Can gaiters or boots allow to walk in ankle deep water?

[Omega]

Is there an option to keep feet comfortable and dry?
I like my Salomon waterproof shoes - light, comfortable. However, during the last outing, my guide took me to the boggy area and some water passed over the shoe top. I going for a hunt tomorrow and will take Sealskinz waterproof socks just in case, but they are not ideal because wet boots make feet much colder than dry shoes
I wore army issue gaiters, but, while I think it helped to keep most of water away, it still didn’t work. Now I am considering buying taller boots
However, I have reservations about boots - I once had Russian/German army style boots that worked great. And I also had Caterpillars boots when I worked in Middle East - they hurt my sheen, so I stopped tying the boots completely, but more like shoe
Don’t like wellies, even though tried them before
Thinking to order Alt-Berg Hogg All Weather Microlite Motorcycle boots, but they are only made to order, so I won’t be able to return them. I went to a local Altberg distributor, took me about 3 hours to get there and back (Richmond is about 5-6 hours drive from me, so don’t plan going to the factory), little results; ordered two pairs of Fremington boots from Altberg to try at home, now feel quite confident in size I need, but Fremingtons are not that tall to see if I develop shin pain again
However, I ride motorcycles and have Daytona Highway and some Dainese boots, they do not cause any shin pain…
Decisions, decisions

 

[RM100]

I wear Meindl Dovres, my waterproof trousers are tightened around the top of the foot ie 9 inches of boot is covered by the trousers. This works well for muddy areas, water logged ditches etc

 

[VSS]

Depends how fast you walk, and how tight you lace your boots. I remember dashing across a river that was mid- shin depth, to retrieve a deer, in boots and gaiters, and feet stayed bone dry, but recrossing more slowly, carrying the deer, my boots filled up.

 

[Stalker62]

I remember dashing across a river that was mid- shin depth, to retrieve a deer, in boots...

 

[deerstalker.308]

Berghaus yeti assuming you could get a good seal on the sole of the boots

 

[Jon69]

More recent/higher end wellies are miles away from their useless unsupportive predecessors. I’ve been really impressed with Aigle current offerings. Tried Yeti gaiters for 6 months or so - found they “bent” my boot soles like bananas if left on making them unwearable

 

[bowji john]

Berghaus yeti assuming you could get a good seal on the sole of the boots

Only get a good seal with certain boots

Not sure which work

Mine did not

 

[FoxAndDeer]

Ignoring for a minute the many threads about quality issues (which I have not experienced but others have), I can absolutely vouch for the taller Meindl Dovre boots being waterproof.

I went into a shop to buy a new pair after my old ones died after perhaps 10 years of use.

I tried the normal height boots (so ankle height) and found them really stiff.

For fun I tried the taller ones. They are so much softer than the ankle high ones, despite being the same boot.

I would guess that to give enough ankle support with the ankle height ones, the walls need to be super stiff. Therefore when you have the extra height, and the geometry of the boot makes it impossible to twist your ankle, they can soften the leather a bit.

I've had mine for 2+ years, use them at least twice a week all year and absolutely love them. Worth going to a shop that stocks them and trying them on

 

[artschool]

i wear wellies when i know there is water about.

 

[Jelen]

Lundhags. From experience with 2 stream crossings and several bogs.

 

[HonestJohn]

Gave up! Now wear the knee length sealskinz and they let me cross water up to the knees. Never felt cold in them as I wear llbean rag wool socks underneath/inside

Perfect solution in my mind

 

[shakey jake]

altbergs keep me dry to around 150mm, wellies are horrible to walk in and normally cold

 

[hilljim]

expensive but crispi seem to have a good name

 

[sako751sg]

expensive but crispi seem to have a good name

An excellent boot,best i've ever used.

Extremely comfortable straight from the box and the system works very well.Only thing i would change would be making the gaiter a couple of inches higher.

 

[hilljim]

i would agree
too low for wearing with tweeds
otherwise would be perfect
gaiter too low

 

[Koenig]

If you know you’re going to be in water for a protracted period/repeatedly go with wellies, if it’s just the odd dash you can try your luck with a high boot and gaiters but you are chancing it because it’s not what they are designed to do.

 

[stevec]

I have been using Snolock gaiters since about 2010 with various boots. Never had an issue with water getting in, even wading up to the top of the gaiters, not that I staid in for long. They seem to be almost indestructible. Only issue I have had is with the nylon but at the top getting holes in it, but that is after a lot of hard use.

 

[rem284]

I wear meindl douvre extreme. I often walk on rough wet ground. Crossing burns on occasions. Sometimes going deeper than the height of the boots and often keep dry feet. The waterproof trousers seem to help

 

[Tazz]

Ignoring for a minute the many threads about quality issues (which I have not experienced but others have), I can absolutely vouch for the taller Meindl Dovre boots being waterproof.

I went into a shop to buy a new pair after my old ones died after perhaps 10 years of use.

I tried the normal height boots (so ankle height) and found them really stiff.

For fun I tried the taller ones. They are so much softer than the ankle high ones, despite being the same boot.

I would guess that to give enough ankle support with the ankle height ones, the walls need to be super stiff. Therefore when you have the extra height, and the geometry of the boot makes it impossible to twist your ankle, they can soften the leather a bit.

I've had mine for 2+ years, use them at least twice a week all year and absolutely love them. Worth going to a shop that stocks them and trying them on

Another vote for Meindl Dovre Extreme to high ones i have waded through many a stream and standing water in them no leaks 8 years and counting, also have the standard height Dovre as well

 

[FoxAndDeer]

Another vote for Meindl Dovre Extreme to high ones i have waded through many a stream and standing water in them no leaks 8 years and counting, also have the standard height Dovre as well

Out of interest Tazz, given you have both, do you also notice a difference in the stiffness between them