OT Winter Boots Sorel/Kamik

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Pan Tau

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Sep 3, 2002
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I thought I might ask some Americans...

My wife and I plan some winterhiking next year and searched the web for winter-hiking-boots. Sorel and Kamik seem to be the brands - these boots are not easy to get at a reasonable price over here in Europe (100-140 Euros here vs 82 US $ in the States), so my brother in law (who lives in Memphis) will bring them when he visits this summer.

Do you have any experience with these boots/brands? We have quite a bit of snow here (about 1 m/3.5 ft right now) an temperature not below -25 °C - so the boots up to -40 °C will be more than enough. The boots should have removable liners and replacement liners should be available. we will use them for hiking here and in the alps and may be for snow-shoeing (is it possible to make this a verb?). They do not need to be very high because we have gaiters that should prevent snow from falling in.

What do you recommend? Sorel or Kamik (like I said - the insulation will be sufficient but in terms of material, quality of workmanship etc.)

We found the Kamik Frontrage (82 US$ at zappos.com) quite appealing - but you know we will not be able to simply send them back when we do not like fit, quality etc. - it was difficult enough to find out the american size (Euro 43 (me) and 39 (Susanne) - that is 28.0 cm resp. 25.0 cm - so it would be a US 10 (men) for me and a US 8 (women) for her...).

http://www.zappos.com/n/p/dp/2508944/c/325.html

Thank you in advance!

Andreas
 
Hi Pan. If you are considering the type of boot with a felt liner, some people find it impossible to get a good fit in the area of the back of the heel. They find that the boot moves up and down against the heel each time they take a step. Around a camp or sitting in a hunting "blind," this is not a problem. It may be a serious problem in hiking or backpacking.

Just a thought for your consideration.
 
I wear Sorels, but for the type of thing you are talking about- hiking, I wonder if Thomas isn't right about heel movement. Any of a number of insulated military/hiking/ hunting boots might be better because they're designed differently. Check the Cabelas cate.



munk
 
I would agree with munk and Thomas.
Boots with liners are not the best choice for hiking.
A properly sized straight up hiking boot which allows for a nice pair of wool socks with a polpropylene type under sock should work.

Check out any hiking/backpacking shops you might have in your area.
They will get you set up and fit properly.

The lined boots are warm but you might be taking a chance on the fit and comfort by bringing them in without trying them on first.

You might end up paying a bit more this way.

Whether it's shoes, boots or khukuris as the saying goes Buy the best and cry only once.

Chuck
 
Of the two you mentioned it's basically a Ford Vs. Chevy debate. Both manufacturers offer a wide array of boots, from the expensive good stuff, down to Department store specials. If I were REAAALLLYY backed into a corner, and made to choose one I'd choose Sorel, just because I've had more experience with them and they're much more common. Up here a Sorel is called a Sorel. a Kamik is also often referred to as a Sorel. My La Crosse Icemans are referred to as Sorels...It's basically a well known name that's set a standard. The same way "Ka-Bar" is a Marine Fighting knife or forty five caliber is often assumed to be a 1911. For the most part there are three kinds of boots- Bunny Boots, Sorels, and all the other ones...

More important than brand manufacture, I'd be looking long and hard at the best socks you could get, and some extra liners. That is one thing that the both brands have going for them- If you get the liners wet, either through sweat or snow, you can replace them easily. It's been my own personal observation that as soon as your liners get even a little wet, feet get cold, and it aint no more fun.


Of course, if you REAAALLLY hate cold feet as much as I do, you can get some surplus bunny boots, but...it'd take a lot tougher SOB than I am to walk very far in them. Your feet will never get cold, but they are quite heavy.


I gotta check out those White's boots. I wear 11.5 4E wide feet, but even Dunham and New Balance are too narrow for me at thier widest width.
 
hmm I see the point for hiking with liner boots - I did not think about that.

Thank you so far - the chance to replace a wet liner was what made me think of the liner-boots - but then the "Patriot" of the Kamik-Line doesn´t have a liner - but I can get boots like this in stores here too (from Salomon, North Face or Adidas). Last year Meindl, a German producer of Hiking Boots, made boots with liners "canadian style" - they were discontinued I think.
I will think about it and maybe try one in a shop (although I normally reject to try something in a shop to know better about it - and then buying on the web - it is a bit like theft of the shop-assistent`s advise...). The problem is that this sort of boots is not very common here - and if a shop carries them they are sold out this time of winter - but I pretend - for normal use these boots are kind of an "overkill" - but still I like the style...

