Gear Review- Big Agnes Dunkley Belay Jacket

The Big Agnes Dunkley Belay Jacket is the lightest synthetic belay jacket I have tested this season that also competes well in the heat retention department. I previewed this jacket back in November and now that I have tested it above treeline on Mount Washington and while hanging at icy cold belays while ice climbing throughout the White Mountains I am ready to share some more first hand opinions on this piece.

Big Agnes Dunkley Belay Jacket Review- Photo by Brent Doscher Photography

Let’s start with the most important feature:

Warmth

The Big Agnes Dunkley Hooded Belay Jacket uses 120g of Pinneco Core™ fill in the body and 80g in the sleeves. This “feels” warmer and puffier than the Primaloft ECO insulation used in other jackets I am testing and has decent compress-ability. I wore this over my typical soft-shell and Merino wool layers on Mount Washington in 60+mph winds with wind chills hovering around -40 degrees and was very pleased with the protection it offered. Yesterday after topping out a remote back-country Grade 5 route off the Kancamagus Highway I was grateful for the full enclosure insulated hood while I was stationary and exposed belaying both a photographer and my partner for the better part of a windy hour. Here’s some video from that climb:

Shell

Big Agnes does not list much detail in relation to the shell fabric, just: “100% recycled polyester shell is wind-proof and water resistant”. I have reached out to Big Agnes for more info and will update this as soon as I hear back! That said I found it fully windproof. It is likely there is a DWR treatment on the fabric as climbing under a drippy chandelier of ice a week ago the jacket did not take on any moisture.

Weight/Compress-ability

24.5 oz. / 695 grams. The lightest option in this seasons line up of synthetic belay jackets this piece easily stuffs into an included high quality 10 x 7 stuff-sack. Oddly the manufacturer’s website description references an interior chest pocket that doubles as a stuff sack but I believe this must be a web error as there is no interior chest pockets and the exterior chest pocket is far to small to function as a reversible stuff sack.

Fit

I went with a size large for my 42 inch chest and it fits great over my typical load out. The adjustable hood is the perfect size for my helmeted head. Arm length is slightly shorter than similar models and the back length feels slightly shorter, which works well over my climbing harness. If in doubt consult the manufacturer’s size chart!

Features

Center front zipper includes interior no-draft flap and a zipper garage at chin
Features YKK Reverse coil zippers
Textured zipper pulls are easy to use with gloves
Adjustable drawcord at hem seals out wind
Two zippered hand-warmer pockets with zipper garages
Large interior mesh pockets for extra stash space
Exterior check pocket
Separate stuff sack included
120g Pinneco Core™ synthetic insulation in body, 80g in the sleeves
Insotect Tubic™ construction provides supreme loft and thermal efficiency
100% recycled polyester shell is wind-proof and water resistant
Jacket weight, size Medium – 24.5oz/ 695g

Summary

The Big Agnes Dunkley Belay Jacket is a solid choice for a synthetic belay jacket, a must have item in every ice climber/mountaineer’s kit. I like the high visibility yellow but it also comes in a visible bright blue if yellow isn’t your thing. It comes in black too but I would not recommend that color for a belay jacket (bright colors are happy colors when you are freezing your tuchus off). If you’re in the market for a solid performer in the belay jacket you can pick this one up here at a great price.

See you in the mountains,

Northeast Alpine Start

Disclaimer: Big Agnes provided Northeast Alpine Start a sample for this review and the product has been returned to the manufacturer. All opinions stated above are my own. Affiliate links above support this blog.

AIARE Avalanche Course 1-6-17 to 1-8-17

January 9, 2017January 9, 2017 David Lottmann Avalanche Courses, Backcountry Skiing, Mountaineering, Trip Reports

Here we go! While some providers have run a couple courses already we just completed our very first one of the season yesterday and it was epic! A new venue, classroom tech, on-site lodging, awesome students, and great snow all led to a fantastic 3 days!

