Warm feet

[Guest]

Whats the best boot?

[Jimmy]

LaCrosse Snow King's

Jimmy

[Jig stick]

M_I_C_K_E_Y_ M_O_U_S_E

[MNice]

For just sitting I am happy with my sorel dominators, but they are heavy!! Can't do to much walking or your feet sweat like heck.

[hawgTime]

Military issue Bunny boots. First and only boot which has kept my feet warm and dry. It can't get cold enough to get my feet cold---and this is from a guy who could never keep his feet warm before these boots.

[Guest]

I have a pair of them Military boots too and really like them. They may be alittle big but they by far are the best boot I have ever worn. Your feet stay really warm and even if your feet get cold pour hot water in thier and dry it out then its hot again.

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FISHSTUNNER

[This message has been edited by fishstunner (edited 10-17-2002).]

[Guest]

If I ever had a pair of mouse boots, I would probabaly say them too, But I'll through a vote in for rocky snow stalker extreme. they have been the first boot to keep me warm no matter what.

[Guest]

Is there a difference between the white mickey mouse boots and the black ones?

[Twitter]

Real military issue bunny boots are the best quality and the warmest for the money. They're just a pain to take on and off......because they need to be double laced and tied all the way up to be effectively warm. I bought a pair from the sportsman guide last year for ~$40 (black ones). They were NEW, not used. I saw used ones going on HSOList at the time for $60-$75.... They're not great for hiking many miles but they're perfect for sitting in a fish house jiggin and sippin. The REAL bunny boots can be identified by a BATA brand name label on the bottom.
Hope this helps...
BRING ON THE HARDWATER !!!

[This message has been edited by Twitter (edited 10-17-2002).]

[Duffman]

Just make sure you get the original Mickey Mouse boots, there are some cheap imitations around. Sorry, but those are the ugliest boots out there, don't expect any goot lookin snow bunnys to knock on your shanty door when youve got dos tings on.
My Sorel Dominators are about done, this might be the last year for them.

[Jig stick]

I got a pair of Korea isue Micky mouse boots that are just as good as the bata brand with the valves.I have both pair and I switch off every once and awhile. Keep a lite coat of petroleum jelly on them to keep from dry rot and cracking.Warmest boots I ever had.If you step in and get water in side just bend leg up to drain the water out and they will warm back up in a matter of seconds.

[Steve Foss]

Got a pair of Irish Setter boots that aren't quite pac boots, though they've got a removable liner. They are winter boots, with a rubber lug sole and rubber outer giving way to leather upper, come up about 10 inches. Never seen anthing quite like them before. Boot shell is lined, too, and there is the removable liner. They're warmer than any of the LaCrosse Icemans I used to wear, as well as the heavy Sorels. Got them in the Cabela's bargain cave on the cheap.

[dlskills]

I have a pair of rockies that are good for -70 degrees i can sit right on the ice and not get cold feetand they are a one piece boot so they are not heavy like the dreaded sorrel packs!!

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Dwight Skillings
[email protected]

[Guest]

dlskills, What model Rockies were they?

[Guest]

In my humble opinion, there is no one best boot. There are a lot of good boots out there. When considering which boots will keep your feet warm, consider what is your activity level on the ice. Also, body type and metabolism plays a crucial role in maintaining foot comfort in a cold environment. Some people have perpetually cold feet, For them I would recommend a highly insulated boot, and several changes of socks to keep the feet dry, perhaps even a vapor barrier to avoid dampening the isulation. Mukluks may also be of value, as they breathe better than pack boots. Others like myself are hot footed, I keep my feet warm by keeping them in dry foot gear. I bring two pairs of boots and three pairs of socks along on an average icefishing session. A liteweight pair of hiking boots for the walk out to my spot, drilling holes and setting up. When the action slows a bit, I remove the sweaty wet boots and socks and change into a dry pair of socks and a pair of Sorel crusaders for sitting and jigging. For the walk out, I change back into the lightweight hiking boots, consider the figure that an extra pound on the feet is equal to five in the pack, and a half mile to mile walk across a lake becomes a lot more effort than it needs to be. Considering that most days in minnesota winter are not subzero, avoid getting your insulation wet before you need it, and the weight, and most of the heavily insulated boots are overkill for most people. Walking and other excercise will increase the circulation capacity of the blood vessels in your feet. Avoiding tobacco and caffeine will help keep your feet warmer as well. I hearty meal several hours before going fishing will provide your "furnace" with fuel to keep your feet warm.

