Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Backpack Hunting wet boots?

I haven't had a problem with wet boots for some years now. I walk lots of wet meadows each summer and fall. I just spent two months in Montana hunting elk in snow, mud, slush, and various wet or frozen spots.
I learned several years ago to use Dalgren socks with Gore-Tex lined boots. They wick the moisture up the sock and out as many claim to do but don't. Frankly, I didn't really believe this until I started snow shoeing and got snow down the tops of my boots. The snow would melt and my feet would get soaked. I found I could literally walk them dry. Try that with wool socks.
Try using gaitors when you ford a stream in your boots. I like to remove my socks too. Snug the gaitors up around your calves and go to it. Yes, they will leak a little, but not much. With dry socks to put on, it won't matter. E

I use a chem hand warmer that has a disc in a solution, that disc sets off a reaction that will work even underwater. the air activated warmers are no good in boots. another tip is to pull the inserts out to air dry.

Jim

Plenty of space and game to share down here, you're welcome anytime.

Most hunters here do wear gaiters, which will keep you dry(ish) if its just a creek to skip across, but you'd get laughed out of the country if you took you boots off every time it was necessary to cross a creek where you might get a wet boot, not to mention that you'd never get anywhere due to the time lost.

I guess we here don't realise how little water some counties have compared with us. Add to that the steepness of our creeks and rivers, all running in rocky/boldery beds and its just a different paradigm.

Cheers - Foster

Sounds like Vancouver Island, or the West End of the Olympic Peninsula. Steep and WET rain forest. My son hunts the West End well, and I've written here that he takes an entire outfit from the skin out for every day he plans to hunt, including a different pair of boots. Each evening he strips off all and throws them in the back of his pick-up with no attempt to dry anything till he gets home. With or without rain coat and pants every stitch of clothing gets soaked. In that country I'd never plan to take off boots to cross a stream.

In northern sheep and caribou country however, where it is drier and there are a few big stream crossings, I take off boots. It tends to be longer hiking, multi-day trips, steep and rough, but good boots with gaiters tend to stay dry unless submerged way over the tops for awhile. It is well worthwhile to keep boots and clothes dry in those conditions, especially for a week or more of backpacking. 8 serious stream crossings in 8 days my last such hunt, at least knee deep, swift and up to 30 yards wide.

It is easier and safer to wade swift rocky streams in good boots, and I used to fish for summer run steelhead in a pair of leather lace up boots with crepe soles, upland boots. Usually when I wade deeper streeams in boots it is on day hunts when I can dry out that evening rather than have to lie down and sleep in the wet slop that night. Swift glacial streams usually don't have as much problem with slick rocks from algae or moss.

I've hiked wet boots dry on many occassion and while not the best treatment for boots, it is sometimes the difference in getting your game bagged ime.

lesser boots don't stand up to it, but ime good quality leather boots survive it, if in fact they don't prosper from such treatment.

I've taken the aqua socks (little rubber soled mesh thingy shoes you see folks around the ocean wear) on bping trips, and used them to great avail.

but I'm a croc fan these days, they're lighter and make a great camp shoe after a long hard days pounding ground. Plus I really like the idea that i can use them for creek crossings when not in a hurry.

IIRC believe it was Brad here that turned me onto them, for which I'm obliged.

but busting hump after a sheep or the right bou or moose or bear, well wet feet are just something you deal with later. that's where the sealskinz save my bacon or rather dogs I guess.

I have also heard of folks using duct tape around the ankles to secure your pants to boots if you have a few creeeks to cross....never done it, but I know when my boots are tight they don't get much water in em'

Seal skinz.

Looks like I better get a pair. Better idea than packing around a [bleep] load of hand warmers.

It's a just in case type thing.

Thanks guys

Ok, what about blisters and seal skinz?

the warmers I use are reusable....just drop in some boiling water and they recharge themselves

What brand? Do ya got a link?

Thanks

I've got several of them. IMO they are too heavy for me to backpack but I liked them at cold HS football games. They put out quite a bit of heat. They don't last as long as chem tear opens and require boiling to rejuvenate them. The good thing is that they recyle many times rather than use one time and throw away. Mine were an early version so maybe they produce heat longer now.

never had trouble with blisters and sealskinz, but apparently I'm not prone to blisters period.

I am! I can prove it if you wish...

best thing i've found is a product called-DRY ZONE--will dry your boots from soaked to dry in 7 hours while you sleep. regenerate in 1/2 hour over any kind of heat. www.dryzone.com

2nd the dry zone they seemed to work very well.