Raw Notes From The Field - Playing In The Snow
we've been getting a lot of snow lately. yesterday it was all the way down to 2000 feet which means seven springs, four peaks, the sups, even the mcdowells have white stuff on them so i don't have to go far to play in it. all this snow has given me a chance to spend copious amounts of time in two pair of boots. the scarpa liskamm gtx and the lowa creek II gtx. although completely different boots, they both have done very well and i am sure they will earn GREAT GEAR RECOMMENDATION status soon
the scarpa liskamms sort of jumped out at me at outdoor retailer two years ago and it took me a while to get my hands on them but they were well worth the wait. they are classed as a mountaineering boot but i think they are more like a very heavy hiker or light mountaineering boot. they have stiff soles and high uppers but they are easy to walk in. i have used them in the snow with snowshoes, crampons and by themselves, in the rocks and on broken trail, with and without a pack and they have handled everything with poise and grace. don't get me wrong, these won't easily be mistaken for trail runners but they are much more refined and civil to your dogs than say the likes of a sadistic meindl alaska hiker or hunter
three words best describe these scarpas. sophisticated. supportive. comfortable. i can see them being used with great success on sheep hunts and the nastiest coues terrain as they are unbeaten at side hilling. but then again they certainly have the chops to handle glaciers. add that up and you probably have a boot that would do very well in afghani mountains. built on scarpas dl last, they can run true to size with enough volume to handle my medium/thick socks. can you tell i like these boots? i do indeed. in fact i put them right up there with my lowas and hanwags
as i said the lowa creek IIs are a very different boot but just as good for its designed use. they are very flexible, primaloft insulated light hikers. kind of a crossover. if they were a car they would be a subaru outback or a volvo xc90. basically they are a lace up snow pac. a light duty version of the outstanding but very robust sorel conquest. these are perfect for knocking around town or shoveling snow but just as good for recreational snowshoeing and leisurely hikes
they are warm, watertight and super comfy. comfy like a slip on pac but not as sloppy so you can actually do things in them but they don't have much structure to them.
my new most bestest do pretty much everything in them pants are the stretch tech pants from arbor wear. i told you how much i like the original tree climbers well that goes double or triple even for the these schoeller cloth like synthetic wonders. technical design. zippered pants legs. velcro adjustable cuffs. double fabric on the knees. a good side cargo pocket on the left thigh, two pocket pool front pockets, two rear pockets with sewn down liners and a little right thigh specialty pocket that fits my motorola droid perfectly. diamond gusset crotch. and they stretch (they are a husky boys dream). sturdy and well placed belt loops. not to heavy, not too light but just right for a wide range of conditions. last but not least, they are treated with a good dwr so they shed water pretty well
i love them! yes, i said love. i wore them for seven days straight and would have happily gone another seven days if my wife had not stolen them while i was sleeping. she said they were dirty and it was ridiculous and embarrassing for a man of my station to wear the same pair of pants for seven days in a row. i don't care, they are the most comfortable, capable pants i own. i am crapping you negative friends, you give me those, another pair to cut into shorts for the summer, my crocs and a carhartt work dry t shirt and i won't have to buy clothes for the rest of my life
that's all i got for now. cheers
the scarpa liskamms sort of jumped out at me at outdoor retailer two years ago and it took me a while to get my hands on them but they were well worth the wait. they are classed as a mountaineering boot but i think they are more like a very heavy hiker or light mountaineering boot. they have stiff soles and high uppers but they are easy to walk in. i have used them in the snow with snowshoes, crampons and by themselves, in the rocks and on broken trail, with and without a pack and they have handled everything with poise and grace. don't get me wrong, these won't easily be mistaken for trail runners but they are much more refined and civil to your dogs than say the likes of a sadistic meindl alaska hiker or hunter
three words best describe these scarpas. sophisticated. supportive. comfortable. i can see them being used with great success on sheep hunts and the nastiest coues terrain as they are unbeaten at side hilling. but then again they certainly have the chops to handle glaciers. add that up and you probably have a boot that would do very well in afghani mountains. built on scarpas dl last, they can run true to size with enough volume to handle my medium/thick socks. can you tell i like these boots? i do indeed. in fact i put them right up there with my lowas and hanwags
as i said the lowa creek IIs are a very different boot but just as good for its designed use. they are very flexible, primaloft insulated light hikers. kind of a crossover. if they were a car they would be a subaru outback or a volvo xc90. basically they are a lace up snow pac. a light duty version of the outstanding but very robust sorel conquest. these are perfect for knocking around town or shoveling snow but just as good for recreational snowshoeing and leisurely hikes
they are warm, watertight and super comfy. comfy like a slip on pac but not as sloppy so you can actually do things in them but they don't have much structure to them.
my new most bestest do pretty much everything in them pants are the stretch tech pants from arbor wear. i told you how much i like the original tree climbers well that goes double or triple even for the these schoeller cloth like synthetic wonders. technical design. zippered pants legs. velcro adjustable cuffs. double fabric on the knees. a good side cargo pocket on the left thigh, two pocket pool front pockets, two rear pockets with sewn down liners and a little right thigh specialty pocket that fits my motorola droid perfectly. diamond gusset crotch. and they stretch (they are a husky boys dream). sturdy and well placed belt loops. not to heavy, not too light but just right for a wide range of conditions. last but not least, they are treated with a good dwr so they shed water pretty well
i love them! yes, i said love. i wore them for seven days straight and would have happily gone another seven days if my wife had not stolen them while i was sleeping. she said they were dirty and it was ridiculous and embarrassing for a man of my station to wear the same pair of pants for seven days in a row. i don't care, they are the most comfortable, capable pants i own. i am crapping you negative friends, you give me those, another pair to cut into shorts for the summer, my crocs and a carhartt work dry t shirt and i won't have to buy clothes for the rest of my life
that's all i got for now. cheers
Posted by Wade Nelson at Monday, February 28. 2011 
Categories: Feet, Trailwear, Field Journal
Tags: scarpa liskamm gtx boots lowa creek II gtx boots arbor wear stretch tech pants schoeller cloth pants scarpa boots arbor wear pants lowa snow boots
Categories: Feet, Trailwear, Field Journal
Tags: scarpa liskamm gtx boots lowa creek II gtx boots arbor wear stretch tech pants schoeller cloth pants scarpa boots arbor wear pants lowa snow boots
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