Hoffman Pac Boots - When do you use your Pacs? Win a free pair!!

[False_Cast]

Pacs are on for sub 30 degree tree stand sits which usually start around the end of October here and then pacs stay on through November and ice fishing season. Leather boots return come spring.

 

[Rokwiia]

Does anyone know how much your particular model of Hoffman winter pac boots weigh? I went to their website and don't see any information about weight.

 

[twodogs]

I do a LOT of elk hunting here in Montana. I grab my pacs when it's cold and snowy. I have multiple leather boots (Lowa Ranger, Schnees Beartooth, Danner Pronghorn, Hanwag) and I have yet to find one that will keep my feet dry after about a dozen uses; they all eventually leak. The pacs come out when there's a few inches of snow on the ground, coupled with <30 degree temps. I have 10" pacs and I usually add a pair of gaiters just to keep the leather as dry as possible. In those conditions, my feet are pretty darn happy, with the only dampness at the end of the day coming from sweat rather than leaking.

I've gotten to the point where I prefer hunting weather whereby I need to use my pacs. If there's snow on the ground, they really are the only footwear I can reliably count on to keep my feet dry.

 

[Coldtrail]

I'm a lifelong Northern WI guy and live in 12"/13" pac boots from mid October until the snow melts in April, I hunt, train hounds, guide hunters, and work my full time job in the woods and being able to pull out damp liners and swap them out on the fly to be ready for another several hours of "whatever" is the best part about pacs......that and I never have soles delaminating, or stitches coming loose. When a thinsulate boot without removable liners gets wet, it freezes and so do your feet. Been wearing pacs since I was a kid, installed redneck Gore Tex (bread bags) inside the worn out ones to get a little more mileage out of them, used shoe goo to make tread on the soles when they wore flat, drove screws in the old school Vibram sole Sorel Caribous when they got slick. I've played basketball in pacs, accepted the challenge of a foot race or two, worn them out on dates, and even to a formal Christmas party when the hunting was extraordinarily good that day & ran late. Maybe I am just resistant to change, but I seriously live in pac boots and a set of superfeet 1/2 the year and can't find anything to compare.

 

[wymtnpounder]

Seems like I start using my packs around late oct.

 

[CO_Dave]

When I lived in CO, would wear them once the show stayed and sustained temps below 20. Now that I'm in MI, as soon as the mud starts in Oct. usually and through the winter.

 

[Brendan]

Big switch for me is either when it gets consistently real cold or snow. I had a deer hunt, dry ground in November that was single digit Temps and froze in my hiking boots. Made a bad call there.

I've had snow covered Elk hunts in September where Pacs would be a godsend, and any late season hunt too.

Biggest trick for me is ankle support in rougher terrain. If I find a set of Pacs that offer stability to go with warmth, I'd be sold.

 

[Dioni A]

I typically use mine for mountain lion hunting when it gets below 10 degrees. I've also used them a fair amount when I help on a relatives ranch. They keep dry better than any of my work boots and give better support and are more comfortable than muck Boots.

 

[Brad922]

The one issue I have with hunting in snow is cold feet and the leather of my boots eventually getting wet usually about to the top of my foot. I feel that pac boots would remedy that completely for me, also I would love to compare a pair of Hoffman boots to my kenetrek as I've always been interested in their boots since I've heard of them.

 

[5shot]

I always have cold feet, so when it starts to get cold, I put on my Pacs. 400g liners are my prefered, as I don't sport a blistering pace with my 30" inseam! Keeps my feet nice and warm without getting overly wet from sweat. Stopping to glass doesn't result in cold feet either. Great fit and you can walk all day without discomfort.

 

[Ridgerunner6.5]

I’ve been looking at getting a pair Pack boots for years now ever since I started hunting third season in Colorado. Since this time of year, I am always in snow, I’m sure a good quality pack boot would be a great addition to make my hunt more comfortable in the Freezing temps.

 

[Flyte30]

Have never used pac boots, always spent my money on boots for early season backcountry hunts, could have used them this year, had a few cold days early and feet were suffering

 

[Brianr]

I switch to pac boots when it snows or if I’m not moving around much on a hunt.

 

[bmart2622]

I switch to my Pacs when the temps drop and I am going to be on hunts were I am not as active like a stand hunt or a horseback hunt.

 

[Matt W.]

I ran over to Hoffmans yesterday and did a tour of the factory. Impressive place! I am 9 1/2 in about every boot I wear, and I have a narrow foot. I tried quite a few different variations of their pac boots (and man do they have a few!).


In the end two pac boots fits me best, both in size 9 shell. The Cowboy and the Mountaineer.
https://www.hoffmanboots.com/double-insulated-hoffman-mountaineer
https://www.hoffmanboots.com/cowboy-packer

I much preferred the felt liner on each of these vs. the Thinsulate as the felt wrapped my feet better. (You have the option of a felt liner, a 200gr Thinsulate, or a 400gr Thinsulate)
I understand that the felt will compress some, but it seemed to fit me best. Jim was pretty helpful guiding me through the process. In the end I went with the Mountaineer as it is their warmest boot and I wanted something for Idaho winter predator hunting. Not only does the liner provide insulation, but the rubber shell itself contains 200 grs of insulation.

