Moderator: E.J. Peiker

All times are UTC-05:00

  
« Previous topic | Next topic »  
Reply to topic  
 First unread post  | 8 posts | 
by Larry Shuman on Fri Mar 03, 2017 5:37 pm
Larry Shuman
Forum Contributor
Posts: 460
Joined: 25 Nov 2009
I've seen this here along while ago, cannot remember what their name was. I'll be in Iowa in Jan 2018 photographing eagles at a dam. I've been told it will be darn cold and I'm all set in that regard with my wind/water/insulated GorTex suit. Its the boots that concerns me. I've tried finding a boot with a 3" thick sole, but I've had no luck finding it at Cabala's. I'm hoping someone here might jog my memory.

Cheers
Larry
 

by bender16v on Fri Mar 03, 2017 8:04 pm
User avatar
bender16v
Forum Contributor
Posts: 110
Joined: 18 Sep 2012
Location: Brighton, MI
Member #:02125
You never know the weather there, I stopped at the dams (13 & 14) a couple weeks ago and it was too warm so there wasn't anything to see. January is a safer bet and you want it to be as cold as possible to concentrate the eagles like a few years ago. The boots you are probably trying to think of are Cabela's Pac Boots. They should work well but when it is super cold and you don't need to walk far (20' from your car there) I wear Mickey Mouse boots. You can find them at military surplus stores. They are the only boots to keep my feet warm so far. Not quite so cold I'll wear Sorel Caribou boots others from Cabela's but for just standing in place it's hard to beat the old military Mickey Mouse boots.

Edit: I apologize, when referring to Mickey Mouse boots I meant the white version, bunny boots. 
-Chris Harrison


Last edited by bender16v on Sun Mar 05, 2017 10:49 am, edited 1 time in total.
 

by SantaFeJoe on Fri Mar 03, 2017 8:15 pm
User avatar
SantaFeJoe
Forum Contributor
Posts: 8622
Joined: 28 Jan 2012
Location: Somewhere Out In The Wilds
You might want to look at this selection of cold weather boots:

http://www.baffin.com/mens-s/1.htm

Joe
Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist.  -Pablo Picasso
 

by john on Fri Mar 03, 2017 10:41 pm
john
Lifetime Member
Posts: 12027
Joined: 1 Nov 2003
Member #:00404
I'm told these are the warmest boots you can buy for standing around, but they look a bit clunky to do a lot of hiking in,

http://www.herooutdoors.com/canadian-mi ... boots-new/
 

by Lerkes on Sat Mar 04, 2017 6:23 am
User avatar
Lerkes
Lifetime Member
Posts: 2322
Joined: 22 Aug 2003
Location: Lancaster County, PA
Member #:00178
Take a look at these: http://www.mukluks.com Several people in Yellowstone were wearing them and loved them. Very warm and light weight, too. Steve
Steven J Berkowitz, VMD
Kirkwood, PA
http://www.pbase.com/lerkes
 

by Wildflower-nut on Sun Mar 05, 2017 1:04 am
Wildflower-nut
Forum Contributor
Posts: 825
Joined: 4 Mar 2008
The boots I've used are as follows:  The warmest boots I know of are the Cabelas trans Alaskan boot (an iditarod level boot).  (see http://www.wildliferhythms.com/chris-tr ... tips-blog/ for a discussion about boots to use when waiting at -40-50F in the wind for a mother polar bear to emerge from her winter den with her cubs)  These are overkill for most things as they are supposed to be good to -120f.  Weight about the same bunny boots.  The bunny boot is next in warmth (US army white rubber boot -65F available in many widths) and probably the best choice as a cold weather survival boot.  The Canadian army boot is similar to a Steiger mukluk (liner easier to dry than Steiger) and weighs less than the bunny boot but supposedly as warm as a bunny boot.  I'm not confident it is that warm particularly if there is any significant wind or wet but it is a nice warm mukluk type boot with a much heavier thicker sole (has a mesh insole to break conduction like most of the extreme cold weather boots) and better tread than a steiger. The mickey mouse boot (US army black rubber boot -20F again available in multiple widths).  Steiger Mukluk warmth is very dependent on how many and how thick the socks you use with it (I use an extra felt insole with mine).  I have wide feet and cannot stuff much into even the double wides.  My experience is that I move to something else when it is colder than +10F. I no longer use them for snowmobiling.  They are also too soft to use with most snowshoes and some ice traction devices.  I've used steigers for 20+ years and they are absolutely great.  My go to boots have been the steigers arctic double wides and then the bunny boots.  The bunny boots have never failed even when photographing at -30f or snowmobiling at -20F.  Their -65f rating I would guess was based on actual testing rather than decided upon by some boot company's advertising department. I find boot company ratings are optimistic to say the least.  The Bata manufactured US army boots (boots were built by various low bidders) are generally considered the best.   Any of these will work and I've used them all in different conditions.  Besides temperature it makes a big big difference how active you are and what you are standing on (does it conduct heat).  When I was photographing eagles in Haines AK long before I moved to steigers and bunny boots, I had cold feet until I got a piece of plywood at the lumber yard to stand on.  It helped a lot. This is just the boots I've settled on and not necessarily the "best" boots.
 

by Chas on Mon Mar 27, 2017 2:05 pm
Chas
Lifetime Member
Posts: 6891
Joined: 20 Aug 2003
Location: NC
Member #:00037
Baffin Extreme boots or Steger Mukluks.

http://www.mukluks.com
www.Winterfootware.com

Best,

Chas
Charles Glatzer M.Photog, Canon Explorer of Light, https://about.me/charlesglatzer
Check out www.shootthelight.com for info on workshops, seminars, appearances, etc.
NSN 0037

  
 

by OntPhoto on Mon Mar 27, 2017 11:51 pm
User avatar
OntPhoto
Forum Contributor
Posts: 7039
Joined: 9 Dec 2006
Location: Ottawa, Ontario. Canada.
On a somewhat related subject, there should be a thread on the warmest winter socks.  I'll tell you why I brought that up.  For some reason I did not have a winter boot this winter.  I was wearing a non-insulated hiking boot all winter.  My feet would feel cold wearing regular thicker socks, obviously, when it was in the -15*C and colder temps.  I just happened on these T-Max thermal socks from a local retailer and man, these things got me thru the winter.   I became a believer in these thermal socks but there must be similar or even warmer socks out there.  I can only imagine what these socks feel like in an insulated boot.

Was curious so just Googled warmest socks and found Heat Holders on Amazon.  Can't wait to try these and compare to the T-Max. T-Max are less expensive $10 versus the Heat Max at $18.  Let's see if they are worth the extra money.
 

Display posts from previous:  Sort by:  
8 posts | 
  

Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Group