Why 72 year-old bunny boots are STILL used by the military
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- Опубликовано: 2 июл 2024
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Bunny Boot Review - What's inside a Bunny Boot? Some of the worlds warmest boots can still be bought at surplus military stores for under $100. So what makes these old military boots so warm? We bought a pair to find out by cutting them in half and running a few tests to see how warm they actually are.
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TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 Intro
0:33 NordPass
2:21 What Is It?
4:23 Retention Test
5:11 Waterproof Test
5:30 Why Rubber?
6:34 Air Valve Info
7:42 How Comfortable?
8:45 Heat Transfer
11:03 Cut In Half
12:42 Analysis
#bunnyboot #mickeymouseboot #usmilitary 
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*_All I can keep thinking is "Where did all the smart people go"???_*
@@Thelongmanable Who would want to hack John Smith's account ?
Cut up Mk 5 German paraboots
Can you do a video on some Atingas tyre sandals please
@@Mr_Smith_369 I guess you...
Have had my pair for 37 years and still wear them when I go ice fishing. No other winter boots can compare to the warmth
👀 cooool. Can you shoot a short video to see how the rubber held up?
I have a pair of Mickey boots. Ice fish with them too
Wore those while working on the North Slope of Alaska oilfield. 60 degrees below zero , and wind blowing 20 mph feet stayed warm . Love them and I still have mine !!!
Ooo, ideal ice fishing boot. 👍
@@MrKinghuman i never seen a set that had any cracks and most pairs were over 30 years old
Was stationed in the 6th Infantry Division in Alaska, wore those all the time in the field. Loved them, comfortable down to -40°. Only time I disliked them was when the company commander decided on a whim at the end of a field exercise that we would ruck march back to garrison in bunny boots. It was just over 26 miles, so cool, it's a marathon, right? No stops, no opportunities to swap out socks.There were so many foot injuries, and so many people who had to receive medical treatment from the clinic that the doctors formally complained to our battalion commander. Company commander survived that, later relieved of command for something else.
Properly worn, though, outstanding cold weather boots, no better for extreme cold weather. However, they do not breathe or drain at all, so swap your socks a lot. Extreme exertion will have you walking while sloshing in your own sweat.
Were the foot injuries just from the lack of breathability in the boots?
@@wyomarine6341 you talc your feet to stop the blisters?
I was 6th ID too. (Began in 83 as 172nd). We never marched in bunny boots. Only a dumb-ass yuke-hugger Captain would have thought that a good idea! We used them mainly during somewhat idle activities. Any real humping we broke out the SF Mountain boots.
Are you supposed to wear shoes inside them, or just plain with socks? Would love to know
! Thanks for sharing
So they're basically the modern version of the chunky WW2 German boots they'd wear for winter guard duty in Russia?
I wore them in the Marines in cold weather training in Minnesota. I was there for 2 weeks in -35. Feet sweating the entire time. We changed our socks frequently (every few hours. We rung out the soaking socks out and tied them to the outside of our clothes. It was so cold, the sweat froze and blew away, thus completely drying them quickly.
is that where east coast guys go ? They sent us to bridgeport in the sierra nevada mountains
@@BH-gh6qm I came from the west coast.
Mine were issued in Maine for cold weather training at Rangely, and a NATO deployment to northern Norway. Ugly and wet, but effective! At those extreme temps nobody cares about how they look...
I had a pair of these when I lived in Alaska from 1962-1965. They were actually too warm until the temperature got down well below zero. I wore them at 40 below zero and my feet were dry and toasty. Since my shoe size was 12, the bunny boots made my feet look like they were size 16. Very effective. It is amazing to me that these boots have not been superseded in the past 60 years.
The Marine Corps also still uses these things, but you only get issued them short-term, if you're going somewhere cold like Bridgeport, Norway or NE Asia, and you have to return them when you're done. They're not just for stationary purposes, though - you wear them basically the whole time you're in the cold environment, usually with snow shoes and knee-high gaiters attached. It takes a while to adapt to having that much mass on your feet, plus the weird hinge motion of the snow shoes, but they're pretty alright once you're used to it. The way you get it to not pinch your shins is to size them right, wear thick socks and tuck your trouser leg in far enough to pad the contact points, BTW.
As Marines we called them "Mickey Mouse" Boots!! I never heard them called anything else!
@@Barzbub that's what Army calls them. never heard bunny boot until now.
@@Barzbub 1/504th P.I.R 82nd Airborne. We called them Micky mouse too. Never heard any other name
The OP seems to be implying that the black ones were nicknamed Mickey Mouse boots and the white ones Bunny Boots. I also only ever heard anyone call them bunny boots. Always assumed the only difference was the color. The *smart* guys always took them off when walking any distances and put them back on when stationary, otherwise you were pouring out a pint of sweat at your destination. But then again we were never in deep snow or snowshoes, etc. just real real cold. In the Army they were a TA-50 issue like all of our cold weather gear. Which as you know meant we had to turn it back in at PCS. They have all that high-tech wicking gear now but in the 80's we got mostly wool... which does a decent job but is so much heavier.
Great report.
