Boots: What, When, Where, How Much,How Many?

[Closet Rockstar]

The title kinda explains it all. Want as many opinions on the issue of boots as possible.

What boots?

When to get them?

Where to get them?

How much?

Multiple pairs, and if so same questions?

[gumby]

first off- DON't get rubber boots. I bought black rubbers, insulated, with steel toe and shank for my rookie year on the recommendation of a friend. Well- they got a huge crack in the sole the first week, and I had wet feet every single day last season, which led to some pretty disgusting feet as you can imagine. At the very end of the season, when we had about 3 planting days left, I finally made it to town.. well I pretty much stubbornly refused to go before that- bought myself some Viking Black Tusks (orange and black chainsaw boots, the caulk-less version). They were $170 including tax. About 75% of my camp had them. They are amazingly waterproof, a bit heavy though, but lace up nice and are tough. FUnny, I didnt wear them for those 3 planting days, I decided to just keep them new for next year... so this year, I'm taking them out west. Buy some polypro socks for your base layer, then wool overtop then bama socks, and you should be set. Mind you, this is a real ONtario trend which I'm taking out west, not so sure what they do alot out there...
ps- you can get them at Gear Up for Outdoors in thunder Bay... they can be ordered online too but thats tricky for sizing. Get your boots before you start so you can break them in!! (if you get leather)

[Shelley]

hmm... boots.

2 pairs minimum.

One for dry, fast ground, and one for wet, icky muck.

I wear plain ole rubbers... no steel no nothing for the wet days.

And for dry I have seen people wear anything from construction boots, to backpacking boots, to mountaineering boots to hikers. My boots died last year and i am currently contemplating which ones to buy.

Most important.... make sure they fit! with two pairs of socks, a sport sock and a wool sock!

[kingjames_2nd]

My first season I had a brand new pair of marks work wearhouse brand something or other boots.
- leather , steel toe, 150$

they were garbage. and broke very soon. 15-20 days and i had to get a new pair. the new pair i got from marks was the 49 $ special. I figured if they were going to break i may as well go cheap any way. the next year i got the marks boots again 100$ or something. 30 days till they broke. then i got my self a nice expensive pair of hiking boots made for climbing those mountains they have around bc. these were amazing and i stand by them. Problems with them were
- that they were not waterproof,
- i didnt have to skreef so i dont know how they would stand up but i dont know if they would be that tough
- they had very flamboyant red laces.


Shelly has a good idea about 2 pairs 1 for the muck and one for the dry but i personally just like jumpng through it al, most of my pieces had some mucky hole some where i couldnt avoid even if it was dusty dry every where else.

THE MOST IMPORTANT THING YOU CAN DO is bring a pair of sandals and or tennis shoes or something to wear around camp at night and on the day off. i had a rookie and an "ontario vet" of 2 years come out on my crew last year and they both didnt bring anything but their boots. actually the rookie brought nothing but her fancy city shoes, the vet guy brought only his vikings.

[maxie]

i stand by my choice of hardshells for a few reasons. they're extremely durable, mostly water resistant, and have exceptional ankle support. i've used koflach; which were absolutely terrible, and SCARPA; which are amazing.
i've had 2 different models and generally bring 2 pairs to camp. they're really expensive but, well worth it. screefing is easy and you get used to the extra bulk very quickly. don't let anyone tell you it's impossible to highball while using them. i have more days over 5,000 than i can count and i've never used anything else. having said that...as far as i know... i'm the only one in my camp that wears them.

[Plantador]

I have two pairs of Scarpas that I rotate. Can't stand chainsaw or calked boots. I just water-proofed my Scarpas and wear gaiters. This keeps the majority of the water out, but you WILL get wet one way or the other, usually by it running down your legs. That's why two+ boots are a must. Hopefully your camp has a good dry-shack, too. My one pair of Scarpas are going into their third season, and the other their second, so they last (although I've seen the odd Scarpa biting it within a month, usually from a rookie pogo-sticking every tree though). My former foreman (that sounds funny) took a pair of Scarpa's through 5 seasons as his only boot, no 2nd pair. The only thing he replaced were the laces.

Oh, and socks? I tried the whole poly liner, wool on top. It's alright, but last season I went the single smartwool sock route and loved it. Pricy ($15/pair), but a few pairs last more than a season, and polypro melts in the dryer!

[maxie]

no doubt you will get wet but they're easy to dry since the liners pull out. i replaced laces quite frequently but i just used 3mm climbing rope from coast mountain or MEC or, whatever...

a good point about sock layering... i tried it too for a week and was frustrated beyond belief. now i wear smartwool or, fox river (my favourite).

some people claim hardshells don't hold up whilst kicking your shovel but, here's what i say to that: if you've learned to look for the good spots; you should never have to kick your shovel again!!!!

