Winter Boot with removable Liners

Cabela’susually has the largest selection of winter boots available. (But since el cheapo Bass Pro shops bought them out things may have changed.)

REMOVABLE liners are the key to winter camping B/C they can be removed to put in the foot of your sleeping bag to be warm in the morning.

BUT… you absolutely must use a Vapor Barrier Lining (VBL) to keep that liner dry and thus warm. My best VBL is 3 mm closed cell diver’s sox, specifically US Divers brand B/C they are factory seam sealed and have a Left and Right foot which keeps them from having excess material that may bunch at the toes. Wear thin poly liner socks with divers sox. 

Have you looked at heat moulded liners such as the Intuition?

An Intuition liner is as warm as 2 pairs of heavy socks plus liner sock

https://intuitionliners.com/shop/denali/

I checked out the Intuition liners but they seem to only work with plastic mountaineering boots or ski boots.  I’d like to lighten by footwear or not increase the weight too much as the main issue is moisture management and an appropriate sole that can take strap on crampons as well as work with platform pedals bikepacking.  An example that I just saw was the Walkabout Michelin Wic GTX it however doesn’t have removable liners.

I don’t do any full-on mountaineering routes, multi-day backpacking

Have you used the liners in “regular” hiking boots?

No but I have worn them in US army ICW boots as a replacement for the Thinsulate liner. People do wear them in slipper type mukluks tho. They are meant to go in boots with no padding but your options are limited with synthetic boots until you get to HA plastic stuff but personally I would not use crampons of any type except on mountaineering boots, spikes and chains for LW boots would be safer.

Even flexible crampons need a far stiffer sole than most LW synthetic boots usually come with, it is asking a lot of a boot to do both bike and crampons

I should point out however that I do very little winter walking, I am a cross country skier and spent most of my snow time in Scarpa T-2 Telemark boots with those Intuition liners as the factory default

Thanks for your input.  Definitely a big ask though the Arcteryx Bora2 would fit the bill if the sizing works with my feet (narrow).  Approach shoes are great for bikepacking due the sticky rubber on the bottom.  I have been happy with my Petzl Leopard FL crampons on the Salomons as I’m doing any front pointing or mixed climbing.  Side hilling across frozen sections and icy ridges are fine and I would even be comfortable with a stiff approach shoe in this context if I could bolster the insulation.  The Salomons are not good on the bike though and due get wet after a day which is why I’m searching.

I have gone through all approach boots of the brands I know and have taken a look at their offerings but many are much heavier than what I would want.  La Sportiva have some highly rated approach boots with great sticky sole and I’m sure they would be warmer than what I have but I’m not sure I’d solve my problem of day 2 and 3 getting wetter and wetter from the inside without using a VBL.  The temps in SoCal just don’t seem to warrant it IMHO but I could be off the mark.

@ Edward John,

I use Scarpa T3 boots with my backcountry skis. And yeah, the liners are “relatively” warm but still get wet with sweat and, once again, I use 3 mm diver’s sox with thin poly liners, Much warmer that way.

Remove the liners from your boots then “telescope” the boot shell tops over one another and leave in the vestibule. This keeps spindrift snow out of them.

Place the liners in the foot of your sleeping bag at night along with the inside-out diver’s VBL sox. Put the stanky poly liners in a Ziplock freezer bag, don fresh liners and heavy “sleeping socks”. In the morning your will have nicely warm liners and VBL sox. Yes, one pair of poly liner socks per day. You will thank me.

I just noticed the post Eric

The T3 used a totally different liner to my newer T-2 boot, the T-3 has a sewn open cell foam as the padding and insulation; the Intuition is a heat mouldable closed cell foam that is also a VB boot, once they are moulded to your foot with your chosen liner sock it isn’t possible to change your sock combination. For me that is the Injinji toe sock in the ski boot version layered under an UL synthetic ski boot sock. I do carry a spare set and try to change daily and rinse/wash when possible.

Definitely either try Acrux boots before buying or make sure you can return… They are narrow and have a very high instep – I have heard great reviews from people whose feet they are actually fit, but when I tried them at the Ice Fest last winter it was a complete no-go for me, I did not even bother borrowing a pair for a demo. And I tend to be comfortable in La Sportiva and Scarpa climbing boots and both brands are known to have a narrow last. If you want more of a backpacking/light mountaineering boot take a look at Salewa GTX Crow – i have a pair and they are super comfortable. I dont bikepack – so cant suggest anything more appropriate.

It’s an interesting conundrum. Living in Alaska I’ve been lucky to try a lot of options for what you’re describing, and I don’t think there is really a good answer. All the mountain boots (eg Sportiva, Scarpa) are too stiff, and all the more traditional winter boots are too floppy. For bikepacking around freezing I wear insulated Xtratuffs. They handle French technique OK on glacier ice. But my Nepal Evos are actually great for winter biking, due to the stiff sole, and of course are solid on the steeps while still hikeable. I believe OR is coming out with a supergaiter soon that might help with their lack of a liner.