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Thread: Bush boots?

  1. #51
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
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    Lake County Ohio
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    Never heard of Skellerup, but it sure looks a lot like a Muck Boot. Maybe Skellerup is the original.
    Do you know if they are they still made in NZ? That, alone, would gain points over made in China...
    John Allin

    14x18 Hemlock Timber Frame Sugar House 2009
    Leader 2x6 w/Patriot Raised Flue Pan 2009
    Leader Steam Hood 2014 - Clear Filter Press 2015
    Leader Revolution Pan and SS Pre-Heater 2016
    CDL Hobby RO & Air Tech L25 Hi Vac Pump 2019
    06' Gator HPX to collect wood & sap
    14' Ski-Doo Tundra for winter work in the woods
    Great Family 3 grown kids+spouses and 7 grand kids who like the woods
    7th Gen Born in Canada - Raised in Chardon Ohio - Maple Capital of the World..<grin>.

  2. #52
    Join Date
    Mar 2016
    Location
    Central Wisconsin
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    124

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    Yeah, I assume they are still made in New Zealand.
    I agree, beats made in China..

  3. #53
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
    Location
    Fulton, NY
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    1,374

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    So far I'd say my Kamiks are better than the Mucks I used to wear. Soles always came off on Mucks.
    Tim Whitens
    Willow Creek Farm
    Fulton, NY

    3000 on vacuum, 3hp 3ph Busch pump, 2567 Gast
    30X8 Leader oil-fired evap. w/ steamaway
    Airablo 1000 RO
    6 Alpacas

  4. #54
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    Sherburne Co Minnesota
    Posts
    125

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    My feet never get tired in my Setters, Thats all I can say.
    March 2011- my brain had a weird spark
    3 taps then 14
    2012- 35 taps
    2013-GBM 2x4 150 taps
    2014- Custom 2x10
    2015- Smoky Lake 2x2 syrup 2x8 drop flue
    2016- turbo 2000 and 36 cfm sihi 500 taps,
    2017- SL filter and bottler

  5. #55
    Join Date
    Feb 2015
    Location
    Warren, MA
    Posts
    230

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    My favorite deer hunting boot are Lacrosse Burly Air-Grip 18" hunting boot.
    My favorite working in the snowy and/or muddy woods are my "retired" Lacrosse Burly Air-Grip 18" hunting boot. When I say "retired" I mean ones that I've applied two or more inner tube patches to (which took about 5-7 years for my current pair before they were "retired" and replaced)
    These are not insulated much which is just fine for me because they are light and when I wear them hunting or working I am fairly active. The go on and off fast. You can tuck your pant legs into them and keep the mud off your pant cuffs which will please your wife when you take them off to go in the house. The Air-Grip ("Air-Bob" to some people) grab equally well in all conditions.
    My only other working boots are for chainsaw work as they have cut protection. If it's really snowy or muddy I have a pair of Husqvarna rubber chainsaw boots. Any other time I'm working where I need cut protection I wear my leather Oregon chainsaw boots. Actually, those Oregon boots are worn for ANY work when it's not super snowy or muddy as they are very comfortable to me although a bit on the heavy side.

  6. #56
    Join Date
    Feb 2015
    Location
    Saratoga, NY
    Posts
    426

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    I thought I'd revisit this thread since I started it just about two years ago searching for the "best" bush boots. At that time, I ended up going with a pair of Muck Chore boots at the recommendation of a farming friend.

    Two years in with nearly daily wear from October to April, I have a few thoughts that may (or may not) be worth sharing:

    Comfort: I would say this is likely the major selling point of the Muck Chore: it's quite a comfortable boot. With a good pair of wool socks, I can slip these on and be out the door in seconds but then spend most of the day on my feet in snow, mud and chicken **** without really ever noticing the boots are there. I notice the difference in comfort particularly when compared to my all-rubber chainsaw boots. Whereas those boots (Husqavarnas) are uncomfortable and stiff when crouching or bending at odd angles, the Muck boots (probably due to the neoprene upper) flex in a way that makes it easy to get under an ATV to attach a wagon or retrieve a dropped sap tap.

    Function/Insulation: There seems to be just enough insulation in the Chore-style Muck boots that, as long as you're moving, your feet stay warm. This is also possibly an outgrowth of the fact that they (mostly) keep your feet dry. However, when I've stood around an outdoor evaporator (in my case, a block or barrel stove) all day in freezing temperatures I've opted to chuck the Chores and don my felt-lined Sorels. The other small gripe I have with these particular boots in terms of function is that, while VERY easy to put on due to the rigid top, snow tends to make it's way in when tromping through heavy drifts. Once wet, these boots take a really long time to dry out I find. On the other hand, when simply wading through water, snow, ice or mud, I have yet to have any moisture penetrate the rubber lowers (more on that, though). The only other functional thing I miss / regret is that the particular boots I bought do not include a steel toe, which I've realized numerous times would have been really nice to have when I needed to bust out the chainsaw or ax while out in the woods. However, Muck makes the exact same boot with a steel-toe for a 20-30% premium.

    Quality: Here's the only catch: as someone else noted, it seems like you can really only expect two full seasons of wear before the Chore boots begin to wear out. I was comparing mine to my Father-in-Law's new Bogs the other day and realized I had two matching cracks / tears developing in the rubber on both the left and right boot. They are yet to leak but I have to assume they will eventually given the location (picture attached). Now, is it fair to expect some wear and tear on an item you wear AT LEAST one hundred or more days a year? Sure. But, the Mucks' warranty only covers 1-year of wear which tells you something right there and, at this price point, I would expect to get at least 3 seasons of hard wearing without leak or other material failure. It's a toss up, though. Many people spend more each month on their cable bill than I spent on these boots, it's all about your budget and priority.