Having a professional photographer along for our Ski Tour was also a nice bonus. Here’s a quick recap and some info on how Northeast Mountaineering is diving head first into the field of avalanche education!

First, our new classroom space!

Our classroom sessions were held in “The Bunkhouse” living area in Bartlett, NH. This was extremely convenient for the students as 2 nights of lodging are included in the course tuition. All seven participants stayed in the bunkhouse which led to a pretty immersive course and some new friendships and touring partners.

Another big classroom change is the use of iPads pre-loaded with the AIARE Student Manual. The “Notability” app allows custom note-taking and the ability to email yourself the manual with notes throughout the course. I’ll be adding some CalTopo style mapping options on them to help with our trip planning sessions. For those who prefer a paper copy of the manual we do have them for sale with a portion of the proceeds going to non-profit conservation groups! Hats off to NEM co-owner Brett Fitzgerald for spearheading this unique initiative!

After two days of mixing up classroom and field exercises we headed up into Tuckerman Ravine for a ski tour designed to re-enforce the knowledge and skills we had gained the days prior.

A bit of GoPro footage from the day

A huge thank you to the first seven students of my 2017 avalanche course season! Each one of you brought something to the course with your engaging questions, camaraderie, early morning shenanigans, and cold weather endurance.

Our next course starts Friday but is sold out. We have a few more spots left in our Jan 20th course. We are also working hard at bringing on another course instructor so we may be able to open more seats soon. If you want to get into a course this season with me check the dates here:

http://www.nemountaineering.com/courses/avalanche/

Use promo code “DavidNEM” when you reserve for a chance to win a free guided day.

See you in the mountains!

Northeast Alpine Start

Hitchcock Gully, Mt. Willard 12/30/17

January 2, 2017 David Lottmann Avalanche Courses, Backcountry Skiing, Trip Reports

This past Friday I had Syed and Thomas for the last day of a 3 Day Mountaineering course with Northeast Mountaineering. On the first day they had learned some of the basics with me at the North End of Cathedral Ledge. On the second day they had a great day on Mount Washington getting less than a quarter mile from the summit (sometimes the weather gods just say “not today”). For their last day we took on a multi-pitch alpine climb, the classic “Hitchcock Gully” on Mt. Willard in Crawford Notch State Park.

Almost a foot of snow had fallen the day before so I was grateful to see a party had broken trail from the parking lot and we made our way to the start of the climb. After roping up we short-roped and short-pitched our way up to the more technical climbing.

Ice Climbing Mount Willard — Thomas and Syed reaching our first 5th class belay point after climbing 500 feet of 3rd class snow

The first 5th class pitch was quite standard with a smidge of funky ice at the choke. I had been following fresh boot-prints until this point but right above the choke they disappeared into a small avalanche debris pile. After setting up an anchor in the first bomber ice on route I took a look at the small crown and guessed it was probably triggered by the climbers who had just proceeded us. While this was a very small slab avalanche on the “Destructive Size” scale it was big enough to sweep a climber off their feet.

This is something ice climbers who solo our local alpine gullies should keep in mind especially after a foot of fresh snow has just dropped. While the danger had passed probably less than an hour earlier now that the small slab had released, two climbers who caught up to us decided to solo the first pitch despite having a rope and a party of three directly ahead of them. While they climbed efficiently they still had to wait 20 minutes for us to finish the rock pitch…so… why not pitch out the first pitch when we have a NWS avalanche warning in effect? You got nothing to lose and might as well bust out that rope you are hauling especially if you’re going to have to wait a few minutes for the party ahead of you.

After finishing Lower Hitchcock we made our way up to the start of Upper Hitchcock. There were some climbers on East Face Slabs Right but we didn’t make contact so I could not confirm if they were the party that triggered the small slab. Upper Hitchcock looked great!

The climbing was great with good ice and comfy temps. Soon after leading the first long pitch we were all at the anchor and ready to climb the last bit of fun ice at the top.

