Wellies?

[Dan1982]

Now the cold weather is nearly upon us and the obvious increase in rainfall we are so accustomed to. I am thinking of treating myself to nice pair of Le Chameau wellies . I know that these are popular with shooters, game keepers, fishermen etc.. but what about for use as bushcraft footwear?

Are any of you wellington fans?

Dan

 

[Bimble]

In the wet weather you can't beat wellies. Don’t waste your money on expensive posh ones though. I would recommend Hunter Galloway, there a good strong boot, wide fitting and with a good hiking sole. Buy them big so you can get two or three pairs of thick wool socks in them and a nylon mesh foot bed. The socks and foot bed not only make them warm and comfortable but the thickness also allows air to slowly circulate in the boot removing any moisture.

Your feet will thank you for this and you will be forever grateful for this advice.

 

[Jedadiah]

Ijust got a pair of Grubs Stalkers on British Red's reccomendation and have got to say they are fantastic! I've never been a lover of wellies in the past and did consider a pair of Chameau boots but the cost of them was just too much. The Grubs are 99% wellie/muck boot but the outstanding 1% is the vibram sole, just the job to take wellies to the next level. It's a pity you missed the South Wales meet Dan, i had them there.

 

[saddle_tramp]

I wouldnt even go as posh as hunters, just go to a farm suppliers, and whatever their cheapest ones are will likely be a decent hardwearing pair

 

[Dan1982]

We can compare wellies at the November meet jed.

I have to admit that i am a bit of a "Gucci" kit freak fo all my sins!

Dan

 

[ScarletPimpernel]

I have to admit that i am a bit of a "Gucci" kit freak fo all my sins!

Me too!

I have a pair of Hunter Crowns, found at a bargain price at a Game Fair earlier in the year. I wouldn't want to walk any great distance in them.

Most of the time I wear a pair of Hunter Screel high boots with gaiters, which I've found an excellent combination for most conditions.

 

[Dan1982]

Hmmmm...... Just checked out the Grubs Stalkers........interesting!!

I quite like the look of those too!! A vibram sole would be very welcome.


Thanks alot for that Jed. ... Just when i think i'm settled on buying something.

Dan

 

[British Red]

Dan,

They are different animals - I have the Grubs and a pair of Le Chameau Mouflons, BB has a pair of top end Le Chameau wellies - they were seriously expensive but are very good.

For me I'd reckon the Grubs are the best value - I have worn mine waling five miles or more and they are just fine - and warm dry feet in some of the woods round here are at a premium.

As in all boots though, do try them on first - feet are funny things and what suits me may not suit you

Red

 

[Big Bad Stu]

I work outside on farms a lot in the winter and I bought a pair of Aigle Parcours Iso neoprene line wellies last winter and they are great. It is like having heaters on your legs and feet. The soles are good enough to walk miles in as well. Also the cut of the boots holds you heel in so no problematic heal lift blisters.

I did a review of them in the reviews section of the site. I will find the link and post it in a moment.

Great kit, expensive but well worth it.

Stewey.

 

[Big Bad Stu]

Here is the link to the Wellie review:

http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=28653

Stewey.

 

[Singeblister]

I have a pair of muck boots very comfy and warm very pleased with them

 

[saddle_tramp]

I work outside on farms a lot in the winter and I bought a pair of Aigle Parcours Iso neoprene line wellies last winter and they are great. It is like having heaters on your legs and feet. The soles are good enough to walk miles in as well. Also the cut of the boots holds you heel in so no problematic heal lift blisters.

at 95 quid for a pair of wellies, id want heaters built in!!! why not buy a pair of cheapies, say a tenner, and a pair of neoprene surfers socks, perhaps another tenner, and as well as saving £75, you have the added bonus of being able to wash the socks, ot remove them altogether when it really aint that cold. Or is it a kudos thing

 

[British Red]

Nope nothing to do with Kudos - good wellies are cut better, fit better, have proper quality soles the same as a decent outdoor boot etc.

