New hunting pack and boots to buy?

[270person]

Originally Posted by 270hunter

Oh okay good to know. I have nikwax and mink oil. Will one of them work for these boots?

No oil on Nubuck boots. You'll ruin them. Nikwax and others make a Nubuck cleaner and waterproofer. Read the Lowa care guide. It'll tell you all you need to know.

Another nice feature of the Iowa Tibet is being able to vary tightness between foot and ankle thanks to a nifty little cam lock.

[270hunter]

Originally Posted by 270person

No oil on Nubuck boots. You'll ruin them. Nikwax and others make a Nubuck cleaner and waterproofer. Read the Lowa care guide. It'll tell you all you need to know.

Another nice feature of the Iowa Tibet is being able to vary tightness between foot and ankle thanks to a nifty little cam lock.

Very interesting! Although I can’t find a store in Calgary that has them in stock

[270person]

Originally Posted by 270hunter

Very interesting! Although I can’t find a store in Calgary that has them in stock

One must understand Calgary having Less. Ahem. Breathe, the old Campers village might. If Cgy had one of those. Usually a good city for one offs?

[Pathfinder76]

Know at least two guys with Lowas that leaked right out of the box.

Aku makes a great boot. My son has been many many miles in his. They are Italian made mountaineering boots. Norseman Carrie’s them, or they did.

[270person]

Originally Posted by Pathfinder76

Know at least two guys with Lowas that leaked right out of the box.

Mine were good but not the Hanwags. Knowing that I'd condition and waterproof all before the first use. Can't hurt. Lots of good boot brands out there which is why I advised to try as many as he can.

[MountainTi]

If you want a pack that you're willing to spend the money on to last you a long while for use up in the yukon, NWT, ect. buy an EXO, stone glacier, or kifaru. You won't be disappointed.
If you're on a budget, wait for 25% off on a kuiu sale.
The rest don't compare.

As for boots....dodge, chev, ford....
Spend the money on a pair that is comfortable. Personally I run 4 pairs of Kenetreks, but there are other quality boots out there.
A good pair of boots is gonna be expensive, but in the end well worth it

Buy once....less crying

[Pathfinder76]

Originally Posted by MountainTi

If you want a pack that you're willing to spend the money on to last you a long while for use up in the yukon, NWT, ect. buy an EXO, stone glacier, or kifaru. You won't be disappointed.
If you're on a budget, wait for 25% off on a kuiu sale.
The rest don't compare.

As for boots....dodge, chev, ford....
Spend the money on a pair that is comfortable. Personally I run 4 pairs of Kenetreks, but there are other quality boots out there.
A good pair of boots is gonna be expensive, but in the end well worth it

Buy once....less crying

My only thought there is he is 15. If he buys them tomorrow they might not fit in the summer. Lol.

[MountainTi]

Originally Posted by Pathfinder76

My only thought there is he is 15. If he buys them tomorrow they might not fit in the summer. Lol.

That is a good point!

[Lefty]

Originally Posted by 270hunter

Very interesting! Although I can’t find a store in Calgary that has them in stock

One store to check for boots in Calgary if you haven't is Norsemen Outdoor Specialists. The people in there last year when I stopped in knew their stuff. No BS like in all the other stores I have been in the past number of years. Everything the lady said was spot on and having 40 years of wearing all kinds of boots rang true with what I have experienced. Bought a pair of AKU boots that I had never heard of before and two months of use and am very impressed with the brand.

[Pathfinder76]

Originally Posted by 270person

All the Euro boots fit narrower in the toe box but you can get most in a wide fit as well. Go a half size larger than normal.

All of them fit differently in the toe box. From the same makers even. Scarpa grand dru’s have a roomier to box than the monte blanc pro’s. La Sportiva Nepals fall somewhere between. They all have a different last and need to be tried on

[Phil McCracken]

Can't offer much help on the equipment as you have already received some excellent advice...but I will say this:

You remind me a lot of my son when he was 15.

I don't know you, but you appear to be a very solid and smart young individual with great ambitions. With those and I'm sure other qualities you no doubt possess, you will do well in life kid. Keep it up!

Be proud of yourself, as I'm sure many close to you are...

[270hunter]

Originally Posted by Phil McCracken

Can't offer much help on the equipment as you have already received some excellent advice...but I will say this:

You remind me a lot of my son when he was 15.

I don't know you, but you appear to be a very solid and smart young individual with great ambitions. With those and I'm sure other qualities you no doubt possess, you will do well in life kid. Keep it up!

Be proud of yourself, as I'm sure many close to you are...