    Summary: Would I recommend the Muck Chores as a bush boot? Yes, I think the comfort and function of the Muck Chore boots make them an easy contender even if you have to do some amount of repair or patching to the rubber after 2 seasons. Are they the "best" bush boot out there? I'm not sure and I am curious to try the Kamik Icebreaker boots which have a removable felt liner AND a draw-string closure for the top rim of the boot. More importantly, they can be had at nearly half the cost. Once I've patched my Mucks with some AquaSeal I may put the Kamiks on my Christmas list for next year....

    Pictures of identical cracks in rubber on both boots:

    IMG_20190104_134507.jpg
    IMG_20190104_134516.jpg

    Edit: I forgot to mention one thing in terms of comfort / quality: within the first season of wearing the Mucks, I wore through the lining and insulation behind my heel on both boots. I don't know if this was a product of how I removed the boots (stepping on the back of one and then the other) or something specific to my feet but I've NEVER had this happen before with a pair of boots. My only solution is to wear thick socks but it makes for an uncomfortable rubbing on my heels in any warm weather situation when I put these on with summer socks.
    Last edited by ADK_XJ; 01-10-2019 at 08:55 PM.
    --
    2015: 8 bucket taps (7 red, 1 sugar) on DIY barrel evaporator
    2016: 13 taps (bucket and tube) on block arch and hotel pans
    2017: SAME
    2018: 25 taps on 2x3 flat pan and resurrected barrel arch
    2019: 25 taps...same setup plus DIY 3x150gpd RO filter
    2020: 50 taps, all buckets..."new" oil tank arch setup
    2021: 100 taps (50/50 buckets/3-16 tubing) on 2x4 divided pan
    2022: 150 taps (50/100 b/t) on 2x4 pan with sap warmer pan
    2023: SAME
    2024: 150 taps, added single-post 4x40 RO system

  7. #57
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    colrain,ma
    Posts
    218

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    Started sugaring in '72 and only wore L.L. Bean Maine Hunting Boots until around '93,if memory serves correctly. Back in those days it was a lot of walking and climbing over stone walls etc. The bottoms finally wore out but the leather is still ok,took good care of the leather. I only use Obenauf's Heavy Duty LP on leather now,invented by a logger/wildfire fighter...the best. A freind worked a local felt manufacturer so felt inner soles were free,cut them out of 1/2" felt. My first pair of Muck Chore boots lasted a long time but the latest pair the insides wore through extremely quickly,tried the gorilla tape fix to try and save my socks and heals...need a different fix. For icey conditions I use a pair of rubber logging boots with motorcycle ice racing screws in the bottom,work great but are heavy. It's a wide open market for a quality,flexible and affordable boot...maybe I will get new bottoms put on my Bean boots!

  8. #58
    Join Date
    Jan 2017
    Location
    Williston, VT
    Posts
    615

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    Want to start a long thread? Pick boots as your topic!

    I have Muck Boots Field XT for any wet activity. I'll wear a second pair of heavy Darn Toughs if its cold - that's it, I'll start a thread on best socks!

    For not so wet woods work I'll wear my Chippewa Super Loggers with lots of leather and steel toe for best protection, especially working with heavy stuff and/or chain saws. And they're the warmest boots I own.

    Advice: Don't drop anything heavy on non-steel toe muck boots.
    Last edited by TapTapTap; 01-22-2019 at 07:00 PM.
    Ken & Sherry
    Williston, VT
    16x34 Sugarhouse
    1,500 taps on high vacuum, Electric Releaser & CDL Sap Lifter
    Wood-Fired Leader 30"x10' Vortex Arch & Max Raised Flue with Rev Syrup Pan & CDL1200 RO
    https://www.facebook.com/pumpkinhillmaple/

  9. #59
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    colrain,ma
    Posts
    218

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    Update!
    Looked at a whole bunch of boots over the last few days, got on the Kamik website and clicked the "Last Chance" tab at the top of the page.Bought the Bushman 16" in lovely olive green for...$59.99 and $5.99 to ship! Arrived today, 2 days later, from I believe Williston or Milton,Vt. Tag and website says built in the USA from imported and domestic materials,main company is Canadian w/400 employees and these I think our built in Littleton, NH. I wear a 8 1/2 EE so I got the 9's , just a little heal movement so I'll add some felts to tighten things up a bit. To my surprise I can easily fit my loose fit carpenter pants inside with no problem. Can't justify buying any long "Darn Tough" socks at the moment as I have loads of Point 6 socks on hand

  10. #60
    Join Date
    Mar 2018
    Location
    Farmington Maine area 44.6* N
    Posts
    62

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    Pretty happy with my Kamik Canuck cold weather boots 16" tall. Going on 10 years at least. Draw string on top
    keeps the snow out when ski pants aren't on. Good value IMO at $85.00. Felt lined feet never been cold in them.
    Backyard Sugarin' since 1991
    Concrete block wood burner
    24 taps on gallon jugs
    2' x 2' x 6" SS pan
    5 gal. SS steamer pan for preheating
    89 Arctic Cat Panther sap hauler

    Making a few gallons syrup most years.
    Maple Baked Beans
    Maple Oat Sourdough Bread
    Maple Wine

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