As I topped out I noticed the trail was not broken so we would be doing a little bit of “wallowing”. The pow was so fresh that it was one of the easier bushwhacks to the summit I can recall when breaking trail.

We enjoyed the summit for a few minutes before quickly booting it down the nicely packed out Mt. Willard Trail (thank you snowshoes for packing that thing out minutes after a Nor’Easter’!)

My first day on Willard this year and a great reminder of what an awesome place it is to climb!

Before I wrap up this quick trip report a quick PSA. This is shaping up to be a banner winter recreation season. If your hobbies take you into steep snow covered terrain, you need to be thinking about avalanches. They don’t just happen on Mount Washington. They don’t have to be big enough to bury you to cause injury. Anywhere you go on snow that is over 35 degrees could be avalanche terrain. Even being on flat terrain under this steeper terrain can be a risk.

Know Before You Go!

There is more avalanche education available this season than there ever has been! Take advantage of that and take a course, or a refresher, THIS YEAR!

Don’t wait for a close call (or worse).

Some important resources:

http://www.mountwashingtonavalanchecenter.org/

www.avtraining.org

http://www.avalanche.org/

And if you want to take an avalanche course with me we are almost sold out. Please check the dates here to see what is left this winter:

http://www.nemountaineering.com/courses/avalanche/

If you book a course through the above link use “DavidNEM” at checkout for a chance to win a free custom guided day of your choice (ski tour, ice climb, snow pit work, companion rescue, you name it!).

See you in the mountains,

Northeast Alpine Start

Gear Review- LaSportiva Castle Pant

December 27, 2016December 26, 2016 David Lottmann Gear Reviews climbing gear, Gear Reviews, hiking gear, ice climbing gear, outdoor gear reviews

While I was searching for a new soft-shell pant for ice climbing this season I came across the LaSportiva Castle Pant. While billed as a ski pant this lightweight soft-shell slim fitting tech pant is a great choice for waterfall ice climbing and lightweight mountaineering which is how I primarily tested it over the last two months. The fact that it can serve double duty as a light back-country ski tour pant is definitely a bonus.

Let’s start with a look at the manufacturer description and specifications:

“The Castle Pant is a stylish and comfortable soft-shell ski pant made with technical, performance-focused features to give you everything you need to move confidently around the mountains.”

• 5 pockets <- manufacturer typo? Model has 4 pockets total, 2 front hand warmer pockets, one right rear pocket, and one right thigh pocket large enough for an iPhone 6s Plus

• Adjustable inner gaiter

• Reinforced bottom hem

• Front fly

• Reflective safety details

• Pre-shaped knees

• Suspender attachment

• Flat pocket construction

ITEM NUMBER: B74
SIZES: Men’s S – XL
WEIGHT: 20.56 oz (583g)
FABRIC: Main – Ectoshield™ (90% Nylon, 10% Spandex) • Bottom hem insert – Superfabric® • Inner gaiter – 100% Nylon
FIT: Regular

Not a ton of info from the manufacturer so I’ll break into some real life impressions starting with the choice of fabric.

Materials

La Sportiva uses a proprietary “Ectoshield™” material which is a 90/10 Nylon/Spandex blend. In hand it feels like a durable unlined soft shell very similar to Schoeller™ products I have used before. It is noticeably stretchy and feels quite abrasion resistant. The waist belt has a soft micro fleece lining on the band. There’s an adjustable nylon inner gaiter along with a heavier re-enforced crampon patch on the inner leg and adjustable outer cuff.

img_3633-1 — La Sportiva Castle Pant Review

La Sportiva Castle Pant Review — Zippered lower leg with adjustable cuff

This adjustable cuff is a nice feature as I can snap then tighter when wearing ice climbing boots or have a bit more room for my ski touring boots. Since I rarely wear gaiters while ice climbing the option to snug them up is quite nice!

It is highly likely there is a DWR treatment applied despite no mention of it on the manufacturer’s website. I climbed in them through very drippy conditions and they definitely resisted getting damp.

