Good Hello to All. (1st post) Which Hoffman Boots for this winter

[JLo]

i truly hope this hasn't been done to death, but having gone threw the web including this site i'm just a little confounded.

i've been doing urban tree work for a little over a year and this winter we'll be doing quite a bit of forestry work.
cruising, TSI.... as well as the usual arborist fare.

i'm having a hard time choosing a pair of hoffman's

i've been looking at hoffman's site and am having a hard time picking the right pair.
one of their winter pacs but which one?


i live in se wisconsin.
last winter we were regularly under -10to-20
not a whole lot of snow, maybe 2' in the woods.

i would like a single pair for forestry and for climbing but i think that's not going to happen.

please please advise


yours,

joshua

[mad murdock]

Welcome to the forestry forum JLo. I can't advise as to which Hoffmans to get, when I worked in the woods in N Wisc logging full time, I wore sorels.

[JLo]

did you every want for calks?

[mad murdock]

did you every want for calks?

no. I only wanted caulks when I came to the PNW.

[beenthere]

Welcome to the Forestry Forum.

Where in WI will you be working (cruising, TSI) ?  Planning to be out every day for full days?

[ely]

I have two pairs. One is the thick felt lined package boots, the other is the 400 gram thinsulate. The pack boots are big and a bit clumsy but you get used to them. I like the thinsulate pair best because they are more like my everyday climbing boots. I never climb trees though.

[JLo]

thank you for the replies.

thing is the calks appeal to me because they're soo mean looking.

where we'll be working is up to the bossman, i'm the new guy so i'm along for the ride.

i'm sure i'll be posting with updates as the season goes on.

i'm hoping to be out there everyday for a full day.
i love working.

i was probably going to go with a thinsulate liner
12" boot.
as such.
NOTE FROM ADMIN. LINKS TO OFFSITE IMAGES ARE NOT ALLOWED. PLEASE REVIEW RULES ON POSTING IMAGES.

now, steel toe?  i really like having a reinforced to to kick things outtamyway.
shame they don't make a composite.

which sole?
clawlug?
what about this badman?
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foresters, please advise.

thank you in advance

[DeerMeadowFarm]

Where do calks come in handy? I've never used them myself, but I'm far from a proffesional logger....

[CCC4]

thank you for the replies.

thing is the calks appeal to me because they're soo mean looking.

where we'll be working is up to the bossman, i'm the new guy so i'm along for the ride.

i'm sure i'll be posting with updates as the season goes on.

i'm hoping to be out there everyday for a full day.
i love working.

i was probably going to go with a thinsulate liner
12" boot.
as such.
NOTE FROM ADMIN. LINKS TO OFFSITE IMAGES ARE NOT ALLOWED. PLEASE REVIEW RULES ON POSTING IMAGES.

now, steel toe?  i really like having a reinforced to to kick things outtamyway.
shame they don't make a composite.

which sole?
clawlug?
what about this badman?
NOTE FROM ADMIN. LINKS TO OFFSITE IMAGES ARE NOT ALLOWED. PLEASE REVIEW RULES ON POSTING IMAGES.

foresters, please advise.

thank you in advance

That pair of boots looks like an ice boot with so few nails...I don't like the round tread, once they wear off...they are slick on wet logs.

[CCC4]

Where do calks come in handy? I've never used them myself, but I'm far from a proffesional logger....

If you are falling timber on steep ground, the tree itself is the easiest path back up the mountain...corks insure this as an option. Corks are the only way to go if you walk your timber while limbing. Only downside to corks is if you are logging in mostly rocky terrain, nails on rocks are like walking on ice...not good.

[JLo]

how do these strike you?NOTE FROM ADMIN. LINKS TO OFFSITE IMAGES ARE NOT ALLOWED. PLEASE REVIEW RULES ON POSTING IMAGES.
for crusing/TSI

i can't say we'll be doing logging.
probably more TSI/Cruising

[CCC4]

I wish I could post pics, I would show ya what those round tread look like wore completely out...your boots will wear out before a Vibram sole...for me anyway. Have you looked at those "lineman" boots...I think you can climb in them with gafs. I am not a fan of a heeled boot though...you can jack yer ankle up with a heel

[JLo]

here's their winter lineman boot.
NOTE FROM ADMIN. LINKS TO OFFSITE IMAGES ARE NOT ALLOWED. PLEASE REVIEW RULES ON POSTING IMAGES.
what do you say.

keep in mind.
-20 on a regular basis

[CCC4]

I'm for a Vibram sole all the way. As far as the cold...I live in the DurtySouff so I don't see those temps. I would figure that the temperature protection and the climbing ability is going to be where the clash is. Colder temps...thicker boots...no climbing. I'm just guessing here.

[beenthere]

keep in mind.
-20 on a regular basis

That reference to cold temp would likely not be other than real early in the morning, at least in WI.

More like around zero, I'd think.  (at least for real temp, not the "feels like" temps the weather guru's like to talk). 

Our WI temps were some colder last winter, but they'd been on the warmer side for a good 30 years. Not near as cold as in the 1970's and before (-30's not unusual for a few days, compared to the milder -15°F we reached only one or two days this past winter).

[JLo]

true enough

last year tho...
oof.

[DeerMeadowFarm]

Where do calks come in handy? I've never used them myself, but I'm far from a proffesional logger....

If you are falling timber on steep ground, the tree itself is the easiest path back up the mountain...corks insure this as an option. Corks are the only way to go if you walk your timber while limbing. Only downside to corks is if you are logging in mostly rocky terrain, nails on rocks are like walking on ice...not good.

Got ya! Makes sense....