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Water Proofing Boots!

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Jinx0760

Jinx0760

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I have a pair of Browning boots that I love, and they love me back! Far from being worn out, but they have began to leak water, even in heavy dew. Nothing can ruin the start of great deer hunt like having wet toes when you settle in the stand. In the past I have tried spray, bear grease and other water proofing polishes, heat/no heat but I would like to know from your experience what works best!??
 
I've never found anything that will waterproof leather. Boot dubbing usually works for heavy dew on the grass, but nothing more.

A Gore-Tex liner will keep you dry, but it won't help with the cold. Your best bet is either insulated rubber boots, or leather with both Gore-Tex and Thinsulate liners.
 
JeffG said:
Sno Seal has worked consistently for me over the years. Warm boot in 100 degree oven...no warmer. and apply.
View attachment 811154
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I found that Biwell brand treated leather boots stay waterproof for much longer that snoseal when used in the snow.

Snoseal in the can can be lit on fire to make it liquid to apply in cold situations where you can't warm up your boots though!
 
I have a beat to hell and back pair of field and streams i used roof caulking on the seams where the leather meets the sole and smear mink oil on then and melt with hair dryer or leave on the boot dryer. I then re apply several more coats and spray with the waterproofer at Walmart in the camping section with the orange lid. I don't have anymore problems unless crossing creeks. I use about 4 coats of mink oil and 2-3 of the spray.
 
troy fairweather said:
I could hunt in the desert and get wet feet. mink oil coated on the boots and 10 mins in the over at low heat, or on a wood stove. on wet years i will put one gallon zip lock bags in the boot as a liner, with some pin holes poked in at the top.
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I'm with Troy...,

First, you have to make sure the gap between the edge of the sole, and the side of the leather is free from grass and dirt. Grass and dirt can get wedged into that spot and defeats all your greasing. I use an old toothbrush to make sure there's no crud.

Then I apply Mink Oil, and work some of it by hand into the leather, paying attention to sewn seams. With a little more grease added, I put the boots into the oven at the lowest setting, 170 degrees, for about 10 minutes. The leather will soak up the Mink Oil. I do two coats. NOW you have to remember to the leather soles too IF you have them.

I use kitchen trash can bags in very wet weather as boot liners.

LD
 
ColtPythonElite said:
I have tried most of the applied products and techniques mentioned and most left me disappointed...I started using Gortex boots nearly 30 years ago and wouldn't go back.
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Same here, I put Sno seal on my work boots but for hunting it's Gortex/thinsulate. I have a pair for cold weather and another pair for really cold weather.
In the spring they are usually marked down, one of the few things I get a good deal on at Cabela's.
 
I treat leather boots for water-resistance with Hubbards Shoe Grease. It's beeswax and pinetar. I never use mink oil that will ruin stitching.

With Hubbard's treated leather and stitching, I can drop a boot in the creek and pull it out and it will be dry inside. I can walk through a wet meadow and the boot will be dry but not necessarily a canvas trouser leg.

For totally water-proof booting, I prefer wellies. I used to just buy the cheap PVC boots from the hardware store. Now I prefer the neoprene rubber or polyurethane like Bogs or Muck -- but I can't recommend a specific one because my Bogs cracked earlier than I thought they should have, and the Muck are dangerously low on traction. I bought Baffin for my wife to be warm and they might be better.

I have some goretex-lined tactical-brand boots that are waterproof but they're not very durable and I suspect the waterproof lining is on the verge of failure.

One time I bought some "seal skin" gore-tex socks. They worked brilliantly on a rainy boar hunt, but otherwise they were kind of gimmicky. (was 20 years ago)

Nowadays, I'm in a very arid region, so breathability is more important to me than waterproofness. I find that suede moccasins often work the best. But for mixed conditions, wool-socks and Red Wings or Whites with Hubbards. For the river or snow, then wellies or snow boots (packs I suppose but I don't even have any since I'll be wearing my xc ski boots).
 
Jinx0760 said:
I have a pair of Browning boots that I love, and they love me back! Far from being worn out, but they have began to leak water, even in heavy dew. Nothing can ruin the start of great deer hunt like having wet toes when you settle in the stand. In the past I have tried spray, bear grease and other water proofing polishes, heat/no heat but I would like to know from your experience what works best!??
Click to expand...
Johnson's paste wax works on leather.
Silicone lubricant spray works if you already it on at least the night before and touch it up in the morning. I did this when I was a logger. The spray worked well, but your boots smell a little.
The paste was is my new preferred method.
 
some of the old ways to waterproof boots like using mink oil. it fails because the boots get wet with use and the drying is what makes the boot leak. if the boot goes from wet to dry u should oil some more to keep the boot waterproof. I worked over 10 year from high school and up drilling water wells, your feet get wet every day.

I had 3 par of boots for working one day to dry then one to et the mink oil seep back in to the leather then ware them on the 3rd day .
 
Be careful with getting your feet too sealed up (like with plastic bags), will give yourself trenchfoot/immersion foot if you're not careful. Or, increase your odds of frost bite if out long enough in the cold. It does work, but please watch out for bad signs. Gain of gortex liners is that they breath.
 
Still yet another big fan of SNO-SEAL. I warm it up and apply it with a toothbrush. Keeps my Rocky waterproof boots nice and dry inside.
 
I have had good luck with both sno-seal and mink oil. Never had any problem with stich I'm going bad either. One of the keys is to not oil them just before hunting season. Keep them oiled and waterproof all year long, works much better.
 
OutDoor life magazine had a DIY article year's ago bee's wax toilet ring seal $2 at Wal-Mart. YouTube has some good DIY.
 
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