Looking for Koflach Degre owners!

[Jeebus]

Go for the XL. I had a Large in Lowe Alpine and i had to fight the gaitor to stretch it over the Koflach Arctis Expe. I dumped that gaitor and bought an OR gaitor in large. sizes vary from brand to brand, but you won't go wrong with an XL for a double plastic boot like degre.

 

[markmtn]

gaitor size

Take the boot with to fit it.
You don't want too big or you get snow up in between the boot & gaitor.

 

[CaptainJim]

My size Large OR gaitors just arrived and...

Not even close to fitting over my new Degre boots! *#@%*&#@ pissed. That's what I get for buying something that comes in sizes on-line! Going to Mt.Flume/Liberty Sunday... now I gotta run out tomorrow and find gaitors then return the ones I bought on-line later next week.

Everyone's advice here is pretty much right on... if you got larger than a size 10 double plastic boot you'll need XL

Capt. Jim

 

[Trout]

I bought "Climb High" @ IME in North Conway & they work/fit fine.

 

[Jay H]

Thanks Everybody, I'm certainly bringing the boots with me, but I always like to shop prepared, especially at Campmor when I have to deal with Rt 17 traffic. (I'm only like 13 miles away).

Jay

 

[markmtn]

Campmor

don't you just love pulling out of that parking lot?

 

[bobandgeri]

Will be using them on their first "real" hike next Saturday the 19th. Right now tentatively scheduled to be Mt. Hight & Carter Dome... will report on them after... stay tuned
Capt. Jim

How did you do with the boots? I picked up a pair at IME Friday for $175, then wore them Sat and Sun - no issues.

 

[hikingfish]

Gaiters for Degree

Is there any special gaitors that anybody recommends for use with these Degres? I have a set of Lowe Alpines but I'm sure they're probably too small cause they barely fit over my Montrail Torres GTXs that I use for winter dayhikes. I'm wondering if anybody has a size and model recommendation. I assume that I would probably want a large since they are much more bulkier than a 3-season boot like the Montrail.

Jay

I know the Mountain Equipment Coop here in Canada has special gaiters for plastic boots. You might want to look into those.

 

[Tramper Al]

Gaitors for plastic boots ?

I have been using the BD Frontpoint Gaitors for a few years now. They are apparently designed to fit over plastic boots and they do OK but not great with mine - size 11 Degrees and Excursions. Often the velcro just barely meets in front, and the boot seal is not always very good. Probabably I should wear them higher on my ankle.

I have tried on the OR Crocs, but by the size that is broad enough to cover my boots (XL), they are way too tall (well past my knee). I must have freakishly short legs for my average foot size.

I'll look at MEC's offering, but I have found it very hard to fit gaitors in person, much less sight unseen.

 

[CaptainJim]

Love them, Loved them, Loved them

How did you do with the boots? I picked up a pair at IME Friday for $175, then wore them Sat and Sun - no issues.

No issues at all. No rubbing, no hot spots, no blisters. I wore them around for a couple jaunts up & down Mt. Wachusett (a few minutes from my house) before going out this weekend (ended up doing Flume Slide Trail, but only to the Slide, couldn't summit... ran out of time and energy). The soles felt a little harder on the bottom of my feet than my leather Merrils (naturally) so I threw in a pair of "soft sole" gelsoles... and I was gellin' after that. Worked great!

The only two things I wish was: 1) that I could have tried them with crampons... the trail was totally unbroken, DEEP & SOFT in the warm spring sun, and 2) that I was better prepared for the weight (they're fully twice the weight of my Merrils).

I'm sure they'll be awesome in my crampons. That's actually why I got plastics anyway... my leathers were far too flexible, & gave my foot little support for crampons, especially when frontpointing. As far as the weight, I'm not sure if it was just me that day (had my 2 year old sons birthday party the night before & not nearly enough sleep), the 30 pound pack I decided to carry (I had enough stuff, food water, tent, sleeping bag & pad to support a couple nights up there... just in case), the additional weight of the boots, or the additional weight of the snow on my snowshoes, but the weight seemed particularly heavy. Every time I sank in knee to waist deep, which was pretty often, no matter how delicately I stepped, I had to pull my leg/foot up out of the snow and there would be 10 pounds of snow on top. The snow wasn't light and powdery. It was the kind that makes great snowballs damp & sticky (and HEAVY).

