While there may be some factors they left out, but this is an outstanding test. I have never been happy with my cold feet and suspect a defect in my physiological or psychological makeup. Probably not. I just buy cheap boots, not realizing the difference a few bucks well spent could make.
Thanks to these two guys, my next pair of boots will do the job.
Check out this boot test:
Field Test: Cold-Weather Hunting Boots
Boots, it could be said, are among the most critical of bowhunting equipment. Wet or frozen feet have sent many a hunter packing early for home. Here are the results.
by Mike Strandlund and Mark Melotik
Cold Weather Boots, it could be said, are among the most critical of bowhunting equipment. Wet or frozen feet have sent many a hunter packing early for home. And even if such maladies don’t shut down your hunt, they sure make it less fun.
Boot companies make some pretty big claims for the ability of their products to keep your feet warm and dry. But how well do they really perform? We found out.
In this Field Test we evaluated boots for comfort, convenience, construction and overall performance. Some of those test are subjective. For two of the most important attributes—warmth and waterproofness—we devised two objective tests.
To test warmth we placed a thermometer in the toe of a boot at 65 degrees, stuffed a towel into the boot to close it off, and placed it in a freezer at 3 degrees for 30 minutes. (I tested various time periods and found this to show the greatest disparity in insulating ability.) At the end of the half-hour I removed the boot and recorded the thermometer reading. To ensure consistent test conditions and accurate results, I kept everything the same, which included making sure the thermometer and towel warmed up to room temperature before testing the next boot. The results were interesting, showing the warmest boot retaining over 50 percent more warmth than the “coldest” boot.
