Whether you are hunting moose or caribou in Alaska, working the trap line or slogging through a duck marsh, dry feet will make the difference between a good day and a bad one. In these conditions, hip boots will outperform most footwear choices. They are comfortable to walk in, and you can slug through the deep stuff or sink in mud past your knees and still stay dry.

Hip boots are certainly lighter and easier to walk in than a pair of chest waders. However, there are two problems with traditional hip boots. The first is keeping them on while crossing some bogs and mud holes. The muck will grab hold of your boots and try its best to keep them. To those who have never experienced this, it isn't fun. It starts with your foot slowly slipping out of the boot as you strain to remove it from the tenacious hold of the mud. Then, you become helpless. You cannot move and become off balance while slowly falling into the bog. You end up wet, mad and muddy, and you still have to figure out how to get out.

To help counteract this, many hip boots were constructed with a narrower cut at the ankle. This created a second problem. While this ankle-fit style was easier to walk in and kept your boots from getting pulled off, you were in for an Olympic workout just trying to get ankle-fit hip boots on and off. With heavy socks, you especially had to do some tugging to get them on. At the end of a long day, getting them off took all the energy you had left.

Bog Buster™ Hip Boots With Ankle Adjustment
Cabela's footwear design team realized that there was a need for hip boots that stayed on in the sticky stuff but were also easy to put on in the morning and take off at the end of a full day. This thinking resulted in several years of design and testing, and Cabela's came out with the first customized ankle-fit hip boot – the Bog Buster.

The secret to the Bog Buster's unique customized fit is a patent-pending design using three-way Velcro®-adjustable straps. They can be loosened to take the boots on and off and for easy walking, but if it looks like there is a nasty mud hole ahead, cinch up the straps in the front and back for easy walking and no fear of losing your footwear, and bust the bog. The straps also are molded into the boot bottom for secure mounting, guaranteeing that your boots stay with you.

Most neoprene hip boots have neoprene uppers that are glued to the tops of rubber boots. However, in the Bog Busters, the neoprene "sock" continues all the way around your foot. Not only is it comfortable, but it also gives your foot a full layer of cushioning and keeps you insulated.

Trudging Through Alaskan Tundra
On his latest trip to Alaska, Tom Rosdail, Cabela's Director of Internet & Catalog Production, was grateful to have his Bog Buster boots along to trek across the King Salmon Area in search of his third prize moose.

"The boggy tundra we had to walk through was tricky," Rosdail said. "Every other step was anywhere from 5 to 30 inches of sloppy mud. Regular hip boots would have pulled off because of the incredible suction or sunk completely below the top of the boot. The Bog Busters were great because they were tall and had a heavy-duty, adjustable Velcro® strap that cinched down around my ankle. This eliminated losing the boot in the mud's suction and provided for great support for my foot and ankle through many miles of rough country. The last thing I needed to do on a daylong hike was pull a boot out of the mud and back onto my foot every 10 feet while carrying a pack on my back.

"When I finally spotted a bull and three cows, my heart jumped and my buddy and I split up after the startled bull. I had discovered a caribou scapula while trudging through the terrain, so I began to bang it on a pine tree to make it sound like antlers, and then I let out a long cow call. Pretty soon I saw movement about 75 yards away and I continued with my call. Before I could take in all that was happening, he was running through the trees and in close range where I could get a clean shot.

"The bull was 7-feet tall and weighed about 1,600 pounds. It took me and my buddies nine trips to get the meat packed out and back to camp. Without our Bog Buster™ boots, it would have been nearly impossible to haul 80- to 100-pound packs through the mud and muck."

Whether you're just tired of pulling your old hip boots out of the mud or are planning a trip to Alaska, the Bog Buster™ deserves some attention.

Click here to view Cabela's Bog Buster™ Hip Boots.

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