It's funny that you mentioned the lack of a "foil" type insulation, I cut insoles out of a space blanket and lined the bottom of mine when on sentry duty in Alaska. It seemed like the only time I really ever felt any cold coming through was when standing still. It crept in through the sole. The reflective "space blanket" material took care of that.
That mylar will have you swimming in your boots. You'll end up with pneumonia from wet feet
@@danielkomorowski7966 I didn't wrap my feet in it completely, I just added a layer on the bottom, like I said, an insole. It worked like a charm when standing sentry duty in -20 weather. When standing still, you lose heat through the constant contact with the ground. The reflective is insulation helped.
@@danielkomorowski7966
He said the BOTTOM of the insoles. He didn't wrap the whole interior like a ham in tinfoil.
I was in Germany in the 80s, Bunny and Mickey Mouse boots were a no-no in my unit. On guard duty your feet were always cold. Best thing you could do was get extra thick soles on a pair of boots to keep the cold from coming through the bottom. I would have killed for these at 0200 in the motor pool.
@@jacktheaviator4938 modernizing your boot with space aged mylar could still be a viable business today if you sold them integrated into insoles. Back in the 60s when mylar was new and man walked on the moon it would have sold a million units!
December 2003, I wore those Mickey Mouse boots on a combat mission. I was with 10th Mountain Division. Ninja suit, Arctic mittens, goretex top and bottoms. Even had the winter CLP for our weapons. It was cold AF. Around 30-40 below zero. The boots worked. 🇺🇸
Lol... Ft Drum fvcking sucks dude. I was there from 03-05, MEDAC not Division. Two winters of Hell lol
Fuck fort drum. Was there ‘14-18. The summers are nice but the winters are brutal
Climb To Glory
@@jacktheaviator4938 to the tip
Did you get any trigger time on the mission?
I wore the bunny boots from 1990-1994 (6th Infantry 1/17) when I was infantry in Alaska. They were the best boot no matter how cold it got. Just change your socks a lot when wearing them, every hour. We use to freeze dry the wet socks on the rucksack and then bang the ice out of them. We called it freeze dry socks. Then you just keep rotating them with baby powder. We used them with 220 cross-country skies (the old style with no support) and snow shoes.
In Finnish army we dealt with cold temperatures by wearing somewhat oversized regular rubber boots, inside which we double stacked woolen socks AND stuffed in some newspaper to trap the moisture and work as an additional insole.
Spent hundreds of dollars trying to keep my feets warm and dry over the years. Best pair of winter boots I ever had were cheap rubber boots from Walmart ($15) and two pair of wool socks ($40 for three pair). Still wear the same boots after ten years where the other boots I spent big money on died after one or two seasons.
Those rubber boots also come with a removable wool lining.
That sounds miserable. But also. You're in the Finnish army, that's like vacation
@@MrKinghuman Wrong on both accounts.
@@LittleRayOfSnshine69 a trick is to wear silk socks as liners with wool socks over them. The silk wicks away sweat and wool retains 80% of its insulative value soaking wet. They make special silk liner socks for camping. If you have to be out in the cold you're not going to do better than the silk and wool combo. Though polypropylene liner socks are OK too.
I wore them during my winterover at the South Pole back in 2020. -103F and thick wool socks with no issues with my feet.
That's awesome......I always wanted the winter over badge but didn't have an MOS that allowed it.
Apparently they don't use tanks much at the south pole.One of the coolest military opportunities IMO
Pretty cool. I spent a couple seasons at McMurdo Station back in 2006- 2007. I rarely wore my bunny boots though. Comfortable to stand in but not fun to walk long distances in.
Bro said -103’f like that’s a normal thing that comes out of peoples mouth
... but the FDX boots have better traction.
@@jacobishii6121 - the military has been out of Antarctica since the 1990s, except for the Air National Guard unit from New York that provides transportation.
Everything else is civilian now.
I’ve been in 4/25, now 2/11, for 7 winters. VB Boots are hands down one of the best pieces of equipment I’ve been issued. One thing you left out in terms of heat transfer is evaporative cooling. You don’t lose any heat to evaporation of moisture. Thus the “vapor barrier” name. If you get ones that fit they’re not bad to walk in, I’ve put hundreds of miles in wearing these things over the years.
Nice- I’m 725 😉
I was issued a pair of these when I was stationed at Ft. Drum, NY. I wore them on multiple occasions, because my feet always seem to get cold quickly. I can testify that my feet were never cold while I wore these boots.
I’ve used mine for 10 years. Notably they have been my main snowmobile boot for 9 of those years, after I bought $300 snowmobile boots and they ripped in one season, and the bunny boots are still in perfect condition.
never found any "snowmobile" boots to be worth the cardboard box they came in. best thing i found was old-fashioned rubber galoshes - the ones with the metal fasteners - and heavy snowmobile boot liners. i was too cheap (poor?) to buy bunny boots.
That's a very good endorsement; as many may not know that snowmobiling is very hard on boots. You don't just sit there.
Bunny Boots are legit. We used them on an Alaskan bush trip and they were totally up to the task. Amazing.
