Rubber insulated boots vs. Pac boot please help!

[WYIfish]

mickeys black or white last me the longest with being waterproof and no liner to wear out.ive had them over 6 years so far. my lacrosse ice kings cracked after 2 years. my ithasca boots have lasted but the liners are junk along with not being very waterproof.after my next pair of mickeys I might try some mucks.

I have had my black mickies for 22 years (what'd he say?). They weigh a ton, but are warm and I can stand in slush all day long.  With the ATV, I never walk much so the weight isn't so important standing around catching fish. I bought them for $40, a bargain for the years of use.

If they get wet in side at the end of the day, put dry rice or dry wheat in over night. Works like a champ.

[icebucketjohn]

DON'T BUY COLUMBIA BOOTS!

Whatever your boot decision, never purchase boots by COLUMBIA.  I purchased a pair of Columbia Bugabootoo's a couple of years back. They failed shortly after my purchase where the rubber separated from the leather uppers.  I sent them back for Warranty repair and/or replacement.  They sent them back stating in a few words: "Tough Luck".,. no warrany authorized.

They didn attempt to make it right or an alternative solution... Discount coupon on another pair, etc.

Since then, I havent purchased one darn thing that has the Columbia Logo.

I DON'T RECOMMEND COLUMBIA PRODUCTS AT ALL., ESPECIALLY THEIR FOOTWEAR.

[mpike2day]

Cabelas trans Alaskans are the warmest ones to date for me. And your feed won't feel wet like with rubber knee high boots.

[italianice77]

look, i'v worn pac boots and mickey's they are good IF..you don't plan on moving alot and they are heavy if you got alot of snow, as far as someone saying they breath better than rubbers i don't think so...,if you have cotton socks you are gonna sweat and get cold. You gotta have a good sock, one that doesn't hold your sweat(a wool blend or under armour type) As far as comfort and warmth goes, and you can use them for deer hunting too, Rubber insulated is the way to go.

[BASSQUATCH]

perhaps this thread is too old i will see if i get any members to join a new thread.

just read the entire post. Still not sure which way to go. Baffin titans, too warm, feet sweat, cold toes. Muck arctic pro , less sweating, still cold toes. Uhg

[fisherman58]

i read this from the beginning,, i had to temp seal my old conquest sorels  finally started leaking last seasons slush .. i like them still only 400grams thinsulate but i use hand warmers ..i'.m a 10.5 and 11.5 fit perfect ..enough room to move my toes with a good blend wool sock cushion wicking high tec sock i guess ..cabelas got them for 16.00 ,, any way aquasealed where the rubber meets the leather last season..this weekend ,,i had brand new cabela trans alaskan size 11  boots i thought i was  going to use but out of the box they felt so tight , i said no way and put them back in the truck..luckily i brought along my old pair of sorel conquests on this outing too. Sorels seem okay for now..aquaseal is amazing sealant for emergencies like waders rubber boots,so far to date still waterproof and feels like a durable bond. I called Cabelas and they said they will honor return with no chanrge for return shipping. I was looking at the inferno 2000 on sale 127.00 but afraid to order size 11 knowing the transalaskans 11 was so tight.. I do not think  i want to risk ordering size 12 knowing my foot size is 10.5 ..  i guess i will call Cabelas and find out what they may offer.. i know shoebuy and zappos has pac boots with free both way shipping policy. I guess it is how you tell them.. exchanges they usually charge unless the product is defective or made defective(including sizes no true to fit)

the trans alskans are great only wear mine when its below 0 alot of boot to lug around(heavy)

[mpike2day]

I have the trans Alaskans in size 12. My not size is 10.5 and 11's were to tight. The 12s fit great with one set of nice socks.  Its hard to find creepers that will fit so I put hex head screws in the bottom and they work awesome.

[carcus1]

Baffin titans are the best ice fishing boot period, I have arctic mucks, acton adventurers, sorel pack boots, and the titans stand out, super comfort all day, easy drying even if you don't have a boot dryer, easy on and off, real rubber, only con is they are huge in the calf area so your pants my not fit over them, I have striker bibs, they fit over, buddy has AA they also fit over

[Smelt Head 47]

What gram insulation do you guys have in your boot?

I have 800 gram, which are plenty for me just got to wear the right socks so your feet don't sweat.

[mpike2day]

#1 for me cabelas trans Alaskans.  Little bulky but not too heavy. Best boot I have tried to date. Feet used to get cold not anymore.

[mpike2day]

And with rubber feet sweat and doesn't evaporate.

[mpike2day]

yes but if that is what you got and you want to insure warm toes, just toss a handwarmer in before you go out..also wear only one quality long pair of merino blend pac boot socks..they are designed to help with sweaty feet  but, the warmers should suffice all day no matter. I would of coarse go with a felt boot slip on with rubber during really slush conditions .. my Baffin hunters are rated minus 70 but are totally water proof.. I would toss in hand warmers if I planned standing in ice slush all day.

Cabelas trans Alaskans don't need any hand warmer hey are that warm. They have 3" between your feet and the ice. This help a lot. Never used the Baffin's. All I know is knee highs for me don't cut it ice fishing, hand warmer or not.  Plus who wants to use a footwarmers evertime you fish? 

