kenetrek boots...... do you like yours?

[ozy clint]

i've been researching the net for winter boots suitable for rough country hiking. seem to be impressed with what kenetrek has to offer. does anyone have an oppinion to offer? at the moment i'm tossing up between the mt. extreme 400 by kenetrek and the antarktis by meindl. both offer 400grams of thinsulate.

is 400grams enough to keep your toes warm down to say -20 to -30 celcius? also would 400grams be to hot for spring/fall hunting up to 15 to 20 celcius? with a fair amount of walking activity. would be wearing wool socks in winter and lighter cooler socks in the warmer months.

[hunt it]

Clint,

Go to Cabelas website and check out Cabelas Mountain Hunter. Same boot as Kenetrek, made in Europe by same company, Cabelas price much better. I have two pair of these they are fantastic boots and all you will need for most mountain/moving hunts. Good for sitting down to -10 any colder you will need a pair of pack boots as well. No one boot will do it all for you.

[Orion]

Ozy, you mean fahrenheit, right?    

[hunt it]

Clint,

The 400 is not too hot for warmer climates. I wore mine on a Texas hunt in Hill country couple years back and temp hit 30 celcius. They are fantastic supporting boots for rough terrain and carrying any type of load. They also are by far the most comfortable and really no break in period required.

[Tim]

We've got 3 or 4 pairs of Kenetrek in the house.  Great boots!  We've also got Schnee's. Both are very similiar.

All of ours are the 400 and their great for early season and mildly cold weather.  If your feet sweat make sure you pull the liners out so the boot itself dries.  All of ours are the tire tread just because they don't drop dirt out of the treestand and you can really feel the ground if your sneaking along.

No complaints here....Great Choice  

[ozy clint]

orion- degrees celcius.

if one boot won't serve that temp range, i'd prefer something that will better in the cold and relegate the meindls to a summer boot.

hunt it- ok so you think they're good in warmer temps. what minimum winter temps do you think they would be good for?

[Orion]

A bit off the point, but some of you folks are confusing celsius (not celcius) with fahrenheit, the commonly used/reported measure in this country.  0 degrees celsius is freezing; 100 degrees celsius is boiling.  Conversely, 32 degrees fahrenheit is freezing, 212 degrees F is boiling.  The formula for converting celsius to fahrenheit is 9/5 times C plus 32.  For example, 30 degrees plus or minus celsius is plus or minus 86 degrees fahrenheit.  Not many boots going to keep your feet warm at nearly minus 90 degrees fahrenheit, or minus 30 degrees celsius.        

[Orion]

Ozy:  I was writing as you were posting.  I know you're traveling in Canada for the first time, from Australia, and it may feel like minus 30 degrees celsius at times, but it probably isn't.  0 to minus 5 degrees celsius (minus 32-37 degrees fahrenheit) is not uncommon in Canada, but -30 degrees celsius would be extremely rare.  The only place it gets that cold for any length of time is in the polar regions of the planet.

[hunt it]

Orion,

Banana belt in Wisconsin?? -30 celsius is not uncommon for alot of Canada. For my friends in Alberta,Saskatchewan it's quite normal. In Ontario if you are 5 or 6 hours north of border it's not all that uncommon.

Clint,

As for sitting I'd say no colder than -10. You will not find any pack style boots that offer mountain type support. You might consider the 400gr Mountain Hunters and get a real good set of mountain gaiters. Check Mountain Equipment Co Op in Vancouver. I believe Berghause (SP) mountain gaiter is what your looking for. These gaiters cover everything from sole up and add good warmth as well. Only other option would be a Koflach mountain boot. Many guides in rockies swear by them. They will do both but are extremely stiff an expedition abs boot with liner.

[ozy clint]

hunt it- yeah already got some good gaiters.

was talking to a bc guide today. he is of the oppinion that a 400gr boot should be okay down to -20 celsuis while active. lower than that and your in the realm of a pac boot. and lets face it, you don't want to be in goat/sheep country in -20 or lower.

so a 400gr boot seems a sound choice, so long as they aren't to hot to wear around when +15 to 20????????

[mbbushman]

Orion, better check your numbers again!!Your conversion formula doesn't work for freezing temps, minus 30 F is almost equivalent to minus 30 C. Just look on your outdoor thermometer. And minus 30 Celsius is common here in Manitoba. It's been around that every night the last two weeks straight!!! Minus 35 Celsius just two nights ago.

I use a set of 800 gr Rockies down to about -15 C if I'm stand hunting. Past that and it's time for the Sorel pac boots. I know I'd never stay warm with 400gr in -20, no matter how active !!

[ozy clint]

mbbushman- thanks for your oppinion.
to be honest these boots will mainly be used between -10 & 10 celsius.

[flatbowMB]

What MB bushman said is right - I don't think the temps have been above 0 F (-18C) here for several weeks.  In fact at this time of year, we Manitobans usually just go straight to the Kelvin scale.          

 I've got some 400 gram thinsulate Irish setters. If walking at a slow-moderate pace with ocassional stops (less than 5 minutes), I'm good to about -20 C (-3 F).  For colder weather, I use big, clumsy, heavy, pac boots.  For the same level of activity with my pac boots (Sorel Glaciers) I'm good to about -40 C (-40 F).  The funny part is Sorel rates those same boots for something like -100 (C, F -who cares at that point?)        :rolleyes:        The 'boot temperature ratings' that manufacturers assign to their various boots are a complete joke

[ozy clint]

quote:Originally posted by flatbowMB:
What MB bushman said is right - I don't think the temps have been above 0 F (-18C) here for several weeks.  In fact at this time of year, we Manitobans usually just go straight to the Kelvin scale.        

[hunt it]

Clint,

Are your current gaiters Gore Tex? I'm no lover of the stuff but in gaiters and footwear it will give you 7 degrees extra for warmth.

Make sure you check out those boots a Cabelas I mentioned. They are manufactured by exact same company in Europe, only difference is LOGO and $$$$.

[ozy clint]

gaiters are made of an equivelent material, by stoney creek. awesome gear. forgot to check out koflach

[ozy clint]

went to their web site. nothing but those hard shell expedition boots. searched cabelas, nothing also.

[hunt it]

Clint,

Go to Cabela's.com, click footwear,click men's hunting, scroll down to Cabela's 440 gram thinsulate 10 1/2" Mountain Hunter $249.99 - $269.99 Item # XJ 812385

Then click on this item and you will get big picture and full description.

[flatbowMB]

From todays weather map (in Celcius);

   

[Bowshot]

Clint, you want to be in Sheep or goat country whenever you can, you can dress for the temps.Some of the old time sheep guides wear rubber boots regardless of the temperature. Just get bigger boots and thicker wool socks inside. Stop in at a farm supply store or Canadian Tire and look at Baffin brand boots. Rubber boots with a removable thinsulate liner and airbob soles. If the snow is more than 6" deep, they work as good as anything in the mountains or bush. Decent grip and warm feet. Not much for ankle support. Get them a size or 2 larger than normal and get a pair of thick wool socks, handmade if you can. You want them snug, not tight, that will freeze your feet regardless of how much thinsulate you have. You can buy 5 or 6 pairs of them for the price of 1 set of Kenetreks.

Terry