Thanks for the kind words Phil!

[calgarychef]

If it was me I’d spend as much as necessary of the boots that my feet like.
Use the rest on whatever pack you can afford.

[~altiplano~]

Here's some classic boot trivia for you guys...

Hans Wagner founded HanWag in the 1920s, shortly after, his brother Lorenz Wagner founded Lowa.

[Albertadiver]

I've had several brands of boots over the years, and LOWA has been the most comfortable and reliable boot I've ever had. My feet aren't sore after a day of backpacking.

[7 REM MAG]

What size are your feet? It may be the best approach to try and find something that you like but wait to buy incase your feet grow.

Hanwag has had quite a bit of bad press lately with reduced quality, boots blowing up, etc. I would be prepared to replace your boots mid season if you go with something softer like the hanwags.

I've been running salewa boots the last 5 years and really like them, lots of guys running scarpa, la sportive, lowa, kenetrek and crispi boots in the mountains, you just need to find what works for you. Monods in Banff is a pretty good bet to try on a few different options.

[270hunter]

Originally Posted by 7 REM MAG

What size are your feet? It may be the best approach to try and find something that you like but wait to buy incase your feet grow.

Hanwag has had quite a bit of bad press lately with reduced quality, boots blowing up, etc. I would be prepared to replace your boots mid season if you go with something softer like the hanwags.

I've been running salewa boots the last 5 years and really like them, lots of guys running scarpa, la sportive, lowa, kenetrek and crispi boots in the mountains, you just need to find what works for you. Monods in Banff is a pretty good bet to try on a few different options.

That’s some great insight thank you. I’m a size 12. That’s the tricky part is I have no clue when they will stop growing if they haven’t already.

[laker]

All these recommendations so far seem to be more towards a very heavy solid boot. I know a well known sheep guide that wears nothing but muck boots. And can climb like a goat. I wear Lowa caminos which are quite a bit lighter than the Tibets. You may want to consider a lighter boot.

[Sitkaspruce]

I guided for 15 years and I have tried a lot of different boots and a few packs.

I have worn Irish Setters, Lowa, Meindle, Danners and a few others that I have forgotten. For chasing Mountain animals, Lowa's 10" GTX have been the best for me. For moose and Caribou, I love plain old rubber boots for Marks or if colder, the old Mucks wore like iron.

A tip for your boots, if you are back at a camp every night, get out of them when you can and stuff news paper in them for over night. They may breath, but not enough to dry out and you don't want to be putting them near the fire or a heat source every night. News paper will dry them out. And look after them! You feet are your most important tool as a guide!

As for a pack, you have to try on different ones, with a load, and see what one fits you best. with a load!! Also, make sure the fits what you need. When guiding moose, I needed one that had organized storage, because a lot of my clients would forget things and so I made sure I had them! Knives, gloves, snacks etc. For mountain animals, I had a much more minimalist pack. I settled on MR as they fit my torso the best, and they are built like a tank!

Good luck in your choices and have fun on your adventure!

Cheers

SS

[270hunter]

Originally Posted by Sitkaspruce

I guided for 15 years and I have tried a lot of different boots and a few packs.

I have worn Irish Setters, Lowa, Meindle, Danners and a few others that I have forgotten. For chasing Mountain animals, Lowa's 10" GTX have been the best for me. For moose and Caribou, I love plain old rubber boots for Marks or if colder, the old Mucks wore like iron.

A tip for your boots, if you are back at a camp every night, get out of them when you can and stuff news paper in them for over night. They may breath, but not enough to dry out and you don't want to be putting them near the fire or a heat source every night. News paper will dry them out. And look after them! You feet are your most important tool as a guide!

As for a pack, you have to try on different ones, with a load, and see what one fits you best. with a load!! Also, make sure the fits what you need. When guiding moose, I needed one that had organized storage, because a lot of my clients would forget things and so I made sure I had them! Knives, gloves, snacks etc. For mountain animals, I had a much more minimalist pack. I settled on MR as they fit my torso the best, and they are built like a tank!

Good luck in your choices and have fun on your adventure!

Cheers

SS

Oh interesting I’ve never even heard of that. I’ll have to pack some newspapers in my bag haha. Good idea on the packs. I’ll make sure to bring some things to add weight to make it a more realistic fit.

[Pekan]

Boots are so personal. But I'd look at Scarpa's lightweight mountaineering models. That's what Kuiu boots are.
I use Scarpa Kenesis Pro's, but was looking at the more mountaineering oriented models the other day. Lighter, stiffer sole, full rand.

