Baruntse - WTF

[Alan Trick]

Match the product to the intended use.

 

Is there a good way (apart from experience or other people's experience) to determine what a boots intended use is? I've never seen a mountaineering boot labelled "don't use this for bushwhacking". I only know from here-say that certain boots (like the Trangos) will fall apart quickly.

[G-spotter]

I wouldn't expect a comfortable walk in in a pair of rock shoes or fruit boots, and I wouldn't buy a pair of rock shoes or fruit boots and expect them to handle anything other than steep climbing - no approaches, no descents, and not keeping my feet warm standing around.

 

For mountain boots though, I kind of expect I should be able to put them on at the car and wear them all day - approach, climb and descent.

 

Having to wear one pair of boots and carry another sucks enough when it's rock shoes on on an alpine route and big boots in the pack. Having to wear one pair of boots to approach and descend from a mountain route and wear another for the climb is kinda dumb. I've fallen down a lot skiing because I wore my mountaineering boots for the ski in and out rather than ski in in ski boots and carry mountaineering boots to climb in.

[CaleHoopes]

So, in my experience, I've done all these things in my Baruntse's. However, if I had specifically got a branch or something stuck in that faux gator, I bet I could have ripped it as well. It's pretty thin and a non-important part of the boot (in my opinion).

 

I actually think they Bushwhack just fine. The cool thing about the baruntse's is that they ARE a double boot that can do all those things.

 

Would I buy these boots ONLY for Bushwhacking? Hell no. But if I have to do an approach where these boots would be be best for other events on the route? Hell yes.

 

There's a ton of bushwhacking here in WA. However, these boots don't see much here except winter work and some summer work high up (really need a smaller/lighter boot for other events).

[Dane]

Like a fooking rabid dog I can't just let this one go.

 

Last time I did a nasty (is there any other kind?) bushwack in the Selkirks we broke a treking pole. Then in just a few short hours. We lost a trekking pole. (image how bad "that" had to be) Broke a camera. Totally wrecked two pairs of soxs and one pair of synthetic gloves (the leather ones were a little worse for wear how ever). Lost most of a long time friendship. No telling how many toe nails died and were then dragged along with us. We both certainly lost patience in the dark, amid 12' high slide alder. No clue how that could ever happen! No trail at the end of a long day should have been a warning though.. And we seemed to have lost the grizzly we had spoted earlier in the day. No clue how we lost him however. Both my shins were bleeding freely by the end ( and the black flies were getting their fill) so that had to be some kind of gloriuos miracle. Or the poor bastard simply wasn't mean enough to fook with us. Maybe he noticed the low cut runners.

 

Friendship survived. Just barely though. Took some time and effort to mend. It all seemed part of the adventure, never thought about using a warrenty on the rest. Guess I should rethink that after seeing what Alaskans put up with in Jan.

 

Gawd damn, I'll look around for my big boy pants now and just say fook it next time I loose the ability to take care of myself and my gear. I'll just warrenty the whole damn thing. I mean, seriously, WTF?!

[Coldfinger]

Too bad 'ol Jake isn't a Mountie 'cause this never woulda happened.

 

Yep, you guessed it......

 

He would have been wearing gaiters!

[KirkW]

Dane, that's a great story you should do a TR. Doesn't sound to me like Jake had that kind of a day though.

 

Did you miss the part of his OP that shows photos of the cuff on the other boot also wearing thin? If they are both failing at the exact same point then that sounds seriously like design failure to me. To me it would be unacceptable, premature failure and I would not hesitate to return them and ask for a full refund. I wouldn't consider this an unreasonable epectation of the product or the company. Not in today's marketplace anyway.

 

Also, what G-spotter said.

[davidk]

I am entitled

 

good word choice

[billcoe]

It doesn't seem unreasonable that you can wear them outside without puncturing them the first day or so. Are you expected to carry them and wear a 2nd pair of boots for approaches? Maybe they need a warning sticker "Not for outside use". I suspect they're made for more civilized European approaches.

 

Damn..... I can relate, but only because my golden retriever's name is bushwack. Her first six months all my boots looked like that.

hah hah! Awwww, but so cute.

[bearbreeder]

buy from REI/MEC/Backcountry ...

 

that way you dont need to have this "moral" discussion on an intraweb forum ... theyll take care of you ... period ...

 

as for someone mentioning reviews .... i always thought that it would be great if a reviewer after using the gear "normally" .... would just abuse it to hell and see how long it lasts ... many reviews rarely mention anything about how long a product lasts, or in fact anything bad straight out anyways ....

 

but i suspect that theyll no longer get free stuff if they do