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Long Term Report - Scarpa Zero Gravity (ZG) 65 GTX
October 3, 2005
Name: David Sowards-Emmerd
Age: 28
Gender: Male
Height: 5' 8'' (1.73 m)
Weight: 155 lb (70 kg)
Email Address: drunken_marmotATyahooDOTcom
Los Altos, California, USA
Backpacking Background:
I began backpacking semi-frequently about four years ago, soon
after moving to California. I generally take weekend (1 night)
trips, and occasionally take 3-4 day trips. Most of my
backpacking is at moderate altitude, 6,000'-12,000'
(1,800-3,650 m), in conditions ranging from dry desert to hail/heavy
snow in the mountains. In winter and spring, I split time between
Southern California (SoCal) deserts and snowshoeing/skiing/snowcamping in
the Sierra/Cascades. Summer and fall I tend to stick to the high country.
I have reduced my packweight down to less than 50 lb (23 kg) over
the past year - including food/water and a bear barrel. I'm trying to
include more mountaineering, climbing and bouldering in my trips.
The boots arrived March, 11 2005.
Product Details:
Manufacturer's website:www.scarpa-us.com
MSRP: $149.95
UPPER: Cordura
SOLE: Vibram Hi-Trail
LINING: Gore XCR
WEIGHT: 1.25 kg (2 lb 12 oz) size 42 pair
MIDSOLE: Nylon
SIZES: 39-46, 47, 48
Specifications(as measured by tester):
Size: 42
Weight - left boot: 1 lb 6.4 oz / 634 g
Weight - right boot: 1 lb 6.4 oz / 634 g
Weight - pair: 2 lb 12.7 oz / 1,268 g
Product Description:
The ZG 65's are lightweight, waterproof/breathable, mid-top hiking boots. See my Initial Report for a detailed description of the boots.
Field Use:
For a detailed description of the first few months use of the boots, see my Field Report
Continued Field Use:
Overall, my use of the boots dropped off during the summer due to warmer temperatures. I simply sweat up the boots too quickly since they are breathable, but don't really have any direct ventilation (e.g. mesh) that allows quicker cooling. During this time, I reverted back to the original insoles included with the boots as the SuperFeet insoles I had been using were well past their prime. In addition to a handful of dayhikes, training hikes with a pack, geocaching hikes with my wife, and occasional use around town, I wore the boots on the following two trips:
Clear Creek Route, Mount Shasta, CA
June 24-25, 2005
Elevation: ~6,000'-14,162' (1,800-4,317 m)
Conditions: VARIED! Hot and sunny to around freezing with hail, rain, and snow.
This hike started with occasional patches of snow (that forced us to park ~1 mi (1.6 km) from the trailhead. By 7,000' (2,100 m), the hike was all on snow (save our campsite). I wore the boots with gaiters for the entire hike, which involved far too much post holing. On the warmer first day, I wore old SealSkinz socks, which resulted in very wet feet, but dry insides of the boots - the outsides were thoroughly wet. Based on this, I now believe that the moisture buildup I reported (in my Field Report) on while snowshoeing was in fact condensation from moisture put out by my feet.
On the second (summit) day, I opted for thicker wool socks for summit day, since temperatures would be much colder even with our late start (~5:30 AM). In addition to gaiters, I also wore Grivel Air Tech Light crampons for the summit attempt. I found these boots to be an excellent alternative to the heavy leather and plastic boots of my climbing partners. They provided plenty of support for the moderate slopes. My feet were nice and toasty until the summit, when they quickly cooled as I took photos and waited for the last of the party to arrive. From there, it was only downhill as it started snowing. Lightning and hail then joined in, leading to a quick descent. We broke camp as fast as possible since that just happened to be in the area the storm was worst, and quickly headed to the cars - meaning no chance to change to dry socks. Finally we made it to the car (and a pair of sandals for my waterlogged feet), after much post holing and chasing down a sleeping bag (not mine) that was rolling down towards Mud Creek since it had been poorly attached externally to a partner's pack. I would definitely bring the same boots on a similar trip, but would opt for waterproof socks for summit day. Unfortunately, my Mount Rainier trip was canceled due to weather, otherwise I might have tried this out.
Lyell Canyon, Tuolomne Meadows, Yosemite National Park, CA
July 29-31, 2005
Elevation: 8,600-9,000' (2,600-2,750m)
Conditions: Sunny with temperatures around 70 F (21 C)
This trip started out poorly when I realized I left my trekking poles in the grass at the trailhead when I took a group photo. I noticed they were missing about 0.75 mi (1.2 km) down the trail, and decided to jog back to get them, stashing my pack for the moment. This resulted sweaty feet and hotspots early on during the hike. A few hours later, during a creek crossing, I slid off a badly angled rock, more or less soaking both boots. Since we were less than 1 mi (1.6 km) from the proposed campsite and putting dry socks in wet boots would result in a second pair of wet socks, I decided to continue on with wet socks. This resulted in blisters on both feet, canceling an evening side trip I had planned. I tried to remove some of the excess water from the inside with a PackTowl and left the boots to dry. By morning the boots were still a bit damp, but not as bad as I normally sweat them up on a warm hike.
On a side note, my left Achilles was extremely tender the day after this trip, something I've never had a problem with before. I do not know if it was related to the boots or not, but the problem disappeared about a month later and hasn't recurred when I've worn the boots since.
More Observations and Opinions (in addition to those in my Field Report):
Waterproof:
As noted above, I now believe that condensation from my cold feet was the culprit when my boots became soaked inside while snowshoeing (see my Field Report for the original details).
Washing/Cleaning:
I decided the boots were getting a little dirty, especially on the inside, so I emailed the manufacturer about how to go about washing them. I received a very quick response on the timescale of hours, which I included below:
"The best way to clean the inside and outside of the boots is to use some mild dish soap, work up a good lather and clean them up that way. It is a good idea to rinse them thoroughly a few times and then let them air dry (away from direct sunlight if possible)"
I cleaned the boots, following these instructions, and after a day or so of drying, they both looked and smelled much better.
Crampon Use:
I feel these boots are well suited to flexible/mountaineering crampons and provide adequate support (for me at least) for duck walking and French technique on moderate slopes.
Rigidity of the Soles:
While somewhat flexible, I haven't encountered sore feet due to stepping on small or sharp edges while boulder hopping and playing on talus fields.
Wear and Tear:
They actually look better at this point due to the washing. Plenty of rubber remains on the soles and there are no noticeable tears or holes in the fabric inside the boots or on the uppers.
Otherwise, my observations from the Field Report still stand.
Summary:
Overall, I've been very happy with the Scarpas. Most of the problems I've had with them stem from excessive moisture buildup - either from my feet or water leaking in the top of the boots. They're not so breathable that I would continue to use them for hot weather trips - on these trips, I prefer to wear hiking sandals. However, I will definitely continue to use these boots, mainly for cool weather hiking, and for warm weather snowshoeing and mountaineering.
Read more reviews of Scarpa gear
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