These boots really are lifesavers in alaska. Years ago we were breaking trail on the yukon river with snowmachines and got our sleds stuck in overflow at about -20 F. The overflow water overflowed thru the tops of our boots while getting our machines out. Our body heat warmed the ice water in our bunny boots so our feet stayed safely warm (not warm warm but not going to freeze warm) and we were able to keep driving back to town (ruby, alaska to tanana). Everyone that spends a lot of time in the country in alaska swears by the good ol bata bunny boots
I was USAF, stationed in Alaska and was issued these boots. My job however, flight line aircraft maintenance on F-4 Phantoms made actually wearing them pretty much impossible. They were too bulky for working in the cockpit. I worked on ejection seats and had to stand facing aft with my toes under the seat, which couldn't be done with these bunny boots.
We learned to live with mukluks.
What the fuck is a Mukluk? Googling now!
@@The-Kool-_-Aid-Man74 Originally from Eskimo culture using animal skins, and then in the military using canvas and rubber with a thick insert for insulation, it is a soft high footwear for cold weather, especially deep snow. Its warm, but offers no protection because it is very soft. Working on aircraft, drop something on your foot and you break it. The bunny boots offered more protection, but were so thick you couldn't slip your foot into narrow spaces, which made them useless for my job on jets.
I was in the 102nd infantry, which was a part of the 1-86 Brigade. The 1-86 runs the Army Mountain School up in VT, where, if you attend the school, you’ll be issued a pair of these. They are indeed very good boots
I was with the 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, NY and I went to that school in Camp Ethan Allen. That was in the late eighties, I can't remember the exact year.
I used them in the Marines and they were awesome. The USMC still uses them today. We called them Mickey Mouse boots for all of them both the black ones and the white ones. I trained in them in 1990.
My father was stationed at Elmendorf in the Alaska territory back around 1952-53, and he called these Mickey Mouse boots too.
But when I was at McMurdo and South Pole stations everyone referred to them as bunny boots - but I was in construction so I wore FDX boots.
Yep. Mickey Mouse boots. I never even heard of this "Bunny Boot" thing. Everybody who did mountaineering after 1955 or 60 had them from surplus sales.
Yup. Always known them as Mickey boots :)
@@charlesspringer4709 Bunny is a civilian name.
Norwegian home guardsmen call them mickey mouse boots too! it often is said "hey look! that guy is wearing mickey mouse boots!" and so you almost have to laugh of the thought of mickey mouse boots on a real person and how goffy it looks.
But its probaly effective at keeping the cold out so i won't question it, we home guardsmen mostly just use our m77 boots with wool socks and that do the trick most of the time but if we have to, we use some kind of gaiters over our m77 boots to keep water and the super cold out.
I'm college we played a lot of broomball at the local rink. I found some bunny boots at the flea market and it's amazing how well you can full stride run on ice with them. It gave me a big edge up against the rest. Warm as can be too!
Had them while at Spangdahlem AB, Germany in the mid 80's, we utilized them during an exercise where we were out in the woods outside the perimeter of the base for 4 day and 3 nights with nothing else but a M-16 with blanks, MRE's, sleeping bag, these boots, the cold weather parka and the matching cold weather pants. That is one experience I will never forget.
I love seeing old boots like this reviewed, and it's incredible that it's still used to this day!
Personally, I'd love to see you cut apart reproduction Double Buckle boots, and see how they compare to the original.
Those are called Mickey mouse boots I served in S Korea for 13 month duty station these boots have a air nozzle on the side u pump air into and your feet never touch and cold ground or water
Issued these back in the late 90’s.
It is awesome to see how they’re made!-Thank you!
Hiked up and down mountains in Vermont with them. I remember crossing a frozen pond and breaking through the ice, drained the water, changed my socks and was good to go!
10 MTN still issue these. Part of my TA-50 in 2009-2012.
@@MadayMaday 🦵🏻
wasn't the wool still wet?
@@jakx2ob that is one of the things that makes wool a "miracle material". Even when wet, it retains heat. Wool liner (and I'm assuming wool socks), wring out the worst of the water and put it back on, keep moving and generating heat and it will do its job. Long term that wet will cause trench foot but wet wool will give you enough time to get out of a situation.
@@michaelhinman1770 but won't the next pair of socks be trenched immediately?
We had them in Wainwright in 2009 when I left there. Was always giving classes on them. Had to emphasize to Soldiers not to wear them on rucks or when you are moving alot. They were designed for static or limited movement. The gun bunnies loved them, feet never got cold waiting on fire missions. I currently work outside, if I did not have to walk so much I would have a pair!
There is one boot I've tried that can compare and that's the Siberian all-felt boots. Those things were incredible but can only be used in extend cold where there's no slush or mud. On the other hand they're cheap, normal size and lightweight and breathable.
"They recommend changing your socks every day"
I would certainly hope people are doing that regardless of which boots they're wearing lol
Yea, I thought he was going to end that sentence with like "twice a day" or "once every X amount of hours" - not just "every day" lol
Well, i can tell you that 20+ years ago during my conscription time, someone told us that using fresh socks when marching gets you blisters faster.
So we often used the socks of the day before when marching. (we marched a lot) The idea behind this myth was that wearing the socks for a day already forms it better to your feet than fresh socks. (and depending on the watr quality they might be softer).