If you look at war real outdoorsmen wear who haven't much money (the gamekeeper here for example) you'll get the idea its not a style thing - the gamekeeper wears Le Chameaus - which he saved up for months for and loves - as he says when you are wearing a boot in all weathers, 7 days a week, 12 hours a day, it pays for them to be comfortable and fit

Red

 

[saddle_tramp]

oh but to be a real outdoorsman, whatever that may be?

 

[British Red]

In my mind its people who work in the outdoors saddle tramp - every day. In this context people who also have to walk long distances in wet conditions. Ghillies, gamekeepers, stable girls, etc. Often people on very low incomes. You may think that buying inferior products that make you uncomfortable, cold and blistered is really clever. They, and I, think you are wrong.

Often fancy kit is just that - fancy kit and it conveys no real advantage. Personally I believe that money spent on good footwear is a sensible investment - be that decent leather boots or comfortable waterproof boots for when the weather demands it. I have been convinced of this by people who are pretty damn careful with every penny because they have to be - those that work hard for little money in all weathers. Something that fits properly, doesn't blister you and make your feet hurt, has a quality sole so you don't slip over all the time, minor stuff like that. It may not matter to you - it does to others - its not about Kudos its about one of the few bits of equipment where quality really is worth paying for

Red

 

[saddle_tramp]

hey im not arguin for arguins sake, but i worked outdoors my whole life too, as a trawlerman, in forestry and as a farmworker, and i appreciate that being comfortable and protected from the elements is paramount. but i also know that i can be perfectly comfortable and protected without spending silly amounts of money, and no i dont think being cold and blistered is clever any more than you would expect me to.

Maybe me and you come from different sides of the river, but to me, posh wellies are the likes of hunters or argyls, maybe proper expensive like 30 quid a pair! lol and if i turned up for work in them, my mates would rip the p**s out me, so when i see a pair for a hundred quid, and several people singing their praises. i kinda shake my head. like i said, i work on farms, and even the farmers i work for dont spend that sort of money. and the only place ive ever seen boots like them are amongst the shooting fraternity, with their tweeds and range rover sports.

i guess to me, theyll always seem absurd, but to you, they may be the best thing you ever bought, but that works across all levels. Things i spend money on, others might not understand. so il retract my kudos remark and replace it with a 'must have more money than sense' quip. . . only joking of course

 

[MagiKelly]

I've said it before and I will say it again. Muck Boots. I would never have dreamt of spending big money on a pair of wellies but having discovered the difference in comfort and warmth I would pay the extra money even if I only got a years worth of wear out of them.

http://www.songofthepaddle.co.uk/avon_muck_boot.html

http://www.songofthepaddle.co.uk/tay_sport_muck_boot.html

 

[Joonsy]

I wouldnt even go as posh as hunters, just go to a farm suppliers, and whatever their cheapest ones are will likely be a decent hardwearing pair

I'm with saddle-tramp i buy cheapo wellies from farm supplies or the like, and i too have worked outside all my life, with rough wear it's so easy to puncture or damage wellies that i wouldn't consider an expensive pair, i was given a pair of hunters once and they were a bit flimsy and easily punctured even by bramble thorns, you can bash through anything in cheapos and if they're damaged well you're not too worried with them costing little. If i use them where stealth/quietness is needed like rabbitting then i cut a thin band of inner tube and place it over the top of the welly to hold top close to leg, this stops any 'flapping'' of welly which otherwise can sound like beating drums alarming the quarry and it also stops any debris falling down into welly.

 

[Tor helge]

I use these.

Grub`s extremes. They are miles ahed of ordinary wellies:You_Rock_ . I know as wellies was the only thing available for woods use when I grew up.
I`ve used them for over a year now both in the woods and at work. Excellent boots.
A little too warm for summer use though.

It`s a little funny how wellies could be considered posh. Up here it is quite the opposite.

Tor

 

[EdS]

depends on what you are doing.

In my line of work neoprene wellies are a non starter - when you are standing in sewage and overflowing drains for potential hours neoprene will:

a) start to leak eventually
b) stink for ever more

What you really need then is a good pair of construction site wellies such as the Dunlop Acifort. Aggressive tread, steel toes and steel mid soles. And cheap so you can bin them when they over flow :yikes:

Non of the these poncy fancy boots designed to skipping across fields in