Bushcraft Boot Maintenance on Danner Jackal II GTX Mossy Oak Brush Hunting Boots
Written by Phil Brown, Badger Bushcraft Blog Friday, 13 July 2012 10:21
Our bushcraft boots have taken a real pounding this year, with the weather being somewhat inclement (to say the least) plenty of kit has had a good drenching and this obviously includes our boots. We have had some exceptionally hot days where we have been wearing bushcraft summer footwear but for the most part we have been wearing our Danner Jackal II GTX Mossy Oak Brush Hunting Boots which are Gore-Tex lined and totally waterproof.
The Jackal II GTX is a very comfortable boot that we have been using since late 2011 and appears to be a vast improvement on the previous Jackal that although I didn’t own I know of many pairs that split across the sole or suede upper. The boots took little breaking in and when we purchased the Jackal II’s we went out on a 14 mile trek and were delighted with their performance and comfort.
We use in the Danner Jackal II GTX boots in the warmer wet weather. They are made of 1000 denier nylon and full grain leather and the Gore-Tex lining waterproofs the boot, so once the boots are clean and have been slowly dried it is now time to treat the leather. As regular readers of our Badger Bushcraft Blog know we have been using Wilmas Kängskosmorning leather dressing for some time, we have article about using this on Lowa Mountain Boots GTX and Danner Grouse boots.
At Badger Bushcraft we feel it is essential to look after all of our kit and as we can be in our boots for some 18 hours a day this certainly applies to our footwear. The Jackals are very easy to clean and a hose pipe (the wet weather means we can use one this year) and a scrubbing brush remove all mud and dirt.
Working the warm Wilmas Kängskosmorning into the grain of the leather with a small cloth seems to work the best, the dressing has a pungent aroma and wearing thin latex gloves prevents the dressing from getting under one’s finger nails.
The dressing is “An exclusive leather dressing of the old type, made from the choicest natural ingredients such as: birch and pine tar and natural fats. Wilma leather dressing has a good ability to penetrate the leather and therefore makes any thickness very soft, smooth and highly water resistant. Wilma leather dressing gives after repeated use a soft antique hue to pale coloured leather.” It certainly seems to penetrate the leather and restore the colour back to new, we have found this with both black and brown leather boots.
Let’s hope the weather picks up and we see some of the summer and we can swap the waterproof boots for some flip flops!