[willisdotcom]

after a really bad experience with a higher dollar pair of pac boots only lasting me half of a season if that(rubber shredded and cracked all over), and customer service telling me it was my fault, i kept putting shoe goo on them until i decided what boots i was going to order next.  i did the shoe goo for about a month and it only lasted a few outings on the ice before leaking again.

 i was walking through walmart to get more goo when i happened to see some clearance boots for 30 bux that i figured would get me through the rest of the season and retire the pac boots hassle.  well that was 2009 or 10 and i am still wearing those 30 dollar boots and they are warm and holding up good still.  i will wear them until they fall apart and then i will get some baffin titans.  when i got them i had googled them and found that they were actually exactly same as some other higher dollar brand boot, but i can no longer remember what brand it was.  they have herman survivors 1000g thinsulate and i think are rated to -40 or so.  i even wear them in spring and fall walking in water fishing and they have never leaked at all.  it is not very often you get a good pair of shoes or boots from walmart, but these seem to be the odd ball that will last.  i will say that the tags on them are all wacky though, mine say 12 on them on some parts and 11 on others and 1 spot says 13.  i usually wear a 12 or 13 depending on brand.  i saw the odd tags when i bought them and made sure they were same length and fit right before i actually paid for them.  they fit perfect , but i really don't have a clue which of the size tags were right, but again they fit perfect so i didnt care.  i went back to get a second pair the next day, but they sold out.  they were all the same size that they had left so figured a spare pair couldnt hurt at that price.  this is a link to the boots i just found online for reference.


http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mens-1000g-Thinsulate-Hunting-Fishing-Camo-Wellies-Snow-Rain-Wellington-Boots-/261321869588

[1moslab]

I have the muck muckmaster ,its comfortable but it is hard to get pants over.if I am standing in the snow for 15 min I feel the cold I would say they are comparable to sneakers.they are rated for -20 which is a absolute joke.i do not have the slightly heavier ones rated for -60 .after over 10 years of leak free warm feet performance my cabelas pack boat,i think the predator,have developed cankles and need replaced.not sure if I will go cabelas again or try the lacrosse ice kings.i cant imagine buying boots that I had to put handwarmers in

[Gills-only]

I have the muck muckmaster ,its comfortable but it is hard to get pants over.if I am standing in the snow for 15 min I feel the cold I would say they are comparable to sneakers.they are rated for -20 which is a absolute joke.i do not have the slightly heavier ones rated for -60 .after over 10 years of leak free warm feet performance my cabelas pack boat,i think the predator,have developed cankles and need replaced.not sure if I will go cabelas again or try the lacrosse ice kings.i cant imagine buying boots that I had to put handwarmers in

      Do you put your pants outside your boots?  I tuck pants inside boot, then zip striker bibs over the outside of everything!

[1moslab]

I bought them to run around when snow is on the ground.i could never were them ice fishing.last time we had a 2 hr drive so I wore them to drive and my feet were freezing.now these are not the arctic pros but they are not warm at all.

[08megacab]

I have the Arctic Pros and was out on the ice all day Saturday. They never got cold but they did sweat a little on the walk out and the walk way in. Not saying that Muck boots are for everyone because their not. I put my pant legs inside to keep from the water getting to them, but I also tried them on the outside and a pain in the butt to pull down around.......

[9huskies]

      Do you put your pants outside your boots?  I tuck pants inside boot, then zip striker bibs over the outside of everything!

I don't wear street clothes under my bibs, just a base layer and fleece mid layer. My bibs and jacket are uninsulated Gore-Tex.

[52isntbigenough]

This is sorta a tough one because different areas in the country see different conditions.  I primarily fish NE Wis and we get a healthy dose of snow with slush under it, but we get a solid helping of bitter cold. The rubber boots, I've used Muck are great for seasonal days. My go to boots are LaCrosse Hunt Pac Extremes. 2000Gs and waterproof. I got them for less than 40.00 and have never looked back.

[iceman260]

Use to use sorel high artics toasty warm but not waterproof bulky and hard to walk in on snow. Switched to muck artic pro's warm and dry easy to walk in.

[Uncle Al]

I've worn the same pair of sorels for 35 years, can't bring myself to give them up. Have never had cold feet. Mink oil rubbed on them once or twice a winter kept them in excellent shape. The soles have disappeared and now I have hex head metal screws in there, and the heels for traction. They are a PITA to walk in, so I only wear them when on the snowmobile, which is the only way I go fishing. I wear regular insulated boots in the truck and change them when I get to the spots I fish. Forgot to change them one time last winter and couldn't figure out why my feet were cold, then I saw that I had the regular boots on. I don't know what to buy because of all the variety that's out there. Maybe the sorels will last a few more years.

[Rustyfa]

How do the Muck Artic Pros fit?  I'm a 10.5 or 11 depending on the shoe.

[hardwater diehard]

How do the Muck Artic Pros fit?  I'm a 10.5 or 11 depending on the shoe.

Fairly true to size...I would suggest two things go to a local retailer to test your size with the other Muck models with your sock/liner set up and/or order a size larger ...I  like to wear a liner and a wool sock ...a size larger will give you more layering options ..love my mucks ...slip on/off and are warm.

[Rustyfa]

Thank you