Fit

They fit great under my harness and are quite comfortable on the approach. As a 180 pound 5’9″ 34 inch waist I went with the USA Medium size (Euro L/50). I found the sizing to be perfect for me. Check the size chart if in doubt:

EU	S/46	M/48	L/50	XL/52	XXL/54
USA	XS	S	M	L	XL
TOTAL HEIGHT	5’6″ – 5’8″	5’8″ – 5’9″	5’9″ – 5’10”	5’11” – 6”0″	6’1″+
SLEEVE	31 – 32	32 – 33	33 – 34	43 – 35	35 – 36
INSEAM	31	32	32	33	33
NECK	14.5	15	16	17	18
CHEST	36	38	40	42	44
WAIST (CLIMBING/CASUAL PANTS)	30 – 31	32 – 33	33 – 34	34 – 35	36 – 37
WAIST (OUTERWEAR PANTS)	32	33 – 34	35 – 36	37 – 38	39 – 40

Performance

After a half dozen climbing days in these I’m thinking these may be my go-to ice pants this season. The 10% spandex material gives complete freedom of movement, and they feel like they can take a bit of climbing abuse from time to time. While they fit my body quite well there are both belt loops and suspender attachment points to facilitate every body shape.

Summary

This is an excellent option for a dedicated ice climbing pant that can serve double duty as a lightweight back-country ski touring pant, something that many New England climbers, back-country skiers, and skimo folks might be looking for. Here’s a short vid of me rocking these pants a few days ago at Frankenstein in Crawford Notch:

If you’d like to pick up a pair you can find them on Backcountry.com here and Amazon here.

See you in the mountains,

Northeast Alpine Start

While I received this item from La Sportiva for the purposes of this review the opinions above are my own. Affiliate links above help support this blog.

Intro to Ice Climbing

December 23, 2016 David Lottmann Ice Climbing, Uncategorized climbing, ice climbing, mountaineering, white mountains

This past Wednesday I had the opportunity to introduce four guests of Northeast Mountaineering to the joys of ice climbing. The North End of Cathedral is in great shape for early season climbing and we had a full day climbing on the North End Slab and the Pillars.

Yesterday I got out to Frankenstein for the first time this season and enjoyed an excellent condition Pegasus Rock Finish.

This is quickly shaping up to be one of the best ice climbing seasons in recent memory. If you’d like to book a lesson with me let me know, I still have some mid-week dates available.

Guided Ice Climbing: 1 Day

If you book online use coupon code “DavidNEM” to have a chance at winning a free guided day!

See you in the mountains,

Northeast Alpine Start

Mount Washington Ascent 12-19-16

December 21, 2016December 21, 2016 David Lottmann Trip Reports mount washington, white mountains, winter hiking, winter mountaineering

This past Monday I headed up to the rockpile again with Virginia/Maryland based Max & Rachel. After gearing up at the Northeast Mountaineering bunkhouse we hit the trail at about 8:15. Following last weeks snow/rain/deep freeze trail conditions were quite nice on the lower Tuckerman Trail. The first “step” on Winter Lionhead had considerable water ice but full crampons and ice axe, and a little coaching saw us through it in quick time. Above this step cramponing was great all the way to the summit which we reached around 1:15pm in really low wind conditions. Definitely a great day on the mountain and I hope to see Max & Rachel back for another adventure this winter!

DCIM100GOPROGOPR0016.JPG

ArcTeryx Acux AR Mountaineering Boots Review

One more trip up “the rockpile” in my ArcTeryx Acux AR Mountaineering Boots

See you in the mountains,

Northeast Alpine Start

P.S. If you decide to book an adventure with Northeast Mountaineering use promo code “DavidNEM” to get a chance at winning a free guided day of your choosing!

