Buying 18" High Boots

[Kentucky Colonel]

Buying 18" High Boots

Delay after delay after weird delay... 

But, I get finally get back into the forest/swamp tomorrow. It will happen for sure because 
everybody in the house is gone! My wife left for a conference this morning.

But, I did get some new boots for the hunt that may be of interest. 

Itasca boots

Bob had recommended LaCrosse Grange that retail for around $89.99 and I did look. Buying boots is a slow thing for me. I have to try them on. I am super picky about my feet. I had to find brick and mortar stores that had them in stock. I tried Muck, Irish Setter, Gander Mountain, LaCrosse Grange & Alpha Burly, Red Head, and a few others... 

LaCrosse Grange boot

My opinion? Bob is onto something with Grange. Plain green, serviceable, workman like, and budget oriented. 
You can blow a lot of unnecessary dough on boots. Grange is on the low price end of the name brand stuff. 
(LaCrosse will also take your money with higher end stuff, too, if you want to spend more.)

So, I stopped looking at the camo-painted, space ranger style, super-hero outfit looking stuff and went for pure serviceable boots that would do the job and let me hike in them. I did not even want insulation down here. I just wanted comfort and to keep my feet dry to below the knee.

LaCrosse Arrowhead boot (Bas Pro Shop had these at $169.99... I saw them on Amazon for around $90.00)

But, I could not do the LaCrosse Grange boots because I have huge feet with large ankles. Shoes must fit MY clod-hoppers. I am picky. 
I can think of few easier ways to ruin a good hike/hunt than to wear an uncomfortable pair of boots. Grange did not fit me.

Having tried all the sporting goods and hunting oriented stores, I decided to go to Tractor Supply Company. I figured a nice farm muck boot would do the trick for my needs and might also save me money. It turned out I was right.

The store carries Itasca brand boots. They were comfortable and ran true to their stated size. (Irish Setter ran a full size smaller than normal US sizes) The Itasca also had an upper, adjustable clasp for calf size adjustment. They look better than a lot of the low end options, too. They proclaim themselves "scent Free." (Yeah... No. Not really. I can smell them in a closed cab. But, there are a lot worse out there and it would not be an issue if they had not bragged.) Bonus? $39.99. 

You gotta try every new boot out before cheering, but I would give these boots a look first if you are looking for new ones. I'll let you know if I have a problem tomorrow.

 

[BrownBear]

Re: Buying 18" High Boots

One thing to watch with the Itascas. The tops will chafe your legs right through your pants.  Be sure to wear tall socks with them.  We go through a lot of boots like that up here with our 90" of rain. I'm kinda stuck with Itascas (great price BTW) cuzz of my own foot issues, but when you're getting a real workout in rough country the tops will chew on you.

 

[Kentucky Colonel]

Re: Buying 18" High Boots

One thing to watch with the Itascas. The tops will chafe your legs right through your pants.  Be sure to wear tall socks with them.  We go through a lot of boots like that up here with our 90" of rain. I'm kinda stuck with Itascas (great price BTW) cuzz of my own foot issues, but when you're getting a real workout in rough country the tops will chew on you.

Good call... You just saved me some chafing. I've got just the socks in mind, now.

 

[Marty1]

Re: Buying 18" High Boots

Here's a pair of inexpensive, un-insulated 18" boots I'm now using from Cabelas.  They'd made some improvements on this model from previous models I've tried.

 

[Smokin' Joe]

Re: Buying 18" High Boots

I have a hard time with rubber boots because my feet sweat so much in them.  I do have a pair of camo insulated Irish Setter rubber boots for deer hunting in the winter.  I wear them if I know I'll be crossing wet lowland type areas.  I much prefer to wear a regular pair of hunting boots with a Gore-Tex fabric liner.

 

[Marty1]

Re: Buying 18" High Boots

Everybody has an issue with sweat and rubber boots...they just don't breath.

A polypropylene sock followed by a cotton sock will "help" to keep your feet dry. 

I usually hunt swampland so I can't do without at least one pair that provides 18" of water clearance.

 

[patocazador]

Re: Buying 18" High Boots

If it's not too hot, use a wool sock in place of the cotton sock. Wool soaks up the sweat that the polypropylene wicks away from your foot and your feet stay relatively dry.

