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There's something to be said for an inexpensive boot that works well in very cold weather and in the backcountry -- mukluks. They're light, pack-able enough, easy to take apart to dry, and work better for me than a lot of "winter boots". They also eliminate the need for gaiters, though ski pants can be worn under or over to suit your taste.

Mukluks are NOT a "wet" snow boot and thrive in +20F and colder. So do NOT confuse Mukluks with Muck Boots with full rubber to wade in a foot of water.

Here's my U.S. military N-1B Mukluks beaters after several winter summits. You can often find them at surplus stores and ebay for under $50. I'm sure others here can add info and comment on other versions such as from Canada.

A FULL set should include:
- outer shell (green cotton duck with rubber outsole
- two (2) grey felt insoles per boot
- one white wool bootie per boot
- verify before you buy
--> example of set without booties

Good additions:
- Second wool bootie, as a size 10/11 foot I can fit a S(mall) bootie in a M(edium) one.
- "Frost plug", basically a mesh insole that goes under the felt ones to trap moisture to keep frost from wicking up through the insoles. Canadian versions have this, though I've yet to try them and wondered how Type I "jungle boot" mesh insoles would hold up.
- Vapor barrier liner or oven bags, on a long day (think 12+ hour hike) they can dampen from sweat, so a bag over the foot or over a thin socks keeps the booties dry and insulating. ALSO, without them sweat vapor eventually condenses inside the sole below the insoles and at the shell which can freeze stiff making it hard to adjust laces over the forefoot.

Repair:
The outer cotton isn't the most robust scraping against talus, but even with a four-inch slice and frosted layer on the bootie underneath my feet were warmth. My approach was to use Shoe Goo, scissors, pen, and scrap canvas from a bag to apply a patch on both the outside and inside for more serious holes/tears, which also serves to bulletproof the areas "proven" to need it most. I have another pair of "new" outers for when that time comes.

Care:
Unlike one-piece boots, muks are designed and NEED to be taken apart and dried. If you just toss them at the door damp from a hike like other footwear, I don't foresee good things. The flip side is they dry out faster than boots with non-removable liners.

My basic system not including socks: vapor barriers (oven bags), two booties, two insoles, outer shell.
Felt insoles start out around 3/8" thick each. They pound down after several long days and winter summits
Nesting a S inside a M "100% wool" bootie. I sharpied a L and R to keep from mixing the four up.
Tread patterns vary. Inside of the rubber outsole is canvas. Canadian military adds "frost plugs"
Medium insoles are about 11" long (didn't have a ruler handy).

I wear Steger Mukluks in winter for any real outside work or snowshoeing when it's below 20F, made in MN from cotton canvas upper, elk hide lower, rubber sole, wool felt liner and insole. They're pretty good.

I finally live in a place that is cold but not wet. I've wanted mukluks for a long time but weather conditions weren't ideal. Steger is basically 10+ weeks back ordered. I picked up a vintage pair of Stegers on Ebay. I kind of liked the white canvas topped ones better, but this is what I ordered.

They have a lot of appeal for me, and have for years. Strongly considered a pair when replacing my 30+ year old Sorel's a few years ago. I'm in northern VT, and cold and wet is part of our winters. And, I found even the Sorel's were a sloppy fit for wearing for much distance; both styles pictured above would appear to be kinda loose and unsupportive. I think they'd be great for wandering the woods, late season hiking, or (not being sarcastic here) sort of apres- ski. Would have been good for the winter I lived in a tipi, and come to think of it I DID (still do) have a pair... but they're down filled, gore tex shell. No support, but super warm and cozy, but didn't go much further than to the woodshed, or down to the brook for water.

What I ended up with is a Schnee's Hunter II "pac boot", which is, in my mind, another iteration of the mukluk, but far more supportive and weatherproof. I like 'em way better than the Sorel's fit and support wise. Sealed the seams, conditioned the leather, and I can wade into the water for cold weather canoeing (one of the reasons I chose these). 13" height; don't need gaiters (another reason!).

TallGrass wrote: ↑

Fri Dec 30, 2022 3:15 pm

Mukluks, mukluks, muks...

Don't you talk to me like that!

I’ve worn Canadian military arctic muks and own a pair of Sorel Glacier Muks. Both rated for -60.

