Question:
I am hoping to get a CO muzzleloader Elk license for this fall and if
successful in getting the license I will need a couple pair of good
hunting boots for mountain terrain up to 12,000 ft I am told. I
thought one pair for colder weather and one pair for warmer weather.
I was wondering what anyone thinks about Lacrosse boots? I was
thinking of one with Goretex and with 400 grams of thinsulate. And a
warmer pair of about 1200 grams of thinsulate. What about height of
the boot? Eight inch, ten inch or? Should the size be big enough to
get a couple pair of thin socks or one thick pair and a thin pair??
Is the sizing accurate on Lacrosse boots. My shoe size is 8D so do I
need a 9E boot?
Answer:
I once wore a pair of Irish Setters as work boots. I went though two
sets of vibram soles on those boots. By the time the second set of
vibrams was worn out, the boots were done. I used a combo of Huberd's
Boot Grease and rubberized boot grease on them, and was astonished at
the durability of the uppers.
I'm wearing a pair of 12 year old Danners right now, and have done a lot
of tree planting in those boots. Huberds is great waterproofing, but it
softens the leather too much. The boots have some pretty deep cuts from
blackberries. They're still waterproof, though. Once I saw how they
were getting soft, I give them a light coat of Huberds, then switch to
Kiwi paste shoe polish, and melt the wax into the leather. It puts a
harder finish on the leather, and it stands up to abrasion better.
Socks... typically Filson wool. Hats... insulated or un-insulated Filson
Packer hats in Tin Cloth and Shelter cloth respectively, or insulated or
un-insulated blaze orange caps depending on the weather and what I'm doing.
I like a brim to keep rain, snow and sun off my face and neck. The insulated
Packer hat with the ear muffs down and the collar of my Packer or Upland
coats turned up keep the weather out of my neck and is wind proof. The
Packer coat and insulated Packer hat were what I was wearing on my unplanned
trip down the slope... Offered good protection from the trees and rocks I
encountered on the way down.
