best hunting/hiking boots

[steelheadSABO]

in your opinion what is the best brand and boot for hunting and hiking.

[David Heitsman]

I think we've thoroughly exhausted this one but.... it's Meindl's only for my footsies.

[325]

I have almost always used pack boots..from goats to grizzly to deer they work awesome. It's great to beable to pull the liner and have dry boots by morning...something that usually can't be done with regular hiking boots. I use to use Sorel Rangers, but they haven't made those in about 10 years, so now I'm wearing Kenetrek Grizzlies...best boots I've ever owned.

[Evolution]

Love my Danners.

[Tikatack]

i had Meindl Islander Pros. They started leaking three years ago. Took them in finally and the water is getting past the leather and building up between it and the gortex liner. They say, "too bad, time for a new pair". I know of hunters and geos that have had them for 30 years and worn them more than most people would in a lifetime, but mine lasted 8. It sucks when you spend 400 on a pair of boots that gets you 100 days or so wear.

This time i'm going for Irish Setter Elk trakers. don't like them as much as the Meindl but they should be OK.

[Big7]

Just bought a pair of La Sportiva Glaciers...definately affordable but we'll see. So far so good.

[sfire436]

Danner Canadians. Nuff said

[Deaddog]

meindls...

[thepitchedlink]

The best boots are the ones that fit...Depends on your foot, what everone else wears doesn't matter. BUT it's hard not to get caught up in what everone else uses!!! Myself, I've got a super narrow foot, so what works for most people doesn't work for me Mendli, Danners, Asolos, La Sportiva, all built for the general public, which isn't me. The best I've found is Zamberlain and now Raichlie, which actally comes in regular and narrow sizes. As for service life, I've given up on gortex boots, my hiking/hunting boots are leather with no goretex. Breathable membranes have to be kept clean to work properly and a boot is the wrong place for that. Good boots should last 10-15 years without much trouble, but I've found that the goretex craps out around 5y. Also found that goretex boots then become the hottest, sweatiest things in the world...my feet get wet anyway, even on a sunny day. I'll give you a hiking hint...goretex socks. 50$ socks sure, but man they work, they stay clean, you can wash them, dry them, and move them from boot to boot. I've had my pair for at least 10years. You only use 'em when you need 'em. That's my .02$ anyway.

[Devilbear]

There is no "best" brand and never has been, you need to wear boots suited for your size, circumstances and they must FIT correctly. A boot that is fine for a 120 lb. woman hiking along the "Lynn Canyon Headwaters Trail" is not the same as what a 230 lbs. man, carrying a 65 lb. hunting pack will require.

Gore-Tex in boots is a marketing ploy, nothing more and GT boots OFTEN fail; there is no such thing as a waterproof leather or fabric boot. One CAN make boots VERY water-resistant by treating them with appropriate goop, the best I have found is Obenauf's LP.

I prefer to wear light climbing style boots of FGL or, at least, "Nubuck" and to treat them thoroughly. With gaiters and one sock change per day, this keeps my feet dry and warm. In cold, wet weather, I use Scnee's pacs and change my liners frequently.

Some brands that seem to have a lot of advocates are Hanwag, Kenetrek, Lowa and Meindl; I have custom Van Gorkums, Kastingers, a wonderful FGL boot no longer available, Scarpas, a very good maker, Schnee's and La Sportiva and have owned/worn most of the others over the years.

Boots, like your pack, are one place to NOT "economize" as they are crucial to the success of any trip, not only hunting. Try on several different ones, allow for thicker socks and swollen feet after hard hiking and remember that any decent leather boot requires a "break-in" period and MUST be well looked after, as in, I lightly wax the LINING to prevent the salts in sweat from breaking down the leather.