Yet i tended to use 2 layers of socks (inside sport socks, outside woolen issue socks) and seldom got blisters, no matter if fresh or used socks.
So there's that. After that, i never used "worn" socks for hiking and stuff again. Modern tech hiking socks are fine.
I don't have smelly feet, I will often wear socks for multiple days lol. I get them in slippers but I don't know how people get smelly feet in closed shoes, I feel like it's from just not washing your feet properly before putting on clean socks? Feel free to correct me, I have absolutely no idea. Even when running, my socks might end up damp or wet, but not smelly.
Sup I’m a young 21 years old trying to get out the hood & my job by 25.. i smoke weed on my RUclips channel and i also did a Burger King Mukbang Inside Target 🎯 😳
@@rainymornings you're just used to it. I guarantee that everyone else is thinking 'god damn Rusalka, with them stinky ass feet. MFer should change some socks up in here'
Hey thanks for the shoutout my friend!!!
You didn't mention the 4th and biggest heat loss method that these boot protect against: evaporation. That is the purpose of a vapor barrier in boots, clothes and sleeping bag liners. We were still using these in the Marine Corps when I retired in 97. I'm guessing they still use them for extreme cold. Thanks for the information!
The heat energy in vapor is already lost, the body won't recuperate it even if contained. Vapor barriers are usually used to let vapor out but inhibit larger water molecules from getting in. In cold you want as little moisture as possible to be in contact of your skin as moisture is a good conductor. Technical fabrics and clothing work by drawing the moisture off of the skin and direct contact, moving it to the outer layers of the clothing for instance. You also want to dissipate that moisture from the clothing, shoes or sleeping bag as fast as possible as when that fabric gets saturated it starts to lose it's insulation properties. Most forms of insulation is air being trapped in between ambient conditions and what ever is being insulated. If water or vapor displaces that air the barrier is lost.
@@MrEshah Vapor barriers in clothing are worn next to the skin, keeping moisture from saturating your insulation layers. The insulation keeps the moisture at the skin's surface from getting cold and evaporating. Again, evaporative cooling.
I Live in Iowa my winter boots keep me warm and dry snow blowing BUT for long term if I had to go to the woods THESE bunny Boots would be the way to go.I’ll be looking for a few pairs for me and the wife.
Thanks for the videos they are very helpful. Keep up the good work!👍🏽
I own a pair of black mickey boots and they are awesome in the winter.
Even the most expensive boots are useless when your foot goes trought the ice and it is full of water, these you can just empty out and they will be warm again in a few minutes.
Another fact: Japanese designer brand Ambush collaborated with Converse in 2019. They created their own rendition of this military boot. Pretty dope to take inspiration from the past and release it for today. As well as Raf Simons iteration.
can vouch theyre a lot more comfortable than their predecessors
i almost bought the bunny converse haha, i loved those
@@thesaintnoodle Word me too, I’d still buy them. They’re sick 🔥
When I first saw the thrumbnail, I thought that was the converse ambush collab. After watching this video, I’m pretty impress that ambush had almost keep every detail of the bunny boots and added some stylish modern detail into it tho.
I've tried it on when is was released because I was desperately looking for a winter boots alternative for the harsh Canada winter. Ended up returned it, extremely uncomfortable. Seems like rubber boots doesnt go well with a slim design.
Great video! I wore these boots while in the 10th Mountain division. Not comfortable after a few miles walking, but they will keep your feet warm in any condition. It's great to see what's inside.
These are great boots! I bought an unissued pair back in 2010 to wear in the winter in Vermont where we used to go skiing. Great insulation, but very wide: I didn't have any trouble walking in them, driving an automatic transmission SUV was OK, too, but driving a manual transmission would have been difficult. I enjoyed this video, as wll as the one on the Jungle Boots.
I bought a pair of the black ones from Sportsman's Guide when I was in my late teens and I still use them to this day. I also was issued the white ones while stationed at Fort Drum as an infantry officer from 2011-2015. They are fantastic, I remember in 2014 I was in the field in March and the temperature never went above 0 and the snow was usually knee deep. I would stand and walk for hours in that snow and my feet stayed toasty warm the entire time.
🦵🏻
Point of order, mukluks were not traditionally made with canvas uppers. Caribou/reindeer skin, seal skin leather and seal furs were the traditional materials. Seal skin leather is inherently waterproof due to an extremely tight fiber structure and high oil content, and mukluks were made specifically for both dry and wet conditions.
The western adaptation of the mukluks did have canvas uppers. But yes traditional native ones didn't use canvas.
He’s talking about the military mukluks but didn’t use the right picture
I use both a modern version of mukluks and bunny boots when working in the cold in Alaska. They both have their place. For mobility and warmth in the cold I use the mukluks. I've walked 10+ miles over varied terrain (no roads) with them at -48F and colder and was completely happy. Same goes for the bunny boots except they are heavy, they are best for hard duty where the mukluks would not protect your feet or where there may encounter water (thin ice, or overflow).
