huntingaddiction
FNG
I'll start this by saying I'm not actually average. I'm 6'10 and the last few years have been hunting between an average weight of 290 to 305 pounds and wear a size 15W boot. As you can imagine, that's tough on boots, as a matter of fact, that's tough on almost all of my gear. My buddies would tell you I can destroy anything and they would be right, the only thing that I haven't destroyed in the last 6 years is my Kifaru pack. In this post I am going to go through the different boots I have used as hopefully that will help some other poor soul from making some of the same mistakes I did. Disclaimer: I'm not intending to trash anyone here, just giving my experiences.
In 2017, I was heading out of state for elk for the first time. I had bought into the hype around Crispi's and don't get me wrong they are a great boot for most people I'm sure. However I hunt everyday in August for bears, at least 20 days every September for deer and elk, and if I don't have tags come October, you can usually find me chasing Chukars in the snake river breaks. I received my Crispi's in mid August and they were the first high end boot I had owned. They fit a little tight and they took a while to break in. I didn't feel like they supported my ankle well and after around 30 days of hunting an eyelet popped off and I had a whole in my boot. I sprained, maybe broke, my ankle due to the lack of ankle support and absolutely trashed them. I called Crispi and I have to say, their customer service was incredible. I sent some pictures and within a week I had a new pair at my house. I finished out hunting season in them, and by Mid August the next year, they were destroyed but could wear them on dry days, so I bought a pair of cheap Danner's for the wet days. I won't even bother reviewing the Danner's as they bare made it through the rest of that season.
So in 2019 I drew a quality bull tag in a really rough unit. I bought a pair of Lowa Tibet. I really enjoyed these boots, they fit great, they supported my ankles and were really comfortable. I felt like I could go anywhere in them with confidence and in a hurry. They supported heavy loads even with me and animals. They made it about a year and a half in some of the toughest conditions I have ever hunted. By the end of the year and a half they had holes in the sides and no tread left, but I suffered through with them until the end of the 2020 season.
In 2021, I drew a general elk tag in Montana and started my search for a new boot. I came across Meindl's, and they had just ended their deal with Cabela's within the last couple year, so I could buy whatever boot I wanted from them. I bought a pair of Comfort Fit Extreme's, and I have to say, I love these boots. I still have them and they have a ton of mileage on them. 2 years, no leaks, they have been on a goat hunt in which we crossed a glacier and climbed cliffs we had no business being in. I'm more sure footed than I have ever been, ankle support is amazing as they have a little higher top. They handle some of the heaviest loads I have ever put on my back. My pack out for my Montana bull that year was a 130 pound load for 3.5 miles and 1200 feet of elevation gain. I will be buying another pair to break them in this year and just to have two pairs!
All of these boots have been cared for properly, and again my only hope in this post is that it helps someone else my size. There is not a lot of information out there for gear for hunter's my size. Please feel free to hit me up with any questions and I hope everyone finds a boot I love as much as my Meindl's.
In 2017, I was heading out of state for elk for the first time. I had bought into the hype around Crispi's and don't get me wrong they are a great boot for most people I'm sure. However I hunt everyday in August for bears, at least 20 days every September for deer and elk, and if I don't have tags come October, you can usually find me chasing Chukars in the snake river breaks. I received my Crispi's in mid August and they were the first high end boot I had owned. They fit a little tight and they took a while to break in. I didn't feel like they supported my ankle well and after around 30 days of hunting an eyelet popped off and I had a whole in my boot. I sprained, maybe broke, my ankle due to the lack of ankle support and absolutely trashed them. I called Crispi and I have to say, their customer service was incredible. I sent some pictures and within a week I had a new pair at my house. I finished out hunting season in them, and by Mid August the next year, they were destroyed but could wear them on dry days, so I bought a pair of cheap Danner's for the wet days. I won't even bother reviewing the Danner's as they bare made it through the rest of that season.
So in 2019 I drew a quality bull tag in a really rough unit. I bought a pair of Lowa Tibet. I really enjoyed these boots, they fit great, they supported my ankles and were really comfortable. I felt like I could go anywhere in them with confidence and in a hurry. They supported heavy loads even with me and animals. They made it about a year and a half in some of the toughest conditions I have ever hunted. By the end of the year and a half they had holes in the sides and no tread left, but I suffered through with them until the end of the 2020 season.
In 2021, I drew a general elk tag in Montana and started my search for a new boot. I came across Meindl's, and they had just ended their deal with Cabela's within the last couple year, so I could buy whatever boot I wanted from them. I bought a pair of Comfort Fit Extreme's, and I have to say, I love these boots. I still have them and they have a ton of mileage on them. 2 years, no leaks, they have been on a goat hunt in which we crossed a glacier and climbed cliffs we had no business being in. I'm more sure footed than I have ever been, ankle support is amazing as they have a little higher top. They handle some of the heaviest loads I have ever put on my back. My pack out for my Montana bull that year was a 130 pound load for 3.5 miles and 1200 feet of elevation gain. I will be buying another pair to break them in this year and just to have two pairs!
All of these boots have been cared for properly, and again my only hope in this post is that it helps someone else my size. There is not a lot of information out there for gear for hunter's my size. Please feel free to hit me up with any questions and I hope everyone finds a boot I love as much as my Meindl's.
