Dalton Highway, AK.
After my earlier post on warm boots for winter, a few folks commented on how heavy the new Alaska bunny boots are. Yes, they are heavy, and after a day of walking around or stomping through the snow you will feel it. I use my bunny boots for standing around or limited walking in subzero conditions, they do great keeping my feet warm at very cold temperatures. But is there a lighter option?
I decided to try out a boot I see many Alaskans wearing ( I saw three pairs on people grocery shopping in Fairbanks), the Steger Mukluk. Will Steger, the famous arctic explorer, used these for months skiing to the North Pole and on many arctic expeditions. He mentions that he has never had any frostbite or cold injuries on his feet, even in -45 degree temps. So I had to try them out in my quest for the best/warmest winter boot.
First off, they look and wear different than any other boot I use. A mukluk looks like a large moccasin, the term comes from Inuit tribes using this insulated style of footwear. I normally wear size 12 shoes, so I purchased size 13 double wide mukluks. I wanted room for wool insoles and big winter socks. I purchased the arctic version with native trim, the original mukluk designed for cold weather expeditions. My mukluks came with a contour insole (arch support) and a 9mm felt insole. I stuffed both of these in the 9mm felt inner boot, and still had plenty of room for think winter socks. The exterior is a bottom moose hide leather with an upper canvas top. The mukluks have large leather straps that you wrap around your leg and tie off.
How did they perform? First off, the mukluks are incredibly comfortable. They are very flexible, and after a few hours walking in them I felt like they had form fitted to my foot. They have a thick rubber sole that grips well in the snow and even on some rough ice, although I would use ice spikes if I was walking across smooth slick ice. And the question everyone has asked….these boots are pounds lighter than my bunny boots, similar to my small lightweight Oboz Bridgers. I really didn’t feel the weight at all on my feet. Last night I stood around for hours in 5F degrees, and my feet were really toasty all night. I haven’t used them in subzero temps yet, but my guess is they are going to be warm well below zero. The padding between my foot and the snow is similar to Sorel Glaciers which keep my feet warm well below zero. They have wool felt over the top of your foot, along with your heavy sock and leather exterior. Mukluks are something I could wear for hours stomping through the snow photographing aurora and feel like I am wearing a slipper.
Remember, mukluks are designed for cold snowy conditions, not walking through sloppy puddles and really wet conditions. I did snow proof (Steger sells a spray) the leather exterior, which should be fine for occasional wet snow. But mukluks are designed to breathe and keep your foot warm. The bottom line: I’ll be wearing my bunny boots sometimes, and my Steger Mukluks other times. The bunny boots are waterproof, very warm, and great at kicking steps in hard snowpacks. The Steger Mukluks are super comfortable, lightweight and very warm, great for cold snowy conditions. I can’t wait to try out these mukluks at -30F and see how the fare…I’m guessing my feet will be warm.