Lowa Tibet GTX waterproof issues after wax?

[Elite]

Hey guys so I bought these boots at the start of last season and used them for everything from a sheep hunt to a few elk hunts. They performed awesome with dry feet at the end of day even if we had to cross a lot of streams. Once the season was done I applied some nikwax to them before the went away for the winter. I called and talked to Lowa and they recommended this wax. But I recently used them for a shed hunting trip and found my feet were very damp at the end of the day. I was walking through a lot of snow and the temps were cold but the snow was melting onto the boots when I was waking. I am wondering if anyone else has had this issue? Or what is going on. Not very happy with 1.5 year old boots.

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[nphunter]

Every pair of boots I’ve ever had have leaked in those conditions. The water gets pushed through the membrane from hydraulic pressure where it flexes. Super wet grass keeping them constantly wet all day does the same thing. Best thing to do is treat them with wax the day before and each night in between if you spend a lot of time in those conditions.

 

[JMDavies]

I've got the exact same boots and haven't had that problem. I have experienced that with other boots and realized the wax made the boot far less breathable and a good portion of the wetness was sweat. I now only wax them when I'm retiring them and want them as a backup.

 

[Tim in Wa.]

send them back.I bet they will take care of you. check your P M s

 

[LongWayAround]

Your foot sweats inside the boot. Meanwhile, the outside of the boot is saturated. When those things happen at the same time, the Goretex membrane is not able to breathe out the moisture from inside of your boot.

There is probably nothing wrong with your boots.

 

[JMDavies]

Your foot sweats inside the boot. Meanwhile, the outside of the boot is saturated. When those things happen at the same time, the Goretex membrane is not able to breathe out the moisture from inside of your boot.

There is probably nothing wrong with your boots.

Well said.

 

[Elite]

Your foot sweats inside the boot. Meanwhile, the outside of the boot is saturated. When those things happen at the same time, the Goretex membrane is not able to breathe out the moisture from inside of your boot.

There is probably nothing wrong with your boots.

I do agree with this but my feet hardly ever sweat. Hiking through wet grass and creek crossings all day long they were bone dry last year on every trip


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[nphunter]

I do agree with this but my feet hardly ever sweat. Hiking through wet grass and creek crossings all day long they were bone dry last year on every trip

I had the same thing happen with my Tibets, Meindl AK Hunters my Buddies Kenetrek Hard Scrabbles and his previous boots. Typically if the hydraulics from the saturated leather pushing the water through the boot you will have wet spots at the top of your toes where the boots bend back and forth and they will eventually soak your socks if you hike long enough. Even when mine are leaking from the wet conditions, I can stand in running creek water for a half an hour with zero leakage, I do this often while eating lunch or a snack to cool my feet after miles of hiking. If it treat the boots well with, Lowa boot conditioner and waterproof, obenoauf's or Crispi's cream they usually stay dry for a day or two but need re-treated or they start leaking around the toe again. I like to use a hair dryer to help the wax soak into the boot some but try not to get it super hot. Normally I quit treating my boots all summer and early fall and they are still fine for creek crossings and the occasional rain storm but dry leather absorbs a lot of water so once it really starts being wet they will leak if not treated.

When your boots were new they were impregnated with waterproofing spray, Lowa sells it and it works great but does wear off which is most likely what happened to yours. IMO the creams work better but when I first got my tibets and Meindl boots I used the lowa waterproofing spray and used it as directed and then followed up with the cream. It gets expensive because on a large boot you typically only get one or two at the most good treatments out of a can and its expensive, your suppose to treat it with the cream to condition it after impregnating the leather. You can use this and it will make them just like they were from the factory though.

Here a link to the Lowa Water Stop spray

LOWA Waterstop Pro PFC Free | LOWA Boots USA

www.lowaboots.com

 

[rainforest]

I train and hike in a similar model of boot here in Southeast Alaska - Lowa Hunter Extreme GTX. They are the taller, tougher version of the Tibets. I put 180-350 miles on them from January through July just training. I can usually get 3 full seasons of training and hunting. Annual hunts (Aug-Dec) include multiple alpine deer, mountain goat, dall sheep, several below-timberline deer hunts, & an occasional elk or moose.

I'm sure most of you are going to love this... I don't put anything on my boots. No snow seal, minwax, nikwax, spray,... Nothing.

