While I’m fairly new to hunting, I’m unfortunately not new to treks through areas where I’m more likely to encounter snakes than the average person. I have yet to have a truly bad experience with a snake in the wild, but I’ve had enough close calls that I’m much more cautious about where I step now than I might have been when I was younger. When I took up hunting I decided I’d prefer to remove a constant fear of being bit by a snake from the equation by investing in a good pair of snake boots.
Irish Setter Vaprtrek 17” Snake Boot Review
Irish Setter VaprTrek Waterproof Snake Boots for Men give hunters waterproof hunting performance and snake protection without the weight.
Retail: $199.99
- Snake Guard protection
- Lightweight
- Waterproof
- Comfortable
- Perfect for hunting, hiking, and scouting.
Irish Setter Vaprtek Snake Boot
The 17” Irish Setter Vaprtek Snake Boot checked all of the boxes when I began my search. Irish Setter by Red Wing has been around for over 60 years and there’s a good chance that your dad, granddad, or great-granddad hunted in a pair so the brand needs little introduction. A search for snake boots will turn up a lot of options that are hot, heavy, or hard to put on, but that isn’t the case here. A trip to my local Bass Pro Shops allowed me to try on several pairs of boots, and the 17” Vaprtek was the clear winner in terms of comfort, ease of ingress/egress, and weight.
These boots are seriously light, and I don’t mean just among snake boots, because I’ve compared these to other hiking boots, deck boots, and my everyday sneakers and still marvel at how a 17” waterproof boot can be so light on my feet. The boots come in a Realtree Xtra camo pattern, with Irish Setter’s Snake Guard materials used for fang (and briar) protection, while Scentban helps prevent a hunt from being ruined by getting winded. The boots are not insulated, so those in colder climates than the Florida swamps may want to opt for an insulated boot or thick socks once winter settles in. At a retail price of around $200 these boots are no small investment, but for anyone familiar with the cost of an ambulance ride or a vial of anti-venom $200 boots become a bargain.
In the Field
To date I’ve spent probably 50 long days in these boots and have logged around 150 miles on them. On two particular spot-and-stalk hog hunts here in Florida I was able to put the boots through their paces, using firebreaks and trails that varied from sand, to grass, to mud and on one occasion wading the edge of a small flag pond that required extra care with each step to avoid flooding the boots. I’ve worn the boots through several “winter” seasons, which here in Florida means 50º but for anything colder than that I wouldn’t need snake boots anyways. One of my primary concerns was that using a climbing stand might be difficult in these boots. Some tall boots that I’ve used are too big to fit in the climbing stirrups or they can limit ankle range of motion when climbing. I didn’t find either to be an issue with these boots and my Summit Viper.
Comfort
While the point of wearing snake boots is performance and protection against snake bites, briars, etc. I’m putting comfort first because if boots aren’t comfortable you’ll leave them at home and the performance or protection aspect won’t matter. I find these boots to be extremely comfortable even after 10-12 hours of wearing them and walking around the woods. The lightweight certainly helps and even after an 8 or 10-mile day in the field, I don’t feel like my feet are heavy and dragging along the ground as they have in heavier boots I’ve worn in the past. Arch support is good, and I particularly like the ankle support provided by a pair of tall boots when walking through uneven terrain where a sprained ankle is just one misstep away. I’ve suffered 3 high ankle sprains and an ankle dislocation playing various sports over the years so ankle support is crucial if I’m going to spend the rest of my life walking the woods.
I’ve worn these boots in everything from 50º to 95º weather, and find that they do a good job of wicking moisture and regulating temperature whether it’s hot or cold. A good pair of socks, especially those made specifically for snake boots, can go a long way in helping this too. One last note on comfort; I normally wear a size 11 in most shoes and wear a 10.5 in these boots, so I advise going to a store where you can try them on before buying to ensure maximum comfort on long hikes.
Performance and Protection
Unfortunately for the sake of this review, I can’t tell you how these boots will hold up to a snake bite. I had a very close encounter with a water moccasin after a friend walking ahead of me disturbed the snake and it fled in my direction. Had I been wearing any other boots I think I might have had a heart attack, but knowing that I was wearing these I stood still while the snake veered off an inch or two from my foot. I’ve been able to walk through thick underbrush with thorns and briars where thick canvas pants weren’t enough to keep my legs from getting pricked but these boots performed as advertised. I studied the boots quite a bit when first purchased, and the materials used in the construction, particularly in the area from ankle to knee where a bite is most likely to occur, are pretty robust.
With the miles and time I’ve logged I have to imagine that if the snake fang protection wasn’t adequate I would have been stabbed, pricked, or stung by something by now and I haven’t. On the waterproof side, I’ve waded through swamps, ditches, and ponds that came to just below the tongue and have yet to get wet feet. While the boots might be covered in mud by the time I get back to my truck I’ve been able to wash them off with a garden hose every time and get them looking like new again. The waterproof protection only extends as high as the tongue, which ends a couple of inches below the top of the boot, so don’t think you can walk through 17” of water and stay dry.
The boots seem durable and I’ve noticed no significant tread wear on the bottom and all of the glued seams/joints are still intact. I’ve had issues with past boots breaking lace eyes if tied too tightly, but so far the eyes on these boats have held up well. If I had a gripe it’s that if you do manage to get the boots wet inside they can take quite a while to dry. I’ve managed to avoid flooding the boots over the top, but twice have had soaking rains fill them up. Hanging them upside down overnight will leave them mostly dry but I’d still prefer that they dry faster.
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CONS:
Looking Ahead
I’ve found that these boots give me a much greater sense of confidence when walking through the swamps, prairies, and woods of Florida where encounters with venomous cottonmouths, rattlesnakes, coral snakes, or copperheads are a possibility. While it’s still important to avoid interaction, I like knowing that if I make a mistake and end up in the wrong place at the wrong time I’ve got a much better chance of coming out unscathed than if I were wearing sneakers or normal hiking boots. I look forward to logging more time and miles in these over the upcoming hunting season which will see me spending long days in a tree stand as well as long days on spot-and-stalk swamp hunts. For my fellow Floridians and southern hunters who hunt similar terrain I think these boots are absolutely worth a look for the peace of mind in snake-country.
Ready to buy? Irish Setter VaprTrek Snake Boots are available from a wide range of online retailers such as Cabela’s, Bass Pro Shops, Sportsman’s Warehouse, Sportsman’s Guide, and more!
Josh Olsen – Author bio coming soon.
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