Whitetail hunting often happens in cold, wet weather. When you slide DryShod’s Evalusion Hunt Max Gusset over your feet, you’ll stay warm, dry, comfortable, and dominate any terrain.
by Jace Bauserman
Last season, I relied on DryShod’s Evalusion Hunt Camo/Bark rubber boot from October through December for my whitetail pursuits. The boot proved a winner. I appreciate how high up on the boot the thick but flexible rubber comes. This boosts boot durability for the whitetail goer. I hung over thirty stands, blazed through the brush, and didn’t poke a single hole in the boots. My feet stayed dry each time I crossed water or hunted when moisture fell. Plus, it doesn’t hurt that I harvested my biggest whitetail to date while wearing the boots.
I also loved the makeup of the DUREVA outsole. I’m not too fond of heavy, clunky rubber boots. I do lots of hang and hunts and cover miles in the woods. The trick to killing big deer is creating flawless entrance and exit routes. For this reason, I often make long, strenuous walks across varying terrain to ensure I don’t tip my hand to deer in the area. The DUREVA outsole is light, grips the terrain, and provides maximum comfort.
The boots are tall, and though uninsulated, the Internal 5mm Densoprene Foam Insulated Bootie provides uncanny warmth. They are rated from -20 Fahrenheit to 75 degrees Fahrenheit, a broad range. I penned the article about DryShod’s Evaluation last year on BH in late summer. The boots proved comfortable in extreme heat. During December, I wore the boots for six hours at -1 Fahrenheit. Paired with a thick wool socks, my feet remained comfortable. I won’t say they were toasty warm because they weren’t, but they proved their worth for a lightweight pair of rubber boots with self-insulating properties.
My One Complaint
Recently, while visiting with BH Team Member Toby Shaw about rubber boots, the talk turned to DryShod. I told him the only thing I wish DryShod would do differently is come out with a Gen 2 model of the Evalusion.
Why?
I wanted DryShod to add a gusset to the Evalusion. While the neoprene upper on the original allowed for flexibility, I couldn’t comfortably tuck my pant legs into my rubber boots. Also, several times, just enough debris would slide between the top rim of the boots where they hug the calves, which is annoying. With a gusset system, the user can easily adjust the boots’ upper depending on the user’s needs.
Two days after the conversation, I received a press release from DryShot about its shiny new rubber boot penny, the Evalusion Hunt Max Gusset. I had to chuckle. Ask, and you shall receive, right?
First Impressions: DryShod Evalusion Hunt Max Gusset
DryShod’s Evalusion Hunt Max Gusset is built for extreme cold and showcases the same features that made the original a winner. DryShod’s forward-thinking mindset allows the boots to feature a fully adjustable gusset to ensure calf comfort, keep debris out, and slide over heavy layers of clothing.
The gusset attaches to boot with a pair of tabs that utilize aluminum rivets to attach the rubber pad to the neoprene. The gusset offers maximum adjustability, and I was pleased to see DryShod added a 2mm airmesh/2mm warm fleece lining. The fleece should add an element of warmth and comfort.
The boots feature a 4-Way Stretch Breathable Airmesh Lining, and the Hydrokote Water-Repellent lets moisture roll off the boots, allowing the outside neoprene to dry quickly.
When I slid my feet into the boots for the first time, they felt exactly like the original Evalusions. I’ve yet to discover a more comfortable pair of rubber boots, and I appreciate features like the double Achilles heel and instep reinforcement for comfort and protection.
In The Cold
At BH, we call a spade a spade. We also don’t inflate field tests to appease anyone. Two days after receiving these boots, my area of Colorado received over 18 inches of snow. Temperatures dropped, allowing me to test the boots’ waterproofness, warmth, and gusset adjustability.
At 5:40 a.m. on November 6th, I was perched 20 feet up a cottonwood. A fierce northwest wind howled, and ice pellets bounced off my outer layer. For added warmth, I tightened both gussets and pulled the bottom of Muddy’s TRX Waterproof Sherpa Fleece Bib over the boots’ uppers. My feet stayed toasty, and the gusset system worked perfectly.
One of the true testaments to any rubber boot is warmth. It’s hard to enjoy those cold-weather whitetail sits when your feet get so cold they burn. The 2mm airmesh/2mm warm fleece lining and 5mm Densoprene Foam Insulated Bootie made me ultra comfortable. Two hours into my sit, I let the air out of a respectable buck.
In The Snow
I can’t write a field test based on a two-hour testing period. So, the morning following my deer hunt, when I woke up to a heavy blanket of white, I started working. I walked in and checked some trail cameras, shoveled snow, fed my horses, and went for a two-mile hike.
If you read this and consider spending over $200 on a pair of cold-weather rubber hunting boots, I want you to know exactly what you’re getting. And you’re getting a pair of high-quality, durable, warm, comfortable, and 100-percent waterproof boots that meet and exceed the demands of any hunt.
Like the original, you have to wear and walk in these boots to fully appreciate their comfort. They are sized to athletic shoe standards, feel like your favorite running shoes, yet sport an outsole that dominates any terrain.
After six straight hours in the snow, my feet were totally dry. Even with the walking and shoveling, they didn’t get sweaty. Sweaty feet lead to freezing feet, and I’ve worn rubber boots that, after a mile-long walk to a treestand in icy temps, made my feet feel like they were in a swamp. These boots don’t. The Airmesh Lining promotes airflow to keep feet dry and comfortable.
Final Thoughts
There are lots of rubber boots on the market, and many of them are great. Where I give the edge to DryShod’s Evalusion Hunt Max Gusset is how the manufacturer was able to create a lightweight comfortable boot that promotes maximum warmth in cold weather. The sole is light and durable, and the boots are easy to pull on and off. If you’re in the market for a top-tier pair of rubber boots that will hold up to Mother Nature’s worst moods and allow you to hunt comfortably, DryShod’s Evalusion Hunt Max Gusset is worth every penny.
