Reviews > Footwear > Boots > Columbia Day Pack II > Owner Review by Nathan A. Ahlborn

OWNER REVIEW: Columbia Day Pack II Trail Boots

My Profile

Name: Nathan A. Ahlborn

Age: 36

Gender: Male

Height: 6 ft / 1.8 m

Weight: ~300 lb / ~136 kg

Email address: nobo hobo dude at ya hoo dot com (delete spaces)

City, State, Country: Brookings, South Dakota, USA

Date: Aug 04

Backpacking Background:

I have recently (this year) come back to backpacking after about an 18 year hiatus. I used to hike and camp often as a child with my mother, but stopped in high school. We used to be "kitchen sink" campers, but I am personally interested in switching to lightweight and ultralightweight gear and methods. Most of my gear is "normal", old, and heavy (!), but I am slowly swapping out for lighter weight and less bulk as my finances can accomodate. I am a Big size person (3X-size clothes, and I'm the smallest person in my family!), with a rather large frame, so finding lightweight clothing and gear (especially gear) that is comfortable is a real challenge. I am also a person with a visual disability, in that I have about a 90-95% vision loss. This has not stopped me from hiking by myself, but I do a lot of preplanning to try to be ready for "whatever".

Product information

Manufacturer: Columbia

Year of purchase: 2004

URL: http://www.columbia.com/

Listed weight: none listed

Weight as delivered: 2 lb 6 oz per pair / 1.07 kg per pair

Product description:

This is a "lightweight, breathable" boot, with a sanded suede and mesh upper, a gusseted tongue, synthetic toe & heel overlays, a non-marking "Omni-Grip™" rubber/synthetic sole, and a molded EVA midsole that has a nylon shank. Khaki/squash colour scheme, US size 11 ½. Purchased at a local outdoor chain, but available online.

MSRP price: US$110 in-store, about US$90 online

Field information

The initial use of these boots was on level, grassy trails weekend hiking in eastern South Dakota, when my fiancé and I wandered about various trails at a campground we were at, no more than a couple of miles at most. I had just gotten the boots, so I did not want to "push" overly hard in case of blisters. The boots were comfortable, felt light on my feet, and provided excellent support for my instep. The support is due to a combination of the shape of the boot itself (presumably the molded EVA midsole) and a built-in removable insole that provides arch support. Warm & sunny weather with no precipitation.

The boots were so comfortable, in fact, that I began wearing them on a daily basis, originally to "break them in" better. There almost did not seem a need to break them in at all though, as my feet felt so comfortable with the fit right out of the box. I began using them as my normal, daily footwear, and wore them for several weeks before my planned day hike of the George S. Mickelson Trail (GSMT) southern section (see below). During this time period, the weather varied from 40* to 95* F / 4.5* to 35* C, with everything from hot and sunny, to warm and rainy, to cold and rainy (the weather in South Dakota is nothing if not interesting).

The real "acid" test occurred on a day hike of the Edgemont-Minnekahata portion of the GSMT in western South Dakota, late July 2004. This portion of the trail is 16.2 miles / 26 km long, of mainly crushed limestone. This is a Rails-to-Trails project, leading into the foothills of the Black Hills, so it is a gradual and constant upslope. The boots were comfortable and gripped well on the looser areas of terrain, and my feet never felt like they were stifling hot or swimming in their own sweat. The weather that day was extremely sunny & humid, very hot (90*+ F / 32*+ C), no precipitation.

Summary

I originally purchased these boots for trail use, but after my initial experiences with them I started wearing them as my "everyday" footwear. Being a Big & Tall kind of guy, I quickly came to the realization of how much wear and tear my footwear experienced; I once went through 4 pairs of athletic shoes in three months as a construction worker, just wearing them all day long every day. That was when I started wearing sturdy, but comfortable, all-leather boots that lasted through years of wear and repair. I have been wearing combat boots or steel-toed work boots now for about 20 years, and never really thought about changing to anything else. However, my falling arches had other ideas, so I decided to try something lighter and more supportive, at least for my hiking (my old hiking boots weigh 2 lbs 12 oz / 1.25 kg EACH, with almost no arch/instep support).

I was very pleased with how comfortable and light the Day Pack II's felt on my feet, and with how "cool" they felt in comparison to my heavy leather boots. My feet sweat a lot, and I noticed a marked difference in how much less-damp my socks were after removing the boots at the end of the first couple of days in the field. My feet felt very comfortable in them, so I began wearing them daily to break them in faster. I almost did not need to, but my daily wear experiences taught me a few things the trails have not. First, while the ankle support is good, it is not great - but then, I am used to mid-calf height boots, so that may be more my own misinterpretation; I also have very thick and sturdy ankles, so to an average person the level of protection may be much higher. Second, the Day Pack II is not very water resistant; walking to class in the rain, splashing through the occasional small puddle, left me with wet socks and feet. The boots did dry overnight, but the mesh seems to be the origin of this potential problem. Third, the heel and toe overlays do a good job at protecting my feet; several accidental toe-stubs and tripping incidents left my feet with no bruises or broken toes - having had several foot injuries during my life, I like footwear that helps me avoid ANY more. Last, the boots quickly gained a strong odor of "sweaty-man-feet", and have not lost it, even if I do not wear them for a day or two. This may not be a problem for everyone, but taking the boots off and having them in the tent at night, the odor was very strong for several hours - not enough to make the eyes water or anything, but certainly noticeable. Those of tender olfactory sensibilities may find this to be of importance.

Pro:

• Great fit and comfort right out of the box for a big guy's feet.
• Good arch support and foot protection designed in.
• Felt cool and very lightweight on the feet.

Con

• Not very water resistant, even to splashes.
• Minimal ankle support (at least for larger-size ankles).
• Boots got "smelly" quickly, and have stayed that way.

Final Thoughts: The boots, being worn on a daily basis now for almost 3 months, appear to be wearing well overall. The uppers are still in great shape, with almost no scuffing (and I am pretty tough on my footwear). The sole, a synthetic/rubber material, has unfortunately worn down quite far in the ball of the foot area (almost bald), where most of the foot's traction is needed. Remembering how and where my athletic shoes wore out so quickly in the past, this does not surprise me, but it is slightly disappointing as I am only going to get this one summer's use out of this pair of boots. In case anyone wonders why the rapid demise of the soles, due to my visual disability I no longer drive, so an average day can have me walking anywhere between 3 to 7 miles / 4.8 to 11.3 km. I attribute a lot of this wear to my size - hey, there's a lot of pressure down there! The boots are NOT able to be resoled. The support for the arches is still present however. So, to wrap this up, as a boot strictly for the trail I recommend these heartily, but for daily use the price compared to how long the soles will last on the concrete and tarmac trails of the urban jungles may not make them a good choice.

Reviews > Footwear > Boots > Columbia Day Pack II > Owner Review by Nathan A. Ahlborn