Thread: Whats your hunting footwear????

Bryan Ritchie seems to know his way around the bush - I have been watching his videos and they are really interesting
He is an Ashley man - but clips on Cyprus 6 crampons for real traction
I have seen other stuff on Google where Guys are using Ashleys and clipping on Kovea in-step crampons
I tried to find both Cyprus 6 and Kovea crampons yesterday round Tauranga - but the Kovea ones at H&F didn’t have ratchet tie downs so I didn’t do it
I am just getting to the end of a pair of AKU boots - bought them about six years back from a Ham retailer that was shutting down - lovely comfortable boots with good open tread - but the front sole came off after a year or so and the retailer had gone - took them to a boot repair man in Tauranga - $80 to glue them together again - came off a few months later - back to the repair man - he said he would try again and just keep bringing them back if they failed - well they started coming off again about a month back - I didn’t ask him to fix them again but he said try some Shoe Goo - $10 - bloody amazing stuff and they seem to be holding together again for the last four trips - but it doesn’t look nice - I will keep them going until they rip apart then try some new ones
I tried Ashleys yesterday at Farmlands - but they are bastard things to get in and out of and seemed to have little ankle support so I didn’t do it
I went over to Hamilton a week or so back to check out a real good boot shop - Trek N Travel - I like the look of Vasque Eriksson - but they were half a size too big or small and didn’t have the size 10 that I needed - so will have to go back some time - I want an open clunky tread pattern that won’t fill up with mud and become slippery
I am going to try some crampons under my old boots as the tread is worn down - the bush tracks I use while trapping are very slippery at present and I am sick of sliding off roots - I used to love tricounis while meat hunting - so clip on steel crampons seems like a good idea at present
Check out the GoneBush man - Bryan Ritchie - https://gonebush.org/videos/gear-and...ll-conditions/

For extra traction go for Kahtoola microspikes use them most days I'm skiing, perfect for ice in the carpark. Have heard someone got a set through aliexpress, no doubt cheaper than the ones I got from h&f

Originally Posted by 223nut

For extra traction go for Kahtoola microspikes use them most days I'm skiing, perfect for ice in the carpark. Have heard someone got a set through aliexpress, no doubt cheaper than the ones I got from h&f

I got a set from Aliexpress, Good as gold in snow mud and ice, but not over any gravel or rocks, the chain links aren't welded and get damaged and open up, I lost a few links last time out as I left the snow and hit the gravelled tracks. easy fix with new chain, but probably better in the long run to spend the $100 on microspikes if the chains are better. Otherwise the Aliexpress ones are good.

Originally Posted by ROKTOY

I got a set from Aliexpress, Good as gold in snow mud and ice, but not over any gravel or rocks, the chain links aren't welded and get damaged and open up, I lost a few links last time out as I left the snow and hit the gravelled tracks. easy fix with new chain, but probably better in the long run to spend the $100 on microspikes if the chains are better. Otherwise the Aliexpress ones are good.

Have used mine of gravel a few times, haven't inspected the links but they all seem to be there so you are probably right.

Even run down a gravel road with 2feet of snow on it and didn't have them fall off, fully expected them to. Have used them on my Lowa Tibet's and rangers

Originally Posted by Ryan_Songhurst

La Sportiva Karakorum, great boots, light (ish), really comfortable, good support, great grip on all sorts of surfaces, only thing they dont do well is stay in one bloody piece! have had the rand repaired after damn near every trip away as it seems to like falling away from the boot.

Got some of those too, they are good eh. Mine haven't had any falling apart problems (and neither did the LS Makalus I had for years before them). Soles on the Karakorum are wearing down a bit faster than the Makalus did, must be softer rubber I guess.

For most South Islanders bare feet it is at least there quiet

Anyone use something like this? I was thinking they would be good for walking rivers and creeks in places like the Ureweras where there is a lot of river travelling.

Originally Posted by freelancer

Attachment 73860 Anyone use something like this? I was thinking they would be good for walking rivers and creeks in places like the Ureweras where there is a lot of river travelling.

Probably no better grip on river stones

Originally Posted by freelancer

Attachment 73860 Anyone use something like this? I was thinking they would be good for walking rivers and creeks in places like the Ureweras where there is a lot of river travelling.

Yep, use them when in the snow and ice and love them. No idea what they are like on rock. First impression was they would eep falling off but no issues there, have heard the cheaper ones the links underneath pull apart when falling on gravel, had a look at kine and they aren't welded but don't seem to be separating.

Looking at the photo a second time mine are a bit different, they have spikes on the bottom like crampons, Kahtoola microspikes

Well I don`t go hunting to far in the bush but I made the mistake of buying ,"Made in china" boots, need I say more. Called " Evolve" , Hydrafuse, just so you know what not to get. Only been on three hunts and the sole heels starting squeaking, the dam things are hollow, so pumped in some silicon rubber and now they are falling off!, have to see if I Can find some good glue.

i rock lowa ranger III which I have broken a hook off hummmmmmph.
Because I'm pretty good at standing on sticks and shit I've been thinking about getting some hardcore ankle braces and wearing some wetsuit booties under them until it's warm enough to just bare foot it under them... something like the link below. Anybody tried that way of rolling?
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Kuan...c-4c6854c6a9f8

just buy a pair of paraflex boots, (no i dont work for them) but nz made, tougher than helen clarks knickers and made to last

Nebraska pros for pack work. And bullers for sneaky bush hunting.

Meindl Bhutan, easily the best boots i have ever worn, and im a fossil (60)......

My old man would wear sock in the summer, while bush stalking.

His reasoning was the same .... Quieter.

Cheers
Pete