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Mukluks Carp Field Boots
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Written by Julian Grattidge
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I’ve always been a bit wary of field boots. I don’t know why, I think it’s because I thought they would restrict my movement on the bank as they sometimes look a bit clumsy. Somewhat bizarre then that my choice of winter footwear for many years was a pair of Skee-tex moon boots - which had about as much grip as a banana skin when out on the bank! In more recent years I was sent a prototype boot for review along similar lines but which had far greater grip and a thinner wall, so it was more like a thermal wellington than a moon boot. I was still wearing these up until last Spring but I left them at the syndicate lake one weekend, and there they stayed in the rain for about a fortnight until I realised my mistake - the thermal liner has never been the same since!
The Mukluks Field Boot by Waterline
As such, I was in the market for a decent pair of boots for this winters campaign. After much deliberation a friend pointed me in the direction of the Mukluks Field Boot by Waterline. I’d heard a few horror stories about field boots where the stitching or soles had come away after only a few weeks use so didn’t want anything too cheap, but likewise, didn’t want anything too expensive in case I didn’t get on with them. As such, I plumbed for the Mukluk, which retails at around £40.00.
I got them just as the cold weather came on this winter, and have to say they are now my first choice footwear whenever I’m out on the bank, up at the syndicate lake or just when out for a walk with the kids. When I first put them on I was a little wary of how think the removable inner liners was, and thought the extra inch they added to the overall size of the outer boot might make them a bit cumbersome - but not a bit. The very first time out I was amazed at just how solid and grippy they felt. Likewise the liner did not dampen sensitivity at all and I felt extremely surefooted - even when climbing trees!
A cold January overnighter, but warm as toast in the Mukluks!
We’ve had some pretty harsh weather over the last few months, and I’ve been out wearing these boots in most of it; Gale Force winds, hail storms, snow, sub zero temperatures, blizzards and God knows what else! I can happily report the boots have stood up to all of this and more without the slightest problem - and my feet have been comfy and warm throughout. There’s only one word to describe them from a heat retention point of view - toast!
They are such a good fit with excellent ankle support that I don’t actually fasten them up - I just pull the lower rows of laces tight to give good support around the ankle and then tuck the lace ends down inside. This means I can put them on and take them off very quickly - which is particularly handy at night when bivvied up. The added bonus of course is that once tucked up in your bivvy you can remove the boots but continue wearing the liners for added warmth. At the first bleep of an alarm you just slide your feet into the outer boot and you’re on your rods in a flash!
The Mukluks removable boot liners
The build quality seems excellent and I really can’t think of a bad word to say about them. I have them on almost every time I leave the house at the moment, and as there’s been two inches of snow on the ground for over a week as I write this, I don’t think I’ll be taking them off any time soon!
What’s even better is that at the time of writing, NWAC is doing them for just £29.99 per pair!
Julian Grattidge
Feb 2009