2018 Midwest Test Fest - Intros and Overview

2018 Midwest Test Fest

Test Central

Meet The Test Team:

KS:  52 year old heavyweight female with a love of speed, junky snow, and tough conditions.  Previous PSIA L2 certified instructor and twice-a-week gold/platinum league/NASTAR racer.  Technically proficient in most conditions, skis with finesse backed by speed and prefers to dance with the mountain.  Current daily drivers – Volkl RTM 84 177 (UVO version), Hart Lady Twin 176, Volkl Kiku 178 (full rocker version), and Volkl Shiro 184.

CS:  56 year old heavyweight male with more balls than technique.  Generally fearless and skis with speed and power; likes to use the whole ski, powering up the tail to rocket out of the turn and prefers to blast through the cruddy stuff.  Current daily drivers – Volkl Grizzly 177, Volkl Mantra 177 (tip rocker version), Volkl Gotama 176 (camber and rocker versions), and Volkl Katana 184.


NW:  70+ year old midweight female with solid intermediate to advanced skills, but skis cautiously in cruddy conditions and on steeper terrain.  Current skis – Volkl P60 World Cup SL Jr 150, Volkl RTM84 166 (full rocker version), Volkl Aura 163 (full camber version), and Volkl Shiro Jr 163.




JE:  70+ lightweight female most comfortable making very short turns on easy terrain with short skis.  Current skis – Volkl P60 World Cup SL Jr 150 and Dynastar Intense 10 153.

TR:   Diminutive 30-something ex-racer female who grew up on skis and now carves high speed short turns with power and grace all over the mountain. Current skis - Atomic Metron.

Test Conditions:

Day 1 - Teens to low 20s but cloudy and windy, perfect groomers becoming a bit chunky at the top.
Day 2 - Low 30s warming to mid 40s with beautiful sunshine and howling winds, crusty groomers changing to thick and creamy slush.
Day3 -  Consistently in the 30s and partly cloudy, crunchy groomers turning to deep sugar over hardpack.

Test Notes:

Testing is Seriously Hard Work!

2019 is going to be a stellar year to try some skis from the lesser-known brands! I spent much of my time on these indie-type skis and was beyond impressed by most of them. If you're curious, or happen on a demo day, don't hesitate to jump on a pair!

Volkl has hit it out of the park with the new M5 Mantra, and the Deacon series, and I can guarantee you the Secret won't live up to its name for long!

No, Really, It Is! Homework During Lunch.

Salomon was a total surprise for me this year, as I typically don't like their feel. They're still not really my cup of tea, but they will make lots of people very happy with their models for 2019.

There were 2 skis that really stood out for the stronger women on the test team, and the fact that we all loved them, even with our vastly different skiing styles and speeds, speaks to their quality and versatility.

Play Time on Superbowl

Those 2 skis are the incredibly capable carver, the Atomic Cloud 12 and the the fully redesigned replacement for the venerable Volkl Aura, the Secret.

In addition, the strongest skiers of our group enthused about all the Icelantic skis we got on, although 2 of the women felt that the binding mount point was too far back for them.

The "token" male tester fell head-over-heels for the Volkl V-Werks Mantra, the Icelantic Natural 101 and Pioneer 96, and the Blizzard Brahma and Bonafide.

Just like last year, we did have one rep show up with badly tuned skis (different manufacturer, though). This was unfortunate because I was anxious to get everyone on these skis since I loved them so much last year.

I have a total of 95 ski score cards to sort, tabulate, and put into words, so stay tuned for full reviews in the carving, all mountain, and fat ski categories!

Center Point XR175 Recurve Crossbow and 16" Aluminum 2219 Bolts

Center Point XR175 Recurve Crossbow:

This is my first crossbow purchase, and only the 3rd time I've shot a crossbow, although I've spent years shooting and hunting with standard bows (both recurve and compound).  I chose this one especially due to its simplicity, price point (on sale for $99, retails at $199), weight, and the fact that pretty much everything needed to get started was included in the box (and it wasn't camo!).

