them on pavement, sand, trail, fallen timber, talus, rock, boulders and scree as well as snow. Feet stayed dry from the inside although am in the habit of changing socks midway on any appreciable hike distance. In the North Cascades wore them in around 2" of water and feet stayed dry. Worked well with hinged crampons for LIGHT duty on firm snow. Would recommend a much stiffer boot for step kicking earlier in the season and ANY front pointing application. Unless you are very experienced as a climber, I wouldn't recommend these as mountaineering boots.

Found that replacing the laces with extra long small diameter perlon (orange with reflective stripes/REI) was able to thread the lace through the nylon webbing on the back of the boot (not the pull loop), tie an overhand and come back to the front and tie a regular knot which gave even more rigidity and heel support.

The insoles are removable which allows you to swap insoles from other boots if desired and assists in daily interior drying.

Main benefit is that they are VERY light on the feet and VERY comfortable and durable as an *approach* or "trekking" boot.

**KEEN** recommends that you select a half or full size LARGER than your regular size as these run a bit small. Good advice.

Errata re boots: (aka ramblings of a backpacking codger re boots from 1958 till now)

Serious boots need the intersection of fit and quality. Gotta have both, no matter how well it fits nor how well built it is.

During my odyssey I wore out a pair of Vasque Sundowners, (maybe 20 ?) years ago, so this is dated material. At that time they were all leather, quite comfortable, light weight, and what I'd call a good medium trail hiking and packing boot. The sole and body were too soft for serious off trail hiking or climbing, for me anyway. I was doing a lot of group backpacking on trails at the time, and they were good for that. When the foot bed cracked all the way though and across, I went to boot cobbler Dave Page in Seattle and Dave told me that their construction at that time did not allow replacing the damage to my boot. To his credit, Dave flat out refused to name any boot or boot company as better or worse, and he stayed absolutely neutral when I asked.

Salewa has apparently discontinued the Rapace model I like so well. That is normal in my lifetime. 40 years ago I was learning this and so when I bought a superb pair of almost seamless leather lightweight Merrills, after a week or two of use I ought another pair and stored them till the first pair wore out. I should have bought half a dozen (!) though I've had better boots since, including my current Salewa Rapace. I considered buying a second pair of Rapace right way, but at my age and health, these may outlast my life.

If you find a boot that is excellent for you... Ditto for other excellent gear.

Excellent boots that fit my foot and my use over the years have included One Sport Moraine, a boot used on Everest a lot at the time and rated the best in 1997 by Backpacker magazine. That company became Montrail and I have not followed them.

A number of folks on this forum are knowledgeable and put boots to tougher use than 98% of purchasers. Mountain goats usually call for a different boot than most pheasant or whitetail hunting. Both are legit, not better nor worse, but quite different. Also, for the Peru man, nobody wants a boot or gear repair when we are miles away from roads. IMO err on overkill, over strength, over quality. We need to filter reviews and recommendations though our use and the use the reviewer put the boot through.

As a crusty old Canadian wolfer growled to me about popular hiking boots, “They are good for strolling the sidewalks in Banff.”

Good advice! I bought a second pair of Meindl Denali's a while back for exactly that reason. They don't actually fit me all that great, but I'm used to them.

I have used several brands over the years, but for the last three, I have been running the Hanwag Alaska GTX. I hunt big game all over the west and Alaska, plus I put a lot of extra miles on the boots from December to February chasing big running pointers in the basalt and limestone after chukar. The Hanwag rands really do well in the nasty, sharp, rocky stuff. I liked them well enough that I just bought a new pair to rotate with the older pair. I will take both to the Brooks Range in two weeks.

+1 still my favorite hunting and hiking boot!

I see the Hanwag is a B/C class boot. Just wondering if it has some flex for flat ground walking? Does it fit with a narrow heel box? They look a little clumsy, but must not be.

I have been using a pair of hanwags for about the last 6 years. I spend a lot of time in the bob marshall and Frank church wilderness hunting. Steep and Rocky to say the least. These boots have held up exceptionally well. I spent 5 days in 6" of wet slushy snow a couple of years ago hunting a big deer. Never had wet feet. The soles are a little stiffer than I like and when the ground is completely frozen in the winter, the hard soles are slick. Softer ones grab better. My knees used to get sore after steep climbing for a few days. After switching to the hanwags, I have not had a problem anymore. I have been impressed by now well these boots have held up.

Always wanted a pair of Hanwags, but they never raised a Bavarian cow just quite big enough to make me a pair.

Thanks for the report. I'll be giving them a look.

No, the Hanwag Alaskans are very stiff, which I prefer in very steep country, especially when carrying a heavy load. I would not use them for hunting flat country. They are a fairly narrow boot, unless you buy the wide version.

This is moderate bird country where I live.

Chet,

That looks like Kilimanjaro at 13,000 feet.

Except the dog. There were no bird dogs...

That's a bummer. Everything is better with a GSP.

Have really tried to like a lot of different brands of boots, but having a wide foot most just didn’t fit. Nirvana for me is Meindl, Oboz and Irish Setter.

I have a wide foot across my toes narrow in the heal. Oboz are not bad but they are not rugged or built to last.

I don't do real well with "real boots." I have some heel issues such that I need ankle flex, not stiffness, so that my ankle can bend to conform to the slope, otherwise it puts all the pressure on a small area on my heel, the skin comes off, and I'm done for a week or two while I heal up.

The best boots I ever owned were a pair of Danners a friend picked up for me on a military base. They look like an uninsulated Ft Lewis but I think they were 8", not 10", high. They were flexible enough to meet my traction needs and were the first boots I ever owned, other than cut-down hip waders, that kept my feet dry. They're long dead.

Mostly I hunt in low tops. Guess I'm lucky, I don't need ankle support. I've played with a lot of options. Mostly I keep coming back to Merrell MOABs of various configuration. I use the low top Ventilators most .. either hot weather or dry cold. 'til recently I grudgingly pulled out a newer pair of Danners if I had to deal with wet conditions. They didn't fit real well, didn't flex real well, were too tight at the ankles and restricted circulation so I got cold feet despite the insulation, blah blah blah. (If I sound not-impressed, you heard correctly.) I picked up 2 pairs of mid height Merrells late last winter, one was the MOAB waterproof, the other was the Phaserbound waterproof. The jury is still out but both seem to do ok-ish. They wouldn't handle deep water of course, but combined with knee height waterproof gaiters lashed down, they seem to do real well with shin-high wet brush, soggy snow, and the like .. for me, anyway. I'm looking forward to seeing how they do in the later part of hunting season after the rains and maybe some snow arrives this year.

I saw some good advice up-thread: if you find something that works, grab another pair or two before they're discontinued or changed.

Tom

My next boots will be from either Meindl or Lathrop and Sons. Since Cabelas dropped them, I'm glad to see some other guys in Sydney, NE carrying them.

https://meindlusa.com/

Though I very well may get the Meindls from Hoffman Boots. Their house branded Explorer looks good as well.

https://hoffmanboots.com/hoffmanmeindl-boots

I'm currently in Lowas but feel they are getting pretty beat up for the amount I've been using them so was thinking of trying Scarpas or Crispi next time. Strange that no one else has mentioned Scarpa yet? Also, I thought the Crispi fit narrower but what I am reading here contradicts that?

Scarpa's are nice boots but they don't fit my feet well. I have a pair I ice climb in.

In my experience, Scarpa’s are narrow. I haven’t found a model that I could wear.

I hunt the west side modern elk been using Hanwag Alaska GTX for 10 years lots of wax good support on the ankles.