I believe not waxing them helps them breathe the sweat away faster, helps the boots dry quicker (from sweat), & they seem to hold up just fine for many hard, wet miles. Our local hiking & hunting area is North America's largest rainforest (Tongass). To say it's damp here is an understatement. For reference, I don't believe I have ever been able to walk in socks across anyone's lawn without getting my socks wet. No matter if we have had no rain for weeks and it is in late July. The ground is still wet.

I can't believe how hard and dry the ground is under grass down in the lower 48. It's amazing.

We also have muskeg. It is a wet bog of moss, soaked in water. When you step on it, you sink in, & the water comes in around your boots as you walk. If you jump up and down on it, you can feel the whole ground move and shake under you. There are sink-holes of mud and water in these muskeg meadows, as well. Watch out for those!

Back to the boots...
When I think my boots finally may be leaking - I will hike a couple more trips to see if I am right - and then they get replaced. I have babied some of my earlier pairs with waterproofing, etc. & it didn't seem to make any difference in the life of the boots. I still get 3 full years on them, but my feet feel a lot hotter when hiking, due to the seal of wax, etc.

Here are my current boots which now are into their 3rd season. I just got off one of our hikes up Thunder Mountain this afternoon (made it to about 2,400' before turning around) mainly going up an icy, snowy trail and then running down the deeper softer snow portions off of the trail. No wetness except from some sweat. As you can see, there is not a lot of tread left, either...

 

[JMDavies]

Agreed.

 

[tdot]

Unfortunately if you have a GTX liner and then apply any waterproofing wax, it renders the Goretex membrane somewhat useless.

It would be comparable to wearing a Goretex jacket and then throwing a rubber rain jacket over top. It just doesn't work.

 

[gldenhwk]

If you want to know if your boots are leaking or not, the ppl the distribute LOWA in Canada do this as a test.

1. Put your boots into a rubbermade bin or whatever else is big enough to have them flat but also high enough that the water can come up to the top of the tongue of the boots.

2. Fill the bin with water until it reaches near the top of the tongue without getting into the boots.

3. Fill the boots with news paper or tissue paper.

4. Weight the boots so they don't float (if needed).

5. Wait .... and drink beer ... about 10 hours or so.

6. Remove paper see if there is any water on it.

If the paper is wet, your boots leak. If they're dry, your feet are damp either from sweating or from limitations of Goretex. If Goretex can't breathe (leather soaked, etc) your feet will be damp.

 

[Highhuntin]

I fill my boots with water and find the wet spots... I have heard that is how gore tests them. Idk for sure,

either way every pair of goretex boots I’ve had leaked the second season.. I’m starting to wonder if the membrane drys out or something from sitting as I don’t wear them but for hunting season? Have read people say they wear goretex boots 365 and never leak so maybe they need to keep moving??

 

[Pacific_Fork]

I fill my boots with water and find the wet spots... I have heard that is how gore tests them. Idk for sure,

either way every pair of goretex boots I’ve had leaked the second season.. I’m starting to wonder if the membrane drys out or something from sitting as I don’t wear them but for hunting season? Have read people say they wear goretex boots 365 and never leak so maybe they need to keep moving??

I think the key is to wash and clean your boots after every outing. Letting mud and debris sit caked on leather/gortex for days/weeks/months compromises the material and basically breaks it down completely to the point it cant be brought back to life. Im no boot expert this is just a thought, but after more than a decade I am still toying with different ways to extend the life of my boots and ability to remain water resistant. I find that cleaning and brushing every time after use and using a thin wax layer after Ive soaked them good on a hunt is key. Another very important thing to remember is never dry them next to the fire, too much heat destroys your boots from what Ive always understood.

Ive hunted through every condition possible except Alaska rain forest. My feet rarely sweat and I dont use insulated boots ever. The best boots for me are Lowas and I run the GTX Caminos and GTX Tibets. This year I am trying out Hanwags for early season.

@rainforest That is really interesting to hear that you dont treat your boots especially living in Alaska. You must at least clean them well after each use? Thanks for sharing...

 

[Highhuntin]

I usually clean them well but admittedly get lazy with that once in a while... my impression was that the gortex layer is between the leather and the inner layer next to foot? Correct? So yes if debris gets through the leather then it could be compromising the gore? Idk it’s all magic, I just notice a trend (my experience and read others) of first year boots are amazing no leaks no matter what and second season they leek when I drive past damp grass

 

[rainforest]

@Pacific_Fork Yeah, I would say I rinse them off a bit, especially if they are caked in mud. Normally, I don't do much. I usually put them on my water heater to dry out. It usually is 80 F on top of it. They are always dry by morning.