Even though it was a Christmas present, I made sure to do the assembly work immediately on getting it home (Thanksgiving weekend), just to make sure nothing was missing and there were no issues with it right out of the box. It took me about a 1/2 hour to assemble it with the included instructions. The directions weren't awful, but they weren't really great either. If you're not somewhat mechanically inclined, you might want to get someone else to walk you through the assembly process. In particular, the directions for sighting in and adjustment of the included 3-dot sight are really lame, especially for someone who has never adjusted a scope before.

The XR175 includes a rope cocker and stringer cable, a quick release 6-bolt quiver, metal sights and a small 3-dot scope, and 4-16" aluminum bolts and target points. It also supposedly includes rail lube, although that appeared to be missing from my box (no real worries though, as it's cheap enough to buy).

I've only shot it twice so far but I'm pretty impressed with its shot consistency, and have found the weight easily handled even with my pansy arms.The ergonomics are exceptional for smaller shooters, especially for such an inexpensive product. The trigger pull only has a small bit of play before "hitting the wall", where it releases cleanly. It also seems to be fairly quiet for a crossbow. I'm finding that it might take me a while to get used to the fact that the trigger safety is automatically engaged when the bow is cocked - I keep getting "click" when I fire because I forget to disengage the safety first. Doh!

Center Point 2219 16" Aluminum Crossbow Bolts

Four unbranded bolts, marked only with 2219 are included with the XR175 crossbow, and Center Point sells additional (identical) branded 16" aluminum bolts in a 6-pack for $29.99. I thought it prudent to purchase the extra 6 since I'm not really experienced with a crossbow and I wasn't sure how many I would lose while I learned to shoot it.

I actually haven't lost any of them yet, but it turns out that purchasing extras was still a very good idea. I'm completely and totally disappointed in these bolts and certainly cannot recommend purchasing them, even though it's very difficult to find any other 16" bolts locally (carbons are easily found on E-bay for a reasonable purchase price). My first time shooting them, 1 lost fletching, 2 lost nocks, 1 lost the insert and target point, and 1 had the insert jammed up into the shaft itself. Then, another nock disappeared on my second practice session. Thinking that maybe the ones included with the bow were "seconds", I looked them all over and realized that the issues were evenly spread between the branded and non-branded versions. Yikes.

In contrast, the 15 20" aluminum ones I bought for $3.99 for a 3-pack, and the Allen Sweetness Muddy Girl carbons (also 20'" also a 3-pack, for around $20-25), have held up perfectly and seem to have much closer and more accurate groupings (Center Point aluminum and Allen carbons in the picture below- notice all 3 of the purple Allens are in a straight vertical line while the Center Points are spaced in a much larger group).

Center Point does actually sell 20" carbon bolts, but reviews for these on their website seem to show that their quality control likely isn't much better than the aluminum ones.

Specs:

SKU	AXR175B
Arrow Velocity	Up to 245 fps
FPE	45
Product Weight	5.75 lbs
Length	34.5 in
System	Recurve, Single Limb
Draw Weight	175 lbs
Limbs	Engineered, Compression Molded Fiberglass Composite
Riser	Black
Stock Style	Ambidextrous
Stock Material	Composite/Aluminum
Material	Composite
Included Optics	Illuminated 1x40 3-Dot Scope

Pros:
Price point
Weight
Simplicity
Ease of use
Comfort
Accuracy up to 40 yds
Ability to replace string in the field
Included accessories

Cons:
Manual for scope stinks
Quality of included bolts is awful
Difficulty in finding other 16" bolts
Cocking takes some muscle
Rated for deer hunting to 40 yrds, but likely not really enough velocity for hunting beyond 30 yrds or so

For a new crossbow shooter, or someone wanting close-up hunting with supreme simplicity, I highly recommend this low-cost package, although everyone, and hunters in particular, should upgrade the seriously crappy aluminum bolts immediately, with at least mid-level carbon ones. I have noticed that the 20" bolts tend to hit a little lower than the 16s, so this bow may not have the guts to put those 20"ers out to 40 yards with enough velocity for hunting. I will check this out once summer hits and update my review as that info becomes available.

