In general I am really good at adjusting to the gear that I have selected. If a pack doesn't fit right or pants are to noisy I'm able to adapt the way I hunt to make it work. Boots are the one only place where I can justify just getting by.
I am in the middle of planning my first western elk hunt and my boots and foot health is my biggest concern. I had tried on about 20 different boots over 4 different trips to Cabela's and a few local sporting stores. I eventually decided to take the recommendations from some others and decided to order in a pair of uninsulated Meindle's. They seemed to have a great reputation and good quality for the money. As soon as I tried them on I knew they weren't going to fit my feet well and decided on an in store return to exchange for something else.
About 30 minutes before the store closed I tried on the dreaded Danner Pronghorns and they felt wonderful! It wasn't until I got home that it seemed like every forum and blog has someone talking about the terrible product called the Danner Pronghorn. At that point I had taken them on a few hikes and got them beyond returnable. They have broken in a bit and I am sure they are ok boots, but they just don't seem like will ever be well suited for 7 6-15 mile days in a row in the mountains. I know I should have done more research before I made a purchase, but I just wanted to get something broken in early. Bad Idea.
Now I am at a point where I need to make a decision to cut my loses and try and sell these boots to someone else and get another pair of something else or buckle down and callous up. I have a pair of irish setter shed hunters that I use for day hiking and I love everything about them, but they certainly aren't build heavy enough for a heavy load.
What would you do in my situation?
I am in the middle of planning my first western elk hunt and my boots and foot health is my biggest concern. I had tried on about 20 different boots over 4 different trips to Cabela's and a few local sporting stores. I eventually decided to take the recommendations from some others and decided to order in a pair of uninsulated Meindle's. They seemed to have a great reputation and good quality for the money. As soon as I tried them on I knew they weren't going to fit my feet well and decided on an in store return to exchange for something else.
About 30 minutes before the store closed I tried on the dreaded Danner Pronghorns and they felt wonderful! It wasn't until I got home that it seemed like every forum and blog has someone talking about the terrible product called the Danner Pronghorn. At that point I had taken them on a few hikes and got them beyond returnable. They have broken in a bit and I am sure they are ok boots, but they just don't seem like will ever be well suited for 7 6-15 mile days in a row in the mountains. I know I should have done more research before I made a purchase, but I just wanted to get something broken in early. Bad Idea.
Now I am at a point where I need to make a decision to cut my loses and try and sell these boots to someone else and get another pair of something else or buckle down and callous up. I have a pair of irish setter shed hunters that I use for day hiking and I love everything about them, but they certainly aren't build heavy enough for a heavy load.
What would you do in my situation?