[SpringerGuy]

I have a pair of Danner 1000 gram thisulate boots. Very comfortable and easy to walk in. Great for deer hunting too. I'm a whimp when it comes to being cold and my feet have never gotten cold with these boots, either hunting or sitting in a portable. I gave up on any kind of pac-boot.

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Tom Miller
Tournament Director
Minnesota Walleye Trail
www.polebender.com

[Jig stick]

M_I_C_K_E_Y_ M_O_U_S_E_!! I am a former Marine Sgt.You ask any young Marine going through cold weather training and he will tell you by far the Mickies are the best by far!! Uh-ra!

[This message has been edited by Jig stick (edited 10-18-2002).]

[Jig stick]

BUMP

[Guest]

The great boot debate. Moon boots with a bread bag are the way to go. Make sure they are steel shank too.

[waterwolff]

It would really depend on what your doing I rarely just sit out on the ice in one spot to long. So for me it would be a pair of Rockey snowstalkers I've owned a pair for about 8 years now and feel they would be hard to beat I have not had cold feet in these boots yet. They are light and compact enough on the top so you can pull straight leg jeans down over the top just rember to pull the liners after each use to dry out

[juddfish]

My feet get cold extremely easy! I have had a pair of Ice Mans for about 6 years now and are ready to be retired. I was thinking about getting another pair of them but my feet do get cold sometimes in them. How do the boots talked about compare to the Lacrosse Ice man? thanks and bring on the hard water

~juddfish

[Guest]

Perhaps I'm a lucky one and rarely get cold feet, but I can recommend Rocky (rated to -65 degrees). They are so warm I usually wear a slip-on LaCrosse boot (not pac) with two pair of socks. They are rubber bottom with leather top--much like the original L.L.Bean guide boot. I doubt they are rated for more than -15, but they serve me very well under most central Minn conditions.

[Jig stick]

The Mickey Mouse boots are rated -70

[Steve Foss]

I believe LaCrosse Iceman is rated to -100 degrees

But the ratings don't matter much, I've found, and I think they're based on being active at that temp, not sitting with your feet on a giant sheet of ice.

Could be some of the folks get cold because the boots are too tight or the socks not right. Some guys still use sweatsocks, and that cotton (evil for cold weather) holds their sweat right against the skin. That's a cold-foot guarantee, eventually.

Polypropyline or thermax or other synthetic thin liner sock, with a much thicker wool or wool blend on top of that, and leaving enough room in the boot for your foot to move around, should keep anyone warm in good winter boots. The synthetics take moisture away from your foot, and some play inside the boot doesn't cut off your circulation.

Since I have a Trap II with no floor, I carry a carpet remnant to put my feet on. Just that inch or so of extra insulation between feet and ice makes a big difference.

My Icemen are old, and the inserts have compacted from my large weight . For $3, I just bought new inserts that cover the bottom of the wool bootie. That's helped a lot, and is way less than the $20 or more for new full-length inserts.

Also: Electric socks. Really. Twenty bucks and a couple D-cell batteries keep your feet warm for hours.

And don't forget to stoke the furnace. A good meal goes a long way to keeping warm. And alcohol and caffiene make you colder, in the end. Hmmm, beer-cold feet, cold feet-beer. It's a tough choice.

[This message has been edited by stfcatfish (edited 10-20-2002).]

[Jimmy]

Another good sock to consider is the moisture-wicking wool socks. They keep your feet dry and warm.

Jimmy

[Steve Foss]

Wool's great, and I always use it as an outer sock. But it itches against my feet if a use a wool liner, and that really fancy non-itch Merino wool costs way too much for a pair of socks.