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Reviews > Footwear > Boots > Mishmi Takin Kameng Hiking Boot > Test Report by Theresa Lawrence

MISHMI TAKIN WOMEN'S KAMENG HIKING BOOTS
Test Series by Theresa Lawrence

Initial Report - August 24, 2017

Field Report - November 11, 2017
Long Term Report - January 16, 2018

TESTER INFORMATION

Name: Theresa Lawrence
Email: theresa_newell AT yahoo DOT com
Age: 40
Location: Sparwood, British Columbia, Canada
Gender: Female
Height: 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)
Weight: 130 lb (59 kg)
Shoe Size:9

I have more than 20 years of backpacking experience. Day hikes and 2-3 day backpacking trips take place on most weekends throughout the year while longer trips are only occasional. I backpack predominantly in mountain terrain (Coast Range, Cascades and Canadian Rockies) with the goal of summiting peaks. Activities I use my gear with include mountaineering, ski touring, rock climbing, kayaking, biking, trail running, Search and Rescue and overseas travel. I like my gear to be reasonably light, convenient and simple to use though I would not claim to be a lightweight hiker.

Initial Report - August 24, 2017


 
Image taken from manufacturer's website

PRODUCT INFORMATION


Manufacturer: Mishmi Takin
Manufacturer's URL: www.mishmitakin.com
Year of Manufacture: 2017
Made In:Romania

MSRP: $230.00 USD
Listed Weight per pair:
Measured Weight per pair:
1.26 kg (2.8 lbs) - size 42 women's
1.23 kg (2.7 lbs) - size 40 women's
Sizes Available:
Size Tested:
EU 36 (US 6) to EU 47 (US 13.5) - select half sizes are available
EU 40 (US 9)
Colors Available:
Color Tested:

Sunset Orange, Tundra Grey, Moss Green
Sunset Orange
 

Images taken from manufacturer's website

DESCRIPTION                                                                               

The Kameng boots are intended for long distance trekking in variable terrain enduring hot and wet weather. As such, they are equipped with a rigid Vibram sole and eVent waterproof and breathable lining. The manufacturer's website provides more details on the Vibram sole. Namely that it is made with Megagrip rubber for traction on wet surfaces and Gironda outsole that provides a large area for traction on rock surfaces. Furthermore, the shank is engraved for torsion stability and the heel cup has a high profile for stability on uneven terrain. Other features include a sturdy rand over the heel and toe and various stitched pieces of Suede and Cordura make up the body. The upper tongue has Suede, while the rest of the tongue has gusseted Cordura. There is a Neoprene-like material on the upper heel, which allows for expanded flexibility of the boot in that area for descending. The pictures above show the boots' lacing starts with two metal grommets, then integrates into the leather fabric and then finishes with two metal hooks. The OrthoLite insoles are fairly soft, but show some level of density to them. The writing on the bottom as seen in the photo below has the following words inscribed: breathable, moisture transport, shock absorbing, cushion-comfort, anti-microbial and odor fighting.


FIRST IMPRESSIONS & TRYING IT OUT

The boots were a lot brighter orange than I had thought from the website. I would describe the color more as a safety orange, almost like a traffic cone. I'll be happy to get them dirty just to subdue the color a bit. I do like the red contrast and the overall appearance is appealing. My feet are noticeably narrow and my suspicion was that these would fit wide and indeed they do. I especially have a lot of room in the toe box. They otherwise seem comfortable. I'm used to boots being wide, so to manage this problem I typically switch out the insole to a thicker one. As much as I'd like to test the original insoles, I will need to switch to my thicker ones to fill out some of the volume. Thicker socks help fill in the volume even more making what seem like comfortable boots with a decent fit for my feet. Having said this there is a crease that digs in across the top of my toes that suggests a possible irritant, but time will tell. The Neoprene-like material at the top of the heel allows my foot to have a noticeable extended range of motion that I can see would be beneficial for descending.

The craftsmanship is nearly impeccable, which the exception of one stitch undone on the Mishmi Takin circle logo of one boot, as shown in the photo above. I don't see this as an integral stitch as it is not holding anything together. It is just the stitching that fastens the logo to the boot. I see the worst case scenario as the logo falling off. The other boot is flawless.

SUMMARY

My first impressions are overall positive for the Kameng hiking boots. They appear to be well engineered with comfort and function in mind. Apart from one loose thread, I have no concerns about their craftsmanship. I have only a small concern about the crease across the top of my toes, but I am hoping that the break in period will work that out. My plans over the next couple months will be to take them out on a few backpacking trips into rugged alpine terrain. I am particularly interested in their breathability and waterproofness of the eVent membrane and the traction of the Vibram sole. Check back in roughly two months to see my field test results. 

Field Report - November 11, 2017

FIELD CONDITIONS

I have worn these boot on the following trips totaling about 120 km (75 mi):

- 2-day backpacking trip to Fish Lakes via north Molar pass in Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada.
- 3-day backpacking trip through Gibbons pass to Healy pass in Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada.
- 2-day backpacking trip to Connor Lakes in Height of the Rockies Provincial Park, British Columbia, Canada
.
- 2-day backpacking trip in Elk Lakes Provincial Park, British Columbia, Canada.

