Winter Backpacking Boots

[ImYourHuckleberry]

What are people using for overnight trips these days? For winter day hikes, I use either trail runners sized up 1/2 size with slightly thicker wool socks with gtx socks over them, or lightly insulated gtx boots. I almost always have down booties with me just in case I become immobile. And I don't go out on really cold days.

But when I used to spend the night out, which I haven't done in a couple of decades in the winter, I always used plastic mountaineering boots. I always brought the liners into my sleeping bag at night, and with plastic outers I never had to worry about the boots soaking out and freezing over a period of several days.

I'm planning to do some occasional winter backpacking again, and therefore in the market for whatever is the state of the art boot for this application these days. It seems like plastic boots have gone the way of the Dodo bird. What are people here using?

 

[nartreb]

Boot choice is really variable. Some people love a very warm boot, others hate getting sweaty feet. Some will hike all day in ski boots. Personally I won't put up with stiff plastic boots or a boot that's too heavy.

For hiking and camping I have plain old leather work boots, uninsulated, about one size too big. I can put extra-thick socks in them on cold days.
Since they're uninsulated, they don't accumulate enough moisture to really freeze hard. But it's still a good idea to keep them wide open at night. If they do freeze stiff, you can still get them on, then your body heat will do the rest.

For ice climbing I have stiffer boots with a closer fit. I don't usually combine ice climbing and camping, though - that's a lot of heavy gear.

 

[Lone Stranger]

I tend to hike in my Limmers and carry serious insulated boots for camp. My feet don't get cold hiking, but standing around is another matter. Baffin Impacts are heavy on the pack, but great for star gazing on sub zero nights

 

[JoshandBaron]

Keen Revel IV high Polar 400g. Comparably lightweight, large volume for extra sock. Work great with snowshoes. You're probably making water before bed anyway, Nalgene bottles fit into the boots and will keep everything thawed through the night.

Handy resource: https://sectionhiker.com/winter-hiking-boots-fequently-asked-questions/

 

[Rhody Seth]

I've been using Merrill Polar 8s for the last several seasons. They have 400g of insulation and have worked well for me down to single digits. I bring the liners into the hammock with me and will try to warm them up a tad in the morning but sticking a hot water bottle in them. They've worked well for me.

 

[ImYourHuckleberry]

Keen Revel IV high Polar 400g. Comparably lightweight, large volume for extra sock. Work great with snowshoes. You're probably making water before bed anyway, Nalgene bottles fit into the boots and will keep everything thawed through the night.

Handy resource: https://sectionhiker.com/winter-hiking-boots-fequently-asked-questions/

Thanks for the link. It's focused on day hiking, but in the comments he mentions the Baffin Borealis for overnight trips. It looks like those have a removable liner, so I'm doing some research on those now.

 

[ImYourHuckleberry]

I've been using Merrill Polar 8s for the last several seasons. They have 400g of insulation and have worked well for me down to single digits. I bring the liners into the hammock with me and will try to warm them up a tad in the morning but sticking a hot water bottle in them. They've worked well for me.

Thank you. Those seem to be d/c now. I've tried figuring out what they may have replaced them with, but it seems they only have options with 200g of insulation or 800g of insulation. I feel like 800g is probably too much. I would probably be fine with 200g though, as frequently I just use trail runners with a GTX sock for winter day hiking.

 

[ImYourHuckleberry]

Boot choice is really variable. Some people love a very warm boot, others hate getting sweaty feet. Some will hike all day in ski boots. Personally I won't put up with stiff plastic boots or a boot that's too heavy.

For hiking and camping I have plain old leather work boots, uninsulated, about one size too big. I can put extra-thick socks in them on cold days.
Since they're uninsulated, they don't accumulate enough moisture to really freeze hard. But it's still a good idea to keep them wide open at night. If they do freeze stiff, you can still get them on, then your body heat will do the rest.

For ice climbing I have stiffer boots with a closer fit. I don't usually combine ice climbing and camping, though - that's a lot of heavy gear.

I still have a pair of La Sportiva Trango Extremes (or whatever they called them back somewhere around 1998) that I used for ice and mixed climbing and springtime overnights in Huntington Ravine, camping outside Harvard Cabin. I wish I could find my old Scarpa plastic boots. They were rigid enough for ice climbing, but imo still plenty easy to walk in as long as the ground was mostly snow covered. Light years better than the awful pair of Koflach's I bought in the late '80s.

 

[SAR-EMT40]

I have a very old pair of One Sport (there is no model name but I think later versions were called Moraine). I bought them probably in the late '80 and used them for many winter hiking camping climbing events. I look at them periodically and take them out once in a while and they are still excellent. They were always one of the most comfortable boots I owned. I know I have used them with step in crampons but I think I have used them with regular crampons also. It was really a great boot for me. I guess the company no longer exists but they made a great boot.

KR