Gear Institute’s Best Backcountry Boots of 2012-13: Scarpa Maestrale RS
THE GOOD
聽聽聽 鈥⒙犅 聽Substantially stiffer than the predecessor.
聽聽 聽鈥⒙犅 聽Walk mode has a big range for long strides.
聽聽 聽鈥⒙犅 聽Intuition liners are warm; accommodate many foot types.
聽聽 聽鈥⒙犅 聽Quick 鈥渟tep in鈥 tech fittings make clicking in a cinch.
THE BAD
聽聽聽 鈥⒙犅 聽The asymmetrical tongue is still awkward to negotiate.
聽聽 聽鈥⒙犅 聽Forefoot buckles are clustered too close together.
聽聽 聽鈥⒙犅 聽Buckles are still a little clunky.
THE VERDICT
This year (winter 2012-13) Scarpa upgraded the Maestrale, which was already a good boot, and made it bad ass. The flex is notably stiffer, but the boot didn鈥檛 gain any significant weight. Scarpa has made gains in balancing substantial tour-ability with high performance on the down. It can hold its own in bounds, but it really shines in the backcountry.
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Gear Institute’s Best Backcountry Boots of 2012-13: Dynafit Vulcan
A very lightweight, three buckle, alpine touring/freeride boot with tech fittings
THE GOOD
聽聽聽 鈥⒙犅 聽Strength to weight ratio is very high.
聽聽 聽鈥⒙犅 聽Walk mode provides optimum tourability.
聽聽 聽鈥⒙犅 聽Very light and nimble for making quick work of bootpacks, or tackling long slogs.
聽聽 聽鈥⒙犅 聽The widened last accommodates more foot widths.
THE BAD
聽聽聽 鈥⒙犅 聽Tricky to get in and out.
聽聽 聽鈥⒙犅 聽They鈥檙e not cheap.
聽聽 聽鈥⒙犅 聽Walk mode is activated by fully disengaging top buckle.
聽聽 聽鈥⒙犅 聽Liners are a bit chintzy for such an expensive boot.
THE VERDICT
No question鈥攖he Vulcan is an excellent AT boot that can tour and ski any and all backcountry conditions. It鈥檚 light and nimble, but very stiff鈥攚ith a serious strength to weight ratio, and the boot has more everyday-user appeal than Dynafit’s popular TLT5. We really liked this boot, but the steep, $1,000 price takes some thunder out of our applause.
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Gear Institute’s Best Backcountry Boots of 2012-13: Lange XT 130
The Lange XT 130 is a four-buckle freeride boot with a walk mode
THE GOOD
聽聽聽 鈥⒙犅 聽Very smooth and consistent flex on the down.
聽聽 聽鈥⒙犅 聽Clean design and appearance鈥攊t just looks smooth.
聽聽 聽鈥⒙犅 聽Robust rubber sole/tip and tail attachments鈥攅xcellent on your feet.
聽聽 聽鈥⒙犅 聽Dual last options allow skiers to dial in the best possible fit.
THE BAD
聽聽聽 鈥⒙犅 聽No tech fittings.
聽聽 聽鈥⒙犅 聽Fairly heavy compared to other four-buckle freeride boots.
聽聽 聽鈥⒙犅 聽Walk mode is sufficient but range of motion is limited.
聽聽 聽鈥⒙犅 聽Heavy on the tour, but about average weight for freeride/frontside.
THE VERDICT
The Lange XT 130 is a performance-driven option that can drive any ski around the resorts in true alpine fashion, but will have no problem bootpacking or skinning just outside the gates. The flex might not be quite 130, but it鈥檚 the consistency that shines more than the stiffness. Long tours? Not its forte.
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Gear Institute’s Best Backcountry Boots of 2012-13: Dalbello 2/8
The Dalbello 2/8 is a three-buckle, freeride-oriented Alpine Touring boot
THE GOOD
聽聽聽 鈥⒙犅 聽Strength to weight ratio is high.
聽聽 聽鈥⒙犅 聽Walk mode is easy to negotiate.
聽聽 聽鈥⒙犅 聽Split tongue is still pretty cool for overall walkability.
聽聽 聽鈥⒙犅 聽Intuition wrap liner.
THE BAD
聽聽聽 鈥⒙犅 聽The one boot in the Dalbello line that doesn鈥檛 have tech fittings.
聽聽 聽鈥⒙犅 聽Forward lean is moderate, could be more aggressive.
