Zamberlan 960 Guide

Boots. Like your everyday person needs shoes, a backcountry hunter needs a good pair of boots. They can be a lot like politics in the sense that not one boot is going to work for every hunter. From a light weight trail runner, to a sixteen inch leather pac boot and everything in between. There is a lot of choices and you really won’t know what works best for you until you try them out. This past season I wore the Zamberlan 960 Guide GTX RR and I will tell you about the experience that I’ve had with them and compare them to other boots. 

One hunting shoe that I’ve never had the chance to try out is a light weight trail runner. I remember reading that Brian Barney wore these so they must work, because he’s a killing machine. They are light weight, breathable and quiet. For early archery season I imagine they would be great for stocking in on that bedded mule deer, or the black bear that has its head down feeding on berries. When Jeff took his 2017 archery mule deer in the shale rocks of the Washington high country, he snuck into 17 yards while being barefoot. I bet he wished that he was wearing some sort of shoe and a trail runner might’ve worked out perfect. The biggest downside is they offer no ankle support and they aren’t water proof. In my eyes those are the biggest factors in choosing hunting footwear, aside from comfort. Growing up I played a lot of basketball and I would occasionally role my ankle. The last place I want to do that is miles into the backcountry with weight on my back. Also, you want your feet to stay dry. Crossing creeks, rain and wet underbrush will soak right through a shoe that isn’t waterproof. 

When I first started deer hunting I wore a pair of heavy, leather work boots and they absolutely destroyed my feet. After dealing with blisters for a season or two, I tried on a pair of keen hiking boots and that is what I wore for a long time. They are very comfortable, breathable, semi water proof and offer some ankle support. It wasn’t until the 2018 deer season that I realized that I needed a more rugged boot. We did the high buck hunt in Washington and experienced freezing temps, snow, rain and everything in between. My feet ended up getting cold, but the biggest reason I made the switch is because I carried an entire boned out mule deer and camp off of a mountain 7 miles, and during the entire pack out I was worried about my ankles. The keen’s didn’t have anywhere near the amount of ankle support and foot stability that I needed to carry the 140 pounds that was on my back. There were multiple times where I almost rolled my ankle and my feet were killing me because of the discomfort. For my next pair of boots I knew that I wanted them to be waterproof, comfortable and have lots of support for heavy pack outs. I went with a full leather, 6 inch boot from Zamberlan. The 960 Guide GTX RR. 

These boots were on my feet from shed hunting in April, bear hunting in August and mule deer hunting in November. I took a chance and ordered these boots without even trying them on. After reading all of the great reviews and seeing a lot of people comment on how narrow they are, I decided I’d give them a chance since I have a narrow foot. Upon opening the box they were visually pleasing, felt solid and very well built. It took about 25 miles to break them in but that comes with any new pair of full leather boots. At first they were a little stiff but after the initial break in they were feeling great. I treated them with Zamberlan’s nubuck leather spray and they have stayed waterproof the whole time I’ve owned them, which is about eight months. They have been through dozens of creek crossings while being fully submerged and have always kept my feet dry. My heaviest pack out with these boots was probably around 80 pounds. Nothing too heavy but my feet felt great and I didn’t need to worry about my ankles because they have a ton of support. The vibram soles have grippy lugs and are great for downhill braking and have lots of traction for climbing steep terrain. 

My only gripe is that in freezing temperatures my feet tend to get cold. Since these boots aren’t insulated that is to be expected though. While glassing for mule deer in Colorado for the early November third season, not only mine but the others guys toes got numb quite often. There is not one boot that is perfect for every hunting condition, but other than hunting in freezing temps, the Zamberlan 960 Guide is pretty dang close. I would recommend a pac boot that is rated for freezing temperatures and I will probably pick up a pair before next winters hunts. So if you’re looking for a good all around hunting boot that offers a lot of support while keeping your feet dry, give the Zamberlan 960 Guide GTX RR a try.