On our Norway deployment in '98, we had both types. I preferred the black "Mickey Mouse" boots because they provided adequate warmth without being overkill. They weren't quite as bulky either. However, unless skiing or remaining stationary for long periods of time, I wouldn't recommend them. I would recommend wearing a lighter, more breathable boot until you get where you're going, then change back to the warmer boots. Also, they really could have benefited from removable liners...if for no other reason than to keep them from feeling too damp inside when your feet would, inevitably sweat. Despite their caveats, I would still highly recommend them. Just wear really thick socks to soak up the sweat, and I would recommend changing your socks 2 to 3 times a day while wearing them.
The valve on the side is to prevent the air bladder from expanding when troops are transported by air. When the ambient air pressure decreases at altitude, the air chamber in the boot will expand, crushing the foot, and cutting off circulation. Anyone who has driven through mountains with capped plastic water bottles will have experienced this phenomena.
I absolutely loved it when you mentioning about high fashion shoes and their inspiration. Can't wait for your cut in half series about big fashion brand's shoe. The video about Saint Laurent using plastic as heel stack for their boots is the only shoe analysis about high fashion on youtube so far.
Do you have any suggestions for channels on clothing and fashion?
@@chaotickreg7024 you could check out Bliss Foster if you enjoy deep analysis about fashion shows and history of brands. But to be honest, most fashion RUclipsrs only talk about the style, not the quality of clothes the same way Rose Anvil does about shoes.
Used these during my Army days. Cumbersome and heavy, but no frostbite! I was thankful to have them.
@@jahmanborneo1343lol 😆 🤣 Understood.
They kinda seem like what you would use if you don't need to be warm often, more of a stop gap boot then what you would want if you worked full time -30 to 50c
@@jahmanborneo1343 🦵🏻
I had these in the marines when we would go on training exercises in northern Japan and Korea in the winter. The unit kept them on hand for issue in harsh conditions. This was around the 2015 timeframe, so I’m sure they’re still used there.
You guys go elsewhere in Korea than that little range/training area down by Pohang? I could see a few of the ROKA tank ranges up north getting frigid but the main US training areas are at fairly low evaluations and flat,
I was stationed at fort wainwright Alaska and I can tell you these things (plus the Michelin Man suit) are the best!! We got issued so much equipment for arctic weather and training. I love Alaska and miss it so much
White as a color does reflect light and heat (don't get into thermodynamic discussions folks) to some degree compared to darker colors (especially black) For the boots, especially standing in snow or on cold surfaces - conduction is the biggest concern. So reflective interior wouldn't give you much. A black outer rubber would absorb light energy more, but would totally negate any camouflage benefits in cold climates, so this seems a good compromise.
Well said.
The real difference between the two versions of this boot is that the white is a different rubber from the black. The black boots are made to be oil and solvent resistant and are also made for wet cold environments. The white boots are heavier and designed for cold and dry environments.
I remember seeing a mail carrier wearing them one time. I was also in the Army and was issued a pair of these boots.
We were still using them at Fort Drum around 05-09, cold weather training and gunnery. One of the few things, along with some other snivel gear that worked at very subzero temps.
The puff suit and Micky boots are still going strong at 10th Mountain
I’ve got a pair of Mickey’s that I’ve had for decades. I’ll wear them when I’m out on my tractor in the winter pushing snow or other chores where I don’t have to move too much. I keep them aired up a little bit just so they’ll fit more snug. I’ve never had a problem my feet getting cold or wet. I love those boots! Great video!
I got to wear those boots for a month in Alaska. They definitely work when you get down to -50 F but the worst part about them has to be the calf I found it very hard to get the laces tight enough to compress the rubber so I taped sleeping pad pieces on the inside
.... These boots have to be laced up a certain way.. “double laced” is what it is known as.. That is how the military teaches you to properly lace these boots... It’s too long to explain it here, but I’m sure you can get that info here on YT or somewhere on the internet... also you can just go to where they sell them at like an Army/ Navy store and see how they are laced, because every pair I’ve ever seen at one of those stores has them laced up exactly the way they should be... hope this helps👍🇺🇸
See my response to your post👍🇺🇸
I used to have 2 sets.absolutely loved them.they were comfortable and extremely warm
Your video at 7:45 reminded me of a discovery I made at work (a steel yard) one winter many years ago. I normally wore Herman Survivors but we had a big snow and I stretched some size 14 fabric-lines rubber boots over them so I could wade through the snow and ice. The Survivors were very nice boots but this added rubber layer made them very warm without the sweating of all rubber boots/pacs. However, the only way I could remove them was cutting them off. I also tried this combo during a below-freezing hunting trip but knee length yellow boots were a bit conspicuous to the ducks and drew stares from my companions.
ive had mine since my teens, they are the best for winter camping because they won’t freeze solid over night like damp leather/cloth boots. truly maintenance free and tough like nothing else.
I had a pair in high school. Walked to school in -40c. Never got cold feet. Great boots
I've seen those boots in surplus stores since I was a kid. I used to think they were some sort of special airplane boot because of the valve on them, it wasn't until way later that I learned what they really are. Always wondered what was inside, this is a good one :)
My dad had a pair of those that I wore when I was young. LOVED them.
