In my quest to stay warm shooting aurora and winter landscapes in Alaska, I am always on the look out for the best gear possible. Last year I purchased a new pair of bunny boots from the Alaska Gear Company, you can read my review here. I really liked these boots, they were the warmest boots I could find. But Alaskans are particular about their footwear, many folks up here work in temps -40F or even -50F. Alaska Gear Company heard the feedback that folks wanted an even warmer boot, so they came out with the Bunny Boot VBX Max. In addition, they introduced the Bunny Boot Lite. Take a look at the photo above…these are three of the Alaska Gear Company boots. The white pair is the original, the black pair is the new VBX Max, and the blue pair are the light version.
So the million dollar question…are the new VBX Max warmer than the original VBX (white) version? Short answer…yes! Yesterday morning I was in the Copper River Basin photographing frozen creeks and snowy trees. I had a great morning following lynx tracks through the woods…but never saw the lynx…next time. The temperature on my car was -38F, but I’m pretty sure down in the shaded creek it was closer to -40F or colder…let’s just say it was chilly. And I can say this…wearing the new VBX Max boots my feet were warm. The difference I noticed was the new VBX Max has more insulation under the feet, and especially on top of the foot. The original white bunny boots were warm, but I did feel in extreme cold the top of my foot would start to cool off. Alaska Gear Company gives the original white pair a comfort rating of -25F, while the new VBX Max gets a comfort rating of -34F, with a maximum rating of -79F. I know there are some other boots on the market rated to -100F, but I have tried many of these winter pac boots and my feet still get cold at -20F. I’m convinced the new VBX Max is the warmest boot out there.
They are totally waterproof, so if you step into some slushy overflow you don’t have to worry. The insulation below your foot is massive, it feels like you are floating on top of the snow. The only downside is like the original VBX version these boots are not lightweight. My pair comes in around 8 pounds, and you will notice it hiking around in the snow. But with this weight comes superior warmth for the coldest conditions. My current system is this. I love wearing my Steger Mukluks in conditions -15F or warmer. These are super lightweight and great to wear in cold snowy conditions. If I am walking I can wear them at -20F and colder. But if I am standing around shooting aurora for hours, I put on my new VBX Max bunny boots…I wear them at -10F and colder for aurora sessions, and if it is -25F or colder that is the boot I always wear.
Here is a trick I do with the new bunny boots. I will drive to my location in another boot (easier to drive without huge boots on). I place a couple of hand warmers in each bunny boot about an hour before I put them on. When I get to my location, I switch into my preheated bunny boots….the hand warmers really warm the inside the boot, and once I put that boot on and lace it up that heat is trapped in this waterproof boot. Toasty feet at -40F!
Alaska Gear Company also introduced the VBX Lite, with a comfort rating of -5F. Cree loves her pair, not as heavy as the VBX Max, and more practical to wear around town and in less extreme conditions. She is wearing her VBX Lite almost daily, and using it on shoots were temps aren’t going well below zero. And you even get a choice of different colors!
I’ve had some questions on other winter gear we use for extreme cold. Check out my earlier posts on parkas and gloves. Stay warm this winter and enjoy the photography!