Anyone flying with the “Tent store”, that’s what we call them up here now , new model bunnies?

I’ve got a shit-ton of titanium bits in my left foot and my old bunnies are done. Realized playing outside in a gusting 30kts 0f and even with a good battery sock I’m gonna loose my left foot if I don’t get serious about keeping it warm. Fvcker is warming up and throbbing as I type this..

I’ve got a flight coming out west in a couple days and want to get a pair coming.

I’m liking the VBXlight weight ones, mostly because my left foot is half fused together and getting in and out of a standard bunny if not three sizes too big was a struggle.

Anyway, any pireps?

Thanx,
Rocket

rocket wrote:Anyone flying with the “Tent store”, that’s what we call them up here now , new model bunnies?

I’ve got a shit-ton of titanium bits in my left foot and my old bunnies are done. Realized playing outside in a gusting 30kts 0f and even with a good battery sock I’m gonna loose my left foot if I don’t get serious about keeping it warm. Fvcker is warming up and throbbing as I type this..

I’ve got a flight coming out west in a couple days and want to get a pair coming.

I’m liking the VBXlight weight ones, mostly because my left foot is half fused together and getting in and out of a standard bunny if not three sizes too big was a struggle.

Anyway, any pireps?

Thanx,
Rocket

Rocket, do you have a boot for each temp range? LIke, do you use the bunnies for only the coldest cold? Or every winter outing? Seems like using something like Columbia Bugaboots (these are the ones I wear on our coldest days) is lighter and more comfy, less bulk. Sole feels more flexible and athletic. Haven't tested them below -25°F though.

Main benefit I see to the bunnies is that tall sole insulating you from getting the heat sucked out the bottom, but man they look bulky.

Actually, the single most important feature of at least the old Bunny Boots was that they'd protect your feet from severe frostbite in most scenarios, including after you've filled them with water at -35 F. I've verified that, BTW. Comfort was never a real consideration in the design of those boots.....rubber outside, rubber inside, your feet are GOING to sweat, and therefore be "damp".

I am lazy, I pretty much wore bunny boots all winter in Fairbanks and points north, unless I was staying in town. There, I wore Air Force muckluks with heavy felt liners.....good for cold and dry conditions and very comfortable. But, going flying, especially on skis.....bunny boots.

Sorry, Rocket, I have no experience with the new boots, but I sincerely hope they are at least almost as good as the old ones.

This was posted before but a good story on why the Bunny Boot is so popular in the North .https://yukonflying.com/DaveStorey.html
DENNY

DENNY wrote:This was posted before but a good story on why the Bunny Boot is so popular in the North .https://yukonflying.com/DaveStorey.html
DENNY

I always share this story with my customers when they decide they want to get into ski flying. Makes a lot of them think twice as most have never thought of those dangers. I rebuilt a Scout for Dave, very nice guy.
Sorry I don't have any info for you on the newer bunny boots Hotrod. but I also hope they are almost as good as the old ones.

Hey Rocket,

Sorry about yer foot. My foot is also fused and I wear orthotics in all my shoes, including boots. Mine are called superfeet and you can get them a lot of places. If you don't wear orthotics please get some and have a great trip.

Dale

ps, I still have the knife you gave me

PIREP - the VBX light bunnies from AKGear are worth their weight.

Living in the subarctic, I've worn basically every iteration of winter footwear over the past 3 decades, from old school Sorel pack boots, Arctic Muck Boot neoprene rubber boots, but for most of the last twenty winters, the Steger mukluk has been my boot of choice for most conditions. But I've aways wanted to give bunny boots a try. The military surplus ones are mostly crap or priced at eye-popping prices (thanks, hipsters), so I was excited to try the new AKGear release. This spring, I pulled the trigger on a pair of VBX lites.

They arrived just before Easter, and I spent the weekend doing lots of flying and hunting in them. Despite the 'lite' in the name, there is nothing light-weight about them...they are extremely well built, and each boot loads out at 1290 grams in size 10. That's twice the weight of my usual Stegers. But for spring conditions in the NWT (soft snow, etc) the bunny boot is by far the better choice.

Flying wise, they are comfy in the cockpit, and fit nicely on the rudder pedals in a 185. The rubber is grippy enough even in the cold (-25C) to climb up on the struts for refueling, etc with slipping. You won't 'feel' the pedals in the same way as do in the pair of Stegers, but that's a subjective thing - it doesn't (or shouldn't) really affect your rudder skills. And they do keep your toes just as toasty.

For snowshoe and camp work, it's the same compromise. The upsides are that they are warm, super durable, very capable boots at will work in all conditions and for a range of tasks. The downside is that they are heavy on the foot. I put them through their paces on a long day, in temps that ranged from -10 to -25C, with toasty feet throughout, even when stationary for long periods. And you forget about the weight pretty quickly when your feet are warm and dry. After a night in the tent (-28C), they warmed up quickly enough on the foot in the morning. I considered pouring hot water in them to warm them up, but that seemed unnecessary. I'll save that trick for when it's really cold.

One feature that is perhaps undersold in the AKGear marketing is that they clean up really well after a successful hunt. The blood just washes right off with a little hot water...

I got mine two days after starting this thread. I’ve worn a few versions of bunnies over the last 30 years and they work hands down.

I’ve got a super high instep and 3D and struggled to get well fitting ones on and twice as hard after a long day was a struggle.

My favorite was the black ones, said NAVY on the back of the heel, they were lighter than the others. Finly started pulling the inside bladder out with my foot and the natural rubber sole was turning to chalk. Got these when a buddy ripped a gear leg out on the side of a volcano blow in his pacer, coast guard c130 kicked out to stubby barrels of gear, said they only wanted the radio back, got a nice nomex flight suit and arctic gloves out of the deal.

The new bunnies at damn near perfect but for me it’s the wide throat that lets my foot slip in and out with ease! I like the beefy sole.

Was waiting to pirep until I got some stick time in them but no joy, didn’t get the skis on and my 120 is still on floats tucked safely into some trees… Next year.


Rocket

Lucky wrote:Hey Rocket,

Sorry about yer foot. My foot is also fused and I wear orthotics in all my shoes, including boots. Mine are called superfeet and you can get them a lot of places. If you don't wear orthotics please get some and have a great trip.

Dale

ps, I still have the knife you gave me

Damn Dale, I’m getting old, your gonna have to remind me about the knife

And ya, looking into those orthotics. Thanx.


Rocket

Ok, this is where bunnies shine, both old and new, standing in 6” of slushy ice water, about 35°f and snowing off and on, made up some 8:50 rollers to get this Beaver into a shortish hangar. Sure glad I placed the axels on a stack of lumber…
Just got home after a long long day even went out for dinner, walked in the door, kicked off the bunnies and my feet and thick wool socks were compleatly dry. That was a surprise!

Rocket