I wore Bunny boots in 1981-83 on the north slope of Alaska and on islands in the Beaufort sea in winter temps. down to -60*F. with wind chill down to -112*F. I wore felt booties inside. My feet never got cold or overly sweaty. Thanks for the demo.
I grew up wearing Bunny Boots, and I legitimately have wondered how they were constructed since I was a kid. Thank you for finally letting me see.
They make these in kid sizes? 🤣 I cast a vote of no confidence.
@@M60gunner1971 Would look like stumps on a kid.
@@M60gunner1971
He may have used smaller adult sizes as a child. I know I had to do it before I was 10.
@@M60gunner1971 Well, I’m from Alaska and got my first pair of bunny boots in 6th grade. They do make smaller adult sizes.
Me too!! I have always wondered what’s inside my bunny boots. 🤘
These are cool - however the best boot (in my opinion ever" is a leather mountaineering boot with a separate liner, with a completely integrated gaiter, that velcros all the way up to the bottom of the knee - They're called "one boot" - I sold them a long time ago and never been able to find them again! - would love to see a video on them!
I was issued these in 2019 with the rest of the artic issue. Never had to wear them and was more than happy to turn them back into cif as they took up a lot of space in my wall locker.
My dad had these from his father I remember these seeing these when I was young. Cool that you did a story on them
Had a pair of these things given to me at a surplus store. They where surprised that I was size 14 as these things had been on the shelf forever. They wanted me to come back and buy more, and I intended to, but sadly the place shut down before I could return. The good news is that now I know what these things are called and can pick up a set for my Father.
As an exploration geologist who often works around the Arctic, I wear these boots in the field. Paired with GOOD socks and my toes never complain. And at 100-120.00 it’s a bargain.
Never going to break any speed or distance records, but if you are in conditions that demand these boots you are moving at a slow and deliberate pace anyway.
Thanks for the advice. I'm a junior geo only really starting my working life.
@@jakefry6563 Good for you! There are a lot of different flavors of geology, from pure researcher or Professional Geologist, to geophysical (seismic etc) or being a bug bit, sunburnt, and muddy remote field addict like me. So what kind of geology work interests you?
@@williamstearns7490 I'm an English lad going into my first winter doing mineral exploration in Canada.
@@jakefry6563 Outstanding! Canada is a wonderful and stunningly beautiful place to get sweaty and dirty in! Been doing helium exploration in Saskatchewan off and on for the last couple years, and one of my clients is planning for me to head up to the far northeast to do some rare earth exploration. But the weather window is closing fast for that kind of pick and shovel sampling up there.
I’m in my mid-50’s and still think it’s nuts that people pay people like us to go for hikes, keep fit, have weird adventures, and travel the world seeing National Geographic level natural beauty and wildlife. 😁
Hope you escaped all the smoke and wildland fires up there this summer, and that you are learning a lot and having fun!
Cheers, Bill
@williamstearns7490 It's fun, to say the least.
We had these in my Sitka, AK, Army National Guard unit in the late 80s/early 90s. We were a light infantry unit so in wintertime we would practice missions in snowshoes and cross-country skis and these would be our boots. As you mention, they are not comfortable for lots of movement. My arches would get sore. That wooden stave would start drilling into your foot sometimes. But for sitting around at a base camp, they were pretty nice. With anything else you could feel the cold climbing up through your soles. I'd usually loosen mine when sitting around, too, to avoid the clamminess that built up inside. Thanks for showing me what they look like between the layers! I've always wondered what was in there.
When I was 10th Mountain Division, in upstate NY, they issues these to the ground guys, Those of us that were Aviation assets were issued the 'Extreme Cold Weather N-1B Mukluk boots, thir only downside a bootie you had to wear as well. Great job!
The army has been trying to replace these guys for the past few years with limited success. Outdoor Research made a pair of mucklucks for us that went over our normal winter boots, but they still aren't as warm as the VB boots.
11 airborne is in fairbanks ak my dude. We are forgotten about that callout got in my feels🤣🤣 glad you posted the video I've used the boots in negative 50s you are exactly right the boots make your feet sweat and your feet get cold especially if you go in and out doors. Anchorage-JBER does not get near as cold as it does at FT Wainwright. I hate these boots. They are bad for people with sweaty feet. Please post more😁 this is just experience not a bad comment.👍
1/501 is still at Richardson
I had a pair of those for work boots as a concrete laborer one winter in freezing/sub freezing temperature all winter. They really work.
What really helped is to duct tape the end of the legs of the rain pantsuit to the tops of the boots.
I remember the Mickey Mouse Boots. Hope Disney doesn't sue me. LOL.
Those are almost the same. Mil Spec MIL-B-41816, black mm are type I, white bunnies are type II.
I wore the mickey mouse boots in the Seventies in the Air Force. Before this, I had a pair white, pressed wool boots the looked like the bunny boots. They were just as warm but not water proof. The only problem with the rubber bunny boots was that they got wet from the inside. They made you sweat no matter how cold it was.
The white pressed wool version were the original version of these boots. They are mostly gone now.
Amazing good boots! I still have a pair since working in Siberia (oil and gas processing facilities) for a British company. Minus 50C every day no issues at all. The single issue was when flying out in the plane I have to make sure the air nozzle is left open, the other way may blow if kept the air in.I love the boots probably the most reliable boots I ever had.