聽聽 聽鈥⒙犅 聽Walk mode is tough to activate while wearing … pants.
THE VERDICT
The 2/8 is ostensibly an 80-percent backcountry boot, but we felt its talents were best realized charging around a resort and nearby sidecountry. The rockered sole and ergonomic walk mode excel in bootpacking to harder-to-reach sidecountry stashes, and the boot still has the chops to kill the line in view of the apr猫s patio. Because the 2/8 isn’t quite as stiff as a Scarpa Hurricane Pro or Lange XT130, tech fittings would have given this boot a serious boost in tourability鈥攁nd overall value.
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Gear Institute’s Best Backcountry Boots of 2012-13: Garmont Cosmos
The Garmont Cosmos is an extremely lightweight, four-buckle AT boot, with a claimed flex of 125
THE GOOD
聽聽聽 鈥⒙犅 聽One of the lightest four-buckle boots on the market.
聽聽 聽鈥⒙犅 聽Comfy from the get-go鈥攚ithout even cooking liner.
聽聽 聽鈥⒙犅 聽Buckles are well designed鈥攙ery easy to negotiate.
聽聽 聽鈥⒙犅 聽Rockered sole enhances walkability.
THE BAD
聽聽聽 鈥⒙犅 聽Very soft for a four-buckle boot.
聽聽 聽鈥⒙犅 聽Forward lean could be more aggressive.
THE VERDICT
The Garmont Cosmos is a very comfortable alpine touring boot, with welcoming fit and a forgiving on-snow feel being its primary virtues. It鈥檚 light and agile, ideal for longer backcountry days and more technical ski mountaineering objectives, though the power for this four-buckle boot leaves room for improvement.
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Gear Institute’s Best Backcountry Boots of 2012-13: Crispy Skr!!m
The Crispi Skr!!m is a three-buckle, alpine touring ski boot made of Pebax with a Vibram outsole
THE GOOD
聽聽聽 鈥⒙犅 聽Buckles are well placed for max performance and ease of use.
聽聽 聽鈥⒙犅 聽Svelte cuff design screams fast and light.
聽聽 聽鈥⒙犅 聽Ergonomic walk mode.
聽聽 聽鈥⒙犅 聽Compulsory tech fittings for true AT designation.
THE BAD
聽聽聽 鈥⒙犅 聽The liners are a little junior varsity; comfy but not high scoring.
聽聽 聽鈥⒙犅 聽The flex is soft compared to others in this category.
聽聽 聽鈥⒙犅 聽Price is a bit high.
聽聽 聽鈥⒙犅 聽Not a ton of rocker for a lug-sole touring boot.
聽聽 聽鈥⒙犅犅 Wait, how do you pronounce 鈥淪kr!!m?鈥
THE VERDICT
The Skr!!m is a fully functioning AT boot that is best suited for chasing powder deep in the backcountry. The modest stiffness is similar to the Garmont Cosmos, with which it shares the highly lauded and comparable day-long comfort. Bottom line: the boot can do everything expected of it, but the Skr!!m didn’t shine above the others in this category for either touring or skiing performance.
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Gear Institute’s Best Backcountry Boots of 2012-13: Tecnica Cochise Pro Light
The Tecnica Cochise Pro Light is a lightweight, three-buckle touring version of a proven freeride champ, with self-proclaimed 120 flex and tech or DIN soles
THE GOOD
聽聽聽 鈥⒙犅 聽Swappable AFD/Tech soles.
聽聽 聽鈥⒙犅 聽Light for hiking and skinning.
聽聽 聽鈥⒙犅 聽Buckles are stripped down and easy to use.
聽聽 聽鈥⒙犅 聽The longitudinal flex is smooth, if a little soft.
THE BAD
聽聽聽 鈥⒙犅 聽Price is a little steep for a stripped-down boot.
聽聽 聽鈥⒙犅 聽There鈥檚 no rockered sole, making your stride a bit drastic.
聽聽 聽鈥⒙犅 聽Stock liner could offer more support.
THE VERDICT
The Cochise Pro Light is an excellent hybrid of freeride and touring DNA. The overlap cuff design provides a consistent, predictable flex, and the interchangeable tech soles and AFD give it versatility and sole longevity. It’s not as stiff as it looks, but it’s not as heavy either. Get the Tecnica Cochise Pro (more like the Lange XT 130, but with tech fittings) if you want to charge around the resorts. Save the Light for sweat-labor adventure deep in the hills.
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