water proofing boots

[Maxx]

What does everyone do to " seal" their leather boots? Do you think that it is even possible to have a pair of "waterproof" boots, I have never had luck over the years of accomplishing this,

[Thunderstix]

I seal mine with Gore-Tex.:)

[Kirby]

I buy sno-seal, and it completly waterseals my boots, although, my boots are abit higher qualitly than most people tent to buy, I spend 400 on my boots, and then I seal them 3 times before using them, and then try to seal them once a month if I am using them. I can stand in a creek 8" deep and not get a drop in my boots.
http://www.workboot.com/

Kirby

[Thunderstix]

I buy sno-seal, and it completly waterseals my boots, although, my boots are abit higher qualitly than most people tent to buy, I spend 400 on my boots, and then I seal them 3 times before using them, and then try to seal them once a month if I am using them. I can stand in a creek 8" deep and not get a drop in my boots.
http://www.workboot.com/

Kirby

Do you wear the Viberg Hunters? And if so, how mucha moolah? Do they just make you a size 11 D Width or do they do one of those foot imprints?

[Maxx]

Thanks for the link Kirby, I have Asolo boots at this time, I have never heard of the Viberg, but I will definitly check them out,


Thunderstix- Do the gortex boots work for you?

[Thunderstix]

They do indeed, but not forever. My current pair of Danner Trophies are 5 years old and just started leaking this spring...and they have double gortex booties.

[Kirby]

I have three pairs over vibergs, 2 sets of logger 110, one set caulked, the others rubber sole, and one set of half an half 200 caulks, for when I am running chainsaw. I will likely be buying the hunters when I get the cash, but they are pretty expensive, and I just can't justify them right now. But the 110 are a really heavy boot, strong, but heavy, my first pair lasted me 5 years, of work 5 days/week, plus hunting, fishing, hiking. and I weight anywhere fron 200-230, and usually carrying another 30-50# depending on my job at the time, I found most $200 boots lasted me 6 months.

Not sure about a 11D wide, I buy size 9's, regulars, if you give them a call they are pretty good about telling you what they have, or marks work wear world sometimes carries them.

Kirby

[416]

l have a pair of viberg hunters (thanks for the input Kirby;-) ).....great boots, and made in widths that fit my wide feet, 4-E. I think l paid around $425.00 for them, earlier this year. Checked out most of the other top name brands, but finding something in the width l needed, was a challange. l also use a water sealer (mink oil) 3-4 times before using . The application of a quality sealer l find completes the job of waterproofing 100%.

[Kirby]

416 Glad to hear they are working out for you.:D I figured you'd be happy with them, I've never met a person who went to vibergs, and wasn't happy with the product(maybe now with the price though;) ), and I've seen alot of loggers/ bush wackers switch over to them over the years.

Kirby

[Thunderstix]

An 11D is just a regular width so I am sure they will have them. I just may buy some as my next pair.

[Gateholio]

I recently got the Viberg insulated hunters. They said my foot was pretty wide- 4E plus EXTRA width!:o

The insulated ones take a little longer.

Anyways, they are a very good boot, doesn't offer quite the ankle support that my Meindals do, but they dont' cut off my circulation either!:mrgreen:

Next on the list is a pair of uninsulated Van Gorkums. At $800 a pair, they are pricey!

My meindals are for sale, btw..

It was reccomended to me to use Montana Pitch wax but the only store in Vancouver that sold it was out of it, so they offrered NIKWAX instead. I've used Nickwax before, it works well.

VIberg reccomends Sno Sea but I have heard that it can rot the stitching of boots.

[Maxx]

gatehouse- how heavy are the vibergs that you have? Do you use them year round, or only for later hunts?


thanks

[Kirby]

Gatehouse, I have heard that sno-seal rots them out, but I never saw it, 5 years, and litterally dozens of coatings, and I never had a problem. In my first pair the leather just got cracked, and rotted out, but after fires/concrete/LOTS of wet weather, motor bike crashes, hundreds of swamps, miles of muskeg, I wouldn't have expected any less.:mrgreen:

Kirby

[Tarp Man]

