Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Backpack Hunting Disadvantage of Gortex lined boots?

I'm about to purchase a pair of Lowa boots either the Tibet Pro GTX (with gortex lining) or Baffin Pro without gortex. Is there any disadvantage to having the gortex lining? Thanks

If you don't use socks, like the Dahlgrens, that really do wick moisture, they can keep your feet wetter. That can lead to blisters or colder feet.
All of my serious use boots have Gore-tex linings. I use nothing but Dalgren socks with them in the field. When working out for a few hours, which means I'm hiking in and out of one of my local canyons, I do use wool socks for longer sock life. The difference is readily apparent. E

Only disadvantage Ive found is that if you cross a creek and get water over the tops of your boots they are a bitch to dry out!

Other than that I would never consider a non Gore-tex boot for myself, YMMV.

FWIW, I debated the same two boots and went the Tibet BECAUSE of the Gortex. These are serious boots for me to use hunting. I personally would never wear a boot without goretex as a serious hunting boot.

By the way, I LOVE my Tibets. Best boots I have ever owned.

I think the difference between the Baffin and the Tibet would be personal preference on how the glove leather lining of the Baffin feels compared to the Gore tex lined Tibets. (They are both extremely comfortable).

The waterproofness of either will probably be a function of the leather treatment/care you give them because GoreTex will eventually fail.

They will breathe much less effectively and take way longer to dry out than a non-lined boot. The PTFE membrane that Gore uses is coated in Polyurethane to keep it from becoming contaminated with dirt, sweat, etc. Therefore, the PU coating becomes the limiting factor to breathability. I could continue, but that's the bottom line.

An all leather boot does not need Gore-tex in it to keep you dry. Treat the leather, all is good.
Boots have a very difficult time breathing through a 1.5mm or thicker piece of leather.
If you like boots with some nylon or fabric, the gore will keep you dry from the outside and you might get some moisture molecules to pass through from the inside, but the best feature is keeping the water from pouring in.
Many boots don't come w/o Gore, it doesn't hurt much, but if they are offered in with and without, buy without.
I have sold a lot of boots over the years and have had great luck with return customers thanking me for the saved dollars.
Most important thing is to buy the one that fits the best.
If it doesn't, then gore or no won't have you hunting in them.
Good luck, when you find the one, wait a month or two of heavy use, then go buy a few more pairs, never know when they will discontinue a model.

I love Gore-tex in warmer weather or in cold, dry snow. However, in every boot I've had, the membrane is inside the insulation. Wet snow will saturate the insulation and you have water only a thin membrane away from your feet. If you don't wear very thick socks, your feet will get cold.

never had a pair of good quality gore tex boots that I did not like. buy cheapies and you may have issues. given the brands you mentioned, I would go gore tex.

I wear a lot of Lowa boots including both the Baffin and Tibet. I love the Baffin boots during warmer weather/summer, but I have found after long hikes or multiple days straight of wear, the leather actually takes longer to dry out than the Tibets synthetic liner.

Downside to the Tibet would probably be that it is slightly less breathable and in turn a warmer boot on the foot through summer/early fall.

Quality wise both are incredible boots, and will probably notice a comfort or slight fit/feel diff between the two, go with the one that fits you best.

Shoot!! goreTex rules man. I had all leather boots back in the army that we soaked with polish (garrison) and bees wax for the field. They soaked through almost immediately once wet.

I pee'd myself when they authorized Danner goretex lined boots for duty wear.

Wear a seal skinz sock with a thin polypro liner in your well fitted and mantained goretex boots and I would be very confident two or more days hike away from shelter.

I'm old enough to remember hunting in boots without gore-tex and believe me, it was never any fun. It didn't take much for your feet to get wet and I mean really wet, not just persperiation wet. We used to treat the leather with the latest and greatest stuff and like conrad, it didn't really make much of a difference, you'd still get wet feet sooner or later. Once gore-tex came along I thought it was the greatest thing since sliced bread. So, if you're going to be hunting where its wet, or snows, or you have to cross rivers/creeks, etc., then I'd get the ones with gore-tex. If you're hunting desert country where getting your feet wet isn't a concern, then of course the boots without gore-tex will allow your feet to breathe better.

I've only ever had one pair of Goretex boots that didn't leak (my newest pair, and I expect they too will start leaking at some point). When they leak they take forever and a day to dry.

I don't mind being wet anymore. I used to think I didn't want to be wet and I'd be cold if I got wet. What I found was that most fabrics and insulation do a poor job of insulating when wet and therefore I did get cold when wet. I started changing over to wool, wool socks, wool underwear, wool base layers and I can stay warm when wet, even in freezing conditions.

So, for me Goretex isn't as big of an issue anymore. I still have Goretex in my boots because that's the way Danner makes the boots I bought. It's a toss up for me. I had Goretex boots that leaked in freezing conditions and I was able to stay warm with the right fabrics. Those boots took DAYS to dry out and I ended up throwing them away.

Something I might try next is a boot insulated with wool, like Filson's boots. That'd be new for me and might be worth a try.

I found that goretex boots made my feet SUPER hot, and once the boots got wet, I couldn't really "walk them dry" like I could with my unlined boots. Doesn't really matter in the summer, but in the cooler months it made things a little more difficult.

I polish my boots and slather them with snow seal/bear fat (depending on what's on hand) and it seems to work pretty well. Combined with good gaiters, the Hanwags have stood up really well.

Of important consideration is use. I have a pair of cabelas mountain hunter boots which I love. I only wear them two weeks a year. Elk and deer rifle. I don't trash out my best boots mowing the yard, feeding cows, or being around the greasy motorpool.

I buy cheaper boots like light hikers for trashing out. I wear hiking boots 3/4 of the time at work and play.

My danner boots that I used in service lasted about 3 years with zero leaks and I wore them at least half the year and jungle boots the other half.

I just have not had a problem with good boots breaking down that quickly but I actually keep them clean, slathered with snow seal, and try not to tear them up with barb wire and the like.

The Gore-tex membrane works as designed, but if the article isn't made right, water gets through the seams. Years ago, I had a pair of Vasque boots that leaked like tennis shoes. Since then I've had Danners and Cabelas boots that didn't leak even when I stood in water all day long. It all comes down to the boot maker, not the Gore-tex liner.

BTW, if you don't like your Danners being made in China, blame the EPA. Some years ago they outlawed the glue used to make glue-on soles. Only nailed and sewn-ons can be made here now. Even most of those have some glue so they can't be made here either.

The boots I had the leaked with Danner and Vasque. The boots I have now, that don't leak (yet) are Danner, so we'll see.

Thanks for all the input.

Sno seal is the biggest joke i"ve ever bought.... straight beeswax has outlasted sno seal by miles and miles...
But I follow the advice on the not wearing the hunting boots for other than hunting. I figure my Han Wags will last a LONG time that way.