Once I get some time in the boots I will post a separate thread and do a review on the Double Insulated Mountaineer. Hopefully I answered some questions on fit, and will do my best to share what I learned as questions arise.

 

[grahambiel]

Honestly, I don't own a pair of true pac boots but have been looking much more intently at them recently for several reasons I'll explain below.

I went to college in the mountains of NC and basically lived in bean boots, as did most other folks I knew. These were perfect for the frequent rain that we got but really fell short once that rain turned to snow. The bean boots were excessively slippery on snow and ice and I personally found the thinsulate in the bean boots to be insufficient for any inactivity. The warmth was fine for walking to class but I couldn't use them for treestand hunting without freezing my feat within an hour or so being on stand. I still have those boots but they very rarely come out of the closet since then.

I did my first western elk hunt this year, DIY first rifle in Colorado. The temperatures turned frigid quickly and we got ~8 inches of fresh snow two nights before the season started. Given this was an early October hunt, I had planned (and did) to wear my uninsulated leather hiking boots. After days of slogging through snow which eventually turned to slush as temperatures warmed, the leather in my boots started to absorb water which would then freeze overnight. Mornings were frustrating because we had to wake up early to thaw boots by the fire before we could get them laced up and cold toes were a given every day. While I never got frostbite, I definitely lost some feeling in a couple toes which has still not totally come back.

I should mention that I normally run pretty warm but have poor circulation in my hands and feet so I typically have issues with both getting very cold. When duck hunting, I typically run 1600 gram thinsulate waders and rarely have issues with my feet overheating.

After my elk hunt, I started inventorying my gear and making a list of what I would do differently next year. Boots were the number one on my list. This trip made me realize that the idea of only having one pair of mountain hunting boots is a poor decision. I looked into insulated hiking boots a bit but after starting to read in more detail about pac boots, I realized this may be the solution I'm looking for. I love the idea of having a rubber base to keep my feet totally dry and a removable liner that I could throw in my sleeping bag at night to dry out and avoid the frozen boot issue. While I'd likely still wear gaiters with my pacs, I like the concept of being able to lace them up high to keep snow and dirt out, similar to the bean boots I used in college.

So to answer the question at hand, while I can't say when I "do" wear my pacs, I can certainly answer when I "will" use my pacs when I inevitably get a pair. First and foremost, as I described above, these would at least travel with me out west for any hunt after September. If the weather looks warm, they might stay in the truck but if snow and temperatures below 20 are in the forecast (like we experienced this year), I think the pacs will get the nod. If lows are expected near 0 (again like we experienced this year), the pacs will DEFINITELY get the nod.

While western hunting was what sparked my initial interest in the pacs, I actually see a lot of value in them for eastern hunting as well. As I mentioned, my feet get really cold but when hunting public land out here I'm usually hiking at least a half mile if not further with my treestand on my back to get away from the crowds. This leaves me in a predicament because my insulated rubber boots are HORRIBLE for hiking but my feet freeze in my uninsulated hiking boots while sitting in the stand. I think a pair of pacs will bridge that gap nicely from late october through december for eastern treestand hunting.

I think this is a really cool giveaway that you're doing and obviously would love to win (and would be happy to report back on how my experience with the pacs lined up with my expected use), but regardless I hope the above is helpful

 

[WhitetailTracker]

I'll wear pac boots while still hunting and tracking deer here in the Northeast starting around late October once the temps are consistently near freezing or below. At that point they'll be my go to through season wrap up in December.

 

[SawtoothShooter]

The pacs usually come out in October for work, and November for personal life (except for this year) . The rut is on in North Idaho, and that lovely nearly constant rain/snow will wreck your feet and traditional boots. From then on either calks at work or bubble lugs at home, pacs get used basically until May/June. But such is life in Wallace!

My one complaint is that no-one make a true pac with a stiff sole. So far my White's have gone through 7 sets if inserts between my work and personal boots. Anyways, pacs are life in the panhandle. Without a good set you may as well stay home and wait for the power to go out for a week. Oh wait, you'd want them for that too lol

Sent from my moto g(6) using Tapatalk

 

[positivepete!]

I am looking into a pair of packs. I have in the past gone to insulated rubber boots once it turns wet and cold. The reason I want to go away from rubbers is on long hikes in steep terrain my feet get sore and my calfs hurt from the boot rubbing. Time to look into some lace up packs!

 

[Buck1]

Only when I have to! Wet snow , heavy snow conditions,and still hunting. Sounds like Hoffman packs are not far off of regular hunting boots,not a cheap pack boat that is not made to hike mt country in. Love to try them.