BackpackGearTest.org Review - /reviews/Footwear/Trail Shoes/Montrail Tamarack Hiking Shoe/Owner Review by Ashik Rahman

Owner Review: Montrail Tamarack Hiking Shoe

Date: January 9, 2007

Name: Ashik Rahman
Age: 30
Gender: Male
Height: 5 Feet 10 Inches (1.78 Meters)
Weight: 172 Pounds (78 kg)
Email Address: taklamakansun at yahoo dot com
Location: Upstate New York, New York, USA

Backpacking Background: I started backpacking when I was 12 years old. Since then backpacking has been my obsession. In recent years, I have taken backpacking trips in the Northeastern part of the United States between spring and fall. Most of the times I carry my 2-year-old son in a child carrier and my wife and I share the loads of our food and camping gear in our packs. We typically use a 3-season tent for our base camp.

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
Manufacturer: Montrail Model: Tamarack
Category: Trail/Approach Shoe
Year of Manufacture: 2004
Manufacturer Website: www.montrail. com
Last: IntegraFit
Size: US Men’s 9
Listed Weight: 2.0 lb (0.9 kg)
Measured Weight: 2.0 lb (0.9 kg)
Color: Charcoal and Rust
Upper: 2mm Nubuck Leather
Liner: Nylex
Mid-sole: Polyurethane (PU) with TerraFlex (TPU) plate
Outsole: FasTrax carbon rubber outsole
Technology: Integrafit and TerraFlex (http://www.montrail .com)
MSRP: $95.00 US

Manufacturer’ s Comments: “we can not decide if the Tamarack is a trail running shoe on steroids or a mountain boot on a diet. This makes it the perfect shoe for hiking, multi-day backpacking, climbing approaches, and travel…… ” (www.montrail. com)

Intended Use and first impression: I needed a pair of multi-purpose trail shoes for summer and fall day hikes. My objective was to find a pair of shoes that are comfortable, agile and lightweight.

Due to my obsession about ankle protection, all my outdoors shoes are mid to high cut. Trade offs of these mid/high cut boots are – heavier weight, less mobility and significantly less breathability, which makes them uncomfortable during summer hiking. Hence, I decided to go with low cut trail shoes.

I came upon the Montrail models based on the recommendations from different backpacking and outdoors gear resources (websites, blogs, books, and forums). I narrowed down the search to a few models and options based on trying out some shoes at my outdoors store and an assessment of my priorities. All the shoes I tried were effective in their own way, but Tamarack fit me the best amongst all.

Apart from fit, Tamarack’s supple upper leather, thick PU mid-sole, and nicely designed outsole gave me a great feeling of comfort, support and protection. I also appreciated the fact that Tamarack’s outsole is adaptive to mountain biking. It made Tamarack the ideal multi-purpose lightweight shoe for me.

Field Conditions
I have been using these shoes for the last 18 months on short day trips, light weekend trips, mountain biking and general outdoors activities around the Northeastern United States, especially in New York, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts.

I also took them on a couple of hiking trips to the Smoky Mountain area of Georgia and Tennessee.

So far, I have logged approximately 500 miles (800 kilometers) in them. During my hikes in these shoes I have experienced various trail and weather conditions.

I hiked through wet forest trails and rocky terrains without any problem. They performed flawlessly in dry conditions and handled challenging uphill trails very efficiently. The outsole tread pattern does not perform well on sleek rocks or wet roots. On several hikes I have gained 1640 – 2625 feet (500 to 800 meters) of elevation over few hours. The longest day hike I took in these shoes was a 15-mile (24 kilometers) hike in the Adirondacks in late summer of 2005.
Originally I intended to use these shoes in fair weather – not too wet or cold. Due to the unpredictable nature of summer and fall weather in the Northeastern USA, I ended up using these shoes in all different conditions – light rain and snow, dew, and mud. Also I used them in temperatures between 40 and 90 degrees F (4 and 32 degrees Celsius) with relative comfort.

These shoes are not waterproof, but with proper treatment they stay very water repellent. They kept my feet dry through light rain, morning dew and light snow fairly effectively. Although, I noticed that my feet eventually got wet in half an hour under sustained wet conditions (long drizzles or snow fall). Also, I suffered from wet feet when I used them during summer downpours. Because of the low cut design I only used them on day hikes. The outsole does not have a self-cleaning property, so it catches mud and requires frequent cleaning. I try to avoid using them in severely wet conditions (rain/snow).

