Hiking boot for deep snow

[Hunter1212]

Any good boots for deep snow hiking? Probably over 2 feet of snow and cold.

 

[Kleos]

I’ve heard good things about Steger Muk Luks. I’ve just been using my hunting boots with gaiters. Eventually I want a dedicated snow boot with a removable liner.

 

[AndrewMT34]

Look into the Schnee's Pac boots. You can get up to 16" tall boots and they are great to hike in.

Hunter II 16"

Schnee's of Bozeman, Montana, makers of the world's best hunting boots, pac boots and mountain boots for hiking, snow and hunting, brings you the best in footwear, clothing and outdoor gear.

schnees.com

 

[Laelkhunter]

Or get some gaiters and wear them over any insulated boots. That way you can still use the boots when there isn't any snow. I have used Pac boots in the past with the thick felt liner. My feet sweated so much they were saturated, and then my feet froze. I had an extra pair of liners that I would switch out when I got back to camp, but they did the same (ended up saturated). I now use an insulated boot (Crispi) with an excellent sock system (Kenetrek ultimate liner and Kenetrek Alaska knee high socks). If I will encounter snow, I use gaiters.

 

[dtrkyman]

2 feet? snow shoes!

 

[TAArrowood]

Just use your regular boots with a set of OR Croc Expedition gators with water repellant pants.. The crocs are cut large at the tops so you can fit multiple lays under them for warmth and fit snug around boots.. Also, they are setup for crampons if you need the extra traction... I've found that wading through deep snow really takes it out of you quickly so the lighter the better.. Gators are way lighter that any boot I've ever used and every ounce helps when you're trying to lift your feet in heavy snow.. Also, that way you don't need a really specialized pair of boots.. Just my two cents, but that has worked well in snow up to waist deep.. Good/well fitting gaiters go a long way toward keeping your boots dry which makes it way easier to keep your feet dry/warm.. My experience with pac boots has been that they are heavy and in many cases too warm.. I like to layer socks just like my other layers.. Gives you a lot of flexibility as conditions change. I agree with the previous poster.. If the snow is deeper than the height of my gaiters, I'll be using the same setup with snowshoes...All the best..

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

Regular GOOD waterproof boots and gaiters or waxable pants with a good lace hook. My Fjallraven pants are waxable... Last year in Idaho up high during elk season it was beautiful and sunny on opening day. By day 3 we had 2 feet of snow up where the elk were... Luckily I brought my wax for my Fjallraven pants and they have a real good lace hook. Waxed my pants from the knees down and had just waxed my Crispi Nevadas before I left. I tracked many miles through the deep snow and never once got my socks wet other than sweat.

 

[yfarm]

Neos overshoes over running shoes or if really cold wiggys or felt liner without a shoe under the overshoe. Modern version of a mukluk. Stegers are good in dry cold snow, will wet thru if wet snow. Agree with snowshoe comment. In 2 ft you are wiped out from postholing. Use snowshoes or HOK skiis from HPG

 

[Deadfall]

Either snow shoes or hot coffee in front of fire.

Hot coffee in front of fire gets my vote

 

[Sconsinbrown]

Have you considered snowshoes, or even foam snowshoes if the snow is packed and youd like to save weight?

Eva Foam Snowshoes Camo

Shop Eva Foam Snowshoes Camo at Crescent Moon. For easy and comfortable trail snowshoeing, Eva snowshoes are the best snowshoes for beginners! They are lightweight, shaped for natural snowshoeing motion and ice spikes for extra traction on icy trails. Shop the Camo Eva for beginners trail snowshoes!

crescentmoonsnowshoes.com

 

[GerGa]

I wear Steger Mukluks and they are great, but I have only tried snowshoes on with them once. I worry a little bit about the plastic parts of my snowshoes that wrap around the foot & attach to the straps wearing on the rubber coating of them(they are the CamuksXtreme). My heel also slips more in them due to the weight of the snowshoe. Otherwise they are great for deep snow but even at 16" tall for the Camuks, you can get snow in the top in breaking trail in 2+ ft of snow. Those eva snowshoes above me might work better with them, but it's possible not everyone's heel slips in them.
Steger has the Camuks which have rubber coating around the foot and a synthetic upper, so better for wet snow. The exposed leather kind would not keep you as dry unless in a place where the snow is very dry.
I second the idea of snowshoes for this amount of snow they are great for that.

 

[Franger]

That fine line between comfortable feet and sweaty feet that end up making you cold is a fine one. I wore a Schnee’s Beartooth 200g with gaiters in 1-2ft of snow this past November during a cold snap in NW CO. Single digits most days. My feet were cold. Why? No fault of the boot, they did their job. I sweated while hiking and then glassed and got cold. Hiking in snow is no joke. You will absolutely produce heat and when you stop…

Which goes back to a very common piece of advice around here…insulated mountain boots have their place, but not often. I wish I could go back and get non-insulated Beartooths.

 

[mtn_man]

2 feet? snow shoes!

My default for deep snow are the Lowa Mountain Extreme GTX's + MSR Lightning snowshoes.