The military muks are very much oriented to cold dry conditions. They are similar to the ones used by Tallgrass, with the following exceptions:

- constructed of woven nylon fabric, rather like sailcloth but with a slightly more open weave
- pure white in colour
- exact same boot liners and sole inserts, with with a mesh insert to separate the bottom of the boot and the wool innersole.
- much heavier lugs on the bottom of the boot.

My Sorel Glacier muks, which I’ve owned for 20 years are a bit different.

- constructed of nylon fabric, with an insulating holofil layer
- pure white in colour
- liners are wool but with a perforated aluminum foil based reflective heat layer on the warm (foot) side
- combo liner… top layer wool blend, bottom layer mesh
- fully rubberized, bonded and taped, welt that runs from the sole to the ankle
- different lug pattern… smaller but tighter lug pattern

These design differences reflect different use cases.

Militaries “work” in the field. Their boots don’t have to be as warm because soldiers are almost always on the move. And it isn’t always mechanized movement. Sometimes conditions, logistics, and operational requirements demand travel on foot. Breathability is a high priority therefore. Weight is also an issue… light infantry carries everything it needs to fight.

Civilian boots are suited for things like excursions, linesman work, and travelling by skidoo. This isn’t as “active”, so more insulation is beneficial. After all, you’re not generating as much heat when working in place or riding around on a skidoo. Ordinary people don’t own specialized boot systems, so a certain amount of water repellency helps in sub arctic conditions (tundra —> muskeg).

Sorel Glacier boots are getting hard to find. The company produces them but doesn’t offer them online. They retail in specialty stores for around $400 Canadian. A three pin variety of this basic design is sold by Baffin (the model is called the Guide Pro). It costs $500.

Canadian military arctic muks aren’t available new. You might find them in surplus stores… mostly in clapped out condition. The liners cop a lot of abuse too. The frost liners are indestructible though… they will join cockroaches as the last thing left on the planet after the next apocalypse.

I doubt the Canadian military pays any more than $200 for a pair. The materials are good but they’re not as durable as my old Sorels. Some of that is a weight issue. Higher priced materials in my Sorels. Maybe that doesn’t matter operationally… sometimes military gear just needs to be good enough when weight and cost come into play.

Liner condition is key to boot warmth. They compress over time and need to be replaced. I replace mine about every 5-7 years.

You can get replacement liners from Sorel for their boots for around $150. Sizing can be tricky though because patterns can change over the decades.

The original Sorel boots lasted 20++ years. The new ones aren’t as good. So I’m holding onto my pair.

@GrimSurfer There's a picture of the Sorel Guide Pro II (with 3-pin) in this article, though it feels odd that it speaks of Timberlands in the same breath.
https://explorersweb.com/warmest-winter ... onditions/

Yep. This'll do the trick.

phoenix wrote: ↑

Fri Dec 30, 2022 5:18 pm

They have a lot of appeal for me... I found even the Sorel's were a sloppy fit for wearing for much distance; both styles pictured above would appear to be kinda loose and unsupportive.

If worn like a slipper, sure. I've found with double booties I can snug them down fine for peak bagging and there's a lot of uneven terrain in doing so. If someone needs arch support, has trouble barefooting around, yeah, N-1B's are not the ticket.

I once had a pair of Sorel Caribou’s. Not a muk, but good to -40C.

That was 40 years ago. The ones today are junk in comparison.

Sorel moved a lot of its production to China. Apparently, the QC team doesn’t like to travel and they accept production runs sight unseen these days.

Oh, this brings back some memories. I used to live in a pair of N-1B issue mukluks. I worked the flightline when I was stationed in Alaska. These were good for me to -60F. We would toss the stock booties and use heavy wool felt Sorel liners plus as many wool insoles as would fit. Just don't make the mistake of trying to kick out frozen in wheel chocks...I thought I broke my foot that night.

Your post just reminded me of something @jalp

When I went to sea, officers standing watch were expected to do so in shoes or steel toed sea boots. Even on the Grand Bank in February, when we’d do so on the pilotage (flying bridge (outdoors)) at night so we could better spot/avoid ice. Rubber overshoes were permitted, but the combo was horribly cold.

So I’d bring my Sorel wool boot liners to sea… the ones from my Caribou boots. Pop them in regulation rubber overshoes. Looked standard issue but were warm and as comfortable as slippers when worn in sock feet. No ankle or arch support on a steel deck but I’ll take tired feet over frozen ones.