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Reviews > Footwear > Boots > Asolo Freeland Series Boots > Test Report by Ray Estrella
Asolo Everland GV Boots
INITIAL REPORT - October 05, 2009
TESTER INFORMATION
I have been backpacking for over 30 years, all over California, plus many western states and Minnesota. I hike year-round in all weather, and average 500+ miles (800+ km) per year. I make a point of using lightweight gear, and smaller volume packs. Doubting I can ever be truly UL, I try to be as near to it as I can yet still be comfortable. I start early and hike hard so as to enjoy the afternoons exploring/chilling. I usually take a freestanding tent and enjoy hot meals at night. If not hiking solo I am usually with brother-in-law Dave. The Product
Manufacturer: Asolo Product Description
The Asolo Everland GV boots (hereafter called the Everlands or the boots) are a light weight hiking boot, the beefiest of the company's Freeland line of boots. It should be noted that in Italy where these are made "hiking" refers to what we would call trail walking or light day-hiking, not backpacking like many of us in the US think of it. Even though it is aimed at this market my pack weights are such that I will use this for both day-hiking and full-on multi-day backpacking trips. The tongue is gusseted to help keep water and debris out of the boots, but only protects from water entering to within an inch (2.5 cm) of the top of the ankle cuff. A nylon loop on the upper center section of the tongue holds the laces in the center of the tongue to keep it from sliding sideways into the boot. The flat nylon laces run through eight pairs of eyes. There are no speed hooks or locking rings. This is back to basics lacing. The soles are from Asolo and Vibram and are called Syntex. They are attached to the boot with adhesive rather than a stitched welt construction. The soles are quite thin. The deepest lug is 0.25 in (0.64 cm) at the heel. Inside of the boots are some very thin insoles that along with the foot bed underneath them are what the company calls the Vario Asoflex system. It is made of three different materials. The midsole is made up of two types of EVA, a full firm midsole and an added softer area at the heel to give some shock absorption. The insoles are just thin foam. Quick & Dirty, Nitty Gritty The Asolo Everland boots are a comfortable-out-of-the-box boot that required no break-in time for me. The waterproofing was very good at first, but they do not breathe very well. The insoles are not optimal for rocky terrain but the traction has been good. They really need a bigger pull loop at the back. The waterproofing made a sudden exit, leaving me all wet. (Hmm, I have been told that a few times before…) Read on for the details. Field Conditions
I first used the Everland boots on what turned out to be a 33 mi (53 km) backpacking trip from Sonora Pass to Kinney Reservoir in northern California. We had 6400 ft (1950 m) of gain on trails that ranged from fine dust to granite and volcanic rock. The temps ranged from 29 to 52 F (-2 to 11 C). I carried a 30 lb (13.6 kg) pack. Then we did a two day out-and-back trip in the South Sierra Wilderness, where the picture above was taken. I put 45.5 mi (73 km) on the boots with 4000 ft (1220 m) of gain over trails that ranged from sand to dirt to rock and elevations to 8100 ft (2470 m). The temperatures ranged from 32 to 52 F (0 to 11 C). Next we did an 18 mi (29 km) overnighter in the Domeland Wilderness. The temps ranged from 27 to 50 F (-3 to 10 C). I carried a 28 lb (12.7 kg) pack over trails that ranged from packed dirt to rock. On Halloween I did a solo to the top of Mt San Gorgonio where I spent the night on the summit. As I had to carry two days worth of water to the top, plus a few luxury items like a book and some Scotch, my starting pack weight was 29 lb (13 kg). Even though I slept at 11500 ft (3500 m) elevation it only got down to 35 F (2 C) for a low. I ended up with 26 mi (42 km) and 5200 ft (1585 m) of gain. Next was 21 mi (34 km) section of the PCT heading out of the Angeles National Forest and down into the Mohave Desert. This toe-killing trip saw a lot of downhill heading into the Antelope Valley over trails that went from pine and oak duff to rock to sand in temperatures that ran from 35 to 70 F (2 to 21 C). I spent a snowy, rainy day trying to get to some trailheads and finally gave up due to snow, and camped at Indian Flats where it rained solid most the time I was there. It got down to 33 F (1 C). Last was a 50 mi (80 km) backpacking trip that started in San Bernardino National Forest, skirted two Indian Reservations and ended in northern San Diego County. This up-and-down hike saw lingering snow in the trails on rocky terrain up high and sandy desert terrain lower. The temperatures ranged from 25 F to 42 F (-4 to 6 C) and one night saw very strong winds. I had a starting pack weight of 23.4 lb (10.6 kg). Observations
The Asolo Everland boots arrived at my office as I was literally leaving to go do an 80 mi (128 km) backpacking trip in the northern Sierra Nevada range. I had been hoping that they would have arrived a couple days before to break them in and had resigned myself to taking a pair of waterproof trail-runners on the hike instead. With the nick-of-time appearance of the Everlands I only took time to shoot the pictures seen in the Initial Report above (before I got them all messed up by hiking in them) and grabbed some heavier socks as I had no idea what I needed to wear with them. The trip into the Mohave Desert showed the limitations of the thin insoles the Everlands come with. A lot of pounding downhill over rock-laden trails left me with some pretty bruised and sore feet. I will most likely get some after-market insoles for them at some point. The boots have proven to be quite waterproof. I have walked through many creeks, like the one below, plus spent time in fresh snow and walking over old snow that lingered in the trails. I spent hours in the rain. Not once have the Everlands failed to keep my feet dry. That is not to say my feet have not been wet in the Everlands. But it was from sweat as the Gore-Tex liner does not breathe as well as the eVent liners I have had in other boots. The traction has been great. I have not slipped in wet or snowy areas nor have they slipped on slick rock. I only have one real gripe about the Everlands at this point. It is the pull loop at the back of the boots. It is tiny. I can only get my little pinkie finger through it, and then only to the first joint. Needless to say I can't pull them on with only that much support. ("Hello pulled tendon…") Add to this the fact that the Everlands have traditional eyelets for the laces, which are difficult to loosen quickly and enough so to facilitate slipping the boots on. Please Asolo, put a larger loop back there. To conclude my Field Report I leave with a picture hiking on a snowy trail in the Santa Rosa Mountains. Come back in a couple months to see where else I have let the Everlands roam. Field Conditions
Dave and I did a 24 mile (39 km) section of Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). It was 34 F (1 C) starting out and only made it up to 50 F (10 C). I carried a 13.4 lb (6.1 kg) pack over trails that ranged from rock to scree to sand. Observations
Well, I have only been able to put 72 mi (116 km) more on the Everlands. Mainly due to the fact that half of my trips since the end of the Field Report have been winter/snow trips. Not that the Everlands did not see some more snow. Why they saw snow, water, hail, water, mud, and lots and lots of water. I have never hiked in as much consistent rain in southern California as I have this winter. Which I figured would be all good since the Asolo boots have not leaked a bit. Read more reviews of Asolo gear Read more gear reviews by Ray Estrella Reviews > Footwear > Boots > Asolo Freeland Series Boots > Test Report by Ray Estrella |