Fruit Boots

[Farrgo]

Who has them? What type do you have? Anybody make their own? How do they work compared to manufactured ones?

[John Frieh]

I own a pair of kayland ice comps mounted with BD raptors. The kayland came stock with the cassin ghost last year so I bought it without the crampon and mounted the raptor myself. The kayland comes stock with the raptor this year.

 

Roger Strong (who will be at the PDX Ice Fest) drives the La Sportiva Mega Ice mounted with BD raptors.

 

Dylan Taylor, daler, and Marcus Donaldson (who all post here) all have homemade jobs.

[Blake]

these are shoes we are talking about here john, i think he wears them, not drives them. My question is, if he loaned them to you, would you still get pulled over for speeding in them?

[John Frieh]

 

Being that Roj onsights around M8ish and has redpointed M12 I would say he drives them.

 

zoom zoom:

 

But never doubt my ability to get caught speeding... 17 and counting

[Farrgo]

I've heard that the mega ice has had some issues. In particular, the steel shank acting as a lever and ripping the crampon out of the sole. Anybody else heard of this? Has anyone tried the Lowa Ice Comp GTX? They seem a little bulkier than other models, but also cheaper.

[John Frieh]

I've heard that the mega ice has had some issues. In particular, the steel shank acting as a lever and ripping the crampon out of the sole. Anybody else heard of this? Has anyone tried the Lowa Ice Comp GTX? They seem a little bulkier than other models, but also cheaper.

 

Yes but they fixed that by adding a stiffer bar that connects the front and back pieces. No issue since adding. Ask Roj about it at the fest.

 

Lowa Ice Comp is very similar to the Kayland... I just got a better fit out of the Kayland. They aren't as sporty as the Mega ice but depending on how you size them you can wear them all day.

 

Lowa has a replacement fruit boot in the works so prices should continue to drop.

[Farrgo]

I'm actually talking about that stiffer bar (the one that they brought out for the new boots and to retrofit the older ones). Or have they brought out a newer bar system?

[Farrgo]

Anyone want to elaborate on how to make homemade fruit boots? Do you use t-nuts to attach the screws? How much rubber should one take off to lighten boots up?

[marcus]

I just ground off all the sole lugs until I had a smooth surface to mount the poon on. Then, drill holes in the poon + boot - take out the insoles first. I used 3/8" bolts with locking nuts. For the heel: a small piece of 'L' shaped steel from the hardware store was cut to mount an extra front point upside down on the back as a heel spur(Of course spurs are aid!).

 

Using and old pair of light boots and used poons, the whole thing took one afternoon and cost, including hardware, about $5.75.

[Kat_Roslyn]

fruit suits . . so hot right now

HARKIN BANKS IS SO KICK ASS

[John Frieh]

Climbing issue 221 has a one page article on what Marcus just described.

 

West Marine in SW PDX stocks stainless steel T nuts and hardwear.