This past year I have switched boots twice. I started with basic hiking boots, leather, with no gore tex or anything, only about 4 years worth of sno-seal. Then came the Kayland Colorado boots. Good boots, great leather and waterproof liner, but the rubber rand around the boot started cracking and peeling. Took them back to the store, and tried a new pair of same boots. Same thing. So I am now using Asolo leather gore-tex boots, but I am disappointed in them. I did only pay $200, but the leather is not holding up well. A spring of bear hunting/deer scouting and they are not in great shape. I do use sno-seal, as mink oil has been known to rot stitching and soften the leather too much. I also tried a sealer called logger's oil. Smells like diesel mixed with sno-seal. Maybe somebody knows more about this stuff. If the boots you buy are full grain leather, you may need to warm them up in the sun to open the pores of the leather. Some people use an oven with the door open a crack, but brand new melted boots is enough to make a grown man sob uncontrollably. I would apply two coats, then wear them around town to break them in, then apply another coat especially in high wear areas (you will see scuff marks). I started with a pair of Nike hiking boots made of nubuck leather and this method kept them watertight until the stitching went in the soles.
-Tarp Man

[Thunderstix]

They said my foot was pretty wide- 4E plus EXTRA width!.

Hobbit Feet?:biggrin:
Hola! Those are wide!

[harbinger]

Guys,
If you have a pair of boots that do not have a gore tex liner try buying a pair of gore tex socks. At $65 they are not cheap but they work great.

[Gateholio]

gatehouse- how heavy are the vibergs that you have? Do you use them year round, or only for later hunts?


thanks

By my bathroom scale it says they are about 1.5lbs-2lbs for the pair...VIberg could probably tell you exactly, actually, it may tell you on the website.

I just recievd them this summer, so I have just started using them. My feet have been known to get cold, so I'll probably use them year round, athough my initial intention was to get some Van Gorkums for 3 season use, and use the Vibergs when things go t cold and I wasn't in the aplpine much.

[sealevel]

I`am one thats not happy with vibergs i have had 4 pairs of caulks i had one pair that fell apart in less then one year we sent ten pairs back at once viberg did nothing about it and For 450 bucks a crack . And that price was from the franklin river comsary . The boots i have now are viberg caulks with a neopreme sole good boots . The only reason i have vibergs is there is no choice in caulks.

[ratherbefishin]

I tried a mixture of bear fat and tallow, heated up and then applied to the welt and all the stitching on the warmed up boot with a cotton tip.Then I rubbed more into the leather with a rag, it works pretty good.I gave some to a friend who also tried it-said it worked better than the commerial waterproofing he had been using

[Ronforca]

Bear grease for me too.

[Marc]

Does the bear grease stink? I'm going hunting thanksgiving weekend for bear/deer and was wondering if it's worth keeping the fat?

Marc.

[Ronforca]

It must have a bit of an odour that the animals can probably smell but it never seems to bother the game.If it is not rendered down right it has an odour but again it doesn't seem to be an odour that spooks game.Someone else might heve some thoughts on this.
It is also very good for rough hands.Who knows it might mask the human smell.
Anyone else use it.

[Maxx]

Yes, I have seen this used before, apparently of all the animal fats, bear fat for some reason is the best for waterproofing boots ( this is what the old timer that I saw doing this said)


He claimed it worked wonders, he would heat it up in an old coffee can, and then apply it with a brush,

I never tried it

[brotherjack]

What does everyone do to " seal" their leather boots? Do you think that it is even possible to have a pair of "waterproof" boots, I have never had luck over the years of accomplishing this,

I used to have the same problem (wet feet, no mater what I sprayed on them). Now I hunt in a pair of rubber boots. In addition to being waterproof and to more than half way up to my knees, they're actually easier to walk quietly in than my hikers. The soft flexible rubber soles are gentler on the crunchy stuff than stiff soled shoes/boots, and unlike my leather hikers, they don't creak at inopportune times. $39.99 at Canadian Tire for nice forrest green ones with felt liners for cold weather. For a few bucks more, they even sell camo ones - though I've never been busted by a critter because my boots were just monochromatic green.

:grin:

[Marc]

I used to wear that type of boot till the spring of 2004 when I sliped on wet grass and fell for the last time on my rifle.

I went out and bought some hiking boots with stiff ankle support and good grabbing threads haven't sliped on grass since. On the Island where I hunt, you're either going uphill or down hill not to many flat spots.

Marc.

[dizzydan]

I use Snow Seal it is the best water proofing I have ever found that you can buy.Years ago we used goose fat rendered down.Heat your boots up for either one & watch it soak in. DAN>>>

[Farmer]

I use Sno Seal also. I like to set my boots in the sun for a while until they warm up nicely and then smother them with sno seal. I use an old toothbrush and slather it on quite thickly. They are a little messy to put on the first time but they will stay dry for several days of hunting. They seem to get wet from sweat before they ever get wet from external water.

