Review of the Kamik Nationplus Boot
Summary: The Kamik Nationplus Boots are high quality, well insulated, totally waterproof and about as comfortable as any pair of footwear could be.
4.7
Recommended
The Kamik Nationplus Boot is a great piece of footwear with an odd name. When you look at what it’s called you might think that someone had a broken space bar in an office somewhere. When you try the boot on however you’ll realize that whoever makes these things knows what they’re doing.
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The Kamik Nationplus Boot is what is known as a pack boot. It is fully waterproof and insulated, but what makes it special is the plush insert that comes along with the boot. After putting on a nice wool sock, you slide your foot into the insert and then the boot and lace it up to the top. After that, you can count on being warm and dry all day long.
A great pair of pack boots
Pack boots are bigger than hiking and working boots. They’re a little bulkier too. Some of them are frankly ridiculous for trying to do anything in, but they’ll save your life in extreme arctic temperatures.
The Kamik Nationplus is rated to handle temperatures as low as negative 40 Fahrenheit. That’s not as cold as it gets, but it is pretty chilly. The good thing about the rating is that Kamik didn’t have to go to extremes with the Nationplus. It is definitely bigger than say a pair of Red Wing work boots, but not by as much as you might think. They are basically like a thick pair of hunting boots.
I wouldn’t necessarily want to put miles on these boots stalking elk through the Rocky Mountains, but I am more than pleased with their performance on the ice. They are good for getting to the ice too, which usually involves some degree of walking over a mixture of snow, slush, frozen ground and occasionally mud.
I am definitely not what you would call a fashion forward guy. I doubt many icefisherman pay attention to fashion much at all. Still, I don’t think I look like a total jerk even when I am geared up to head out on the ice. My Nationplus boots are all black. They have a black upper, black laces, and a black rubber toe and sole.
Don’t just a boot by its rubber
To be honest, I was a bit put off by the rubber toe when I first saw the boots. They reminded me of those cheap rubber toed boots they sell at places like Wal Mart with the fake fur liners that couldn’t keep your toes warm on a beach in a Hawaii. The Nationplus are nothing like that. They are also the most comfortable pair of boots I have ever owned. I can walk or stand around in them all day long without feeling any foot pain or fatigue. I can’t even say that about the casual shoes I wear on a day to day basis!
The Nationplus can go the distance in terms of insulation too. Packed with Thinsulate and surrounded with rubber, they really keep your feet dry and comfortable in all conditions. I’ve been on melting ice in late season, sloshing around in slop for hours. When I got back to the car and kicked off my boots, my socks weren’t even a little wet.
A small but awesome thing about the Nationplus is that they stay tied! I can’t say how happy I am about that. After decades of looking down at various boots only to see the laces untied and laying on the wet ice it is a real pleasure to know that my boots are tied all day long. I rarely even think of my laces anymore.
The Kamik Nationplus Boot is available at Amazon.
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