Website:  Crossbow
16" Bolts
20" Carbon Bolts

Shaggy's Copper Country Skis (Tubby, Ahmeek, Bootjack)

This set of reviews is a conglomerate of reviews I've written on their skis over a number of years - I'm now 52, so that means these go back (currently) 5 years.

Test Day #1 (originally published 2013)

The Tester: 47 year old heavyweight, ex-instructor and ex-2x a week league and gold/platinum NASTAR racer turned free skier with a love of high speeds and cruddy snow conditions.

The Conditions: Shaggy Day - 24-28 degrees, firm groomers and softening crud with plenty of death cookies.

The Boutique Skis: Shaggy's Copper Country Skis are hand made by a family in a small building in Boyne City, Michigan. They feature full wood cores hand picked and matched for desired flex characteristics, and standard sidewall laminate construction. Their graphics are odd but interesting.

• Shaggy's Copper Country Skis "Tubby"

Specs: Size 178 (142-117-142, 21.5 m TR, tip and tail rocker, flat under foot). Also available in 168 and 188 with differing dimensions and turn radii for each size.​

Impressions: The Tubby is one of SCC's "all mountain" offerings and on paper, it seemed like the perfect fit for my current taste in skis. On the hill, though, I was totally unimpressed. They felt heavy and sluggish and completely reluctant to make any size or shape of turn. They locked on edge and shot me across the hill on 2 occasions. Hubby tried them as well and found them equally unimpressive. In their defense.....while I was waiting to get on my next pair of demos, I ran my hand along the base of both skis and they both felt like they had concave bases right under the binding. This would likely be a product of uneven curing and is not an uncommon occurrence in hand made skis. I mentioned it to John (the builder) who said he would check them when he got back to the shop (I really wish I'd had my true bar in my pocket because he looked really skeptical). I'm hoping to try another pair (that's hopefully not railed) next weekend and will update my review if I get that chance.​

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• Shaggy's Copper Country Skis "Purder 2"

Specs: Size 184 (110-146-121-133-100, 25m TR, tip and tail rocker, full camber under foot). Also available in 174 and 194, with differing dimensions and turn radii for each size.​

Impressions: The Purder 2 is a redesign of their original dedicated powder ski, the Purder. The new design ditches the original's true pintail making it a capable performer on the groomers. While it feels very heavy, I had no problem making long, medium, and even short turns on this speed-loving beast. Make no mistake - this ski needs to be driven hard and fast to really come alive, but skied aggressively it devours the cut up crud and frozen chop that makes other skis shimmy, chatter, and break loose. Skied slowly, you'll feel every bit of this ski's considerable weight, but it remains obedient and compliant regardless. Still, this is an awesome ski for a hard charging skier that may encounter deep powder and serious crud in equal amounts. This monster doesn't disappoint.​

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Test Day #2 (originally published 2016)

A few years ago, I had a chance to demo a couple of Shaggy's hand made skis, and I came out pretty unimpressed by their biggest seller, the Tubby - previous review. Fortunately, I got another chance at them this year and am singing an entirely different tune - there was definitely something wrong with the pair I demoed the first time!

The Tester: 50 year old heavyweight with a love of speed and cruddy snow. Ex-PSIA level II instructor and NATAR/league racer.

Conditions: 38-43 degrees with bright sunshine. frozen groomed granular changing to granular, corn, and slush throughout the day, over a scratchy, firm base.

The runs: A scratchy, narrow blue, then several runs on our blacks, quickly developing boot-top slush bumps and deep, sugary crud.

The Tubby: 178 cm, 145-118-139 (dimensions vary based on length), full twin tip, rockered tip and tail, flat underfoot, mounted on the line (very close to centered).

These guys have really stepped up their game since last time I demoed their stuff. Fit and finish is now very close to factory production quality. I know it shouldn't matter, but I LOVE the graphics on this ski!!