Gord

[brotherjack]

I used to wear that type of boot till the spring of 2004 when I sliped on wet grass and fell for the last time on my rifle.

I went out and bought some hiking boots with stiff ankle support and good grabbing threads haven't sliped on grass since. On the Island where I hunt, you're either going uphill or down hill not to many flat spots.


Ouch!

The lined rubber boots I've got have pretty decent grippy tread on them. Not quite as agressive as my hikers, but good enough that I've never had a slip-n-fall or any real worries about my footing, even on the really steep and gnarly terrain we have out here in the Kootenay region.

[ruger#1]

i use rocky boots with the gortex in them and 800 grams of thinsulate, ive walked in creeks up to my ankles and my feet are still dry. danner makes a very good hunting boot also.

[schutzhund]

I've found with that in the use in lower tempatures snow seal expels from leather. I soaked it into my boots useing both sun and the oven method. I will never/ever use it again for my hunting boots. Made my feet very uncomfortable during one of my hunts. For casual foot wear, ok.
I now have a pair of Hans Wag, Alaskan, gore tex lined, boots. I spray silicone on them, never have had wet feet unless I step in water deeper than my shin for a good length of time.

[BCKID]

My brother tried mink oil on his boots and he kept hearing noise behind him while hunting. When he stopped and waited along came a black bear. He went back to dubin. He was hunting on Van Isl. BCKID

[rocksteady]

I have used Loggers World Wax Ol for almost 20 years now...

Looks like burnt diesel and you paint it on with a brush, you just keep putting layer after layer, until the leather can soak up no more.....Sure it will tun oyur socks black but who cares.....

The beauty of this product is the boots can be wet when you paint it on..Within half an hour there will be beads of water forming on the leather...

I did this to my leather cork boots and spent 10 hours per day walking up and down creeks for 14 days ina silviculture fly in camp, when we were doing stocking surveys and my feet never got wet once....NO BULL.....

I used to buy mine from Wire Rope Industries in Port McNeill..Not sure who carries it now that I am in the interior....


The one you want is manufactured in Chewelah or Chehalis Washington...

I would highly recommend it...Easy to apply (paint brush), no need to dry boots first, very water proof and does not rot stitching like some others do....

[Dano]

I use Hubbards Boot grease. I heat the boots on the open oven door and smear the grease around on the warm leather. After a few coats, the boots will be soft and oily but the water won't penetrate. It works great to break in a ball glove too, just wipe out the pocket really well after so it doesn't make the ball slippery!
You can get Hubbards at Copps on Columbia in New Westminister.
Dano

[Mark_S]

Word has it that Hubbards is no longer made, which I must admit was an excellent product.

I can also vouch for Loggers wax Oil, it works just as rocksteady stated above.

A personnaly favorite of mine is Neatsfoot Oil. Everyone told me that it would soften the leather of my Viberg Caulks and ruin them, That was 6 years ago and I still wear those boots for work.

Dubbin is very similar to Hubbards boot grease and it works well too.

Loggers wax oil and neatsfoot Oil are the two easiest to apply water proofers I have used. Just paint them on and let them soak in, even if the boots are already wet.

[swampthing]

I cant believe nobdy uses seam sealer first. When I buy a new pair of kenetreks, I put a good coating of seamgrip on all the seams and exposed thread. This stuff drys to a rubber like finish. After that I use a waterproofing from Valhala Pure, dont recall its name. The seamgrip is the trick though. While you are at it put a coat on your tent seams. Clean your boots and re-do every year. This is by far the best thing you can do to waterproof boots.

[BCRiverBoater]

2-3 coats of sno-seal before every fall trip. Works wonders. Warm the boot up in the oven at low temp and them apply the seal. I have found it to work better than any other product I have tried.

[Elkaddict]

One of my hunting partners turned me on to Snow Country Wax Oil, by an outfit called Bee Natural Leather Care. I used it on my old Vasque hikers for a week in sloppy wet snow, and my feet stayed perfectly dry. It is excellent stuff. It sounds very similar to the other wax oils above. Easiest to apply after being warmed up on the stove, to a warm boot. Brush it on. It is really hard to find, I usually just order direct off the internet. Google Bee Natural Leather Care, and it will come up.

[troutseeker]

I wear Lowa and Scarpa boots, not Goretex lined, and I use Nikwax products on mine. You apply it on wet boots. It has worked well for me.

Altough the mink oil seems to be the one to use for bear hunting!