Andreas
 
I hike in the winter and in the snow and have been pleased with my insulated Danner boots. I've been wearing Danners for over 20 years now.

The ones I wear do not have removable liners.

Boots are one item I like to try on before I buy.

You might also ask your question over in the Wilderness and Survival Skills section of Bladeforums. You are sure to get some opinions over there too.
 
IIRC, the Soviet Army used boots sized large enough to allow use of heavy stockings OR pieces of blanket. That allowed changing the insulation layer when it got damp from perspiration.
 
Thomas Linton said:
Gee, Smith, didn't know you were inta' the kinky stuff. :eek:
Click to expand...

There's nothing kinky about it.

When a man and a boot fall in love, its a beautiful thing. Sometimes the man and the boots want to show their love physically. Its a beautiful, natural thing.

We mock what we dont understand Thomas...










:D :) :rolleyes: :p
 
Oh, I don't know. Mocking what we do understand is perhaps safer. ;)

Right: "This is Left, my significant other."
 
I work in Danner Rainforest boots every day. I love them, but they do take some time to break in. They're not insulated, which makes them unsuitable for extreme cold, but they're very waterproof.

The best winter hiking/hunting boots I ever had were LaCrosse pacs. I probably put 300 miles on them in the six years I wore them. And then my dog decided to eat them. RIP Lacrosse pacs. :(

Currently I use Sorels for snowy hiking and hunting. Their quality is as good as the LaCrosse but they're much heavier, which gets hard on the knees before too long. I'm still looking for the ideal replacement, haven't found them yet.
 
I hunt in cold weather. I walk when I hunt.I have poor circulation in hands and feet.

Best yet: http://shop.katashoes.com/store/browning_stalker.html

in a size larger than my shoe size. I layer wool, with a synthetic sock over it. Wool sock wicks moisture, keeps warm even with moisture.

The browning 8 inch leather w/ thinsulate have been best so far for ease of use and warmth. The sorel type boot has a clumsiness about it.

Use gaiters for upper ankle/calf if snow is deep, not much insulation is needed above the foot, fewer blood vessels to chill.

I doubt that the Browning are far better than any other, but this TYPE of boot gives me the best versitility, i.e., lugged, shorter, leather, thinsulate, and a size larger than shoe size and waterproofed.


Be well and safe.
 
I liked my Rocky Thinsulate boots w/Gore-Tex, 8" high. Two pairs of quality socks and I was good to go. Feet stayed warm and dry, and not bulky like pacs so they were easy to hike in. The old ones were made here in the states, and made right. I think now they are made in China so I can't speak to their quality. I got 10 years of hard hunting and back packing out of mine. I would have gotten them resoled 'cept my feet got wider :grumpy:
 
I have a friend who snow-shoes in pac boots. They work reasonably well, but I believe he has unlined or lightly lined ones. The boots for extremely cold temperatures can get heavy and clumsy.

Mountaineering boots are also an option. The plastic double boots have a removable liner, much like Sorels. They also have a Vibram rubber sole and are OK for walking. Manufacturers include Asolo, Scarpa, and Koflach. Better still for walking are insulated leather mountaineering boots. The gold standard is usually the La Sportiva Nepal Top or Nepal Extreme. They also make other models. Many of these boots are made in Europe, so you should be able to find them, perhaps more easily than hunting boots. Of course, leather boots for winter are probably twice as expensive as Sorel boots.
 
For mountaineering in the B to C - zones of the alps I use these:

Hanwag Yukon
hw4


they fit me like a glove and I use Falke-socks with them. However at 1.8 kg/pair they are a bit heavy. I use them down to about 0 °C - they are not insulated, it is a leather boot.

right now i am thinking about these (see pic) They do not have a liner. baltoro tnf
nf4945209.jpg


The north face however i do not know as a shoe-company.

I will try and seach the Asolo or Scarpa-shoes Tohatchi mentioned - but the Italian shoes seldom fit my (wide) feet.
 
Thomas Linton said:
Hi Pan. If you are considering the type of boot with a felt liner, some people find it impossible to get a good fit in the area of the back of the heel. They find that the boot moves up and down against the heel each time they take a step. Around a camp or sitting in a hunting "blind," this is not a problem. It may be a serious problem in hiking or backpacking.

Just a thought for your consideration.
Click to expand...

Good point, but in my experience in almost any new boot the heel's gonna slip a bit until they get broken in a little. (?) Sometimes changing into some good quality socks, like Thor-Lo's can help the problem.

Regards,

Norm
 
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