3 Day Private Mountaineering Course

December 17, 2016December 17, 2016 David Lottmann Trip Reports

Yesterday wrapped up my first winter guiding assignment of the season, a custom private three day mountaineering course for the NYC based couple Karen and Paul. This was a surprise birthday present for Paul and I was very honored to be a part of it. This adventurous couple had experience trekking in Denali National Park and in Nepal and their objectives were bringing them further and further into the back-country and into steeper terrain so they were eager to start building their skill sets. After a couple emails with Karen we settled on a 3 day program that would make the most of their time with me.

Day 1

We met at the cozy Northeast Mountaineering Bunkhouse in Glen, NH. We’ve added a ceiling mounted projector and pull down screen here to accommodate our upcoming avalanche course season and this was a perfect opportunity to give it a test run. Karen and Paul were interested in upping their navigation skills so we started our program with my Wilderness Navigation course, a 3-4 hour classroom session followed by an afternoon field session to re-enforce learned skills.

Day 2-

A Washington attempt was on our bucket list so we picked the better of the two remaining days to work on our extreme cold weather skills. By extreme I mean the Higher Summits Forecast looked like this:

Some folks might ask why even bother heading up there with a forecast like this? The odds of making the summit are incredibly low. The way I justify it is this is the perfect opportunity to define what exactly “success” means in the mountains. For me, success is not reaching the summit, and it shouldn’t be for you either. Three things should define success in the mountains;

Did you have fun? Type 1 & type 2 are both quite acceptable on “successful” trips.
Did everyone return home uninjured?
Was everyone still friends?

If the answer to the above three questions is yes then you have had a successful climb regardless of where your “high-point” was. Pushing yourself a little, getting slightly outside your comfort zone, but turning around when it is prudent is the epitome of a successful trip in my opinion.

Sorry, got off on a tangent there, back to our day.

We left Pinkham Notch at 0815.

We made our way up the Tuckerman Ravine trail until the 4th cut and moved over to the Sherburne Ski Trail due to bridge work that still had an official detour sending people up the Huntington Ravine Trail. While walking on the Sherb is not ideal, the Huntington detour is a bit more complicated and definitely more time consuming. The good news is the closure has been lifted as of yesterday, so we do not need to put any more post holes up the ski trail (which is looking GREAT for mid-December BTW).

While we were out of the wind ambient air temps were around -8 so I was rocking a light puffy over my soft-shell jacket for the majority of ascent to Hermit Lake.

After a bit of a re-fueling and adjusting break at Hermit Lake we moved over to the Summer Lions Head Trail.

As we closed in on tree-line we started breaking trail across the avalanche prone slopes that were quite filled in. Hand-shear tests confirmed reactive slabs that were quite small in size.

The last section right before the summer trail turns north and joins the winter trail had the most reactive snow but the slope was only about 30 feet in size and the instabilities were close enough to the surface to observe. I took a minute to try to show this on video:

Thanks for the camera work Karen!

My prediction was timely as the USFS closed the summer trail today and the winter trail is now in use.

We rounded the corner to feel some of the 30-50mph gusts just above our heads. Combined with the air temps winch-chills were about -40 here. It was pretty clear we could turn back here, or suffer for another 200 yards and then turn back. We picked tree-line as a good place to turn back and I grabbed this pic of Karen before we started our descent.

We reversed our trip all the way back to Pinkham and high-fived in the parking lot. Karen and Paul were excited to have experienced hiking and climbing in those types of conditions and I was pretty amped up to see our winter off to such a phenomenal start!

Day 3-

For our last day together with valley temps hovering around -6 we spent some time inside discussing glacier travel and rope work. Many knots & hitches were reviewed along with equipment choices before we headed out to the North End of Cathedral Ledge for a quick rappel and some climbing.

It may have been the coldest three days of the season but spending it with these two left me feeling pretty warm. What a sweet birthday present for the man in Karen’s life! I enjoyed every minute with these two and I’m really looking forward to hearing of their future adventures and occasionally being part of them.