My first run down the blue was a bit unimpressive, not surprising given a ski of this width. It quietly slid across the scratchy stuff in the middle, not really skidding, but not really gripping, either. Once I hit the softer stuff on the sides, it was perfectly fine but still just "meh". Then we headed to the deeply crudded-up, sugary, slushy steeps.....instant LOVE!! Quick, poppy, and skiddy in the slush bumps, solid and powerful while making deep carves through the sugar and across the icy scratch in between. I couldn't wipe the smile off my face the whole rest of the time I was on this ski, and apparently I wasn't the only one, as the 178 cm version disappeared immediately after I brought it back and didn't reappear until they were tearing down the tent. The length was absolutely perfect for me.





The Ahmeek: 180 cm, 139-105-124, rocker-camber-rocker twin tip, mounted on the line.

This one was hubby's favorite - so much so that he said he'd happily sell his beloved Gotamas (the older, full camber version) and replace them with the Ahmeek. While I liked the ski and thought it was solid, it didn't wow me like the Tubby. I thought it was eerily similar to the Coalition Snow S<O>S that I currently have for demo and have been riding frequently and neither have enough grin factor for me to want to give up my Kikus (the newer full rocker version). It held solidly on the hardpack base and wiggled easily through the bumps. It also powered through the slush and sugar, but I think I was completely spoiled by skiing the Tubby first. I would totally recommend this ski for a strong skier looking for one ski quiver for anything except true ice.






2017 Big Mountain/Powder Prototype: 184 cm, ?-115-?, early rise/tapered tip and tail, camber underfoot, mounted on the line.

Wow! This is a BIG ski. I don't mean waist or length, necessarily, either.....it just skis HUGE - three turns hauling a$$ as fast as I could go down a 325' black without a wiggle or complaint huge! The first couple of runs I felt just a bit off balance and was really struggling to go slower or make shorter radius turns, so I suggested to John that they may need to be mounted a bit farther back. He said that was his impression when he tried them, too, so I hopped back on them a little later after they moved the bindings back 2 clicks (about 1 cm). Bingo!! That was just the adjustment the skis needed to come alive for me, and I noticed the change simply getting off the lift. Not only were they happier about going slower and making smaller turns, they also started going up and over the crud instead of just plowing through it - a much better trait for a powder/big mountain ski. John seemed a bit hesitant to put me on them at first (I don't know if it was the length, or what), but then acted truly appreciative for my feedback and observations.

Overall, I was really impressed with their current offerings and recommend stronger/heavier skiers to give them a try if possible. These guys have seriously stepped up their game in the last 3 years! Yay for the little, local guys!!


Test Day #3 (originally published 2018)

You may remember that I got a chance to ski one of Shaggy's prototype skis about 2 years ago. They were a bit reluctant to let me try it as the only size they had was a 184, but since I typically ski a 177+, I wasn't worried about it at all. It was described as the ski in between the Ahmeek 105 (which I really haven't loved the 2 times I've tried it) and the Tubby 125 (). At the time, I told them the binding needed to be moved back at least 1 cm to make it more balanced, and they had said that was their general impression as well.

That protoype is now in production as the Bootjack 115, and they've fixed the binding mounting point. Long story short; I've always considered myself a Tubby girl.....until now.

I debated taking a ski this wide out in the conditions we were having, especially after skiing most of the day on my skinny race skis. I was already a bit tired and wasn't really looking forward to rolling over a 115 waisted ski while skiing on groomed ice with deep glumped up sugar on the top and edges of the runs and a dusting of fresh over top. Knowing the race heritage of the guys behind the Shaggy's brand, I should never had doubted the capability of this ski on scratchy crap.

Holy cow!! This ski is STRONG!! It hauled ass and blasted through the sugar with glee. It clung to the ice and scratch like a race ski. It even happily smeared along at a snail's pace in the sugary edges. At all speeds and whether fully edged or running flat, it happily hummed along....powerful yet undemanding, tenacious yet yielding, speedy yet not headstrong. The 180 was absolutely the right length for me, even though the guy that set up the demo for me looked and acted totally skeptical. I. Am. So. In. Love. I kept saying "just run more run and I'll take it back"; for 6 more runs! They have somehow figured out the perfect balance of light weight (no metal) and unflappable performance. The fact that they're gorgeous doesn't hurt one bit.