That's basically the reason I couldn't summit. I changed my plans from Carter to the Flume/Liberty loop. I started about 8:30 from the parking lot. The first couple miles went fine, took me probably a little over an hour. The last couple miles however was another story. Once the Flume Slide Trail branched off from the Liberty trail

there was only 1 set of snowshoe prints for the first half mile... then even they turned back and the last 2 miles was totally virgin!

Although I tried my best to step gingerly I was still sinking 8" - 12" in the soft snow.

I truged and I sank and I fell and I truged some more... it took me almost 5 hours from parking lot to the base of the Slide.

By then it was 1:00 pm and I was beat! Looking up at that wall of snow (no ice, so I couldn't take off the snowshoes and switch to crampons) and my watch I decided discretion was the better part of valor. I turned around and headed back, doing a little bushwacking along the way (another mistake... sprucetraps everwhere).

I just plain ran out of time & steam! There was No Way I was going to be able to ascend Flume Slide, traverse the ridge to Liberty and decend the Liberty Trail in daylight, not to mention the exhaustion factor. I had lights and I might have gone for it if I wasn't soloing. All in all though I had a FANTASTIC time anyway, despite all the adversity, frustration, muscle cramps and exhaustion. It was a "good" kind of exhaustion! And after all... the mountains will still be there tomorrow.

Until tomorrow...
Peace Out,
Capt. Jim

ps: a Positive vote for the Degres!

 

[Jay H]

Well, I have size 8 Degres. Don't you think it kind of odd that Koflach stamps the sizes on the outside of the back of the boot? Like you could be walking around and spy on everybody's approximate foot size!

They sure are toasty in the living room.

Jay

 

[CaptainJim]

What can I say to that?

Well, I have size 8 Degres. Don't you think it kind of odd that Koflach stamps the sizes on the outside of the back of the boot? Like you could be walking around and spy on everybody's approximate foot size!
They sure are toasty in the living room.
Jay

Yeah... and they're in EU sizes too so we get screwed... my size 12's only show as 11.5EU

Capt.Jim

 

[flypn]

I've used both the degrees and arctis. found the arctis are much better for walking if you relax the laces a tiny bit, but took some fine tuning. both boots are excellent for ice, but again, the arctis excelled on the approach. they are extremely warm as well (designed for -40F climbing in the alaska range). in fact, sometimes they are too warm. I bought them for N.VT temps, but here in juneau it rarely gets that cold, so I find my feet swimming from the inside if I dont use a vapor barrier. good luck.

 

[CaptainJim]

So now your feet swim inside the VBL???

I've used both the degrees and arctis. found the arctis are much better for walking if you relax the laces a tiny bit, but took some fine tuning. both boots are excellent for ice, but again, the arctis excelled on the approach. they are extremely warm as well (designed for -40F climbing in the alaska range). in fact, sometimes they are too warm. I bought them for N.VT temps, but here in juneau it rarely gets that cold, so I find my feet swimming from the inside if I dont use a vapor barrier. good luck.

I still don't get how these VBL's make things any better?

 

[DougPaul]

I still don't get how these VBL's make things any better?

To be effective, a VBL must be a _warm_ (same temp as your feet).

If the VBL is warm, there is nowhere for the moisture to condense. The humidity will rise to ~100% and your feet will stop emitting "insensible perspiration". (Obviously if you are overheated, your feet are likely to perspire--but the VBL should still keep your socks dry.)

If the VBL is cold (or you don't use one), moisture will condense on cool surfaces, (and wick into your socks/boots), "insensible perspiration" will continue, and your socks/boots will pick up moisture. The evaporation will also cause heat loss from your feet.

The VBL on your house is inside the insulation for the same reason.

Just simple physics.

Doug

 

[Warren]

I still don't get how these VBL's make things any better?

The story as it goes is that the barrier which initially causes you to sweat increasing the humidity around your skin and your skin stop producing sweat after a time.

I don't know if I buy it, but that's what I remember from The Complete Walker. Search the web, the Stevenson (?) site has some info on VBL as they build them into their sleeping bags.

Regardless of the how I can say for my feet in winter, in leather boots they worked just fine.

 

[hikingfish]

Well, I caved and purchased a pair of Koflach Vertecal from a store's rental equipment sale. Best 100$ (CDN) I've ever spent! I used them this weekend on my trip to Mt Washington and they hurt a bit on Tuckerman Ravine's trail, but as soon as we arrived into more snow closer to Huntington I knew I fell in love!

Lots of people had soaked feet after we practiced self-arrest in the wet snow, but my feet were all warm and toasty!

Fish