One perfect pair of boots

[hooker]

Is there such a thing? My neighbor hunts the high country to the rain forest in a pair of Danner pronghorns. But, he weights a buck twenty five soaking wet. Every backpacking boot I've owned has too hard of a sole for hunting coastal areas. Like wearing ice skates on wet steep hills, step on wet twigs and your on your ass. Lots of timber company land gated and elk screaming and your trying to sneek down a rocky road and you might as well be wearing two by fours.

Tried a pair of Assolo sassalongs last season and thank gd it never snowed on me during my september hunts in the alpine. Then tried to wear them on an invited SW washington elk hunt and spent more time on my ass than on my feet. That place is too wet, too steep and to many sticks/logs. Have had same type of results with several brands of backpacking boots.

Are ya all following me? Is there a boot with a softer more forgiving sole that can handle lots of various terrain? Hell in my hanwags and assolo's I cant even sneek outa the house without sounding like a horse.

Just trying to gather gear that can do it all. Need to spend less on gear and more on hunting. Don't feel I need $600 dollars worth of boots so I can hunt sept-jan. One do it all pair would be nice! Alpine to desert to the rain forest and back again!

 

[cmeier117]

Good Luck!

 

[Tim in Wa.]

danner raptors have air bob soles,I dont have them but have talked to several people that like them for the terrain you described
Tim

 

[Lawnboi]

I would try lowa renegades. Very quote sole that has some serious grip. They are a hair light on the support side, but they are a very well made boot!

 

[a3dhunter]

I would try lowa renegades. Very quote sole that has some serious grip. They are a hair light on the support side, but they are a very well made boot!

I was thinking the same thing, until I read that they were in an area with a lot of water.

In wet grass last year the renegade's would get wet and soak through in about 5 minutes. The rest of the day was spent with wet,soggy, feet that wanted something different.

 

[hooker]

Yea the renegades don't do water well.

 

[Lawnboi]

iv had other experiences with the zephyrs and renegades. Of 5 pairs in my house right now they all are still water proof. Maybe im just lucky.

 

[Matt Cashell]

A Danner bob sole would work as well or better than anything, I would think.

 

[bearguide]

i hope someone out there has the magic boot answer. because i have spent some time falling on my butt in the steep wet alders-- good luck

 

[cmeier117]

I may have the answer in a few months. But I am sure they won't be perfect.
The Crispi Idaho's

 

[phil]

I have had the same experience as Lawnboi with the renegade's. Great boot! phil

 

[Hunt Oregon]

Yep lowa renagades best sneekin boots mine have held up just fine in the water. No leaks

 

[nate simmons]

utah, if you are dealing with coastal rain forest type conditions very often then I would recommend sticking with a all leather boot without much stitching to have the best chance at keeping water out. I'm with you on disliking boots that have stiff soles for most hunting I do. You might consider the Lowa Ranger and Schnee's Wilderness, I have found these boots offer pretty good "feel" but are also durable and in tandem with gators keep the water out. My favorite "sneaker" type stalking boots are the Hanwag Cheyennes and Lowa Renegades but if I was hunting the rain forests very often I would stay with all leather boots even though they are heavier. Hope this helps.

 

[justin davis]

I like my Hanwags.

 

[cmeier117]

Just curious but if you are doing a lot of hunting what is the harm in having an all leather boot (Like the Hanwag Alaskan's or Crispi Wild's) and an early season boot like the Mountain lights from Hanwag? You will wear them out half as fast and get good use out of both.

 

[wapitibob]

My Pronghorns didn't last one day before they leaked.
My Lowa Zephyr couldn't keep water out when all I did was dip the toe box in a creek to wash off a little mud.
Replaced them with Renegades. They didn't last 1/4 mile in wet grass.

 

[ScottR_EHJ]

I like my Meindl Perfekts. Disclaimer though, I wear a size 13 and that means that I got a different sole and rand around the toe/heel.

 

[Tim in Wa.]

sreekers,thats good to hear.I had a pair of those perfekts for a while and I was sure they had that rand around them.I took them back because they leaked.Since then I've looked at them online and non of them had a rand.I thought I might have had some kind of experimental boot or my mind was playing tricks on me
Tim

 

[ScottR_EHJ]

I used the Olbenaufs water proofer as reccomended and they did just fine all season long. I am going to be trying a new footbed this season though.

 

[Tim in Wa.]

I think they are good boots.I believe mine just had a defective goretex bootie.I did'nt see the full rand on the display boots when I went back to Cabellas so I figured I'd get something different if I did an exchange
Tim