See you in the mountains,

Northeast Alpine Start

Gear Review- Black Diamond First Light Hoody

December 5, 2016September 21, 2017 David Lottmann Gear Reviews climbing gear, Gear Reviews, hiking gear, ski gear

For the last couple months I’ve been testing the Black Diamond First Light Hoody. From early season recon missions into Tuckerman Ravine searching for climbable November ice to blustery cliff top rigging work while creating an instructional video with Northeast Mountaineering I’ve cultivated some appreciation for the versatility of this “light puffy”. Lightly insulated hooded jackets like this are a great addition to almost any climber or skier’s kit. If you are looking for a full on winter belay jacket you can check out some other models I am reviewing here.

Buy on Amazon

Black Diamond First Light Hoody Review — Black Diamond First Light Hoody

Insulation

The Black Diamond First Light Hoody uses 60 gsm of PrimaLoft® Silver Insulation Active with a traditional tube style baffling. This is a high end insulation that resists “migration”; basically it stays put within its baffles reducing gaps in protection. PrimaLoft® also claims it is more wind resistant but less thermally efficient than the PrimaLoft® Gold Eco.

So this type of PrimaLoft insulation isn’t as close to high loft down in terms of heat retention per weight but feels quite warm for the weight of this piece. It also boosts excellent breath-ability and will still retain heat if you get soaked in a “not quite full winter” rain event.

The Patagonia Nano Puff and Black Diamond First Light Hoody, birds of a synthetic feather

Shell/Lining

The Black Diamond First Light Hoody uses Schoeller® stretch-woven nylon with NanoSphere® Technology (80 gsm, 93% nylon, 7% elastane). This is a highly breathable shell fabric which allows this jacket to stay on during high output effort in cold conditions (skinning with sub-zero ambient temps) without overheating. In hand the shell fabric feels like it will handle abrasion better than some others in this category. The nylon woven mesh liner adds a bit of weight to this piece (65 gsm, 100% nylon) but is super soft and feels great directly on skin.

Buy on Amazon

Weight/Compress-ability

Manufacturer specs state 510 grams, 18 oz. My home scale on my size large reads 568 grams, 20 oz. The jacket compresses easily enough into its internal chest pocket and only appears to be slightly larger in packing size than the Nano Puff (but about 50% heavier).

Black Diamond First Light Hoody vs. Patagonia Nano Puff® Hoody pack-ability

A carabiner sewn loop allows you to clip this off to the back of your harness if you are leaving your pack on the ground and the top of the pitch looks a little bit more breezy than the base of the route.

Sizing/Fit

I found the sizing to be spot on. I went with a large which fits my 42 inch chest, 180lb build, with a little extra space for a soft-shell and base-layers but not too baggy to throw on over a t-shirt. The hood is sized to fit perfectly over your helmet.

Summary

Yet another fantastic option in the growing lightweight hooded jacket category the Black Diamond First Light Hoody is an ideal “just in case” piece for edge season climbing and an obvious go-to choice for hard & fast winter objectives. If sharing leads on a multi-pitch ice climb I would still bring a full duty belay jacket like the models I am reviewing here. If you haven’t added a “light puffy” to your kit yet or the one you have needs replacing this should be on your radar.

Buy on Amazon

If you think you’d like this jacket you can find other reviews and competitive pricing right here on Amazon. If you liked this review please leave a comment below and subscribe above!

See you in the mountains,

Northeast Alpine Start

Disclaimer: Black Diamond provided this item for purposes of review. The opinions expressed above are my own. Affiliate links above help support this blog.

Northeast Alpine Start has presence on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Strava.

Some promotional videos of this product:

Tech Tip- Saddlebagging your Rappel Ropes

November 29, 2016November 28, 2016 David Lottmann Tech Tips

Saddlebagging your ropes for rappelling is a great way to prevent mini-epics and is also more polite than dropping your ropes on parties climbing below you. It works great on low angle terrain where your ropes won’t fall free and in vegetated areas where every bush and krummholz conspire to lengthen your descent time. Last week I went out with Northeast Mountaineering to create this instructional video on the technique. Enjoy, and please like, share, and/or comment below!