All trips were in mountainous terrain, which included both forest and alpine trails with some scrambling. Temperatures encountered ranged as low as -2 C (28 F) and as high as 18 C (64 F). Weather included all four seasons from hot sunshine, to frosty mornings with a little bit of snow and hail. Snow and ice were found on the trails on the last few trips, but mostly dry conditions were experienced.

PERFORMANCE IN THE FIELD      

As my feet are narrow and have little volume, my biggest challenge with these boots was filling them out. I have a lot of room in the toe box. So what I have done is wear my thickest hiking socks and add a liner to them as well. I tried just the thick socks and ended up with blisters on the bottom of my toes and balls of my feet. This is a first, blisters for me have always been on my heels. To my delight I had no blisters on my heels. With the liners and the thick socks I was able to prevent the blisters on the bottoms of my feet and the boots felt comfortable. Since then I have had happy feet. Luckily it has been cold and so my feet have not overheated with this regimen. In fact, while fellow hikers have had cold feet, mine were toasty and warm. As the weather has been cool and the liners I wear wick moisture, I’m unable to report on how breathable and moisture-wicking the boots themselves actually are.

I have found the tread on these boots to grip really well. I hiked on a lot of ice, slush, and snow and did not slip at all. At one point on an ice coated trail, I thought about putting on my trail spikes, but just didn't need to as I wasn't slipping. They were also evidently water-proof as I hiked through a lot of creeks without ever any moisture seeping through. They have endured well, no significant wear was shown at this point in the test. What I have found to be noticeable is how light they are on my feet, which makes me feel more agile without losing out on ankle support or feeling every bump through the tread. They hug my ankle really well and stand up well to alpine hiking terrain. 

SUMMARY      

So far I have enjoyed wearing the Mishmi Takin Kameng hiking boots. I'm impressed by their performance in cool weather and mountainous terrain. The grip is particularly impressive on icy trails. Apart from being a large volume boot for my narrow feet, I have very little to complain about. They are light without compromising structure, grip, and support. So far they have performed solidly to my expectations and I look forward to some more winter adventures with these boots. Check back in a couple months to read my final thoughts.

Likes

- Comfortable with thick socks and liners
- Warm

 Dislikes

 - Need to use liners and thick socks to fill excess volume to prevent blisters


Long Term Report - January 16, 2017

Boots in snowshoes!

LONG TERM FIELD CONDITIONS

Since my last report I have added another 25 km (15.5 mi) of ground pounding. The last of the trips included a day-hike snowshoe of 5 km (3 mi) with a 20 lb (9 kg) pack, followed by a 3-day backpacking trip with a 30 lb (13.5 kg) pack to a backcountry hut. Both took place in the southern Canadian Rocky Mountains. The temperature on the day-hike was -16 C (3 F) and on the overnight trip it ranged from -4 C to 1 C (25 F to  33 F). Lots of snow was encountered including hard packed and deep soft powder. Weather was dry and sunny on the day-hike and mostly cloudy with flurries on the overnight trip. I have also used the boots around town on icy surfaces. 

PERFORMANCE IN THE FIELD

Here follows my observations during what I call the winter test phase. In all cases I was wearing a pair of sock liners underneath a pair of mid to heavy-weight, merino wool hiking socks. The boots were also geared up with gaiters and strapped to snowshoes. Conditions were sufficiently wet to test out the water-proofness of the eVent material. The results were confidently water-proof. At no point on any trip did I have wet feet. My feet stayed warm even on the-16 C (3 F), sub-freezing day. This was likely aided by wearing sock liners and gaiters. 

I found the boots overall to be comfortable in my winter set up. As mentioned in my earlier report, because of my narrow feet, I have extra room to wear sock liners as well as thick wool socks. And in fact, without these my feet slip about causing abrasions. So for me, these are ideal winter hiking boots. On the flip side, they would not by my first choice in the summer. 

With the use of snowshoes, traction of the Vibram sole was not really tested. But, as I mentioned in my field report they showed great grip on icy trails. I was able to confirm the same while on icy surfaces around town. Of which, there has been a lot of over the past two months. 

The boots offer sturdy ankle support for hiking and snowshoeing. They feel solid, meaning my feet were well protected with a quality boot. I like the lacing system and the way the tongue fits snuggly around my ankle. The cut out and Neoprene-like material that formed the back of the top of the boot noticeably offered functional comfort and flexibility on the down hill.

The boots have proved durable, no defects have occurred. The rand, tread and fabric still look as good as new and the one thread on the logo that I had brought up on my initial report still looks the same and effects the boot in no way.

SUMMARY 

Overall I am pleased with the way the boots performed. They were reliably water-proof and durable. They were comfortable so long as I wore a liner and a medium to heavy thickness merino wool hiking sock. My one recommendation to the manufacturer is to offer a narrow volume option. With the pleasant experience I have had, I plan to continue using the Mishmi Takin Kameng boots for most of my winter snow-shoeing expeditions and shoulder season hiking.

Final Likes

- Comfortable with medium to heavy merino wool socks and liners
- Retains warmth in sub-freezing temperatures with my layered socks and gaiters
- Waterproof
- Durable

Final Dislikes

- Need to use liners and thick socks to fill excess volume to prevent blisters
- Does not come in narrow sizing

I'd like to thank Mishmi Takin and BackpackGearTest.org for allowing me to take part in this test series.

 





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