Like all of Shaggy's skis, they are also available with semi custom graphics (same ski with your choice of graphics from their list of available graphics), or fully custom (graphics of your own design, or their design from your vision), both for a minimal extra fee.

For a peek at them (although the picture doesn't do the see-through top sheet any amount of justice), and all the relevant stats, see the link below:
https://www.skishaggys.com/collections/2017-2018-skis/products/2018-bootjack-115

These get my unequivocal

Grand Trunk Skeeter Beeter Pro Hammock - Long Term Review

This was my first hammock purchase, and it came highly recommended by someone I met while shopping for backpacking supplies. I've since bought (or won) 3 more hammocks and we've even built a "hammock hang" in our back yard. While I've not actually taken it camping yet, I have slept in it multiple times in the yard and I've been quite pleased with it so far.

Specs:

• Grand Trunk Skeeter Beeter Pro
• 10'6" x 5'
• 26.45 oz
• 400 lb capacity
• Lifetime warranty

                       

Features I Love:

• This hammock feels huge. No issues with sleeping on the diagonal or rolling around at night.
• The parachute nylon is rugged yet breathable.
• The stitching is holding up well and the zippers are smooth and easy to use.
• It's wonderfully bug free.
• Hanging ropes are included.
• The stuff sack has a mesh section to allow air flow making it less likely to mildew if the hammock is damp when packed.

Things I Don't Love:

• The mosquito netting is very fine and soft and easily snagged or ripped. Even the carabiners and melted ends of the included hang ropes can cause snags.
• The netting suspension shock cord is a giant pain. It's thin and way too long, plus it came knotted on both ends. It's constantly a tangled mess and I have to keep trying to come up with creative ways to hang it.
• It's huge. It packs so much larger and heavier than my ENO Double Nest!
• I wish it had an interior pocket for a phone, wallet, etc.
• The colors. Olive and Khaki, Navy and Forest, or Camoflage - seriously, Ugh.

 Other Notes:

• I've found that as a side sleeper with hip issues, I've had to hang it much flatter and tighter than normally recommended to keep my hips from fallling asleep.
• With a 50 degree sleeping bag as an interior liner and a self-inflating sleeping pad as a base, I've found it completely comfortable to sleep in as low as 40 degrees with just a fleece blanket on top.

 Long Term Updates:

• I had my seamstress make DIY under and top quilts with a pair of Costco Double Black Diamond Down Throws, and I'm now toasty to 45 degrees without having to fight with a pad and sleeping bag. A second layer of unaltered throws (one between the hammock and underquilt, and one over the top quilt) has me quite warm as low as 37 (and probably lower, but I haven't tested that yet).
• I've learned the secret of the 30 degree hang, and now have zero issues with hip, back, or shoulder pain.
• The stupid bug net shock cord disintegrated after the first year, so I replaced it with standard cord. This turned out to be a bad decision, as the shock cord gave the bug net some give, and without that give, the hangers have begun pulling out of the their anchors and ripping the bug net. It's currently holding up with Gorilla Tape, but it's sucky that the net is that fragile.
• On that note, the bug net also now has multiple holes in it, also patched and holding with Gorilla Tape.

Overall, I'm still pleased with it, even for backpacking, but I'm disappointed in the bug net's glaring design flaws.

Cstomer Service/Warranty Update:

I was searching websites to see if there was a better option than the Skeeter Beeter Pro that was still affordable. During this search, I stumbled across Grand Trunk's warranty repair/replacement policy. Even though my hammock was over 2 years old, I figured "what the heck" and I filled out their online warranty form and sent a picture as requested. I then waitied for an email with return/repair directions or a shipping label. Instead, a week later, a brand new hammock arrived in my mailbox. No email, no shipping label, no directions, nothing - just an invoice showing no charge, warranty replacement. Holy WOW!! I am so impressed by this!

I also ordered their new Skeeter Beeter, the XT. I will be reviewing that next year when I've had a chance to use it a few times.

