Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Backpack Hunting new boot help

Due for a new pair of boots this year and thought I had the perfect pair picked out: A pair of Hanwag Mountain Lights.

Called Lathrop & Sons to make it happen and got the bad and badder news. Boots in my size are out of stock and Hanwag corporate is jerking their chain and not sending them new supplies. :-(

So I'm looking for something similar and not having much luck. I need a mid weight boot (4 lbs max), that's bearable in 90 degree temps in August and stiff enough to haul a heavy load off trail on steep hillsides. Also needs a rubber rand all the way around the boot so it doesn't get cut up in the shale. My current heavy boots are Cabelas Meindl Alaskan Hikers and they fit and perform well, but are just too heavy and hot for my early season hunting.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Lowa Tibets? Lowa also makes about the same boot without GTX if thats what you want. Would be a bit cooler in hot weather. I wear my Tibets in 90 degree weather and I have just learned to "deal with it". I should get a pair without the GTX liner...

I have looked at the Tibets and Rangers, definitely on the short list. May just have to "man up" and deal with a little warmer boot.

I talked with Steve at Lathrop & Sons and he said they will be introducing new brands of boots into the line-up soon. He said they will have a boot similar to the Mountain Light only better. I'm just not sure I want to wait until until July for a boot I will need in August. :-)

Zamberlan, an Italian maker, has a few models, which are "stitch-down welted", a pair of the lighter ones, the "Nuvalao" is on my feet right now. I used to scorn Zamberlan boots, the former mainstay of MEC here in Canada, but, I decided to try these and they are REALLY a good boot.

I have many pairs of mountain boots, retired from a position as "boot god" in a major mountain gear store here and wear these boots exclusively due to orthopaedic issues. I have tried highend Gore-Tex lined boots and I [bleep]' hate them even in sopping wet Vancouver and the BC Coast.

So, "Google" Zamberlans and see what you can find....Danner, also has some US MADE light to medium hikers without G/T and Lowa, as mentioned has the "Banff", a boot I intend to buy some day fairly soon.

I used to have a pair of Lowa Baffin's, which are the same as the Tibets except leather lined instead Gtx. Don't know about them being cooler that the Gtx models, but certainly heavier and even moreso if I got them wet.

But some bugger pinched them and I replaced with a pair of Kenetrek Hardscrabbles, which I prefer over the Lowas. Have worn both in the temperatures you describe and don't find them uncomfortable.

I was hoping for something lighter and cooler than the Tibets, but with similar support. But it looks like that boot doesn't exist. I'm a little surprised there is nothing else on the market like the Mountain Lights.

Tried the Hardscrambles but the heel was way too big for me.

Have you checked out the Kenetrek Hardscrabble boots. I have a pair of Mountain Extremes that I use for Elk hunting in CO and cold whiter hunting elsewhere. The Hardscrabble are cut lower (7 inch), should be better in warmer climates and come in a wide variety of sizes. The website indicates that they weigh about 3.7 lbs.

You want the Lowa Baffin, trust me. Fantastic boot. Narrow widths or Wide are available.

The Leather lining is heaven.

Tried the Hardscrambles but the heel area was way too big.

It looks like the Tibet comes in a leather lined version as well. The only problem with the Tibets and Baffins is the weight; they are probably about the same weight as my Meindls.

I just weighed my size 11 wide Baffins with green Superfeet insoles, 4 lbs 2 oz.

Rubber rand, full support for Packs. 4 lbs. Everything you asked for.

Thanks Kenneth! They are listed on Lowa's website as 4.1 lbs for size nine in regular width. As I'm a 10 or 10.5 I thought they would be a lot closer to my Meindls.

I got to admit the leather lining really appeals to me. Gore-Tex is never very high on my list of priorities when buying boots.

Alico Tahoe from sierra trading post. All leather. No goretex. Leather lining. Actual weight of one boot 1# 13 oz. Alico Summit if you need more support. No rubber rand but Alico's are resoleable because of norwegien welt. You could apply Red Wing Shoes Toe Armor to hi scuff areas.

Those Alico boots look a lot like Limmers. Unfortunately, the lack of a rand is a deal breaker for me. I wore a brand new pair of $200 Danners one year up in the shale and almost ruined them in just 3 days. At times it's like walking in a bunch of little knives.

Thanks guys for all the help.

I placed an order today for the new Lowa Tibet LL (leather lined). It looks like these will be a little lighter than the Hanwags Mountain Lights. And without the Gore-Tex liner, they will likely breath as well or maybe even better.

I'm pretty stoked about the leather lining. Although its been a while since I've had that in a boot, my experiences have always been positive. IMHO leather liners seem to wick and mold to a person's feet better than fabric.

+1
I've got two pairs of leather lined Renegade lows and some LL Trekkers.
Most comfortable footwear available.

Downer... :-(

Got the Lowa Tibets LL today and put them on the scale. They essentially weigh the same as my Meindls, about 4.5 lbs per pair. Lowa quoted me 4 lbs a pair previous to my purchase. They must not be including insoles or laces and have the suckers pumped up with helium to get that weight. :-)

Not sure what to do. Love the leather liner, but other than that they are essentially equivalent to my Meindls.

Sorry about those boots russ.

Weight aside, what is the return/satisfaction policy?

Thanks add.

As we all know you take your chances ordering things over the net, especially boots. I got them thru shoebuy.com and they have a 30 return policy with free return shipping. So not much risk on my end. I'll wear them around the house and office for a week or two and see how I feel at that point. My Meindls only have a year or two left in them, so maybe they get an early retirement or relegated to "wet" duty only use.

A few observations on the Lowas/Meindls. I measured my feet on a Brannock device recently and I would say the Lowas are true to size. The fit in the heel is very similar between the two. Toe box is bigger on the Lowas. Meindls seem a bit narrower in the front. I would also say the Lowas have more overall volume.

Russ, have you considered going to a primarily synthetic mountain/backpacking boot? I now have two pairs, one Vasque and one Asolo. that work really well and are much, much lighter than the leather boots they replaced. The difference between them is primarily in the sole stiffness. The Vasque have a crampon compatible sole that bends very little. The Asolo are still stiff enough for mountain hiking but bend a good deal more than the Vasque. The main difference I found with the mostly nylon boots is that they either fit when you buy them or not. They don't mold to your foot so much afterwards. The Asolo I have do not have the full rand you need but the Vasque do. Lowa, Asolo, Scarpa, La Sportiva are brands I'm familiar with. The weight loss comes from having a trim climbing boot sole profile together with a primarily nylon cloth upper which is reinforced with leather, synthetic leather and/ or a rubber rand. Waterproofing comes with a gore-tex or equivalent liner.

moosejaw.com has hanwags in stock you might check there also