Another vote for the Mystery Ranch Metcalf. Size wise it's probably large enough for a guide. My frame fits me so well.

[270hunter]

Gear is all bought and paid for!
Ended up going with:

Kifaru duplex lite frame with a reckoning bag. Included was 3 large pouches and a guide lid. Wasn’t cheap but still much cheaper then buying new! And oh boy does it fit well! The frame fits like a glove and is super comfortable. The belt is perfect size along with the tall torso size. The way the bag can be cinched into a daypack but also expanded into a 7 day trip pack is pretty awesome.

And for the boots
I went with the Lowa tibets gtx in a size 12
Perfect fit and super comfortable to wear as well. There’s some room in the toe for a bit of growth as I’m sure will happen. The locking cam in the laces helps to hold my foot in place correctly with little movement. I’m excited to say the least.
I’m going to be going on a few backpacking trips before this summer with Dad.
Thanks to everyone who gave feedback. Both the boots and pack were a result of this thread. The boots were brought to my attention from a few members and a member reached out via pm and offered to sell me his pack for a good price.
Thanks again

[Bigwoodsman]

Originally Posted by 270hunter

Gear is all bought and paid for!
Ended up going with:

Kifaru duplex lite frame with a reckoning bag. Included was 3 large pouches and a guide lid. Wasn’t cheap but still much cheaper then buying new! And oh boy does it fit well! The frame fits like a glove and is super comfortable. The belt is perfect size along with the tall torso size. The way the bag can be cinched into a daypack but also expanded into a 7 day trip pack is pretty awesome.

And for the boots
I went with the Lowa tibets gtx in a size 12
Perfect fit and super comfortable to wear as well. There’s some room in the toe for a bit of growth as I’m sure will happen. The locking cam in the laces helps to hold my foot in place correctly with little movement. I’m excited to say the least.
I’m going to be going on a few backpacking trips before this summer with Dad.
Thanks to everyone who gave feedback. Both the boots and pack were a result of this thread. The boots were brought to my attention from a few members and a member reached out via pm and offered to sell me his pack for a good price.
Thanks again

Congrats on your purchases.

When do you start your wrangling position? Looking forward to reading about your adventures in the Yukon? Wishing you all the best, Wrangling is a tough job!

BW

[270hunter]

Thank you BW.
July 1st! And I’ll squeeze as much time up there out of my summer as I can. I’ll be back probably the day before school starts.

[Twisted Canuck]

Sounds like you got an excellent bit of gear for your first season. Reading your posts, I keep coming back to the same thought. Damn, I kinda wish I was 15 again, instead of 55! Good on you lad, I wish you well. Your upcoming adventures will be very formative in your life, and I'm sure it will be a very positive experience.

I'm sure I don't have to tell you to work hard and keep a good, positive, cheerful attitude. I look forward to you posting up your tales, with pictures. Go get 'em!

[Phil McCracken]

Originally Posted by Twisted Canuck

Sounds like you got an excellent bit of gear for your first season. Reading your posts, I keep coming back to the same thought. Damn, I kinda wish I was 15 again, instead of 55! Good on you lad, I wish you well. Your upcoming adventures will be very formative in your life, and I'm sure it will be a very positive experience.

I'm sure I don't have to tell you to work hard and keep a good, positive, cheerful attitude. I look forward to you posting up your tales, with pictures. Go get 'em!

Ah come on TC...you could still do it!!...hehe...I wish I could.

BTW, glad you got yourself some good stuff there 270. Lot of excellent advice was given here, as is often witnessed on this site.

And like others have said, please make sure you share your adventures when you get there...

[Twisted Canuck]

Originally Posted by Phil McCracken

Ah come on TC...you could still do it!!...hehe...I wish I could.

A couple weeks in the Wilmore with CowmanBob will inform you pretty quickly what you can still do. I was happy that he didn't have to bury me out there. Also happy I worked at getting in shape for it, or the results might have been different. I wouldn't want that to be my summer job though!

[Bigwoodsman]

Originally Posted by Twisted Canuck

A couple weeks in the Wilmore with CowmanBob will inform you pretty quickly what you can still do. I was happy that he didn't have to bury me out there. Also happy I worked at getting in shape for it, or the results might have been different. I wouldn't want that to be my summer job though!

I would think a trip like you did with CowmanBob would show you what you can’t do more so than what you can do! Anyways good on you for doing it. I’d love to do a trip like that with a fly rod in hand. Sorry for the derail

BW

[Twisted Canuck]

Absolutely, that too.