Women's Hiking Boot Shoot Out

WOMEN'S HIKING BOOTS

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
I'm an over-50 heavyweight "athlete" who enjoys alpine skiing, mountain biking, hiking, snowshoeing, kayaking, nordic skiing, and disc golf (oh, and I also run and road bike). While hiking, I'm usually carrying a daypack of around 13 lbs or a full backpack of around 30 lbs.

My crazy weird feet:  Street shoe size 7 1/2-8, running shoe size 8-8 1/2, ski boot size 23.5 (men's 5).  I have a wide forefoot and super narrow heel with narrow but bony ankles and flat arches with pronation and a medium to high instep. I also have a history of bunion removal and neuroma surgery on the right foot with a second neuroma flaring on and off, and a stress fracture on the left. Actual foot measurements (unsupported): Right = 235 mm long, 98 mm at widest, 65 mm heel width. Left = 242 mm long, 95 mm at widest, 70 mm heel width.


MID WEIGHT/BREATHABLE MODELS

Merrell Reflex Mid (Size 7.5 or 8? tag illegible)

• Fit:  Wide through the toe box, medium through the mid foot and heel. Runs true to size.
• Feel:  Heavy weight and bomb proof. Mid height ankle wrap. Heavy weight padded tongue.
• On The Trail:  I bought the Reflex used, and found them to be a super heavy duty shoe well adapted to use as disc golf shoes on hilly courses. The toe box is one of the widest I've encountered, perfect for my weirdly wide forefoot and cranky neuroma. They are well padded everywhere with reasonable trail feel and a decent tread. The waterproofing works well in all but the wettest conditions, but their breathability suffers a bit from the mostly leather upper.
• Complaints:  The wider heel does result in a bit of heel slip for me (not as much an issue while playing disc golf as when hiking) and the tongue tends to float sideways. They are too hot and heavy for long distances on warm days.

Merrell Moab Mid GTX (Size 8)

• Fit:  Mid width fore and mid foot, narrow heel.  Runs true to size.
• Feel:  Light but sturdy with lower ankle wrap and good trail feel. Ankle wrap is supportive with just enough padding.
• On The Trail: The trail feel of the Moab is quite nice, with just the right amount of flex, support, and padding for long hikes with lighter packs. The waterproofing works as expected without being stiflingly hot. If your foot fits this shoe, it is a real winner!
• Complaints:  I really like the feel of the Moab, but the shape just isn't right for my foot. Even a short 2-3 miler flares my neuroma up until I'm limping like Quasimoto.

Keen Voyageur Mid (Size 24.5, remainder of tag illegible)

• Fit:  Wide through the toe box and mid foot, medium heel. Runs true to length but wide.
• Feel:  Light weight with a stiffer sole. High ankle wrap with minimal padding. Well padded tongue.
• On The Trail:  The Voyageur was my first pair of high-end hikers purchased new and my first pair of Keens. I love the wide toe box and the sturdy toe bumper! The stock insole is fairly stiff and supportive. Their breathability is great given the mostly leather upper and small ventilation areas. Despite the "Waterproof" tag on the outside of the boot, they are not waterproof at all. Stepping into a puddle will result in soaking wet feet! The sole material and tread is pretty good in soft and sandy terrain, but it gets really slippery when wet.
• Complaints:   The wider mid foot allows my feet to slide forward and smash my toes on inclines no matter how tight I tie them. The minimally padded ankle wrap and thickly padded tongue dig into my ankle bones and even give me bruises on longer hikes. The leather is holding up well, but the stitching is not. The laces are awful (they've stretched and twisted and refused to stay tied even when double bowed).