See you in the mountains,

Northeast Alpine Start

Gear Review: La Sportiva Trango Cube GTX Mountaineering Boots

November 28, 2016November 28, 2016 David Lottmann Footwear Reviews, Gear Reviews

This Fall La Sportiva asked me if I would be interested in reviewing the La Sportiva Trango Cube GTX Mountaineering Boots in their new “Highlander” color from a hunter’s perspective. Since I have very limited experience hunting I enlisted my good friend Alec to help review a pair. Alec has been getting out almost every weekend since the hunting season started.

La Sportiva Trango Cube GTX Mountaineering Boot

Alex finding some signs of the buck he’s pursuing this season while the La Sportiva Trango Cube GTX Mountaineering Boots keep his feet warm & dry

How we tested:

The boots were tested pheasant hunting in high grass fields in early season, deer hunting from late October through late November with the season continuing until December 4th . For deer season, I have hunted in the White Mountains of NH and Colebrook, NH. We have yet to have had much snow in the lower elevations of the Whites yet, but there was snow in Colebrook and that was where I found the boots to be a little cold. In the White Mountains, I have been in rolling, rocky, steeper terrain. I have never felt like the terrain was too much or for the boot. The rubber of the sole maintained traction in all of the conditions that I found myself in. With two more weekend left in the season, I look forward to use them until the end.

Durability

So far there have been no issues with durability. The boots show no sign of wear and tear. The Thermo-Tech Injection™ TPU lacing system seems to provide a nice protective layer over the fabric. The only reason that I have reserved a rating of 10 is because I am still interested to see how the PU eyelets hold up over time.

Weight

At only 26.2 ounces (size 45.5), this boot is very light. Manufacturer weight for a size 42 is only 24 ounces. The heaviest aspect of this boot is the sole, but the balance is very comfortable.

Comfort

La Sportiva as a brand tends to run on the narrower side, but these boots run wider. As someone with a wider forefoot, having this extra width makes a big difference for my comfort. I have been wearing the boots with the tongue inserts in, but with it getting colder will be taking them out to allow for thicker socks. This boot is designed for a narrow to medium with foot, but the removable tongue allows for different volumes. The flex allows for great comfort while walking.

Features

The removable tongue is a great feature. The polymer shrouding over the upper makes for great durability. The stiff sole makes for great traction in varying terrain. Unlike some hiking boots, the laces are a perfect length so they do not drag or get caught on underbrush.

The Good

Light weight, soft upper, nice flexion in the ankle, stiff sole with nice rocker, highly waterproof, the tongue design (materials and removable insert).

The Bad

A little light on insulation, a little low in the upper, a little narrow if you have a really wide foot.

The Verdict

I am really enjoying this product especially for tracking, stalking and scouting. The rocker of the sole really makes up for how stiff it is in terms of moving quietly. With sitting for long periods of time, it is really nice to have the ability to flex my ankles to keep my feet from falling asleep. I have found with other boots that this has been a problem when taking a stand for a couple of hours. The ability to take out the tongue insert has been great for being able to vary the weight of socks that I’m wearing depending on conditions. The boot is fantastic for early to mid season hunting. The one place that it has fallen a little short is the lack of insulation. Sitting for three hours on a snowy day, my feet did get a bit cold. Once I got moving, everything warmed right up, but I am interested to continue to experiment with different sock combinations and how tight the boot is as the season goes on.

Overall, I am very happy with this boot and would highly recommend it especially if you are looking for something to lead you up to the part of the season where a heavier insulated boot is needed. -Alec F.

So there you have it! Sounds like a high end hunting boot to me and I might need to invest in a whole new hobby. If you want to pick a pair up you’ll probably find the best price on Amazon here. Thank you Alec for getting some feedback on these for La Sportiva and my readers!

See you in the mountains!

-Northeast Alpine Start

Disclaimer: La Sportiva supplied Northeast Alpine Start with these boots for the purpose of review but that has in no way effected the opinion of our guest reviewer. Affiliate links in this post help support this website.