I wore Baffin boots for north dakota winters, they took the approach of a foil and foam insulated slipper that went inside of a tall waterproof pac-style boot, only the shaft of the boot was a flexible rubber material. Too warm for just about anything over -30F, unless you're standing still.
Reminds me of old childhood pics of me wearing my Dad's shoes! 😂
They are great and better with felt insoles. The farther North you go in Alaska the more bunnies you will see.
Wore them on the North Slope oilfield, loved them !!
I wear the Mickey version while doing outdoor chores in the winter months. They do not get cold, ever. In snowy, wet conditions they slowly fill up with water, but the water remains perfectly body temperature due to the insulation. You hardly notice. I would definitely hate to run or even hike any great distance. But frostbite is impossible, as far as I can tell.
your boots there were made in 1984 (see the 84 in the DLA number) So they also store well since they are over 30 years old. The mickey mouse boot was pretty warm as well and would be fine for civilian use for most cold climates. This was a great video as I always wondered what was making these boots so great. CHeers!
Would you recommend mickey mouse boots over these for civilian use? My feet get very cold outdoors during the snowy season and this seems to be the perfect remedy. Lows aren't that bad here -- usually around 10f/-12c
@@lilblingking1491 The white ones are rated for colder temperatures. My dad swears by them. I have the black ones and have no complaints.
Interestingly, the paperwork packed with the boots says that the white ones are for dry cold, and the black ones are for wet cold. Both being rubber, I really don't see the difference.
I've worn both for long days out in the cold, they're great. Either are a good investment.
I was issued these in the Air Force. Walking a flight line at a northern tier B-52 base was always cold. They were warm, but they were hard to walk in and they hurt your feet. We also had canvas mukluks with a felt insert. Those were better for mobility.
I still wear my Air Force issue Mukluks I got in 1991 in Korea. In 2003 I replaced the white felt liner with a pair of thicker liners from Sorel Glacier boots. I wear the mukluks every winter in Minnesota.
Why not Minot. Freezing the reason. Been there.
@@russelbrown6275 K.I. Siberia
Great video! A lot of good comments too.
I also wore these while serving in the US Army. 11B1P. I was stationed at Ft Richardson, AK. In my day they were the 6th ID. I was in B Company 1st Battalion of 501st Airborne Infantry Regiment. These boots worked very well on guard duty, which we did not do very much of. They were horrible for just about everything else. I preferred my Danner boots in most situations. Once the bunny boot went cold it was like walking on ice blocks. They were heavy and uncomfortable. I believe they were designed for moderate to low activity.
DUDE I bought a pair of these for the winter months working on washplants and rock crushers. All I can say is their flicking amazing. I have the white pair date 10/82. Omg their dorky but I love how warm and dry they keep. My feet in eastern idaho.
how about military boots from other countries? lots of surplus sites have all kinds from all over the world.
I had a pair of Matterhorn winter boots when I was in Korea. They were pretty good. Can’t remember the specific model name, but they were basically waffle stompers.
Any plans to test a pair of Corcoran Jump Boots?
I had some Matterhorn boots in the 6th ID, they sucked for me. I should have bought Danner.
I hated my Matterhorns. Gave them to my Pop. He wore both pair out.
Loved the 11th airborne division shoutout. Funny that you showed a picture of the 25th though. Can confirm we still use these boots.
Awesome video, so interesting. These are very popular with civilians in Arctic and Interior Alaska as well where temps of 40-60 below are pretty common in the winter. See them all the time but never got to see the inside, so neat.
One of my uncle's was stationed in Alaska while in the military in the 1960s. He would still talk about these boots (and the "Mickey Mouse" predecessor) when I'd visit to hunt his property each winter into the late 1990s (when he passed away). He definitely talked a lot about sock changes (all base layers, for that matter). Thanks for the memories and cool video!
Still in use at fort drum
we had the black ones when i was in the navy they were the only boots that actually kept my feet warm topside in the winter
I was with CSC 3/172 Mtn. when I got my first pair. I also worked as a surveyor during the 1980's and wore the Mickey mouse Boots. Never had cold feet even after breaking through ice and getting a pint of water in each boot. I still have a pair to this day.
I worked on a flight line at the local FBO in the early '80s. One day I looked in some old lockers and found a pair of these in black. I took them around and asked if they belonged to anyone, and no one claimed them, so I took them home. They were so old that there was some slight cracking in the rubber, but I filled them with silicone and they were fine. And amazingly, they were my size. I loved those things. Literally could NOT get cold feet even when standing outside in -20 plus temps for hours on end.
Then maybe 10 years later, we had an absolute blizzard on New Year's Eve, and a couple guys got stuck in front of my house in a 4x4 Jeep. (yeah, it was bad.) It was way below zero and so we could only work for a short time to get them out between running inside to warm up a little. One of the guys was wearing cowboy boots, so to be helpful, I offered to let him wear my "Mickey Mouse" boots. They finally got un-stuck, and I expected to get the boots back, but it was SO cold that the guy said he'd bring them back the next day or when the weather was better. I had his cowboy boots, so figured that was OK.