Hi-Tec Penrith Mid WP (Size 8.5)

• Fit:  Wide through the toe box and mid foot, mid-to-narrow heel. Runs 1/2 size small.
• Feel:  Light weight with a softer sole and great trail feel.  Lower ankle wrap with nice padding. Low and well padded tongue.
• On The Trail:  The Penrith is wide enough in the toe box and forefoot to not irritate my neuroma, even at my longest distances. I love the trail feel of these; you absolutely know exactly what you're stepping on, but that delicate feel doesn't translate into any instability at all. In addition, the flex area under the ball of the foot is functional and well placed. While the ankle wrap is lower, it's very well padded with 2 rows of speed laces, so it's easy to get that area very tight resulting in super support and stability despite the low height. In addition, the tongue is well padded but not super wide, so this is one of the few mid height shoes I've owned that don't dig into my ankle bones when tightly laced.  The waterproofing is exceptional - I've been on hikes in mist and rain where the rest of my body was soaked while my feet remained bone-dry, yet my feet have never felt hot and sweaty in these on even the warmest days. The tread is neither wonderful, nor awful, it just works well in most conditions.
• Complaints:  The Penrith's wide mid foot tends to give me rub spots under the right big toe sesamoids and on both the inside and outside of the arch area on both feet unless I wear really thick and well padded socks. Update on this - I've discovered the arch rub was actually a function of using both my orthotics and the stock insoles. Once I tried wearing them without my orthotics, that issue totally disappeared. Yay!

Oboz Sawtooth Mid B-Dry (Size 8.5)

• Fit:  Wide toe box, mid to narrow mid foot and heel. Runs 1/2 size small but true to width.
• Feel:  Sturdy but not super heavy with stiff soles. Higher ankle wrap and tongue with lots of padding. Very little trail feel.
• On The Trail:  The Sawtooth is a bombproof shoe that feels like having bulldozers on your feet. They have handled my weight plus a 30 lb pack, remaining perfectly supportive under the load. The tread is exceptional and sticky, even in damp and muddy conditions. The stiff shank in the sole means you feel almost nothing on the trail. The thick, wide out sole and higher, well padded ankle wrap gives tremendous support for weak ankles on rough terrain. The stock insoles are thick, stiff, and very supportive with small cushioned areas front and rear. The proprietary B-Dry waterproofing works as expected, although it doesn't breathe very well, making for hot feet on warm days. The narrow mid foot and heel keep the foot firmly planted in the shoe on inclines. The laces are oversized and round, and very stiff at first.
• Complaints:  Only a minor gripe regarding the ankle wrap and tongue and my super skinny and bony ankles so far. The fit runs a bit deep, so I needed to add very thin gel padding under the stock foot beds to bring my "short" feet up into the upper boot. The Sawtooth definitely requires a break-in period. All the materials are sturdy and stiff, so this one takes a while to soften up and fit really well. My first 5 hikes resulted in massive heel blisters, so I've taken to using the duct-tape trick on both heels and wearing a super-thin polypro liner sock under my hiking socks when wearing these, and it's totally possible that I bought these 1/2 to a full size too large.
• Update:  I'm now almost sure I bought them at least a full size too large. 

 Mountain Warehouse Retrieve Waterproof Soft Shell (Size 8)

• Fit:  Mid to wide toe box, mid to narrow mid foot and heel. Runs true to size.
• Feel:  Supple and light weight. Very supportive with great trail feel.
• On The Trail:  So happy with this boot!! I had never even heard of Mountain Warehouse when we stumbled over them at an outlet mall 2 weeks ago. I love the raspberry color (also offered in teal) and soft, but not flimsy nature of the material, as well as the higher and well padded collar with 3 sets of speed hooks. I would consider the Retrieve a true high-top rather than a mid boot, resulting in exceptional ankle protection and support. I was skeptical about the waterproofing of the soft shell material, but a hike in the rain and a pond crossing on a "floating" bridge that actually sank the full depth of my boot tops quickly set my mind at ease on that issue. The tread pattern has been grippy and secure in all the conditions I've encountered so far, and my usual gripe about boot laces was also quickly quashed as they have stayed tied and snug even without double knotting. The interior padding did require a very short break-in period (about 4 miles) for best fit. I've had no issues with with the ankle wrap, and the odd blistering I get under my right first sesamoid/metatarsal head hasn't happened in these yet, even after two 5 mile hikes and two 7 mile hikes.
• Complaints:  Absolutely none, so far. Even the price was exceptional. These have become my go-to hikers now.

