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Women's Dunham Cloud Pileus Boots
Long Term Report May 21, 2006
Boot after 87 mi (140 km) of use
Tester's Information
Name: Liz Neely
Age: 38
Gender: Female
Height: 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)
Weight: 145 lb (65.8 kg)
Email address: liz at armory dot com
Location: Santa Cruz, CA
Tester's Background:
I've been day hiking for many years, and started backpacking in 2005.
My hiking and backpacking has been primarily in the San Francisco Bay
Area of California, on well-marked trails, with occasional stream
crossings. I've been on six weekend backpacking trips, all in state
and national parks in the San Francisco Bay area. The temperatures I
encounter range from 25 F (4 C) to 75 F (24 C), the elevations are
between sea level and 3500 ft (1067 m), and my pack weight is between
30 to 35 lbs (13.6 to 15.9 kg).
Backpacking style: I always sleep in a tent and while I know I am not a
lightweight backpacker, I do aim to keep things light when possible. My
pack weight of 30 to 35 lbs (13.6 to 15.9 kg) includes my food and
water for the trip.
Product Information:
Manufacturer: Dunham
Year of Manufacture: 2005
URL: http://www.dunhambootmakers.com
Materials: Leather, Polyurethane, Rubber
Listed Weight: not listed
Measured Weight (size 10.5 B): 3 lbs 1.5 oz (1.4 kg) for the pair
Available Colors: Brown
MSRP: Unknown
Product Description:
These are waterproof hiking boots made of Leather, Polyurethane, and
Rubber.
These are the features the manufacturer highlights on their website:
- Dryworks® moisture management membrane system provides
waterproof protection and breathable comfort in the wettest conditions
- Graphite Rollbar® is a biomechanical rear foot technology
utilizing a graphite structure to provide significant motion control at
the beginning of the gait cycle
- Dunham’s proprietary Tru-Trak® provides excellent
multi-directional traction and long lasting durability
- Abrasion resistant toe rand and mud guard
- Double-lasted construction supports an internal midsole that
brings the wearer closer to the ground for increased stability Dunham Comfort
- Internal leather lined collar and tongue combine with full grain
leathers with minimal seams to provide superior comfort and a luxurious
fit on the trail
- ABZORB® pods in the heel and forefoot, which provides
superior shock absorption and ideal underfoot cushioning for maximum
multi-mile comfort
- Full-length ABZORB® insert, with a bi-fit lasting board that
is also covered with a full length of ABZORB cushioning for additional
comfort
- Gusseted, articulated tongue with high density foams that provide
a more contoured fit to the natural shape of the foot, resulting in
superior comfort
- Polyurethane midsole provides durable support and shock absorption
- Pieced leather design protects and respects anatomical shape of
the foot
- Dunham Specific Hiking last provides a precise all day fit
- 360° fit design considers not only length and width but also
volume
- Extended sizes and widths to fit everyone
Initial Impression:
To read about my initial impression of these boots, before field
testing, please read my Initial
Report.
To read about my impression of these boots after two months of field
testing, please ready my Field
Report.
Field Information:
Since writing my field report, I have worn these boots on a four day
backpacking trip, a day hike, two weekend ski trips, and one walk into
town.
On the backpacking trip, the elevations were between 1150 to 2600 ft
(351 to 792 m) and the temperatures were between 45 to 68 F (7 to 20
C). On the day hike, the elevations were between sea level and 500 ft
(152 km) and the temperature was in the mid-60's F (mid-teens C). On
the ski trips, the elevations were between 6230 to 9400 ft (1899 to
2865 m) and the temperatures were between 25 to 32 F (-4 to 0 C).
Over the course of the full four month test period, I have worn these
boots for approximately 87 mi (140 km) of backpacking, hiking, and
walking. This mileage is comprised of 52 mi (84 km) of backpacking
carrying a 30-36 lb (14-16 kg) pack, 24 mi (39 km) of day hikes
carrying minimal weight, and 11 mi (18 km) of short walks on city
streets and sidewalks. Every time I wore these boots, I was wearing
mid-weight to heavy-weight socks designed to wick water away from my
feet. The weather I have worn them in has varied from sunny to heavy
rain to snow. The temperatures have ranged from 25 to 70 F (-4 to 21
C). The elevations have ranged from sea level to 9400 ft (2865 m).
For detailed descriptions of my experiences with these boots during the
first two months of testing, which includes detailed descriptions of
how they performed each time I wore them, please read my Field
Report. I am not going into such details in this report since my
experiences have been very similar to those reported in my field
report. The summary below includes any additional experiences I have
had since my field report.
