Good boots for the little one...?

[Haywood]

This is going to be my little guys (2 year olds) first year on the ice.  I fish with a lot of people with kids and it is almost always the feet that end the trip.  I am not expecting a pair of -100 below pack boots, but what boots are there for kids that will keep them out, just a bit longer? 

[akdg]

I have two tips for you-  E-bay for used boots, I always bought them a size bigger than needed, so that you could put the handwarmers that you buy by the case on e-bay in them to keep them happy and warm! Those hand warmers have saved the day for me so many times 

[Haywood]

That is where I have been looking.  I am thinking big socks and those hand warmers are going to be in order too. 

[Thor]

The Sorel Glacier is available in kids' sizes and is rated to -100F (I don't have any faith in these ratings, though).  It has the same 13mm Thermoplus liner that their premium adult boots have, along with an additional thick insole.  It's the warmest children's boot that I am aware of, but I never bought them for my kids because they are expensive ($70 - $80) and VERY heavy.  I'm not sure my kids would be able to walk in them for long.  Maybe in a few years when they get a little bit older.

Sorel also makes a -40F boot called the Super Trooper that has a 9mm recycled felt liner and a 2mm insole.  They are much lighter and cost around $50.  I may buy a pair of these this year.  Sorel and Kamik also sell pack boots with 6mm and 8mm felt liners.  I would try to get at least the 8mm liner.

I bought a pair of Baffin -94F boots for my son last year on clearance that should've been about two sizes too big.  However, the foam-type liner in the boot was very snug and the boots were too small for him, and so I returned them.

You can find these boots by searching the Internet to give you an idea what they look like and to find the best price.  I saw the Super Troopers on sale for $34 a few months ago and I should have bought them then.  Now the cheapest ones I can find are about $50.  I may be looking into Ebay as well, but I will be doing a bit of research to try and look for the boots with the thicker liners.  Most sellers don't tell you how thick the liner is.  My kids have had some of the 6mm Kamiks, and they are great for playing in the snow, but they are too thin for icefishing, IMO.

[Haywood]

I will check those out.  I don't think at 2 he is going to be a die hard, -40 type fisherperson, but I would like to see some days around 10 degrees. 

[Thor]

I will check those out.  I don't think at 2 he is going to be a die hard, -40 type fisherperson, but I would like to see some days around 10 degrees. 

I consider those temp ratings to be absolutely useless and not even close to being realistic.  The only reason I mention them is to give some sort of benchmark with which to compare different boots.  Typically, a manufacturer's -100F boot will be warmer than its -40F boot, but neither boot is that warm.

For example, the 6mm liner boots are rated at -25F, the 8mm and 9mm boots are rated at -40F and the 13mm boots are rated at -100F.  None of these boots would keep a child's feet warm for very long at temps even above 0F.  However, the 6mm boots will not be as warm as the 8mm boots and so forth.  I would look for a pack boot with the 8mm or 9 mm felt liner.  In my (children's) experience, the 6mm lined boots aren't warm enough for ice fishing, but they are what you will most commonly find when shopping.  In fact, my son's feet get cold with his 8mm lined (plus 2 mm insole) boots.  I know that most of these boots wouldn't keep my feet warm for very long, and so I figure I can't expect my children's feet to stay warm either.  However, I still believe that the felt-lined pack boots are warmer than other types of children's boots that have foam liners or thinsulate-type insulation.

Over the years, I have purchased some high-quality children's Smartwool socks and Wigwam polypro liners from Campmor on the Internet.  This may be as important as the boots themselves.  The good thing about the socks is that they stretch, so they will usually last for a few years before they are outgrown.

[grumpymoe]

the disposable handwarmers DO work great, but you have to be careful with young ones. if they packet gets exposed to air, the temperature skyrockets and burns are possible. watched a buddy take his boots off after a long day on the ice, and awhile later grabbed on out of the boot.....talk about extreme heat....Grump

[Desperado]

MNBURB
I agree that poly liners and Smart wool socks help a lot.  I've found them in kids sizes at Gander.
For the boots, I would not go with any thing that has a felt liner;  Thinsulate will hold the warmth much better.

I have an 8 yr old and 5 year old who have been icefishing with me since they could walk (well actually since they could ride out in a sled).

[Zee]

I put my son in Kamik Mounties ($24.99 at Cabelas) with a hot pack that are used in the gloves. He goes all day no problem. Just bought him his second pair, he outgrew the other ones. I find he is alot warmer when he is catching fish. 

[Skipper]

I have found that a boot that is a tad loose is far better than a snug pair. I have also found that if you take an old pair of adult boot liners and cut out an insole for the kid's boots out of the side, it helps allot. I have been making wool insoles for myself for years, it really makes a difference.