It works great for cold weather because wool insulates even if it's wet. In cold weather I use LaCrosse Burly boots with polypro and wool socks. My feet don't suffer.

 

[BrownBear]

Re: Buying 18" High Boots

We use a lot of felt insoles, available locally and common for winter use. But they're great in summer. Just drop one into the bottom of each boot, then swap it out with another when you break for lunch. Keeps your feet amazingly dry, and they dry overnight.  I checked and they're for sale all over the internet.  Here is one example.

 

[Marty1]

Re: Buying 18" High Boots

If it's not too hot, use a wool sock in place of the cotton sock. Wool soaks up the sweat that the polypropylene wicks away from your foot and your feet stay relatively dry.

It works great for cold weather because wool insulates even if it's wet. In cold weather I use LaCrosse Burly boots with polypro and wool socks. My feet don't suffer.

Yep...I do the same with replacing the cotton for wool when it's cold.   

By the time it gets REALLY cold all the water is frozen, so I go to my 12" boots with felt inserts.

 

[Kentucky Colonel]

Re: Buying 18" High Boots

Got back from the field test... 

I really like these boots for the kind of ground I was covering. This is the best part of an actual TRAIL... 
Yes, that is water. I needed every inch of boot height. No laced boot would have done the job.

Hiking a State Park trail in Tosohatchee. Note the bottom of a sassafras walking stick to the left

A couple notes:

1. If you need these kind of boots, you also need to remember to bring a hiking staff to probe 
water depth ahead of you and sometimes to keep you from falling on your Azz.  

2. Thanks again to BB about the high socks reminder. I came out A.O.K. 

3. I forgot how much more work it is to move in these kind of boots compared to other footwear. Take it slow. It used a whole different set of muscles. I got out there, scouted, set my cameras, and went, "Oh, oh... You've got spaghetti for legs and now you need to go back."

4. Be prepared for stares at the local gas pump. This ain't a fashionable look. :lol:

But, for a first time out in a new pair of boots, these passed with flying colors. I really like these Itasca boots 
for wet lands/swamps in warm weather and they are the cheapest boots I found. I would advise keeping any hiking 
distance down below five miles if possible.

 

[Marty1]

Re: Buying 18" High Boots

While we're on the subject of boots, here's a cheap way to store/dry boots off the ground/floor without worrying about getting them wet.

All you need is about 44" of rope.

 

[Kentucky Colonel]

Re: Buying 18" High Boots

Nice one, Marty

 

[Buck Conner1]

Re: Buying 18" High Boots

A Kentucky Colonel's knot.​

 

[Kentucky Colonel]

Re: Buying 18" High Boots

Hanging me out to dry? If I'm not mistaken, that is a hangman's noose?

I can't tell what knot Marty used. Looks like two different ones. I like 
that the solution to a basic challenge is simple, cheap, efficient, and uses 
stuff likely to be on hand. Clever.

 

[Buck Conner1]

Re: Buying 18" High Boots

Hanging me out to dry? If I'm not mistaken, that is a hangman's noose?

Use two ropes with this knot to hang your boots KC.  Don't do a Muley and try it around your neck...

 

[patocazador]

Re: Buying 18" High Boots

Hanging me out to dry? If I'm not mistaken, that is a hangman's noose?

Historically, a hangman's knot was supposed to have 13 loops .. for obvious reasons. :no:

We used to tie them in school .. when the nuns weren't looking. We thought the nuns would use them on us. Back then none of us messed with those black-garbed demons. The school I went to had 48 kids in each grade, all taught by one nun with no assistant. There was no laughing, spitball shooting, NADA! All we were allowed to do was learn :study: .. a far cry from the way schools are run today.

 

[Buck Conner1]

Re: Buying 18" High Boots

Try a school with one room and only 1st through 6th grades were taught, mostly PA Dutch and Amish and one teacher. My parents thought that would be a good lesson for me when in the 4th grade, don't know about good more interesting than anything. All these parents of the kids wanted was for their child to be able to read, add and subtract. Didn't care about any others subjects as their young would never use them.
They just wanted skills that would be used in selling their products off the farms. :Red tup: