Massachusetts resident here, one small correction for future reference, the town is pronounced nay-tic or n-eh-tic (eh like a Canadian would say). It's a small thing, but we don't get mentioned often, so it's nice when we are referred to correctly. Unrelated but more frequently mentioned town, Worcester is pronounced "wooster"
When 'warmest boot' and 'frostbite' are in the same sentence, you can pretty much bet the problem is sweat-soaked socks. Every soldier is trained from boot camp to rotate socks, but sometimes operations are so intense there is just no down time to change.
As long as you keep walking your feet will stay warm even if wet. I wore them on long walks (on an advance survey party) when it was -30F and there was no heated shelter or vehicle. I was not about to take them off.
There is an item of GI that can be the difference a live grunt and a dead grunt: socks, cushioned soled OD green, try and keep your feet dry while we're out humping I want you to remember to change your socks whenever we stop, Mekong will eat a grunt's feet right off his legs.... Lt D. Taylor.
@@rationalist47 True; but you're caught in the deadly cycle of cold; as long as you keep moving you can endure, but at some point, you HAVE to stop, from sheer exhaustion if nothing else...and the cold is waiting. It doesn't even have to be freezing; people have succumbed to hypothermia in 50F temps.
The Norwegian Military is considering retiring the iconic M77 boot after nearly 50 years of service. Used summer and winter, and it endures even the coldest climates thanks to the use of 'foot bags' on the outside when needed. I hope you can do an episode on them one day.
Hey, I used to work in Norway as Avis delivery guy... and I found those boots in EuroPrice or something similar and bought them, they were awesome awesome boots, I still have them after nearly 9 years, not in pristine condition but doable...
I remember trading my “fotposer” or “footbags” if we translate it with a US soldier when I was in minnesota visiting the national guard, in exchange for them I got 2US uniforms, and a rank patch he had worn in afghanistan. Mind we were friends, but that still tells you something about how popular they were. There weren’t many of us that took the trip back home with having “lost” our footbags.
I was issued the Mickey Mouse boots in Korea 1986. I once wore them to the morning first formation, did not know we would have an in ranks inspection. The 1st Sgt looked at my boots and asked me if my feet were cold. I said not anymore 1st Sgt. He just smiled and said he didn't want to see them in formation again 😂
trained in Mickey Mouse boots during cold weather training in Pickle Meadows. we pulled sleds through the moutains, slept in tents and improvised shelters for 2 weeks. got back to base camp and hit the showers. did we stink. the boots we had were white
@@brian.willett Korea 2016, Brought these to a January Field exercise, wasn't that cold, like -5 to -10 wo windchill, but fuck did it feel like the icy cavern of the devil's asshole at the time without heavier cold weather gear. My fuckin feet were warm though, we couldn't believe we weren't given better gear. I attached myself to a launcher crew and just stayed with them the whole time (commo). The m270 is just a spicy heater afterall
I used to wear the white mickey boots in Alaska, on the tarmac for 12 hours at a time. I kept them unlaced so as not to perspire and cause them to freeze. If they remained dry, which wasn't difficult to do, they were amazingly warm, even at -64 degrees (farenheit) with no wind chill.
I spent a winter at the USAF Arctic Survival School and used these boots exclusively. I wore them in temps down to -67 and I loved them. You can leave them outside your sleeping bag and they don’t freeze. If your feet get cold when you stop, stomp the heel down and lift your toes and balls of your feet off the bottom and they’ll warm right back up. If you swamp them you just dump out the water and keep going. Great video, great boot.
The white boots are definitely a better option for sentry duty, or anything in an unheated vehicle. But they are thicker, heavier, and spongier under foot, so the black version has the edge when you’re Oscar Mike.
I had some bunny boots that I bought in the late sixties. I found them in a military surplus store. They looked like they were made from felt and they were extremely light and warm. I could hike all day and my feet were always warm. It was very difficult to wear them while driving because they were so wide. I had them for about 50 years and now I've lost them.
That's crazy to me. A pair of boots never lasted more than six months for me. I walk everywhere and work in wet/chemical environments so they often delaminated or I would wear through the sole. Are they slip resistant? Do they make them in a size 15? I might have to invest in a pair.
I wore these boots in my unheated M48A5 tank with the US Army 4th infantry division during arctic/cold-weather training at Fort Drum New York in 1981 and they were not without issue. During about two weeks of field work as the driver in an M48A5 without any working heaters in -40 degrees below zero weather. Initially, I was thankful for these boots and felt great in them as we marched from the barracks to the tanks in the motor pool! But once we got into the field and started doing 24/7 ops in the field, they eventually got cold as I sat with my feet on the frozen hull all day. The heaters in my tank--drawn from local National Guard stock at Ft Drum, were deficient. In fact, in my company only a few of the tanks had working heaters and we had to rotate crews through these so that people could get warmed up. That being said, I don't know if ANY boot could keep my feet warm in such a situation. The M48 is much smaller than the M60A1 I was assigned back at Ft Carson with the 4th Infantry, and the driver MUST place his feet on the hull if the boots are not on the controls. So, think of being in a solid steel refrigerator at 40 below zero for a week and ponder what a boot would have to do to keep the feet--in wool socks, warm. I remember my feet `warming` up in chow line in the field and the pain was absolutely excruciating as the blood started flowing through my feet again and I cried like a baby--outright sobbing, with the pain. And I was wearing those boots! We frequently had to take the boots off and put our feet inside the parka and jacket and shirt and t-shirt and under the armpits of fellow crew mates to warm them up. No joke. We were actually instructed to do this as needed. F*ck. At one point I'm driving my tank through a frozen marsh and we broke through the ice and got stuck! We had to get the steel tow cable off the tank and reach UNDER the water in 40 below zero weather and attach the tow cable to the tow-pintles so we could tow the tank out of the marsh! Fuuuuuuuuck. I would rather burn to death than die in the cold. Absolutely. Burn me baby, but don't fuckin freeze me! That being said, we never used the valves on these things. So, if there's some trick to inflating them with air so that they have more insulation, we did not do that.
@@arcanask Yeah, I get that! I wrote poorly. I went through hot weather training at Camp Roberts near San Diego in California as well, where temps reached 114 degrees while I was there. This time I was in the infantry-- Army Guard. I'm very susceptible to heat stroke but, thanks to training, know how to watch for the first signs of heat stroke and know how to mitigate these by stopping activity and drinking water until the sweat starts to flow again. So, if I had a choice between freezing to death or dying of heat stroke, I would absolutely go for the heat stroke. With cold in the field, there's no escape unless you've got a fire or someplace with a heater or you can crawl into your fart-sack (Mountain Bag liner inside of an arctic bag) in the tent and warm up! But then wait for the moment when the tent blows down under blizzard winds...and this is where it gets real interesting about human character. You get to see the real *men* get up out of their warm sleeping bags and work together in the freezing winds to put the tent back up, while the punk-ass bitches stay put in their bags. One thing the Army taught me that I've never forgotten, you absolutely cannot judge a man by how he looks! You cannot. You can have the strackest, spit-shined, mofo in garrison turn out to be an absolute pansy in the field after you get to that 3rd day without sleep. And then it's the scruffy, 'stupid', redneck oaf who offers to carry your pack for you to help you out, or who gets out of his warm fart sack instantly to tackle repairing the tent--without hesitation. The Army was definitely a great education! I'd recommend it strongly to all young men. Just get 3 years in. And you're set for life.
Back in the '90's I was issued these boots at several different duty stations. The only place I wore them was Korea. Previous duty stations I was pissed that we had to pack them in our duffle bags. I'm a size 13 and that takes up a lot of space. February '94 on the Z when Kim's grandfather died I was thankful to have them.
Yes sir. Pain in the ass to haul around until you need them. Then it's thank goodness for having them, when the time comes. Got me some duck feet also (5'8" and size 13 W). As I get older, my feet freeze up fast (even in summer if ground/water is cold). Once my feet get cold, I am done.
I had extended opportunity to test these (Bunny version) boots in early 2000s on two week long dog sledding trip in Denali National Park. Daytime in activity, dog sledding, nights in heated tents. I chose to equip myself with the "best for the buck" option, full military ECWS clothing including Bunny Boots. We had temperatures ranging from warmest of -20F to coldest of -40F over two weeks. I even broke couple of times through the ice on the creeks we traversed. I expected a lot and got way more. Despite the looks, very comfortable and usable w physical activity. My legs felt as in regular temperature conditions. Nobody else used them and many were complaining of cold feet despite using way more expensive modern boots "rated" for these temperatures. They hogged the stove in the tent every night... No problems experienced over this period, deserve the title
I was up on Denali (the mountain) twice, 1996 then 2004, and a lot of the NPS rangers on the mountain were wearing the white bunny boots. The ones I asked mentioned it took some modifications to their crampons to stay on them but they were warm and comfortable all the way up the mountain (-20F to -30F is not unusual at the high camps in the 'evening'). I don't get into that extreme mountain environment anymore, but if I did I'd really consider these as a climbing boot.
I purchased a pair of Mickeys and found them to be FAR BETTER than a pair of winter boots made in Canada (which surprised me, I didn't know their corporations had become interested only in profit growth like ours are now).
We wore these boots at Cold Regions Training Center in Alaska. The winter there is brutal and these boots still worked. Changing socks regularly is a must anyway because even in warm areas you can still develop trench foot or other bacterial infections.
My money is currently with the -20f Baffins. The -60s are too hot. I had an old pair of Sorrels that worked fine, but even some Columbia Titaniums kept me warmer (Ironic). Bunny's are too heavy, and rubbers in general are meh. 😅
The Army refers to this boot as the Vapor Barrier, or simply VB boot, and there are actually two active units that still use them. The 4th Brigade, 25th Infantry Division was reflagged as the 2nd Brigade, 11th Airborne Division, and is located in Anchorage, Alaska. There is also the 1st Brigade, 11th Airborne Division that is located in Fairbanks, Alaska.
What's interesting is the 11th was inactive from 1965 - 2022. Wonder why the Army wants fully trained arctic Airborne/Air Assault division so close to Russia...
I have a pair that I initially bought to wear while plowing snow with my tractor as sitting and not moving was freezing my feet. They are so waterproof and well insulated that you can stand in slush or ice water as long as you want and won't notice. I wouldn't want to go hiking in them, though.
Exactly. I didn't like then for hiking. I don't see how all these people who say they loved them and wore them in the military could think that if they really did any serious hiking. Maybe they never wore mukluks.
the boots rips at the bend at the toe but don't leak at that rip. by the bottom of the shoe lace flaps on the pinky toe side on both boots. thats what happened to mine.@@ianmysef8182
As a deer hunter, I can't tell you how many hunts got cut short due to numb toes and how many measures I attempted to remedy this (hand warmers, electric socks, etc). I bought a pair of Mickey boots in the 90's and hand to God I have not had even cold feet in the woods since. I own several pairs now anticipating an eventual shortage. They are heavy, but oh so worth it!
That photo of the Bata shoe factory was located in Belcamp Maryland. My mother and father both worked there for a short while straight out of high school. They closed down sometime in the late 80s and the building has long been demolished. Czech refugees started the plant around the late 1930's and it was the main employer for decades in this area of Harford County Maryland. There were Bata plants located around the world by the 1950s. They were a huge shoe company at one time.
Great explanation. I have had mine since 1976. The rubber is degrading, but still extremely warm. These have always been my non-walking boot because of the sweat factor. Good to see the 'bunny boot' is comparable. Was also told it was inferior and these seem more readily available
I'd always thought just using a thick layer of full wool as the inside liner and then a 100% wool sock would just be the simplest answer, instead of using fabric on the inside of the wool because the wool will stay warm while wet, but cotton will get really cold.
I still wear Micky boots every winter here in Dillingham Alaska. I could see them being a problem if you're hiking or super active. But for standing around in the snow or riding snowmobiles they can't be beat. Someone needs to start manufacturing them again.
Exactly. For extended hiking mukluks are much better. The comments from GIs who love them must be from people who didn't walk all day across the tundra wearing them.
@@rationalist47I mean their are a number of companies making extreme cold weather boots these days. Any mountaineering boot company makes good cold weather hiking boots. Companies like Sorel and Kamik make a bunch of winter pack boots.
@@rationalist47they weren't terrible for snowshoeing, cross country skiing, or walking; the biggest problem is selecting good socks to keep from chafing the shit out of your shins...
I wore the type 2 (Bunny) boots on three of the coldest Air Force bases in the world, Thule, Greenland, Anchorage, Alaska, and Ørland Main Air Station, Norway. They performed flawlessly, and were so well liked by the military personnel that they had to start searching the luggage of returning GI's who would smuggle 2 or 3 pairs when they were heading home.
Growing up trapping and hunting in Alaska my grandfather, whos one of the few remaining frontiersmen alive in America, always wore these. Outdoorsmen and workers in the far north on the oilfields in Prudhoe Bay still wear these boots on the regular as well. I plan on following my grandfathers footsteps and homesteading a plot of land in SW Alaska, just south of Nome and West of Anchorage, and will grab a few pairs myself. Thankfully they're decently priced at any surplus store or donation center around. Pretty common in Alaska.
@@redactedredacted1818 yep, I've worked on the North Slope putting in new pipeline, and the bunny boots I bought at a thrift shop in Fairbanks kept my feet warm and comfortable. I just lent them to my son, who's headed up there soon.
I was issued these boots while I was in the Army, but never was stationed anywhere cold enough to wear them. While in Germany, we had them but since I grew up in very cold areas, I never felt like I needed them, while others in my unit did wear them. Years later, I was about to retire (Infantry) and asked for a duty station in Fairbanks Alaska near where I called home. Oddly enough we were not issued these boots while assigned to Alaska. You would think of all places that would be the place to get them, but no, we never saw them. I didn't care though because like I said, I was comfortable enough in my regular issued Army boots and still didn't think I needed them even in the -40F that is common in the harsh winters. If you spend a lifetime in the snow, you learn real early how to dress and how to take care of your feet.
My Uncle was a Marine at Chosin. He got bad frostbite, but not severe enough to loose any toes or have long term effects from it. Thanks for this history, didn't have any idea about these boots.
Radiant reflective foil needs a one inch air gap to work. If you just glue it up or press it against anything else, it becomes a conductor and doesn't work. Reflectix, the biggest name in radiant barriers, emphasize this--but no one listens.
I used a page search to see if anyone else mentioned the foil aspect. Indeed, unless certain parameters are met, the foil can actually *conduct heat away* rather than return it. I'm amazed that you're the only one in the comments to mention it.
So…we had these while I was in the US Air Force. I was told that they were made for aircrews while flying as the older aircraft didn’t have heat. That’s why there’s a pressure release valve on the boot (air trapped inside will expand at altitude so you had to release it). While well insulated the boots didn’t “breath” to allow body moisture to escape which caused your feet to get wet and possibly cause frostbite. We finally switched over to mukluks which were warmer (at least to me). Mukluks we’re made from heavy canvas with a rubber sole on the outside with a heavy felt liner on the bottom with another heavy “boot” felt liner in which you place your foot. They were great in sub freezing temps but you had to be careful once the temps climbed high enough for it to rain(or heavy wet snow)as to boot wasn’t waterproof. But the felt liners were made from wool which retains its insulation properties when wet. And if you were wearing wool socks as well you were pretty set. Wool also dries faster and is naturally water resistant. Cheers
It would be cool to see a showdown between for example Canadian, Swedish, Finnish and Russian military winter boots. The design in Finland at least is quite different, simple, but very effective. After watching your videos I appreciate the advice to change socks often, seemed a little ridiculous at the time, but now I know better 😅
Apparently, the Canadian Forces issued the exact same boot until at least the 80's, as there is a Bata factory in Ontario. Now they issue the "Extreme Cold Weather Boots" aka the "Winter Mukluk".
I know the current swedish ones need to be able to be used on skis, so theres a design consideration for that. But dont know if that changes with the new uniforms getting adopted soon.
They are very similar between the countries, Sweden even outsourced production for their M90 combat boots to the Finnish company Sievi. Leather boots in general seem to be the standard for the Scandinavian peninsula, and it makes sense, you're going to suffer a lot more wet and muddy terrain than extreme cold up here, even if I usually jokingly refer to it as the Frozen North. And yes, the Swedish model comes with a groove on the heel for mating with skis, saves both time and money. Double socks are required.
I wore the bunny boots in Korea back in 1981. The best set up was to use two pair of wool socks and a good dose of Johnson's baby powder in the inner sock to absorb the sweat. Never failed.
I wore the white versions in the field in the winter time when I was stationed at Fort Drum, NY with the 10th Mountain Division. We called them Mickey Mouse boots. They were very comfortable, had great traction in the snow, and they were super warm. I wore them at temps all the way down to minus 30 deg F. The only issue with them was with very warm feet, there's a tendency for your feet to sweat. We took frequent breaks to change socks to prevent wet feet.
Good old fort drum my father used to drill there when I was just a little kid then when I went into the military we used to do a live fires up there the Marines did when you weren’t allowed to do it on the Cape anymore.I remember him telling me look at the trees they’re all bent one way because of the Highwind and it gets cold up there. He was spot on and everything he said it could get damn cold there, you’re right warmest boot ever long as you drain them and change your socks you’re good
I wore them as a grunt in the early 80's. Warm as hell but clumsy to walk it for awhile, and not possible to run any distance in. It didn't take much movement to warm your feet up again. I always wondered why they worked so well. Thanks.
The drawback to the mukluk is that should the fabric get saturated with oils.... no longer suitable. The fabric allowed moisture to wick away,. More than water, the military understood that oils and solvents would be around many of the areas using the boot.... vapor lock was deemed better.
I wore US Air Force mukluks living in interior Alaska and working on geophysical exploration crews in the Arctic. They were the best. I just googled Canadian military mukluks. They look quite similar except they are white and ours are green.
@@robertbridges517 What a useless comment. Different gear is used for for different situations. Someone as intelligent as you think you are would know that. You say: "vapor lock was deemed better." Is that so? By whom was it "deemed?" The passive voice of authority is a common orthographic affectation of average intellects who want to sound smarter than they are. There were, and still are, a whole lot of people including "deemers" in military leadership roles who thought that the mukluks were excellent footwear and a better choice than the rubber boots for situations where they were unlikely to get wet from environmental conditions or to get soaked in other liquids.
These boots were issued when stationed in Alaska. With the end to black combat boots, the new white boots fit with the other winter uniform issue. The printing on the inside had DLA which supplies all uniforms In Philly. I retired from the Army at the DLA HQ at Ft Belvoir VA.
My Dad is former Canadian infantry, he is in his 80's and still wears his big bunny boots around the farm in winter. Must be something good about them. There was a Bata plant in southern Ontario, Canada, as well, btw. Thanks for a look at what's inside those things!
@@helbent4 The Canadian issue Arctic boots are not even close to the same. Our Mukluks (as we call them), are way better. They are taller and more flexible, with a thick sole patterned to be used with snowshoes or cross country ski's. Inside there is a replaceable mesh insole and a replaceable wool felt insole, adding to the insulation. Then there is a thick double layered wool boot and then you wear your heavy wool socks. I spent a lot of time during my service wearing them and loved them so much a bought a surplus pair that I still wear today. The biggest complaint the American guys had was that their "Micky Mouse" boots weren't really breathable and made their feet sweat.
@@RCD566 I believe you. It took some digging but I was able to find out about the Extreme Cold Weather Boots (aka Arctic Mukluks) and they do seem better. Nonetheless, I think the CF did issue the American "Mickey Mouse" style boots before the Mukluks.
@@helbent4 Correct but I think by the late 70's we had switched to Mukluks. I joined in 1980 and was issued the Mukluks. I loved them so much I got a surplus pair and still use them.
I grew up in Canada and surveyed in Alaska for 15 years. I’ve owned several pairs of “the best” winter boots - the bunny boot is superior by a landslide. I’ve been out working in these at -74F and didn’t have an issue. Change your socks at lunch and you’re good to go. Despite living in Florida now, I still have my bunny boots, just in case.
I’ve used both boots on a dog sled in Alaska I can tell you for a fact that the white boots will keep your feet warmer than the black boots The white is good down to -40 The black down to -20 In real world use on a dog sled for 2 hours plus at a time
I bought these 15 years ago on surplus and they are crazy warm. Wore them in the arctic up as far as banks island in northern Canada with no issues. Only thing is don't let them get cold as they are hard to warm up. Absolutely bullet proof.
having grown up in Alaska and serving in the Army in Alaska. I am very experienced with Bata brand VB boots. They are both called Bunny Boots. the difference being Black are rated to -20F and the White are rated to -60F. The wool felt is thicker in the white ones. I have been in a river at -20F and simply dumped the water out of my boots and wrung out my socks and was warm the rest of the day.
Right on, the white ones are indeed warmer! Also grew up here, since 1961, still here. In the 60s, dad also bought a few cases of those white canvas mukluks from DRMO on base sales. Those were warm as well, 👍👍👍
My father fought on the Chosin reservoir and got severe frostbite from wearing these boots. He got an evac tag for his injuries. But while at the aid station he saw Marines with more serious injuries and dead Marines frozen stiff in their death poses. He watched the dead having their limbs being broken so that they could be stacked like firewood. Once he witnessed that he tore up his evac tag and joined his fire team to hold a frozen hilltop for two weeks. Amazingly, when he made it back to Japan the doctors examined his feet only to find they had healed enough to no longer require amputation. The only thing they could surmise was that he had walked the 26 miles to the coastal embarkation point while providing rear guard cover fire using a BAR. The boots and the walking somehow prevented frostbite from taking his feet.
I caught White’s selling a lie. The distressed roughout Otto derby isn’t roughout, it is suede. The inside is just as rough as the outside. Thankfully I can tell the difference because of this channel.
If you are just reaching in the vamp it may just be a suede lining or it might be slightly sanded on the grain side. But i have not had whites so i dont know.
I was issued a pair of these when I attended SERE in December out of NAS Brunswick back in '08. Was *very* happy to have them. We had a mix of the white and black boots and we called all of them 'bunny boots'. Was VERY glad to have them once we got out in the field. We were operating extremely close to the Canadian border and it was a very harsh winter. Moving around in waist high snow at one point and just utterly, miserably cold. We had someone in another stick get medevac'd for frost bite ($10 says they didn't change their socks enough) and more then a few folks, including me! Nearly went hypothermic. Can't even imagine how bad that'd have sucked with lesser boots.
Bata were a very well known brand here in Australia. They made the school shoes that virtually everyone wore back in the 70's and 80's when I was a kid. I still have an excellent and long-lasting pair of Bata gumboots (wellingtons) today.
I wore them at Fort Richardson back in the late 90's/early 2000's. They still surprise me today with how effective they were and how functional they were. We even once did a 25 mile road march in them.
In finnish army we just use oversized rubber boots with several repaceable inner layers of socking material which are as easy to change as a pair of socks.
My dad bought some of these for me when I was a kid to wear for ice fishing. They weighed a ton, but helped develop strong calves and thighs. And they were warm. He also bought a bomber flight suit for me. It was made of sheep skin and spent over a decade absorbing moth balls. It was a good thing I was out in the open, because even there I thought I would suffocate. Thanks dad. Years later I worked in Idaho, where it literally could get to 60 below, I found that Sorels worked just fine.
A small historical issue is that the Mickey Mouse boots were not issued during the Chosin reservoir in 1950. Both the Army and Marines were still using the wwii era Shoepacs which had problems on their own mainly they didn’t offer much warmth from the standard boots being worn and the soles wearing down due to them not being meant for marching (which happened a lot in the withdrawal south during that winter) , they didn’t get issued to forces in Korea until the winter of 1951-1952 where they can be seen being worn in the static linier warfare that would develop in the mid and late stages of the war.
I can definitely vouch for the success of the Bunny Boot! I spent winters in hellish cold in the USAF and these always kept my feet well warmed! My one and only complaint is Oh my these take some getting used to wearing!! They are seriously awkward at first! But once you get the hang of it these really are the best cold weather boot on the planet!!
I was a Winter Operations Instructor for the Mn National Guard in the 80's. We used the white VB boots. When we went through the instructor's school, we were told that the boots had layers of dead air space between the layers of wool, rubber and lining. We skied, hiked, snowshoed in those boots. My feet never got cold one least little bit. You did have to change your socks during the day, and yes, the sweat would accumulate in them. I have bivouacked at -40F, left the boots out and your feet were only cold for a couple of minutes in the morning. But as has been mentioned they weighed a ton. You defiantly got a workout in them.
You should check out the old Swedish winter boot... It is crap for anything above freezing, as it is permeable, but for extreme cold its perfect.. for like -30-40c, its awesome.. It is felt based, so it can let out the moisture from the inside....
My stepfather wore these in the Army in Korea…..in weather he described as “horrible”. He talked about how the soldiers would actually curl up as tightly as they could and push their hands down inside the boots in an attempt to keep their fingers from freezing.
Good video, bro. I wore these boot as a young man to work outside during the winter and my feet never got cold. I now own a pair as, well, an older guy and they're still freaking warm. The greatest boots for warmth for sure.
In the Finnish Defence forces we use the Nokia Kaira winter rubber boot. It has a removable wool inner liner, so you can easily dry it in the tent at night. Also has attachments for skis.
Exactly the same as our Canadian "Mukluks." our inner boots were double layered wool and we did the same at night, hung them up inside the tents to dry/air out.
@@supervivet911 The outer sole, heel and toe are rubber and the uppers are a nylon fabric. Very breathable and great for deep snow as they come up almost to your knees.
I wore these once while in Germany. Only once because my feet got so cold. The BEST boot I had while in the military was the Matterhorn boot. They were heavy, but VERY warm!
Another feature of the design that I was thankful for was that not only would they keep your feet warm when wet. If you left your wet boots outside your tent that night, in the morning you can flip them upside down and smash them together a few times. Ice falls out and reasonably dry boot.
I wore these Vapor Barrier boots when I was in the Army in Alaska and they are awesome. Once you figure out how to keep the top from rubbing off all your skin they will keep your feet toasty warm at 50 BELOW zero Fahrenheit, I know because they kept my toes warm. And just for your information. These boots are standard issue to EVERY soldier in the Alaska Army National Guard. That is how you know they work.
I was issued a pair of "mucklucks (SP?)" from the Air Force. It was basically a zip-up-to-the-knee, canvas boot with rubber soles. It also came with a removeable wool sock liner. Surprisingly, that had held out well in some extreme temperatures. The sweating issue still occurred from prolonged activity, however.
I wore the white ones years ago when I lived in Alaska. At my cabin we had a cold snap one year where it didn't get above -40 F for six weeks and got down as cold as -58 F. Even at those temps, you don't really have to worry about your feet freezing with bunny boots and good socks on. Since I moved back to the lower 48, where it doesn't get as cold obviously, I've been wearing the black ones. They are a little less bulky and don't overheat as easily when it's normal cold outside. They're great winter boots and I can't personally see any reason to wear anything else.
I was issued theses boots in 1981. I'm still using the same boots today. They are currently in my garage stored in a plastic container. I'll get them out once the snow flies. Best winter boots as I've never had cold feet while wearing with one pair of socks. Unbelievable how many years they have lasted.
I had my first pair in '91 on the Greenland ice sheet doing research. They were amazing, if heavy. I bought my own pair around 2003, and they're still my go-to boot severe cold.
My grandpa ALWAYS had a pair of these on hand. He was retired USAF and he told me that during Korea they saved him many many times. When he was on the flight line in -40F weather in Montana, they would fill the boots with nitrogen gas from the airplane tires and that gave them just a little more insulation because when you're standing at attention for hours without moving, you had to have a little more insulation from not moving.
@@AaronsSpeedShopEvery part of the country struggles with the rest of the country’s town and city names. I’m in WA and we have Puyallup and Sequim (among many others). The “Puy” sounds like “Pew” and rest rhymes with gallup. The second is pronounced “skwim”. Alaska has Nenana and Tanana. One sounds like “banana” and the other starts with a T and the rest is “an an aw”. Everywhere has their place names that only the locals can pronounce.
@@ivanheffner2587 Yeah. I grew up that city in Michigan where they make the cars, Detroit. Lots of people pronounce it Detroyt. But it is a French name and the correct pronunciation is "Dee-toilet."
I grew up with those boots. When my grandparents retired in the 80's, they just went out and bought all kinds of surplus goods. They bought a whole bunch of those boots and hundreds of soccer shoes. They ended up selling them in our family gift shop. When I was a kid, we'd blow them up before we stuck them on so they would fit. By jr. high, I didn't have to blow them up anymore. My grandparents kept two pairs of those boots by the sliding glass door to the back yard for thirty years. Love those boots.
When I was a guide another guide had the bunny boots and got them filled with water. He rode his horse about 10 miles in 10below weather and when he dumped them out at the ranch steam came out, he said his feet were soaked and warm . If you ever rode horses in cold weather you know you’re feet get cold, because of the pressure on your legs against the saddle.
Served with the RAF in the German Schnee Eifel 1966-69 where it got down to -14c during the day. just for moving about outside, we were issued woolen "sea boot socks", (long thick & white , (knee-length), and regular boots ( no studs) two sizes up.They served pretty well when you remembered to change any sweaty socks, so you don't have to spend a fortune on kit.
I had these issued to me in the Air Force. In Montana and Korea, if you’re on a static post they’re fine. If you had to move at all, they weren’t. We also got Matterhorns, Sorels, and Danners in various assignments. Matterhorns and Sorels were better if you had to move in the cold, and Danners were the best all-purpose in my opinion.
They work so well in 1983 I went to cold weather train at Camp Ripply Minnesota.The nights got down to -50 . My feet never got cold. If you look at the nob on the back of the boot it is for preventing your cross-county skies and snow shoe bindings from slipping off.
I was issued those in the 90's in Europe. They were too hot to wear in the German and Bosnian winter. The go to was the Matterhorn boots for me. I still have my Matterhorns. When it was real bad we would just wear our wet weather /nbc boots over them.
I have a pair of these, best winter boots ever made to this day. They stay warm, dry. Never had an issue with them in below zero weather all day out in the mountains. if its not broke do not fix it!
Currently active duty 11C in fort wainwright, Just to clarify 4-25 fort Richardson and 1-25 fort wainwright use these boots. Recently though both 1-25 and 4-25 were deactivated and now we are 1-11 and 2-11 arctic airborne. Can confirm your feet will sweat even at -30, and these are awful to actually walk on for long periods. but they are def warm and a staple of alaska military and civilian alike.
Thank you for telling the truth about walking in them. The comments about how great thev are in the field could not have come from anyone who actually walked any distance in them. I did. It made me love the Air Force mukluks. I wore those canvas mukluks in extreme cold when I worked on an advance geophysical exploration survey party and walked all day on the frozen tundra north of the Brooks Range and even on Arctic Ocean ice. BTW, I have fond memories of scavenging at the Fort Wainwright dump in the early 1970s. One of my hippie buddies built a small insulated hut from stuff the army discarded. Also, despite the BS that has been invented, we backwoods beatniks got along great with the GIs our age.
I have these boots and I just realized this is the 20th winter I have been wearing the same pair in Eastern Canada. When I bought them 20 years ago (2004) they were unused, but the stamp in the inside says 1986. Best boots ever, you can wash them out with soap and water. Your socks are the insoles, so you just get a size-up.
I wore these boot in the US Coast Guard in 1987-89, Iceberg patrol, Northwest Atlantic fisheries in winter. They are the warmest boots I ever wore. They are also highly sought after for ice fishing. They are probably still in use on the Icebreakers.
I own a pair of these. It hasn't been cold enough for me to feel that I need to wear them for years but they're still in my closet. A long time ago I had an outdoor job in a cold climate and left them next to the heater to dry them out every night. They were wonderful for that.
I served in the US Army from 1990 - 1996. The Mickey Mouse boots were issued to us my entire time. I only wore mine one time. They were clunky on the feet and looked funny. But they did keep my feet quite toasty.
In the 70s I wore the bunny boots; they are good if you are standing guard duty or stationery. If you are moving around your feet sweat, and when you pull your feet out, they smell like they died.
Bata started a company town they called Batawa in Ontario in 1939, after moving from Czechoslovakia. We got some fabric they used for boot liners to use as emergency blankets in the early 90s, from their surplus store. Good stuff. We had a pile of it but ended up giving it away over time because people always needed something warm to keep in their car for the winters.
There was also a Bata factory in Hartford Co. MD. Not sure if they produced them there but the building still stands. Not too far from. Abberdeen proving grounds.
The Bata family was used to build towns, They literally rebuild their hometown of Zlin and crested whole British neighborhood which was inspired by British red brick houses. Interested if they tried to recreate this in Ontario.
Mine are a 1962 version. I love them. I do understand why they are "too warm" and you can get frostbite from them--especially if you have to stand in one spot when it's really cold out. My laces are original and the sole is still perfect. The coldest I have been in with these boots was 55 below zero.
I loved my Mukluks. I did some Winter Ware fare training eons ago, we saw temps way down to around -45 C at night ( it was something like -60 C with the windchill ) The old school Wool Socks ( JB Fields made them maybe? ) and Mukluks and I never had cold feet.
I have both Canadian military, mukluk and beta bunny boots. The mukluks are not as warm as bunny boots nor do they give any protection whatever if you go in overflow. Liner and everything is going to be soaking wet and you’re screwed and hopefully you don’t mind walking on the stubs of feet The great virtue of bunny boots is that you pour the water out the boots wring out your socks, put them back on, and you’ll still keep your feet. Even if it’s 40 below.
@@325cooper Everything needs to be used in appropriate conditions. I wore mukluks in the Arctic in the winter when there was no chance of getting them wet. Anyone above moron level intelligence can figure that out.
I used Mickey Mouse boots for a week dogsledding in MN at -40F. Feet stayed super warm and I avoided wet socks by wearing a sock liner, plastic bag barrier, then wool sock. The sweat would get captured by the plastic bag and create an even warmer micro-environment in the boot, without getting my wool sock soaked. At night you had to make sure you dried out your feet and liner socks, but you didn’t run the risk of everything freezing!
Make sure to check for proper left and right sides when buying at surplus store. Years ago I bought without checking and went to work with two right sides. Only thing that helped was I usually get bigger size to accommodate for bama socks, just went out the bama socks for couple weeks. Earlier this year, Canadian military were in the area (in Alaska) training. They immediately noticed my white bunny boots. They've gotten more expensive in the surplus store, but still worth it.
I was issued the mickey mouse boots late 2022 for winter training in Michigan. I ended up starting to get trench foot because my feet sweated so much and didn't change my socks after wearing them all night (had to sleep in our trucks and not have them running all night). I think it reached single digits, so they weren't completely necessary, but my feet were plenty warm. They're going to be my new hunting boots as I forgot them this year.
If you see these at an army surplus store do yourself a favour and buy a pair! If you ice fish these are flipping amazing! The only hint I can give you change your socks often! Very very good product
Shoepacks, I think. My dad wore them in Korea. A good many GI's and Marines wore these and developed frostbite due to the sweat and lack of sock change inside the boot that allowed the frost bite to set in. An odd thing knowing the boots were so warm. I remember seeing these in my dad's closet many years after the war.
Very interesting that the boot was made by Bata. It is originally a Czech company, but if the time period of development is during the cold war, I doubt it was made in the Czech Republic, because we were a part of the eastern bloc and defintely would not have had ties to the west. Maybe it was an offshoot which developed independently... (sort of like Ford is a global company, but in the US, they focus more on trucks and in Europe they rather make more cars than trucks) Or maybe it is a completely independent brand, but given the same name and even the logo (we call it Baťa, pronounced "Batcha", but the logo is the same), I bet they must be tied together somehow...
Bata (or Batja in Russian) emigrated to Canada after their factories in Czechoslovakia were nationalized and established the headquarters in Toronto, where they remained until late 90-s
I've always questioned if I should have a pair of these. I saw them piled in surplus stores back in the 70s but always heard so many negative things about them. I'm betting like the M-16s initial problems that were largely fixed still somehow loom today, these boots also suffer from a legacy that they never deserved. Where I live I've been out taking care of horses in -50F and while I've got keeping warm down to a science, now I think I should buy a pair. Thanks for cutting one for us. 👍
They would work great for you. I had several pairs when I lived in AK and worked in the arctic. They were all surplus and they all worked good as new even if they showed wear. One pair had a patch like on a bike inner tube and still worked perfect. They suck for hiking. The vets who claim otherwise are wrong. But for wearing outside for chores or for sitting in a hunting blind they will be fine. It doesn't matter what generation they are. There is no difference that matters except that the white boots are rated for Iower temps.
You can find them for a song $65 bucks for a pair of boots that cant be beat for what they can do I used them in the militaru and have a foot full of titanium and they are the only boot that makes my -30f winter's work and I have spent thousands of dollars looking for something better they last forever and even if you wear them only 1x a year it is money well spent.
You can find them for a song $65 bucks for a pair of boots that cant be beat for what they can do I used them in the militaru and have a foot full of titanium and they are the only boot that makes my -30f winter's work and I have spent thousands of dollars looking for something better they last forever and even if you wear them only 1x a year it is money well spent.
Bought a pair 40 yrs ago at bunker one in Pa . Wore them every year for deer season until my son started hunting then he wore them untl my second son started hunting. Now they finaly bought their own boots and I'm wearing them again. Best boots ever for standing in a tree stand!
My dad was the manager of the Bata plant in Riverside MD in the 90’s. I remember seeing these boots on display in his office when I was a kid. I always thought they looked cool, but never knew what they did. Thanks for the history!
I wear bunnies every day in the winters at work as a surveyor in Alaska. Theyre the best! You can find them easily at any military surplus store in Fairbanks. Been waiting for you to tear these apart for a long time!
I took home a pair of batas from the U.S. NAVY in 1986. Wore them in the winter in michigan for over 20yrs. They were extremely durable and warm. They finally wore out, but that was the best footwear I've ever owned.
Owned and wore the same pair for 20 years doing everything from riding 4 wheelers in the winter in all temps to ice fishing and hunting. Outer rubber was cracked and worn thru in many places. Soles were worn smooth no thread left. Many times stepped in cold creeks sand got water over the top. Take them off pour the water out and ring the socks out warm get again. Biggest secret to never getting cold feet or sweat soaked socks is too not lace then up tight. Just lace up to the next to last hole and knot the laces together. If it's right you will be able to slide them on and off with ease. Moisture will be able to escape and your toes will stay dry and warm.
Twenty years on the North Slope of Alaska, we called the black ones "Micky Mouse" boots. They weren't the best but better than most other options.... the best is the white "Bunny" boots. Saved my butt and toes for sure. We worked often at -35 to -40F. Loved my Bunny boots.
They're not manufactured anymore. Baffin and Kamik make boots as good or better. The trouble with the Army and VB systems is they rarely allow time to change out wet socks before trouble starts. One trip to the Arctic we found even after wiping them out, a little moisture remained in the lining that froze and your foot would melt out in the morning. This caused problems after a week in the field without a way to thoroughly dry out the inside of the boot.
Hmm, think Bata started out in Batawa near Trenton Ontario in '39 by a Czechoslovakian couple, the Batas. The boots were a very clever idea by isolating the insulation so it couldn't get wet.
I work outdoors year round, in Montana. I can attest that a thick felt insole makes a huge difference, even if the rest of the boot isn't especially warm.
My biggest issue was that the military would not issue them upon mere request... I was stationed out in the woods for weeks at a time during winter operations and I struggled mightily to try to keep warm in the back of a canvas covered pickup truck running radio equipment... I quickly found civilian equipment tricks to avoid frostbite and trench-foot... It's also very hard to swap out socks when you can't get into a warmer location, so fresh socks would get stuffed near the chest to warm them up and the exchange was done as fast as possible. When I did get some through surplus, they were great as long as you didn't get too active, but if you hiked for any distance and then stopped without the swap-out, we would have many cases of trench foot and near frostbite.
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hopefully the neck strap doesnt pull on your little neck hairs maybe a saddle style would have been better for the neck portion its a cool design
Massachusetts resident here, one small correction for future reference, the town is pronounced nay-tic or n-eh-tic (eh like a Canadian would say). It's a small thing, but we don't get mentioned often, so it's nice when we are referred to correctly.
Unrelated but more frequently mentioned town, Worcester is pronounced "wooster"
Cutting boots like this is so wasteful
When 'warmest boot' and 'frostbite' are in the same sentence, you can pretty much bet the problem is sweat-soaked socks. Every soldier is trained from boot camp to rotate socks, but sometimes operations are so intense there is just no down time to change.
Really nice of them to send you to camp just to learn about your boots.
As long as you keep walking your feet will stay warm even if wet. I wore them on long walks (on an advance survey party) when it was -30F and there was no heated shelter or vehicle. I was not about to take them off.
There is an item of GI that can be the difference a live grunt and a dead grunt: socks, cushioned soled OD green, try and keep your feet dry while we're out humping I want you to remember to change your socks whenever we stop, Mekong will eat a grunt's feet right off his legs.... Lt D. Taylor.
@@rationalist47 True; but you're caught in the deadly cycle of cold; as long as you keep moving you can endure, but at some point, you HAVE to stop, from sheer exhaustion if nothing else...and the cold is waiting.
It doesn't even have to be freezing; people have succumbed to hypothermia in 50F temps.
@@antelopepoop Just part of the training; few people know anything about foot care in the field.
The Norwegian Military is considering retiring the iconic M77 boot after nearly 50 years of service. Used summer and winter, and it endures even the coldest climates thanks to the use of 'foot bags' on the outside when needed. I hope you can do an episode on them one day.
i bought a pair of those, there are excellent boots lasted 2 years even with riding motorcycles
Hey, I used to work in Norway as Avis delivery guy... and I found those boots in EuroPrice or something similar and bought them, they were awesome awesome boots, I still have them after nearly 9 years, not in pristine condition but doable...
@DePistolero they sell them on a Finnish site called verstilka, there cheap and damn good for what they are
@@roadrunner681I'm long way down from finland... but it is good to know :)
Thanks
I remember trading my “fotposer” or “footbags” if we translate it with a US soldier when I was in minnesota visiting the national guard, in exchange for them I got 2US uniforms, and a rank patch he had worn in afghanistan. Mind we were friends, but that still tells you something about how popular they were. There weren’t many of us that took the trip back home with having “lost” our footbags.
I was issued the Mickey Mouse boots in Korea 1986. I once wore them to the morning first formation, did not know we would have an in ranks inspection. The 1st Sgt looked at my boots and asked me if my feet were cold. I said not anymore 1st Sgt. He just smiled and said he didn't want to see them in formation again 😂
Should have told everyone else to wear them too 😄
Camp Ames, Korea 1986 here! We had these also as part of our standard issue. Were instructed by command to never wear them.
trained in Mickey Mouse boots during cold weather training in Pickle Meadows. we pulled sleds through the moutains, slept in tents and improvised shelters for 2 weeks. got back to base camp and hit the showers. did we stink. the boots we had were white
@@brian.willett Korea 2016, Brought these to a January Field exercise, wasn't that cold, like -5 to -10 wo windchill, but fuck did it feel like the icy cavern of the devil's asshole at the time without heavier cold weather gear. My fuckin feet were warm though, we couldn't believe we weren't given better gear. I attached myself to a launcher crew and just stayed with them the whole time (commo). The m270 is just a spicy heater afterall
That is the most Army thing ever.
I used to wear the white mickey boots in Alaska, on the tarmac for 12 hours at a time. I kept them unlaced so as not to perspire and cause them to freeze. If they remained dry, which wasn't difficult to do, they were amazingly warm, even at -64 degrees (farenheit) with no wind chill.
I spent a winter at the USAF Arctic Survival School and used these boots exclusively. I wore them in temps down to -67 and I loved them. You can leave them outside your sleeping bag and they don’t freeze. If your feet get cold when you stop, stomp the heel down and lift your toes and balls of your feet off the bottom and they’ll warm right back up. If you swamp them you just dump out the water and keep going. Great video, great boot.
this guy knows boots!
Awesome! That still sounds like hell.
I liked it a lot. The shelters we slept in were made of snow, but they were usually pretty warm. Like 20+ degrees.
In the Army I was issued the white version. We called them "mickey mouse boots."
The white boots are definitely a better option for sentry duty, or anything in an unheated vehicle. But they are thicker, heavier, and spongier under foot, so the black version has the edge when you’re Oscar Mike.
I had some bunny boots that I bought in the late sixties. I found them in a military surplus store. They looked like they were made from felt and they were extremely light and warm. I could hike all day and my feet were always warm. It was very difficult to wear them while driving because they were so wide. I had them for about 50 years and now I've lost them.
That's crazy to me. A pair of boots never lasted more than six months for me. I walk everywhere and work in wet/chemical environments so they often delaminated or I would wear through the sole. Are they slip resistant? Do they make them in a size 15?
I might have to invest in a pair.
I wore these boots in my unheated M48A5 tank with the US Army 4th infantry division during arctic/cold-weather training at Fort Drum New York in 1981 and they were not without issue. During about two weeks of field work as the driver in an M48A5 without any working heaters in -40 degrees below zero weather. Initially, I was thankful for these boots and felt great in them as we marched from the barracks to the tanks in the motor pool! But once we got into the field and started doing 24/7 ops in the field, they eventually got cold as I sat with my feet on the frozen hull all day. The heaters in my tank--drawn from local National Guard stock at Ft Drum, were deficient. In fact, in my company only a few of the tanks had working heaters and we had to rotate crews through these so that people could get warmed up. That being said, I don't know if ANY boot could keep my feet warm in such a situation. The M48 is much smaller than the M60A1 I was assigned back at Ft Carson with the 4th Infantry, and the driver MUST place his feet on the hull if the boots are not on the controls. So, think of being in a solid steel refrigerator at 40 below zero for a week and ponder what a boot would have to do to keep the feet--in wool socks, warm. I remember my feet `warming` up in chow line in the field and the pain was absolutely excruciating as the blood started flowing through my feet again and I cried like a baby--outright sobbing, with the pain. And I was wearing those boots! We frequently had to take the boots off and put our feet inside the parka and jacket and shirt and t-shirt and under the armpits of fellow crew mates to warm them up. No joke. We were actually instructed to do this as needed. F*ck. At one point I'm driving my tank through a frozen marsh and we broke through the ice and got stuck! We had to get the steel tow cable off the tank and reach UNDER the water in 40 below zero weather and attach the tow cable to the tow-pintles so we could tow the tank out of the marsh! Fuuuuuuuuck. I would rather burn to death than die in the cold. Absolutely. Burn me baby, but don't fuckin freeze me! That being said, we never used the valves on these things. So, if there's some trick to inflating them with air so that they have more insulation, we did not do that.
damn sir my respect to you and to the men you served with. Thank you for this story very enlightening. God bless you.
It’s not a job, it’s an adventure!
Not so fun fact: Freezing and being burned give off the same pain signal in your brain.
Man I feel you, me too was training at fort drummer. Temperature got -50 and we had to mount each others to warm up as instructed, no joke.
@@arcanask Yeah, I get that! I wrote poorly. I went through hot weather training at Camp Roberts near San Diego in California as well, where temps reached 114 degrees while I was there. This time I was in the infantry-- Army Guard. I'm very susceptible to heat stroke but, thanks to training, know how to watch for the first signs of heat stroke and know how to mitigate these by stopping activity and drinking water until the sweat starts to flow again. So, if I had a choice between freezing to death or dying of heat stroke, I would absolutely go for the heat stroke. With cold in the field, there's no escape unless you've got a fire or someplace with a heater or you can crawl into your fart-sack (Mountain Bag liner inside of an arctic bag) in the tent and warm up! But then wait for the moment when the tent blows down under blizzard winds...and this is where it gets real interesting about human character. You get to see the real *men* get up out of their warm sleeping bags and work together in the freezing winds to put the tent back up, while the punk-ass bitches stay put in their bags. One thing the Army taught me that I've never forgotten, you absolutely cannot judge a man by how he looks! You cannot. You can have the strackest, spit-shined, mofo in garrison turn out to be an absolute pansy in the field after you get to that 3rd day without sleep. And then it's the scruffy, 'stupid', redneck oaf who offers to carry your pack for you to help you out, or who gets out of his warm fart sack instantly to tackle repairing the tent--without hesitation. The Army was definitely a great education! I'd recommend it strongly to all young men. Just get 3 years in. And you're set for life.
Back in the '90's I was issued these boots at several different duty stations. The only place I wore them was Korea.
Previous duty stations I was pissed that we had to pack them in our duffle bags. I'm a size 13 and that takes up a lot of space.
February '94 on the Z when Kim's grandfather died I was thankful to have them.
Yes sir. Pain in the ass to haul around until you need them. Then it's thank goodness for having them, when the time comes.
Got me some duck feet also (5'8" and size 13 W). As I get older, my feet freeze up fast (even in summer if ground/water is cold). Once my feet get cold, I am done.
I had extended opportunity to test these (Bunny version) boots in early 2000s on two week long dog sledding trip in Denali National Park. Daytime in activity, dog sledding, nights in heated tents. I chose to equip myself with the "best for the buck" option, full military ECWS clothing including Bunny Boots. We had temperatures ranging from warmest of -20F to coldest of -40F over two weeks. I even broke couple of times through the ice on the creeks we traversed. I expected a lot and got way more. Despite the looks, very comfortable and usable w physical activity. My legs felt as in regular temperature conditions. Nobody else used them and many were complaining of cold feet despite using way more expensive modern boots "rated" for these temperatures. They hogged the stove in the tent every night... No problems experienced over this period, deserve the title
I was up on Denali (the mountain) twice, 1996 then 2004, and a lot of the NPS rangers on the mountain were wearing the white bunny boots. The ones I asked mentioned it took some modifications to their crampons to stay on them but they were warm and comfortable all the way up the mountain (-20F to -30F is not unusual at the high camps in the 'evening'). I don't get into that extreme mountain environment anymore, but if I did I'd really consider these as a climbing boot.
I lived in AK for 20 years and it was well known that bunny boots were the best for cold weather.
I purchased a pair of Mickeys and found them to be FAR BETTER than a pair of winter boots made in Canada (which surprised me, I didn't know their corporations had become interested only in profit growth like ours are now).
It’s worse up here for that because they import cheap and just mark up the price.
We wore these boots at Cold Regions Training Center in Alaska. The winter there is brutal and these boots still worked. Changing socks regularly is a must anyway because even in warm areas you can still develop trench foot or other bacterial infections.
I noticed that unlike my winter boots, these ones dont have any insulation for your ankles. So did you notice any problem with that?
@@PilotAwewhere do you need insulation?
Toes!
And underfoot.
@@TheJustinJ Everywhere. Especially in your ankles as there is zero bodyfat an muscle to insulate your bones.
My money is currently with the -20f Baffins. The -60s are too hot.
I had an old pair of Sorrels that worked fine, but even some Columbia Titaniums kept me warmer (Ironic). Bunny's are too heavy, and rubbers in general are meh. 😅
I have Jalas 1378 Heavy Duty and they have worked well up to -20°C or 0 F, after that they start to get a bit tight for some reason
The Army refers to this boot as the Vapor Barrier, or simply VB boot, and there are actually two active units that still use them. The 4th Brigade, 25th Infantry Division was reflagged as the 2nd Brigade, 11th Airborne Division, and is located in Anchorage, Alaska. There is also the 1st Brigade, 11th Airborne Division that is located in Fairbanks, Alaska.
Never heard them called anything but Micky Mouse boots.
And a whole bunch of us nasty girls ;)
Those are Mickey Mouse boots. The Bunny Boots are even crazier.
What's interesting is the 11th was inactive from 1965 - 2022. Wonder why the Army wants fully trained arctic Airborne/Air Assault division so close to Russia...
Alaskans love bunny boots and vb's. If your winter hunting and use anything else your stupid.
With my grandfather passing this week this video couldn’t have come out at a better time I remember him every winter wearing these boots
I have a pair that I initially bought to wear while plowing snow with my tractor as sitting and not moving was freezing my feet. They are so waterproof and well insulated that you can stand in slush or ice water as long as you want and won't notice. I wouldn't want to go hiking in them, though.
Exactly. I didn't like then for hiking. I don't see how all these people who say they loved them and wore them in the military could think that if they really did any serious hiking. Maybe they never wore mukluks.
Um, no. We would wear what we were issued. If we were to wear something else, our chain of command would make frostbite sound fun.
the boots rips at the bend at the toe but don't leak at that rip. by the bottom of the shoe lace flaps on the pinky toe side on both boots. thats what happened to mine.@@ianmysef8182
As a deer hunter, I can't tell you how many hunts got cut short due to numb toes and how many measures I attempted to remedy this (hand warmers, electric socks, etc). I bought a pair of Mickey boots in the 90's and hand to God I have not had even cold feet in the woods since. I own several pairs now anticipating an eventual shortage. They are heavy, but oh so worth it!
That photo of the Bata shoe factory was located in Belcamp Maryland. My mother and father both worked there for a short while straight out of high school. They closed down sometime in the late 80s and the building has long been demolished. Czech refugees started the plant around the late 1930's and it was the main employer for decades in this area of Harford County Maryland. There were Bata plants located around the world by the 1950s. They were a huge shoe company at one time.
Great explanation.
I have had mine since 1976. The rubber is degrading, but still extremely warm.
These have always been my non-walking boot because of the sweat factor.
Good to see the 'bunny boot' is comparable. Was also told it was inferior and these seem more readily available
I'd always thought just using a thick layer of full wool as the inside liner and then a 100% wool sock would just be the simplest answer, instead of using fabric on the inside of the wool because the wool will stay warm while wet, but cotton will get really cold.
Cotton SUCKS and it keeps your toes and feet ICY cold your better off going sockless
yep got frostnip on my toes from wearing cotton socks. wouldn't dream of wearing them in rain/snow ever again
Cotton KILLS in the cold.
I use them with either a double layer wool sock or a down boot liner when it hits 30 below and colder. My feet are always the warmest part of my body.
I wore bunny boots for years on the North Slope, the oilfields in Alaska. Was outside with wind chil as cold as -102° and the boots work great.
I still wear Micky boots every winter here in Dillingham Alaska. I could see them being a problem if you're hiking or super active. But for standing around in the snow or riding snowmobiles they can't be beat. Someone needs to start manufacturing them again.
Exactly. For extended hiking mukluks are much better. The comments from GIs who love them must be from people who didn't walk all day across the tundra wearing them.
@@rationalist47 Agreed, our Canadian issued Mukluks are way better, they have more layers, taller, more flexible and breathable.
@@rationalist47I mean their are a number of companies making extreme cold weather boots these days. Any mountaineering boot company makes good cold weather hiking boots.
Companies like Sorel and Kamik make a bunch of winter pack boots.
@@rationalist47they weren't terrible for snowshoeing, cross country skiing, or walking; the biggest problem is selecting good socks to keep from chafing the shit out of your shins...
@@macmurfy2jkai had some top dollar Sorel's I brought from WI to AK; they couldn't hold a candle to the VBs when it came to warmth.
I wore the type 2 (Bunny) boots on three of the coldest Air Force bases in the world, Thule, Greenland, Anchorage, Alaska, and Ørland Main Air Station, Norway. They performed flawlessly, and were so well liked by the military personnel that they had to start searching the luggage of returning GI's who would smuggle 2 or 3 pairs when they were heading home.
We got issued those but were not allowed to wear them. Command is always so smart.
Growing up trapping and hunting in Alaska my grandfather, whos one of the few remaining frontiersmen alive in America, always wore these. Outdoorsmen and workers in the far north on the oilfields in Prudhoe Bay still wear these boots on the regular as well. I plan on following my grandfathers footsteps and homesteading a plot of land in SW Alaska, just south of Nome and West of Anchorage, and will grab a few pairs myself. Thankfully they're decently priced at any surplus store or donation center around. Pretty common in Alaska.
@@redactedredacted1818 yep, I've worked on the North Slope putting in new pipeline, and the bunny boots I bought at a thrift shop in Fairbanks kept my feet warm and comfortable. I just lent them to my son, who's headed up there soon.
I was issued these boots while I was in the Army, but never was stationed anywhere cold enough to wear them. While in Germany, we had them but since I grew up in very cold areas, I never felt like I needed them, while others in my unit did wear them.
Years later, I was about to retire (Infantry) and asked for a duty station in Fairbanks Alaska near where I called home. Oddly enough we were not issued these boots while assigned to Alaska. You would think of all places that would be the place to get them, but no, we never saw them. I didn't care though because like I said, I was comfortable enough in my regular issued Army boots and still didn't think I needed them even in the -40F that is common in the harsh winters. If you spend a lifetime in the snow, you learn real early how to dress and how to take care of your feet.
My Uncle was a Marine at Chosin. He got bad frostbite, but not severe enough to loose any toes or have long term effects from it. Thanks for this history, didn't have any idea about these boots.
Lose...
If your uncle is still around he might enjoy seeing this.
@rd2680 He would, he was proud of his service. Unfortunately, he passed away about 5 years ago.
@@TCW838 I thought he might‘ve. Rest in peace.
Radiant reflective foil needs a one inch air gap to work. If you just glue it up or press it against anything else, it becomes a conductor and doesn't work. Reflectix, the biggest name in radiant barriers, emphasize this--but no one listens.
I used a page search to see if anyone else mentioned the foil aspect. Indeed, unless certain parameters are met, the foil can actually *conduct heat away* rather than return it. I'm amazed that you're the only one in the comments to mention it.
So…we had these while I was in the US Air Force. I was told that they were made for aircrews while flying as the older aircraft didn’t have heat. That’s why there’s a pressure release valve on the boot (air trapped inside will expand at altitude so you had to release it). While well insulated the boots didn’t “breath” to allow body moisture to escape which caused your feet to get wet and possibly cause frostbite. We finally switched over to mukluks which were warmer (at least to me). Mukluks we’re made from heavy canvas with a rubber sole on the outside with a heavy felt liner on the bottom with another heavy “boot” felt liner in which you place your foot. They were great in sub freezing temps but you had to be careful once the temps climbed high enough for it to rain(or heavy wet snow)as to boot wasn’t waterproof. But the felt liners were made from wool which retains its insulation properties when wet. And if you were wearing wool socks as well you were pretty set. Wool also dries faster and is naturally water resistant. Cheers
It would be cool to see a showdown between for example Canadian, Swedish, Finnish and Russian military winter boots. The design in Finland at least is quite different, simple, but very effective. After watching your videos I appreciate the advice to change socks often, seemed a little ridiculous at the time, but now I know better 😅
Apparently, the Canadian Forces issued the exact same boot until at least the 80's, as there is a Bata factory in Ontario. Now they issue the "Extreme Cold Weather Boots" aka the "Winter Mukluk".
I know the current swedish ones need to be able to be used on skis, so theres a design consideration for that. But dont know if that changes with the new uniforms getting adopted soon.
In Finland, rubber boots with thick insulating wool booties are used when its cold.
I would love to see such a break down!!
They are very similar between the countries, Sweden even outsourced production for their M90 combat boots to the Finnish company Sievi.
Leather boots in general seem to be the standard for the Scandinavian peninsula, and it makes sense, you're going to suffer a lot more wet and muddy terrain than extreme cold up here, even if I usually jokingly refer to it as the Frozen North. And yes, the Swedish model comes with a groove on the heel for mating with skis, saves both time and money.
Double socks are required.
I wore the bunny boots in Korea back in 1981. The best set up was to use two pair of wool socks and a good dose of Johnson's baby powder in the inner sock to absorb the sweat. Never failed.
I wore the white versions in the field in the winter time when I was stationed at Fort Drum, NY with the 10th Mountain Division. We called them Mickey Mouse boots. They were very comfortable, had great traction in the snow, and they were super warm. I wore them at temps all the way down to minus 30 deg F. The only issue with them was with very warm feet, there's a tendency for your feet to sweat. We took frequent breaks to change socks to prevent wet feet.
They were good in West Germany too!
Good old fort drum my father used to drill there when I was just a little kid then when I went into the military we used to do a live fires up there the Marines did when you weren’t allowed to do it on the Cape anymore.I remember him telling me look at the trees they’re all bent one way because of the Highwind and it gets cold up there. He was spot on and everything he said it could get damn cold there, you’re right warmest boot ever long as you drain them and change your socks you’re good
Drum is a frozen hellhole in the winter the wind cuts like a knife, much respect for your service the mountain division is pure badass
I had those issued to me when I was at Ft. Drum in ‘90 to ‘92.
@@scottpinardi4991 I had Muck Lucks too.
I wore them as a grunt in the early 80's. Warm as hell but clumsy to walk it for awhile, and not possible to run any distance in. It didn't take much movement to warm your feet up again. I always wondered why they worked so well. Thanks.
I always like the Canadian Military mukluks. It's basically just a rubber boot with canvas with a thick wool sock. very comfortable and very warm.
I've used the US Air force mukluks last 10 years or so with really good results.
The drawback to the mukluk is that should the fabric get saturated with oils.... no longer suitable. The fabric allowed moisture to wick away,. More than water, the military understood that oils and solvents would be around many of the areas using the boot.... vapor lock was deemed better.
I wore US Air Force mukluks living in interior Alaska and working on geophysical exploration crews in the Arctic. They were the best. I just googled Canadian military mukluks. They look quite similar except they are white and ours are green.
Before the Extreme Cold Weather Boot (aka "Arctic Mukluk") The CF issued the same boot made by Bata as there is a factory in Ontario.
@@robertbridges517 What a useless comment. Different gear is used for for different situations. Someone as intelligent as you think you are would know that. You say: "vapor lock was deemed better." Is that so? By whom was it "deemed?" The passive voice of authority is a common orthographic affectation of average intellects who want to sound smarter than they are. There were, and still are, a whole lot of people including "deemers" in military leadership roles who thought that the mukluks were excellent footwear and a better choice than the rubber boots for situations where they were unlikely to get wet from environmental conditions or to get soaked in other liquids.
These boots were issued when stationed in Alaska. With the end to black combat boots, the new white boots fit with the other winter uniform issue. The printing on the inside had DLA which supplies all uniforms In Philly. I retired from the Army at the DLA HQ at Ft Belvoir VA.
My Dad is former Canadian infantry, he is in his 80's and still wears his big bunny boots around the farm in winter. Must be something good about them. There was a Bata plant in southern Ontario, Canada, as well, btw. Thanks for a look at what's inside those things!
I was wondering if we had something similar for the CF. Thanks for confirming it is basically the same item.
that's the original factory, the town (batawa) is even named after it.
@@helbent4 The Canadian issue Arctic boots are not even close to the same. Our Mukluks (as we call them), are way better. They are taller and more flexible, with a thick sole patterned to be used with snowshoes or cross country ski's. Inside there is a replaceable mesh insole and a replaceable wool felt insole, adding to the insulation.
Then there is a thick double layered wool boot and then you wear your heavy wool socks. I spent a lot of time during my service wearing them and loved them so much a bought a surplus pair that I still wear today. The biggest complaint the American guys had was that their "Micky Mouse" boots weren't really breathable and made their feet sweat.
@@RCD566 I believe you. It took some digging but I was able to find out about the Extreme Cold Weather Boots (aka Arctic Mukluks) and they do seem better. Nonetheless, I think the CF did issue the American "Mickey Mouse" style boots before the Mukluks.
@@helbent4 Correct but I think by the late 70's we had switched to Mukluks. I joined in 1980 and was issued the Mukluks. I loved them so much I got a surplus pair and still use them.
I grew up in Canada and surveyed in Alaska for 15 years. I’ve owned several pairs of “the best” winter boots - the bunny boot is superior by a landslide. I’ve been out working in these at -74F and didn’t have an issue. Change your socks at lunch and you’re good to go. Despite living in Florida now, I still have my bunny boots, just in case.
Ya just never know. 😁👍
For when the AC gets cranked up too high and you need to warm up the feet.
I’ve used both boots on a dog sled in Alaska
I can tell you for a fact that the white boots will keep your feet warmer than the black boots
The white is good down to -40
The black down to -20
In real world use on a dog sled for 2 hours plus at a time
I bought these 15 years ago on surplus and they are crazy warm. Wore them in the arctic up as far as banks island in northern Canada with no issues. Only thing is don't let them get cold as they are hard to warm up. Absolutely bullet proof.
having grown up in Alaska and serving in the Army in Alaska. I am very experienced with Bata brand VB boots. They are both called Bunny Boots. the difference being Black are rated to -20F and the White are rated to -60F. The wool felt is thicker in the white ones. I have been in a river at -20F and simply dumped the water out of my boots and wrung out my socks and was warm the rest of the day.
Right on, the white ones are indeed warmer! Also grew up here, since 1961, still here. In the 60s, dad also bought a few cases of those white canvas mukluks from DRMO on base sales. Those were warm as well, 👍👍👍
Yep 2-1 scouts ft wainwright
@@jameskerrigan2997 1/17 Buffalos
@@jameskerrigan2997B co 2/1 INF Ft Wainwright 97-00
I live in the Yukon and my only issue with these was that they had poor grip on icey surfaces.
My father fought on the Chosin reservoir and got severe frostbite from wearing these boots. He got an evac tag for his injuries. But while at the aid station he saw Marines with more serious injuries and dead Marines frozen stiff in their death poses.
He watched the dead having their limbs being broken so that they could be stacked like firewood. Once he witnessed that he tore up his evac tag and joined his fire team to hold a frozen hilltop for two weeks.
Amazingly, when he made it back to Japan the doctors examined his feet only to find they had healed enough to no longer require amputation. The only thing they could surmise was that he had walked the 26 miles to the coastal embarkation point while providing rear guard cover fire using a BAR. The boots and the walking somehow prevented frostbite from taking his feet.
I caught White’s selling a lie. The distressed roughout Otto derby isn’t roughout, it is suede. The inside is just as rough as the outside. Thankfully I can tell the difference because of this channel.
If you are just reaching in the vamp it may just be a suede lining or it might be slightly sanded on the grain side. But i have not had whites so i dont know.
That's very surprising. I have the ramblers in distressed roughout, and they're definitely as advertised.
The inside is lined with seude just like my whites boots, you'd need to see between the two layers to determine if its roughtout.
Traditionally dress shoes like a derby would be lined , obviously you probably don't want to slice your whites in half vut I'd be curious to see that.
I was issued a pair of these when I attended SERE in December out of NAS Brunswick back in '08. Was *very* happy to have them. We had a mix of the white and black boots and we called all of them 'bunny boots'. Was VERY glad to have them once we got out in the field. We were operating extremely close to the Canadian border and it was a very harsh winter. Moving around in waist high snow at one point and just utterly, miserably cold. We had someone in another stick get medevac'd for frost bite ($10 says they didn't change their socks enough) and more then a few folks, including me! Nearly went hypothermic. Can't even imagine how bad that'd have sucked with lesser boots.
Bata were a very well known brand here in Australia. They made the school shoes that virtually everyone wore back in the 70's and 80's when I was a kid. I still have an excellent and long-lasting pair of Bata gumboots (wellingtons) today.
Bata or Baťa correctly is Czech brand from city Zlín
Speaking of Bata...
ruclips.net/video/1yfX84RMQ3M/видео.html
Mongrels are great boots too
I remember seeing Bata running shoes in maybe the 90s in canada.
Bata bullets, same in New Zealand
I was stationed in Germany in the early 70s, and we had them. I would love to find a pair. My buddy still has his.
their pure functionality; in a way it actually makes them stylish
I wore them at Fort Richardson back in the late 90's/early 2000's. They still surprise me today with how effective they were and how functional they were. We even once did a 25 mile road march in them.
In finnish army we just use oversized rubber boots with several repaceable inner layers of socking material which are as easy to change as a pair of socks.
Synthetic layers?
My dad bought some of these for me when I was a kid to wear for ice fishing. They weighed a ton, but helped develop strong calves and thighs. And they were warm. He also bought a bomber flight suit for me. It was made of sheep skin and spent over a decade absorbing moth balls. It was a good thing I was out in the open, because even there I thought I would suffocate. Thanks dad. Years later I worked in Idaho, where it literally could get to 60 below, I found that Sorels worked just fine.
A small historical issue is that the Mickey Mouse boots were not issued during the Chosin reservoir in 1950. Both the Army and Marines were still using the wwii era Shoepacs which had problems on their own mainly they didn’t offer much warmth from the standard boots being worn and the soles wearing down due to them not being meant for marching (which happened a lot in the withdrawal south during that winter) , they didn’t get issued to forces in Korea until the winter of 1951-1952 where they can be seen being worn in the static linier warfare that would develop in the mid and late stages of the war.
I can definitely vouch for the success of the Bunny Boot! I spent winters in hellish cold in the USAF and these always kept my feet well warmed! My one and only complaint is Oh my these take some getting used to wearing!! They are seriously awkward at first! But once you get the hang of it these really are the best cold weather boot on the planet!!
I was a Winter Operations Instructor for the Mn National Guard in the 80's. We used the white VB boots. When we went through the instructor's school, we were told that the boots had layers of dead air space between the layers of wool, rubber and lining. We skied, hiked, snowshoed in those boots. My feet never got cold one least little bit. You did have to change your socks during the day, and yes, the sweat would accumulate in them. I have bivouacked at -40F, left the boots out and your feet were only cold for a couple of minutes in the morning. But as has been mentioned they weighed a ton. You defiantly got a workout in them.
You should check out the old Swedish winter boot... It is crap for anything above freezing, as it is permeable, but for extreme cold its perfect.. for like -30-40c, its awesome.. It is felt based, so it can let out the moisture from the inside....
My stepfather wore these in the Army in Korea…..in weather he described as “horrible”. He talked about how the soldiers would actually curl up as tightly as they could and push their hands down inside the boots in an attempt to keep their fingers from freezing.
my brother was in the trenches mowing down the chinchin and he had to put his head up his arse to avoid freezing
@@DJ_POOP_IT_OUT_FEAT_LIL_WiiWii😂
Good video, bro. I wore these boot as a young man to work outside during the winter and my feet never got cold. I now own a pair as, well, an older guy and they're still freaking warm. The greatest boots for warmth for sure.
In the Finnish Defence forces we use the Nokia Kaira winter rubber boot. It has a removable wool inner liner, so you can easily dry it in the tent at night. Also has attachments for skis.
Exactly. Feet sweat. Removable wool inner liner + changing your socks frequently is the key. /Swedish army.
Exactly the same as our Canadian "Mukluks." our inner boots were double layered wool and we did the same at night, hung them up inside the tents to dry/air out.
@@RCD566 Just looked at a pair of Canadian Army mukluks online. Is the outer part made of canvas?
@@supervivet911 The outer sole, heel and toe are rubber and the uppers are a nylon fabric. Very breathable and great for deep snow as they come up almost to your knees.
@@RCD566 What about slush/wet snow? Are they waterproof as well - or only intended for dry cold?
I wore these once while in Germany. Only once because my feet got so cold. The BEST boot I had while in the military was the Matterhorn boot. They were heavy, but VERY warm!
I don't want to be anywhere that these boots would be wearable.
exactly right
Another feature of the design that I was thankful for was that not only would they keep your feet warm when wet. If you left your wet boots outside your tent that night, in the morning you can flip them upside down and smash them together a few times. Ice falls out and reasonably dry boot.
I wore these Vapor Barrier boots when I was in the Army in Alaska and they are awesome. Once you figure out how to keep the top from rubbing off all your skin they will keep your feet toasty warm at 50 BELOW zero Fahrenheit, I know because they kept my toes warm. And just for your information. These boots are standard issue to EVERY soldier in the Alaska Army National Guard. That is how you know they work.
I was issued a pair of "mucklucks (SP?)" from the Air Force. It was basically a zip-up-to-the-knee, canvas boot with rubber soles. It also came with a removeable wool sock liner. Surprisingly, that had held out well in some extreme temperatures. The sweating issue still occurred from prolonged activity, however.
I wore the white ones years ago when I lived in Alaska. At my cabin we had a cold snap one year where it didn't get above -40 F for six weeks and got down as cold as -58 F. Even at those temps, you don't really have to worry about your feet freezing with bunny boots and good socks on. Since I moved back to the lower 48, where it doesn't get as cold obviously, I've been wearing the black ones. They are a little less bulky and don't overheat as easily when it's normal cold outside. They're great winter boots and I can't personally see any reason to wear anything else.
I have Raynaud's and live in Canada. I'm going to buy some Bunny boots next!
I was issued theses boots in 1981. I'm still using the same boots today. They are currently in my garage stored in a plastic container. I'll get them out once the snow flies. Best winter boots as I've never had cold feet while wearing with one pair of socks. Unbelievable how many years they have lasted.
I had my first pair in '91 on the Greenland ice sheet doing research. They were amazing, if heavy. I bought my own pair around 2003, and they're still my go-to boot severe cold.
My grandpa ALWAYS had a pair of these on hand. He was retired USAF and he told me that during Korea they saved him many many times. When he was on the flight line in -40F weather in Montana, they would fill the boots with nitrogen gas from the airplane tires and that gave them just a little more insulation because when you're standing at attention for hours without moving, you had to have a little more insulation from not moving.
Great video as always. That town in Massachusetts, Natick is pronounced Nay-tik. Keep up the great work and cool designs.
I was just about to say this same thing. I love how the country struggles so much with New England town/city names.
@@AaronsSpeedShopEvery part of the country struggles with the rest of the country’s town and city names. I’m in WA and we have Puyallup and Sequim (among many others). The “Puy” sounds like “Pew” and rest rhymes with gallup. The second is pronounced “skwim”. Alaska has Nenana and Tanana. One sounds like “banana” and the other starts with a T and the rest is “an an aw”. Everywhere has their place names that only the locals can pronounce.
I caught that too. I never lived in MA but spent some time there.
@@ivanheffner2587 Yeah. I grew up that city in Michigan where they make the cars, Detroit. Lots of people pronounce it Detroyt. But it is a French name and the correct pronunciation is "Dee-toilet."
I grew up with those boots. When my grandparents retired in the 80's, they just went out and bought all kinds of surplus goods. They bought a whole bunch of those boots and hundreds of soccer shoes. They ended up selling them in our family gift shop. When I was a kid, we'd blow them up before we stuck them on so they would fit. By jr. high, I didn't have to blow them up anymore. My grandparents kept two pairs of those boots by the sliding glass door to the back yard for thirty years. Love those boots.
When I was a guide another guide had the bunny boots and got them filled with water. He rode his horse about 10 miles in 10below weather and when he dumped them out at the ranch steam came out, he said his feet were soaked and warm . If you ever rode horses in cold weather you know you’re feet get cold, because of the pressure on your legs against the saddle.
Served with the RAF in the German Schnee Eifel 1966-69 where it got down to -14c during the day. just for moving about outside, we were issued woolen "sea boot socks", (long thick & white , (knee-length), and regular boots ( no studs) two sizes up.They served pretty well when you remembered to change any sweaty socks, so you don't have to spend a fortune on kit.
I had these issued to me in the Air Force. In Montana and Korea, if you’re on a static post they’re fine. If you had to move at all, they weren’t. We also got Matterhorns, Sorels, and Danners in various assignments. Matterhorns and Sorels were better if you had to move in the cold, and Danners were the best all-purpose in my opinion.
Same in all the boot issue types…retired AF cop and first assignment was Minot . Wish I kept some stuff
They work so well in 1983 I went to cold weather train at Camp Ripply Minnesota.The nights got down to -50 . My feet never got cold. If you look at the nob on the back of the boot it is for preventing your cross-county skies and snow shoe bindings from slipping off.
I was issued those in the 90's in Europe. They were too hot to wear in the German and Bosnian winter. The go to was the Matterhorn boots for me. I still have my Matterhorns. When it was real bad we would just wear our wet weather /nbc boots over them.
I have a pair of these, best winter boots ever made to this day. They stay warm, dry. Never had an issue with them in below zero weather all day out in the mountains. if its not broke do not fix it!
Currently active duty 11C in fort wainwright, Just to clarify 4-25 fort Richardson and 1-25 fort wainwright use these boots.
Recently though both 1-25 and 4-25 were deactivated and now we are 1-11 and 2-11 arctic airborne.
Can confirm your feet will sweat even at -30, and these are awful to actually walk on for long periods.
but they are def warm and a staple of alaska military and civilian alike.
Thank you for telling the truth about walking in them. The comments about how great thev are in the field could not have come from anyone who actually walked any distance in them. I did. It made me love the Air Force mukluks. I wore those canvas mukluks in extreme cold when I worked on an advance geophysical exploration survey party and walked all day on the frozen tundra north of the Brooks Range and even on Arctic Ocean ice. BTW, I have fond memories of scavenging at the Fort Wainwright dump in the early 1970s. One of my hippie buddies built a small insulated hut from stuff the army discarded. Also, despite the BS that has been invented, we backwoods beatniks got along great with the GIs our age.
I have these boots and I just realized this is the 20th winter I have been wearing the same pair in Eastern Canada. When I bought them 20 years ago (2004) they were unused, but the stamp in the inside says 1986.
Best boots ever, you can wash them out with soap and water. Your socks are the insoles, so you just get a size-up.
I wore these boot in the US Coast Guard in 1987-89, Iceberg patrol, Northwest Atlantic fisheries in winter. They are the warmest boots I ever wore. They are also highly sought after for ice fishing. They are probably still in use on the Icebreakers.
Westwind-1980. We used ‘em. Still got a pair for ice fishing and snow removal.
@@sealawj Tamaroa 1987 I wore them during winter doing fisheries patrols.
I own a pair of these. It hasn't been cold enough for me to feel that I need to wear them for years but they're still in my closet. A long time ago I had an outdoor job in a cold climate and left them next to the heater to dry them out every night. They were wonderful for that.
I served in the US Army from 1990 - 1996. The Mickey Mouse boots were issued to us my entire time. I only wore mine one time. They were clunky on the feet and looked funny. But they did keep my feet quite toasty.
In the 70s I wore the bunny boots; they are good if you are standing guard duty or stationery. If you are moving around your feet sweat, and when you pull your feet out, they smell like they died.
Bata started a company town they called Batawa in Ontario in 1939, after moving from Czechoslovakia. We got some fabric they used for boot liners to use as emergency blankets in the early 90s, from their surplus store. Good stuff. We had a pile of it but ended up giving it away over time because people always needed something warm to keep in their car for the winters.
There was also a Bata factory in Hartford Co. MD. Not sure if they produced them there but the building still stands. Not too far from. Abberdeen proving grounds.
The Bata family was used to build towns, They literally rebuild their hometown of Zlin and crested whole British neighborhood which was inspired by British red brick houses.
Interested if they tried to recreate this in Ontario.
They also established batapur in Pakistan, just outside of Lahore. My uncle worked for the company and he lived there with his family for a while.
Mine are a 1962 version. I love them. I do understand why they are "too warm" and you can get frostbite from them--especially if you have to stand in one spot when it's really cold out. My laces are original and the sole is still perfect. The coldest I have been in with these boots was 55 below zero.
I'd love to see you do a pair of the Canadian military Mukluk boots - less waterproof but warmer and more comfortable.
I loved my Mukluks. I did some Winter Ware fare training eons ago, we saw temps way down to around -45 C at night ( it was something like -60 C with the windchill ) The old school Wool Socks ( JB Fields made them maybe? ) and Mukluks and I never had cold feet.
I have both Canadian military, mukluk and beta bunny boots. The mukluks are not as warm as bunny boots nor do they give any protection whatever if you go in overflow. Liner and everything is going to be soaking wet and you’re screwed and hopefully you don’t mind walking on the stubs of feet The great virtue of bunny boots is that you pour the water out the boots wring out your socks, put them back on, and you’ll still keep your feet. Even if it’s 40 below.
@@325cooper Everything needs to be used in appropriate conditions. I wore mukluks in the Arctic in the winter when there was no chance of getting them wet. Anyone above moron level intelligence can figure that out.
@@325cooper Not too much water hanging around at -40. The American boot is waterproof because those are the environments it was meant to work well in.
I used Mickey Mouse boots for a week dogsledding in MN at -40F. Feet stayed super warm and I avoided wet socks by wearing a sock liner, plastic bag barrier, then wool sock. The sweat would get captured by the plastic bag and create an even warmer micro-environment in the boot, without getting my wool sock soaked. At night you had to make sure you dried out your feet and liner socks, but you didn’t run the risk of everything freezing!
Make sure to check for proper left and right sides when buying at surplus store. Years ago I bought without checking and went to work with two right sides. Only thing that helped was I usually get bigger size to accommodate for bama socks, just went out the bama socks for couple weeks. Earlier this year, Canadian military were in the area (in Alaska) training. They immediately noticed my white bunny boots. They've gotten more expensive in the surplus store, but still worth it.
Easy to know, you want the valves on the outside side of each boot.
Warmest boot I ever wore. Most comfortable as well. I never understood how anyone got frostbite from wearing them. I oft miss having a pair.
I was issued the mickey mouse boots late 2022 for winter training in Michigan. I ended up starting to get trench foot because my feet sweated so much and didn't change my socks after wearing them all night (had to sleep in our trucks and not have them running all night). I think it reached single digits, so they weren't completely necessary, but my feet were plenty warm. They're going to be my new hunting boots as I forgot them this year.
If you see these at an army surplus store do yourself a favour and buy a pair! If you ice fish these are flipping amazing! The only hint I can give you change your socks often! Very very good product
Shoepacks, I think. My dad wore them in Korea. A good many GI's and Marines wore these and developed frostbite due to the sweat and lack of sock change inside the boot that allowed the frost bite to set in. An odd thing knowing the boots were so warm. I remember seeing these in my dad's closet many years after the war.
These are what my buddies and myself wore in the 70’s for ice fishing in Great Lakes ! The ones I had where white. They were the best!
Very interesting that the boot was made by Bata. It is originally a Czech company, but if the time period of development is during the cold war, I doubt it was made in the Czech Republic, because we were a part of the eastern bloc and defintely would not have had ties to the west. Maybe it was an offshoot which developed independently... (sort of like Ford is a global company, but in the US, they focus more on trucks and in Europe they rather make more cars than trucks)
Or maybe it is a completely independent brand, but given the same name and even the logo (we call it Baťa, pronounced "Batcha", but the logo is the same), I bet they must be tied together somehow...
Bata (or Batja in Russian) emigrated to Canada after their factories in Czechoslovakia were nationalized and established the headquarters in Toronto, where they remained until late 90-s
I have a pair of these handed down from my dad, more than 40 yrs old and they still get used on heavy snow days.
I've always questioned if I should have a pair of these. I saw them piled in surplus stores back in the 70s but always heard so many negative things about them. I'm betting like the M-16s initial problems that were largely fixed still somehow loom today, these boots also suffer from a legacy that they never deserved. Where I live I've been out taking care of horses in -50F and while I've got keeping warm down to a science, now I think I should buy a pair. Thanks for cutting one for us.
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@@Steve-ou4vm I was thinking the piles of them I saw might have been 1st gen with bonus free problems included. 👍
They would work great for you. I had several pairs when I lived in AK and worked in the arctic. They were all surplus and they all worked good as new even if they showed wear. One pair had a patch like on a bike inner tube and still worked perfect. They suck for hiking. The vets who claim otherwise are wrong. But for wearing outside for chores or for sitting in a hunting blind they will be fine. It doesn't matter what generation they are. There is no difference that matters except that the white boots are rated for Iower temps.
You can find them for a song $65 bucks for a pair of boots that cant be beat for what they can do I used them in the militaru and have a foot full of titanium and they are the only boot that makes my -30f winter's work and I have spent thousands of dollars looking for something better they last forever and even if you wear them only 1x a year it is money well spent.
You can find them for a song $65 bucks for a pair of boots that cant be beat for what they can do I used them in the militaru and have a foot full of titanium and they are the only boot that makes my -30f winter's work and I have spent thousands of dollars looking for something better they last forever and even if you wear them only 1x a year it is money well spent.
Bought a pair 40 yrs ago at bunker one in Pa . Wore them every year for deer season until my son started hunting then he wore them untl my second son started hunting. Now they finaly bought their own boots and I'm wearing them again. Best boots ever for standing in a tree stand!
My dad was the manager of the Bata plant in Riverside MD in the 90’s. I remember seeing these boots on display in his office when I was a kid. I always thought they looked cool, but never knew what they did. Thanks for the history!
These boots were a life saver when I was stationed at Ft Wainwright. My whole body could be freezing but my toes were toasty.
I wear bunnies every day in the winters at work as a surveyor in Alaska. Theyre the best! You can find them easily at any military surplus store in Fairbanks. Been waiting for you to tear these apart for a long time!
I took home a pair of batas from the U.S. NAVY in 1986. Wore them in the winter in michigan for over 20yrs. They were extremely durable and warm. They finally wore out, but that was the best footwear I've ever owned.
Owned and wore the same pair for 20 years doing everything from riding 4 wheelers in the winter in all temps to ice fishing and hunting. Outer rubber was cracked and worn thru in many places. Soles were worn smooth no thread left. Many times stepped in cold creeks sand got water over the top. Take them off pour the water out and ring the socks out warm get again. Biggest secret to never getting cold feet or sweat soaked socks is too not lace then up tight. Just lace up to the next to last hole and knot the laces together. If it's right you will be able to slide them on and off with ease. Moisture will be able to escape and your toes will stay dry and warm.
Twenty years on the North Slope of Alaska, we called the black ones "Micky Mouse" boots. They weren't the best but better than most other options.... the best is the white "Bunny" boots. Saved my butt and toes for sure. We worked often at -35 to -40F. Loved my Bunny boots.
They're not manufactured anymore. Baffin and Kamik make boots as good or better. The trouble with the Army and VB systems is they rarely allow time to change out wet socks before trouble starts. One trip to the Arctic we found even after wiping them out, a little moisture remained in the lining that froze and your foot would melt out in the morning. This caused problems after a week in the field without a way to thoroughly dry out the inside of the boot.
Hmm, think Bata started out in Batawa near Trenton Ontario in '39 by a Czechoslovakian couple, the Batas. The boots were a very clever idea by isolating the insulation so it couldn't get wet.
I work outdoors year round, in Montana. I can attest that a thick felt insole makes a huge difference, even if the rest of the boot isn't especially warm.
My biggest issue was that the military would not issue them upon mere request... I was stationed out in the woods for weeks at a time during winter operations and I struggled mightily to try to keep warm in the back of a canvas covered pickup truck running radio equipment... I quickly found civilian equipment tricks to avoid frostbite and trench-foot... It's also very hard to swap out socks when you can't get into a warmer location, so fresh socks would get stuffed near the chest to warm them up and the exchange was done as fast as possible. When I did get some through surplus, they were great as long as you didn't get too active, but if you hiked for any distance and then stopped without the swap-out, we would have many cases of trench foot and near frostbite.