Summary of My Feelings About These Boots:
Comfort/Fit:
One situation I had not tested these boots in until my most recent
backpacking trip was hiking in them while wet. On my most recent
backpacking trip, I spent almost the entire four days hiking in these
boots while they were wet inside and out, due to many water crossings
in water deeper than the tops of the boots. Even while completely wet
inside, the boots remained comfortable, and my feet did not feel
chilled. I did not get any blisters or sore spots during the first day
on which I wore them completely wet for the entire day, which was
approximately nine and a half hours of backpacking. On the third day of
this backpacking trip, I was walking through water higher than the tops
of the boots for several hours - a narrows/river trail that was full of
water after several months of rain. At the end of this day, I had two
worn spots on my feet, on the top of each foot where the big toe
begins. My feeling is that these spots were due to my skin being so
soft after several days of hiking in wet boots. If I can afford the
extra weight, next time I will bring water crossing shoes, rather than
crossing in these boots, in situations where the water is higher than
the tops of the boots. However, it's nice to know that these boots can
be used to cross deep water when I do not want the extra weight of
water crossing shoes.
One thing that I was curious about before testing these boots, is how
they would perform on steep downhill trails. With my previous pair of
hiking boots, I found that on steep downhill trails, I had a problem
with my feet sliding forward in my boots, causing my toes to hit the
front of my boots and become very painful when the downhill sections
lasted a long time. I am happy to report that this is not a problem
with the Dunham Cloud Pileus boots. I am able to tighten the laces just
right to remain comfortable but also to keep my feet in place inside
the boots, regardless of the slope I am hiking on.
In addition to finding that these boots are comfortable even when wet
inside, my impressions about the comfort and fit of these boots remain
as I reported in my Field Report; they are true to size, easy to
adjust, have ample vertical space in the toe area, and can be worn
without breaking them in first.
Waterproof:
I reported in my field report that these boots were waterproof under
normal conditions, but that when I stood in a puddle for a long period
of time, I experienced minor leakage of dampness into the boots. After
additional testing, I've found that the more frequently I cross water,
the more likely the boots are to have minor leakage into the boots. It
seems to me that if I cross fairly quickly, and don't cross water again
until the outsides of the boots have dried out a bit, then there is no
leakage. However, if I cross several streams in a row, or if the boots
remain in the water for more than a few minutes, to the point where the
outside leather of the boots becomes saturated with water, I will have
minor leakage of water into the boots next time they are immersed.
I also reported in my field report that when the insides get damp, they
take a long time to dry. I feel I need to emphasize this point
because on my most recent backpacking trip, on the first day of the
trip, I walked through water that was deeper than the tops of the
boots, causing the boots to completely fill with water, as expected.
After removing the boots, draining the water, putting on dry socks, and
putting the boots back on, I immediately felt water squishing around in
the linings of the boots. It felt like the water could not get out of
the boots, probably due to the waterproof barrier. After arriving in
camp that evening, I laid the boots on their sides so more water could
drain out during the night, but they were still very wet in the
morning. That day I did not go through any water crossings higher than
the tops of the boots, and laid them out again that evening to dry. The
next morning they were still very wet inside. It's my opinion that due
to being waterproof, the water can only drain and evaporate through the
boot openings, not through the leather sides, thus they take a long
time to dry if the insides get wet.
Traction:
My opinion that these boots offer very good traction remains the same
as reported in my field report. Additionally, I found that they provide
very good traction in water on wet uneven surfaces, such as slimy
rock-covered river bottoms.
Durability:
These boots now have approximately 87 mi (140 km) on them and are
showing minor signs of wear, but nothing out of the ordinary and
nothing that affects their performance. In looking at the bottoms of
the boots, I can see very slight tread wear, as I would expect after
some usage. In looking at the fabric and stitching of the boots, I see
no wear at all, other than slight discoloration of the leather in
places that I mentioned in my field report. I also mentioned in my
field report that the mud guards had a few shallow cuts on them. The
mud guards on both boots now have additional shallow cuts on them; I
believe this is just what happens to them when they hit sharp or rough
objects. Another thing I have noticed, on both boots, is that there is
some fraying of some of the fabric loops that the laces go through down
the center front of the boot. I can't figure out exactly what is
causing this fraying, but my guess is that the hook-and-loop closures
on my gaiters are somehow doing this. And one additional, purely
cosmetic, sign of wear is that the purple paint on the top set of lace
hooks is wearing off, showing a silver/gray color underneath.
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Fraying
Fabric Loops
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Purple Paint
Wearing Off Lace Hook
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I remain very satisfied with the durability of these boots and feel
that they have endured the four month test period very nicely.
Conclusion:
I would highly recommend these boots for someone looking for a very
well made, comfortable, heavy duty pair of hiking boots. I agree with
the manufacturer that they can be worn immediately without breaking
them in first. I would also recommend these boots for shallow,
occasional water crossings, but do not recommend them for long periods
of water immersion, nor for water crossings in water levels higher than
the tops of the boots.
Thanks to BackpackGearTest.org
and Dunham for giving me the opportunity
to test these boots.
Read more reviews of Dunham gear
Read more gear reviews by Liz Neely
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