A different question about winter boots

[MindlessMariachi]

What's a good winter backpacking boot with a removable liner for overnight trips? Most insulated winter hiking boots do not seem to have a removable liner, and thus wouldn't be great for overnight trips in my view. What do you do if you camp out and wake up in the morning and your boot is frozen stiff? Removable liners make it so i can either put them in my sleeping bag, or if worse comes to worse, pull them out of the frozen boot and bend and flex everything to loosen it up.

I normally wear sorels on winter overnights, although they are a little floppy for hiking, and even though I have strap on crampons, they're not great with those.

What should I be wearing?

 

[una_dogger]

Not a boot recommendation, but when I've winter backpacked I take along down booties to wear in camp. I boil water and fill two nalgenes, and stick one in each boot overnight. Assuming the water doesn't freeze overnight, I'm all set the next day with purified drinking water, too.


Happy trails!

 

[MindlessMariachi]

ha - thanks! i like putting my hot water bottles in my sleeping bag with me though! and one nice thing about sorels is that they're squishy and comfy enough that they mitigate the need to pack down booties along.

 

[MadRiver]

I have Koflach Degre and put my booties inside my sleeping bag at night. As Sabrina mentioned, I also have down booties to wear in camp. One thing that I did differently this past weekend with the temps hovering around -20 in the morning was to put a foot warmer (full pad) in the plastic boots in the morning to warm up the plastic before putting my booties in the shells. Since I wear custom orthotics I did not feel the foot warmer under my booties. It made a huge difference.

 

[MindlessMariachi]

I have some old plastic Koflachs from the 90s. They're so clunky though to hike in - i really only break them out when I'm reasonably certain I'll be in crampons for most of the day.

 

[dug]

I really don't want to get into this discussion as opinions are strong. I will just say that it is a myth you need a removable liner for winter overnights. If you were a VBL sock or something similar, your boots will stay dry and hence, won't freeze up. Sure, they are cold in the morning but nothing a heated water bottle won't fix quickly.

I wear leather lined, leather boots with a hard plastic sole in bare feet with just a VBL, and I don't have issues.

 

[una_dogger]

Dug, where do you get your VBLs?

 

[dug]

Dug, where do you get your VBLs?

Various places. Usually one of us will buy then at the start of the season, and buys a few pairs and we spread them around. Integral Designs is where I bought the last ones. They don't last more than a season, if that.


I should note to anyone, if you have never worn them, a couple of caveats:

They work by keeping the moisture in, which is typically warmer than the air around you (if not...why are you wearing them?). Also, Make sure you take them off at camp, let them dry out. Otherwise, you get a pretty good stench and I think 'trenchfoot' can result

 

[PETCH]

Kiinda what the other folks are saying- Down booties around camp, Hot water Nalgenes in each boot, put boots an an empty stuff sack and shove them down in the bottom of your sleeping bag- if you have room. I recently bought a Marmot Lithium and got the "long" just for this purpose. Wear the down booties in the am, Take the stuff sack out of the sleeping bag when you're packing up and only put the boots back on when you're ready to hit the trail.

Petch

 

[erugs]

AMC leaders insisted on boots with liners when I began winter hiking. Fortunately, things have changed. Aside from serious mountaineering type boots or clunky Sorel types, are any actually made with liners these days? My first winter boot was the Sorel Conquest, which looked like it had a removable liner but didn't.

 

[MadRiver]

I’m probably the only person who actually likes my Koflachs. I’ve been wearing ski boots since I was 8 and find the Koflach far more comfortable. They work well for me. I’m not saying I wouldn’t like trying something different, yet right now I would rather have a -20 bag given my budget constraints.

 

[bobandgeri]

I really don't want to get into this discussion as opinions are strong. I will just say that it is a myth you need a removable liner for winter overnights. If you were a VBL sock or something similar, your boots will stay dry and hence, won't freeze up. Sure, they are cold in the morning but nothing a heated water bottle won't fix quickly.

I wear leather lined, leather boots with a hard plastic sole in bare feet with just a VBL, and I don't have issues.

Totally agree with you about it being a myth for hiking! And about VBL's! I use a pair from RBHDesigns - they work great at keeping your socks nice and dry!

 

[una_dogger]

T I use a pair from RBHDesigns - !

really? interesting name! coincidence?

 

[hikerbrian]

I’m probably the only person who actually likes my Koflachs.

Nah, I love my Koflachs as well. In fact, almost every person I run into on the trails LOVES their plastic boots. I frequently see on BBs such as this one people who really dislike plastic boots for one reason or another, but in my experience these folks represent a vocal minority. Not saying their opinions aren't relevant, not saying that at all, just saying that I think the online community does not provide a perfect representation of reality. Imagine that!

Re: vapor barriers: I use plastic grocery bags. They typically only last one day. I bring several pairs for longer trips. Smartwool socks next to my skin, then grocery bag, then all of that into my Koflachs (Verticals circa 2001). Heaven! My socks dry out quickly once I get into my sleeping bag - in fact for reasons I don't really understand, they don't seem to be any more moist than when I don't wear VBL's.

 

[TomD]

I wore a pair of Koflachs while taking a mountaineering class years ago. After many hours of hiking in them down the glacier, I had such bad shin bang I could hardly walk. Took days for the bruises to heal.

Have you looked at something like Steger Mukluks? I don't have a pair, but have read good things about them. I have used Sorels-like you say, a bit sloppy, but warm.

 

[bobandgeri]

really? interesting name! coincidence?

Pure coincidence

 

[una_dogger]

I wore a pair of Koflachs while taking a mountaineering class years ago. After many hours of hiking in them down the glacier, I had such bad shin bang I could hardly walk. Took days for the bruises to heal.

Have you looked at something like Steger Mukluks? I don't have a pair, but have read good things about them. I have used Sorels-like you say, a bit sloppy, but warm.

I can't wear Koflachs either - it seems people either love them or hate them ;/)

 

[sierra]

I spent many years in Koflachs because A. they were the only option, B. I was also an ice climber. Then I found the new generation of leather boots by La sportiva, to be honest they perform better and are way more comfortable.

 

[TomD]

Mine were rentals, Viva Softs if I remember right. I didn't know better at the time, but soon learned the hard way that they didn't fit right. Didn't hurt my feet, it was my shins that took a beating.