Hiking boot vs Hunting boot?

[Thess87]

I like my kenetreks. I’ve never had a blister in them. But I like a stiffer boot. Also I wear a size 16 so I don’t have a lot to chose from.

 

[Hossauce]

I find the difference to be insulation! “Hunting” boots tend to be extremely insulated to compensate for sitting still, sometimes are clunky and larger. Hiking boots in my mind should be uninsulated or less so as you are planning to be mobile instead of static!

Recently got these for winter hiking/active hunting. https://armynavyoutdoors.com/danner-usmc-rat-gore-tex-temperate-boot/

 

[Trogon]

Deal with that PF my dude!

It’s a MF’r for sure but there is a way out. Dry needling and lots of calf stretches worked for me.

 

[Fireflyfishing]

So I hike 10-15 miles/day and return to camp every night…which happens to be a camper. I bring 3-4ish pairs with me as I have the room to do so. I’ll rotate through my boots if they get wet and let the other dry, if needed. I hunt rifle season which usually means snow at some point in the season, so I need to be flexible. I always bring a pair of 400 gram thinsulate boots in case it gets into single digits or colder.

With all that being said. Archery season has much nicer weather. I think you could get away with two pair of hiking boots no problem. Remember the adage two is one and one is none. If one takes a dump on you, you may be hunting in your flippers.

There was one boot that stood out from the others this year for me. I got a good deal on a pair of Altra Timp GTX hiking boots. They were on clearance at REI. I thought, what the hell, for the price. Man, I’m here to tell you, these are a game changer. Since it was dry this year in MT for rifle season, I was able to rock these things several days. They kept my feet dry and I felt like I could run up the mountain. I call them my ninja boots. I liked the Altra boots so much, I’ve been converted to the Altra 0* drop running shoes as well. They have the same boot in a low top trail runner that also has GorTex. These would work too, but you’d have to rely on gators more…which can be a con…from my perspective anyway.

When I did get my elk this year, it was in really steep country. I packed it out by myself in three days and I did resort to my Kenetrek Mountain Extremes for this task as they are really stiff and I wanted extra support.

 

[Pony Soldier]

The wettest place in Montana is right next door to Noxon. Be prepared for southeast Alaska. September can be miserably hot or soggy wet snow. Plan accordingly.