Field Test
These shoes have been used and tested on a wide range of terrains and weather. Following are my personal findings of these shoes.

Fit and Comfort: fit is the highlight of the Tamarack. I think that Montrail is on to something with their IntegraFit technology. Surprisingly, the IntegraFit design gave me a comfortable and snug fit after only a few days of use.

The soft leather upper stretched to accommodate my rather irregularly shaped feet and created a smooth snug feeling all around. This snug but comfortable fit eliminated any pressure points or hotspots that I experienced with some other shoes/boots that I have used or tried on.

I wish the lacing system would go further down to the toe area to give more scope for custom fitting. The toe box is roomy and the heel cup hugs the ankle nicely.

Construction: right out of the box, these shoes looked and felt very solidly made. There were no uneven spots on the upper leather, stitching, and the sole area. The shoes appeared to be very nicely constructed.

Sizing: I have wide and high volume feet with narrow ankles. Straight out of the box the shoes were very comfortable. They offered plenty of room in the toe areas and an over all close fit all around. I would say that the Tamaracks are very true to size for my US size 9 feet.

Key Features
Upper: The full leather upper is very soft and supple. Even after some rugged use they are not showing any sign of weakness.

The perforated upper helps move moisture from inside out and makes the shoes breathable. With every step, I can almost feel that the shoes pump air in and out and keep my feet dry and comfortable. The only trade off is that the perforations let water in during wet weather hikes (rain and snow) or while crossing streams.

The Nylex lining gave a soft feeling around my feet and absorbed moisture well. It also kept me blister free. After long hikes I did not feel much dampness inside my shoes, which I have experienced with some other shoes.

The leather is fairly water resistant with waterproofing treatment. I hiked during light drizzles last summer, and found that the leather makes the raindrops bead up and roll off. I also like the charcoal and rust color combination of the upper.

Lacing and Tongue: the lacing system is simple but effective. There are no metal eyelets to guide the laces; instead they pass through cut out holes in the upper leather, which is a durability concern for me.

Although they are not gusseted, the tongues are nicely padded and partly responsible for giving a great fit without pressure points. A leather loop helps stabilize the tongue position. The Tamaracks also have orange nylon loops at the back of the shoes that make it really easy to get the shoes on and off. This loop is really handy when I need to put the shoes on quickly.

Mid-sole: A thick layer of PU and a TerraFlex protection plate constitute the mid-sole of these shoes.

The PU ensures long term cushioning and the protection plate provides good underfoot protection. In my personal experience PU mid-soles are more durable than EVA mid-souls. The TPU protection plate combined with the PU cushioning constitutes a surprisingly solid platform for the Tamarack. I hiked over rocks and roots with 20-25 lb (9-12 kilogram) packs and did not feel any pain.

The PU mid-soles also provide good arch support. My arches are flatter than normal, so, in other shoes I had to use special insoles to get rid of the foot fatigue; the Tamarack’s substantial but low profile mid-sole design supports my arches and eliminates foot fatigue.

Outsole: The Tamarack uses FasTrax carbon rubber outsoles that provide good traction and grip on most surfaces. However, I did not feel as confident on surfaces like wet rock or roots while carrying a pack. The outsole also does not have a self-cleaning property to shed off thick mud. This became a serious problem for me on a birding trip on muddy and wet trails.

Rand: Toe and heel rands in these shoes add an extra layer of foot protection and make the shoes more durable and abrasion resistant.

Pros
· Fit and robust feel

· PU mid-sole with TerraFlex protection plate is great for cushioning and protection.

· Mid-sole is more durable than some of the other hiking shoes (with EVA mid-sole) I have used.

· Deep heel cup keeps my feet stable and superb arch support keeps me pain free on long mileage days.

· FasTrax outsole grips well on most surfaces and is fairly durable.

· Optimum cushioning at the heel and comfortable flex at the forefoot make these shoes suitable for fast hiking.

· Toe and heel rands increase the durability of these shoes and provide an additional layer of protection for my toes and heels.

· Fairly light weight for the type of protection and support these shoes provide

Cons
· All leather upper takes a long time to dry if the shoes get wet.

· Lacing system is just adequate. The lacing system does not extend down to the toe area, which makes it difficult to achieve a snug and responsive fit at the

Reviews > Footwear > Trail Shoes > Montrail Tamarack Hiking Shoe > Owner Review by Ashik Rahman

Reviews > Footwear > Trail Shoes > Montrail Tamarack Hiking Shoe > Owner Review by Ashik Rahman