[skibum_]

try not kicking your shovel when you hit a field of clay. unless you have forarms and shoulders built to the max, you're not throwing your shovel int othat, and if you do, say hi to tendonitis that night.

iwear the black tusks that are half rubber half leather. Lasted me well last season. Kind of heavy, but very waterproof and durable.

[maxie]

well... i've planted many a grassy block in whitecourt where it was nothing but root mat and clay. i don't throw my shovel into anything that is suspect. i've never had tendonitis and i don't plan on contracting it!!!

if ever the land is dense i put my shovel blade on the ground and step on the kicker... i push hard with my foot without kicking and i move the blade back and forth to wiggle it into the ground... it all amounts to the same thing. it's just way easier on your body and equipment. and, it's just as fast or, faster than kicking.

[siapatakut]

I go with the cheapest, most comfortable boots I can find. Avoid steel toe at all costs. All I look for is a good sole that won't wear through too quickly -- the rest will be destroyed by the end of the season no matter what.

Last year I got a pair for $40, which were garbage by the end. That's fine, since I don't really want to carry them around with me after planting anyways.

[knottyviking]

Many good points raised here,

- I tend to bring multiple pairs of boots with me to camp, But generally only use one pair.

- A nice light hiker for the beach - Garmonts, if it rains yer screwed.

- Caulks for the nasty schnarb, and rainy slashy days. but i hardly ever wear them...

- And the all time winner is....Kick ass Mountaneering boots - I have a pair of "Zamberlans" that I bought at MEC and they have lasted me 3 seasons, ( 8 months of bush time per season) They are good anywhere anytime, and if you have the cash, ( they can be expensive) they are well worth the coin. Good in all weather and land types, but you do have to get used to them... Feels like walking in ski boots for the first little bit, but you do get used to it. On steep ground your laughing, as the ultra hard sole is akin to having your own portable stairs... and if you maintain them, your feet never get wet, at least from rain or puddles.... maybe a little sweaty as they are meant for Ice climbing? or maybe I just got's sweaty hogs for feet???
Anyways, If you can find Zamberlans, buy them.... (and tell me where I can get another pair) Try to stay away from Imitators though, I've had bad Luck with Kaylands (GAYlands) - Two months and they started to fall apart, Asolo's don't seem to last - a season but no more, and the Salomons although comfortable don't have the staying power - ( the lace eyelets tend to self destruct on a regular basis....

and yes, "Smartwool" is the way of the jedi.... may the force be with you...

[daleks]

should you decide to plant on the coast, you should have a pair of rubber corks (either the orange ones or the lace-up ones, they will both cost about $135.....the orange ones are a pain to take off when wet)......for the times when it gets really wet...........AND a pair of Vibergs, from the viberg store in victoria, and that will set you back $250+.........if you wear bama socks with your vibergs and it doesn't rain all the time, you can get away with just the one pair of leather (or leather uppers) vibergs, and please don't dry them anywhere near the radiator or stove, the leather will crack.....but also some boot grease...Hubbard's is best, or Dubbin or mink oil......have a good season.....

[skibum_]

anyone evr try the kevlar boots they sell at marks work warehouse? After 3 seasons, my blacktusks blew up and I need a new boot. The blacktusks were heavy and I was looking for a lighter boot that still had all the durability and water proofness. anyone?

[steve]

i find that all boots get destroyed no matter how much i spend on them. i think i might be rougher on them than most people.

since i'm in the bush to make money not spend money, i just buy a $25 pair of boots from wal-mart. they usually need replacing once or twice a season, but that's still cheaper than spending $200 on a pair of nice boots that might still get destroyed.

boots getting wet is pretty inevitable, but here's a trick to dry them off ... put them in the exhaust from the generator ... the dry tent isn't always on, and when it is it's usually crowded ... the generator is pretty much always on until late at night, and they always dry no problem ... just be aware of the rain ...

[krahn]

i plant $7-$12 dollar rubber boots, and love it. however i also but $20 gel insoles inside of them. and on dry easy ground i use light hiking shoes.

probably wouldn't recommend this to others though, not all feet can handle it, problem is i've never not destroyed a pair of boots within a season or half season, which seems like a waste of a couple of hundred dollars or more, plus rubber boots are so easy to get on and off, and you can immerse yourself in puddles.

then again a good set of the right boots, together with gators, is probably the best option.