doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Suitable boots

Slicker than snot is the appropriate term for the LL Bean boot w/the traditional chain tread sole & the version with the Vibram lug sole is too heavy for me. Minimal support in either version but they do keep your feet dry in most conditions.

I hear good reports about the LL Bean Technical Upland boot from a friend who puts a lot on miles on every fall in typical grouse & woodcock cover.

(I note from the LL Bean website that they no longer offer the vibram lugged version of the standard Bean hunting boot but they do offer that sole in a pac boot w/ felt liners. I've pretty much written the LL Bean hunting boot off forever so it has been a long time since I looked what styles are available)

That's what I was afraid of. Thank you...

I'll confirm what Brittany Man said about the LLBean chain tread. I have used these boots for decades when doing field work (I'm a field biologist). They are suitable for a couple of hours of slow walking, which is what my field work usually is, in mostly grass fields.

But I have also used them as all-day hard walking boots, and there, they fail. They wear out my feet in no time and they are either freezing cold or sweaty wet. And traction is about zero in most places. That's okay in a lot of the places, I hunt here in Iowa, though getting out of a ditch can be a bit of a chore.

I looked at the technical LLBean Upland boots with the Boa closure. It appears that anyone that has had them for a while tends to not like them. They don't seem to last, and they leak a lot. But folks really like that closure system.

Kenetrek, man they sound like great boots and one of my old grad students swears by them. Given what he does for a living as a Wyoming Game and Fish wildlife biologist, I do believe they are the best boots out there, but darn expensive for plain old pheasant boots. Perhaps this is what I have to do though.

I'm looking at some of the more expensive Meindl boots at Cabela's right now and thinking they are back in the running too. I like my Perfekts for big game hunting but seem like overkill for pheasants. Might have to just get over it and shell out the dollars.

While the perfect pocket knife, boot, and shotgun may be unobtainable, I'm always amazed that I've never had anything less than a perfect dog. If I had to choose just one thing to have as perfect, it would be my dogs every time, so I maybe I shouldn't complain about my boots too much.

I have a pair of Meindl boots, don't remember the model, but I like them for late season pheasant hunting in SD and big game hunting here in ID. They're not the perfekts, they were a bit more spendy than the perfekts. They wear well and are very comfortable.

I wore the heck out of the bean boots with the chain tread when I lived in AK. They fit my needs for the terrain where I hunted August/Sep caribou and moose i.e a lot of walking in wet tundra, not so much for the big game terrain I hunt here in ID.

However, I do wear the Bean boots when I'm hunting spring turkeys, walking skid roads.

Kenetreks are $450+... OUCH! I can't do it. Call me a cheap bastard.

Maybe these. They look like overkill, and at $330/pr, still darn pricey. But maybe I'll quit whining about my boots at last.

http://www.cabelas.com/catalog/product.j...4ae65f2d3d9b635

I hunt my boots hard In unforgiving, rocky, 45 degree+, mountainous terrain. I frequently encounter hidden barbed wire fences, leaf covered rocks, snow, and mud. I have tried most of the boot brands mentioned in this thread and have settled on the following combination:

1. Russell sheep hunters
2. Saddle soap and obenauffs after each outing
3. Peet boot dryer overnight

This regimen has served me well so far as I am in my 5th season with these boots hunting most weekends and a week on the prairies each year. At the end of last season a stitch came loose in the heel area and the sole stitching was working loose, so I returned them for a resole and they came back good as new. I know they are not cheap, but quality made in the USA rarely is (all products in the regimen above are made in the USA)



Oops need to wipe them down!

Owen you bring up a good point...a little maintenance and drying them out goes a long ways towards longer lasting boots. The Peet dryers are fantastic. I like the Russell Sheep Hunter boots but haven't gotten a set yet. Was looking at those or the Bird Shooter as next options for me. For everyday warm use, I love the PH model.

Heel counters is the word I was looking for earlier...my heels lift without them as I have narrow feet.

Meindls can also be great depending on the model. I had something similar to their Bergen GTX model. I got 5 years of hard use in Alaska out of them. Consider some of their mountaineering/hiking boots that are made for working in the rocks, crampon use, etc. Some are too heavy but they make lighter ones too for hiking. You won't blow the toes out of them anytime soon, support is world class (I used some inserts in mine) and the quality is good.

I've tried the Bean Maine hunting boot, but as noted they tired my feet out and provided virtually no ankle or foot support. I find that the mock toed boots give better toe comfort for me, which is why I like the Irish Setter/Red Wing boots.
Regardless of cost or durability, it's about comfort and support because that's where my feet live for the day. Nothing spoils a hunt faster than uncomfortable feet for me.
Karl

Russell boots are overrated, they�re really no better than the other choices recommended here. I�ve been wearing Russells off and on for 20 years and my sons have also worn them and worn them out. I�ve had mixed results with having them made per my measurements and have had better luck buying them ready made off their website. Delivery time on custom orders is ridiculous and repairs are expensive. Stick with Red Wings or some of the other recommendations made here.