HEAVY WEIGHT/FULL LEATHER

Merrell Summit (Size 7.5):

• Fit:  Medium throughout, a touch snug through the metatarsal area. Runs true to size.
• Feel:  Snug and solid, with well padded tongue, and slightly more padded ankle wrap.
• On The Trail: I haven't really used these on the trail yet as I have other lighter boots for the trail and knee high winter boots for snow filled trekking. I do, however, use these as my daily around town boot in the winter and they're great for that unless I'm out in the cold for long periods of time. Like all smooth leather, non-GTX boots, they require some care and feeding to keep the looking and performing their best. I heat them over our heater vent until they're nice and warm, then apply a thin coat of Sno Seal, rubbing it in well. I then reheat them to let it soak in, then buff with a cloth once they cool off. This yearly maintenance has kept them fully waterproof and looking like new for the 4 or 5 years I've had them, which is surprising since I got them at a resale shop! The 3 sets of speed hooks make them a breeze to get on and off (a real win for winter use around town!).
• Complaints:  The tread compound is not particularly sticky,  and the partial gusset on the tongue and lack of a lace loop allows the tongue to slide to the side. The full, heavy weight leather nature of these boots means they require a pretty substantial break-in period, but they only seem to get better after that.

Hi-Tec Altitude IV WP (Size 7.5):

• Fit:  Medium throughout. Runs true to size.
• Feel:  Snug and solid, with minimally padded tongue, and slightly more padded ankle wrap.
• On The Trail:  The Altitude was the second boot I bought brand new, and it was the start of my love affair with the fit of the Hi-Tec products. The waterproofing works as expected, and it's not as hot and sweaty as you'd expect with a full leather (nubuck) boot. The sole material strikes a nice balance between stiff and soft giving it reasonable trail feel, while the 2 sets of speed lace hooks allow for quick and secure lacing. This is one of the few boots I've seen lately that comes with flat laces that stay tied without having to double bow them. Given the 5 or 6 years I've had them, they are holding up really well.
• Complaints:  The tread compound is not particularly sticky, so the Altitude tends to be a bit slippery in wet conditions, and the insole is total junk. In addition, the partial gusset on the tongue and lack of a lace loop allows the tongue to slide to the side. This is another boot where the combination of the tongue and cuff padding digs into my ankle bones when laced tightly.

Treksta Alta GTX (Size 8):

• Fit:  Wide toe box, medium mid foot and heel. Runs true-to-size to 1/2 size small.
• Feel:  Higher ankle wrap with plenty of padding. Nicely, but not overly padded tongue. Sturdy without feeling massive.
• On The Trail:  Yes, the toe bumper looks odd, and the insole is particularly weird looking, but all this weirdness translates into the best out-of-the-box feel I've ever had. The last is nicely foot shaped, and the tilted toe box keeps from having too much room over the toes, keeping those irritating across the toes sock seam blisters from occurring. Treksta's proprietary "Nest Fit" works as advertised, cradling and supporting the foot throughout the stride. The Alta's tongue lacks a lace loop, but the almost full length tongue gusset effectively keeps the tongue from sliding into the boot or off to the side. For a solid leather boot, they're surprisingly light and flexible feeling while retaining plenty of ankle support for scrambling. I expect that the Alta will be prohibitively hot and sweaty during warm spells, despite the supposed "breathability" of the Gore-Tex liner.
• Complaints:  There are only 4 dealers remaining in the US, so getting a pair that fits the first time is a bit of a craps shoot. I got lucky in that a local shoe store used to be a dealer and still had other models in a 7 1/2 and an 8 1/2 left to try on. Beyond that, hikes of over 3 miles started to rub the skin right off the top of my right fourth toe. A quick email to the company explaining the problem was met with a return email and RMA the next day. I'm now waiting on a replacement pair to appear.

Update 10/6/17:  The Oboz and Merrell Moabs have both found happy homes with hiking friends, and I still haven't worn anything other than the MW Retrieves for hiking since I got them. I've now put well over 50 miles on them and my only complaint is that I'd have expected them to be somewhat more breathable than they seem to be. Otherwise, they remain comfortable, completely sure footed, wonderfully supportive, and amazingly waterproof and I couldn't be happier.