Yep. I never saw or heard from him again. My boots were gone, and I was stuck with a pair of fairly cheap cowboy boots. I've felt rotten about losing those great boots ever since.
You got em for free so what are you complaining about. What goes around comes around
@@matthewcaughey8898 That’s a really goofy way to think. You say what goes around comes around? I didn’t steal them. But I had them stolen from me. So yeah I’m pretty pissed about that. They were great boots and I can’t replace them. Yet you’re expecting me to just say oh well?
It doesn’t matter at all that I got them for free. They were very valuable to me. That’s what matters.
@@ChristopherBix "They were very valuable to me" Lmao I bet they were valuable to the guy you nabbed them from too.
The 11th was just reactivated in May of this year. That means that they didn't inherit a stock of bunny boots, they intentionally chose them. Considering there are about a dozen authorized cold weather boots to chose from, that speaks volumes.
The units in the 11th already existed, they just got renamed (formerly 4/25 and 1/25).
I wore them in Alaska and yes, they are warm and the best winter boot PERIOD - for the military. Sorel were best for civilians. The vapor barrier were better if stuck in the field where you could never dry your foot or boot out, they stayed warm even wet. DO NOT wear these boots in warm weather or you will get trench foot, they are just too hot. Wear 2 pair of wool socks and fold BOTH pairs over the of the boot to protect your shin and absorb moisture. When marching you may have to add more padding at the shin to keep the boot from digging in. But for warm feet, these boots are the best hands down period.
Mid '70's I was sent to GF Air Force base in North Dakota, a SAC Base, if you were assigned to a northern tier state you were given the Bunny boots and a Parka. If you were worked on the flight line then you were also given the insulated mittens. I mostly worked out of a hanger so i never got the mittens and they just gave us cotton liners to put in the thin leather work gloves. We were also told to blow into the bladder to make the boot fit tighter and like it's been mentioned you just wore socks. There were also mostly grease and chemical proof also.
A friend and I wore them when guiding in the winter one of his pack horses fell in the river and he got in the water to get the horses out. He rode 7miles back to the ranch in below zero temperatures, and poured water out of the boots and his feet were toasty warm. Without them he would have had frost bite. You don't walk in them and they don't fit into the stirrups.
Yes you do walk I them. Did many Winter road march in them in Alaska. Snowshoe in them, ski in them, jump out of planes in them etc.
Thank you so much for putting temperatures in celcius too
does anyone else get chills up their spine when he cuts boots apart?
Thanks for translating the temps into something the entire world can understand
Fantastic! Thanks so much! I sued to wear the Mickey Mouse version of these boots and they worked well, my challenge was that at the time they were not available in my size so they flopped around a lot, so I reckoned paying attention to how they fit so they don't create blisters.
Since they are white on the inside then in theory they provide some sort of radiant barrier, it might not b the same as the metalized foil in th expensive boots but it probably helps.
I’m in South Korea, I’m in the U.S. army and they issued me these boots I haven’t had to use them yet but it’s cool to see tests on it
Been using the black kind for years now. Before that I used surplus Fire Walkers from the fire department. Ironically the Micky Mouse/Bunny boots and Fire Walker boots are very similar despite being designed for compleatly opposite functions - one to keep out cold the other to keep out heat. Both are waterproof and highly insulated. I miss my Fire Walkers.
The size of the Army means that any change happens at a glacial pace or slower, add to that, that up until a year or so ago, the Army hadn't paid more than passing notice of anything involving temperatures below 32 degrees since the Korean war. I'm pretty sure the "Bunny Boot" is no longer being produced, which is good, because it will force the Army to replace it.
There are far more drawbacks than positive things about the boot in a war fighting sense ,you named a few of the better known ones, but it's time has come to an end and due to the Berry amendment which specifies American made/supplied equipment, there's going to be a lot of cold feet in the near future ( there is a massive effort underway to catch up on 60 years of Arctic neglect).
Baffin Boots, a Canadian manufacture, has a model called the "Snow Monster" rated to well below -100 degrees F, I've used it's precursor the "Shackleton" rated to -150 F twice above 75 degrees lat in Feb /March and was very pleased with my purchase. For a cold dry climate there is nothing better. (Handmade Inuit Mukluks excluded)
The Berry amendment its' self needs to be amended.
"The Berry amendment its' self needs to be amended" I agree, with suppliers able to stop selling the armed forces would be in a very bad place.
I met the founder of Baffin boots when he visited the South Pole station, summer of 2007-08. They looked like good boots and the few guys who bought their own liked them, but I've never tried them myself. The FDX boots I was issued were plenty good enough.
Wow I did not realize how different the US military bunny boot was from the Canadian military mukluk! I would love to see a comparison of the two winter military boots. I believe the Canadian version is superior 😜
Love the military boot series. Really hoping you do a set of US Army Jump Boots at some point!
love these boots. they helped me through another MN winter...Winter will end sometime !??? for a couple of weeks at least..
We called em mickey mouse boots
Wore them in an open Jeep in the winter at Ft. Carson Colorado in the mid 70s.So warm I dont think I ever laced them up tight.But a beast on a route March.