BackpackGearTest.org - Baffin Extreme Series Boots Attila Hargitai

Baffin Boots Expedition - Long Term Report

Tester Information

Name: Attila Hargitai
Age: 33
Gender: Male
Height: 5' 9"/1.75 m
Weight: 141 lbs/64 kg
Foot size: 8 (U.S. Men)/41 (European)
Email addresses: attila.hargitai@geohidroterv.hu,
hargi@hotmail.com
City: Szeged
Country: Hungary (Europe)

Date: 5 july 2004

Backpacking Background

I have been backpacking since my childhood. I usually hike in Hungary (temperate climate, continental weather) in moderately high (700-1000 m, 2300-3300 feet) mountains. (I have also day-hiked higher mountains in Europe.) I go for weekend hikes almost every month, and I make one-week-long trips at least twice a year with my permanent hiking partners. I hike in all 4 seasons regardless of the weather. I am currently in transition toward lightweight backpacking but in some cases I insist on taking my good old heavyweight items. As I hike (and ski) even in winter, I have tried lots of different winter footwear. Currently I use traditional all-leather hiking boots in winter in combination with different liners.

Product Information:

Product Name: Baffin Boots Expedition (Extreme Series)
Manufacturer: Baffin Boots
Year of manufacture: 2003
URL: http://www.baffin.com
Size: 8 (U.S. Men)
Weight: 1.396 kg/49.3 oz (left), 1.426 kg/50.4 oz (right)
Made in Canada

Product Description

(For detailed product description see my Initial Report)

Field Information

I used the Baffin boots for around-the-house activities in Szeged, as approach boots when skiing (Gerlitzen Alpen in Austria, and Bánkút in the Bükk mountains in Hungary) on day-hikes in Austria (near the Mittagskogel and around the Faaker See) and in Hungary (Bükk and Eperjes-Tokaji mountains), and on a weekend hike in the Vértes mountains in Hungary. Elevation ranged between 80 m/300 feet and 2000 m/6000 feet.

The temperature was between -15 C/5 F and 5 C/40 F sometimes combined with heavy winds (estimated wind chill factor around -20 to -25 C/ -5 to -15 F). The precipitation during the test was wet and powder snow, freezing rain, and rain respectively. The ground surface was snow covered (powder and melting snow), icy, rocky, or muddy.

Performance

The boots performed excellently under these different conditions. They provided proper insulation even in the coldest environment during the test. It was a pleasant feeling to put them on after skiing. My feet got cold after 3-4 hours of skiing (especially my toes) but they rewarmed within minutes in the Baffin boots. I haven't experienced this with any other winter boots, rewarming my feet used to be a long process. During strenuous activities they were almost too warm, and my feet started to perspire. Despite this I have never felt my feet or the liner wet even after a 3-day outing in wet-cold conditions. During this trip the boots spent the nights under the tarp and I didn't remove the liner, but they remained dry.

The boots are very comfortable to wear and walk in, I haven't experience any rubbing or blisters. I wore the boots with only one pair of socks (usually thick wool socks) as was recommended by the manufacturer. If the tongue of the liner is not aligned properly it could cause discomfort (especially when the snow collar is cinched), but I could avoid it easily with a little precaution when putting on the boots. They were comfortable during uphill and downhill movement and allowed enough flexibility. I felt them a little heavy uphill and on longer hikes (and probably this is the only drawback of the boots that I could mention). In my opinion this little inconvenience is well compensated by the other features (warmth, comfort, water resistance etc.).

The traction of the boots was good on most surfaces except on wet icy surfaces during a freezing rain, however my hiking partners fell more often than me. The sole sheds snow perfectly even the word "Baffin" could be read on my footprint (of course it was backwards on the footprint, it might sound reasonable to write it backwards on the sole, so the footprint can function as an advertisement :)). They do not work so perfectly in mud as the sole collects dirt, especially the Baffin label on the heel, but the traction is still acceptable.

The boots are still water resistant. I applied the enclosed Sno-seal only once, but no leaking occurred. I accomplished the wet test standing in the Faaker See for some minutes and the boots performed exactly as in the Tisza River at the first test (see Initial Report).

The last occasion when I could test the water resistance (and other features) of the boots was a dayhike in the Eperjes-Tokaji mountains on the 14th of March. The snow was melting and miniature creeks and waterfalls flew on the trails, sometimes well hidden under the snow. The temperature was just above freezing despite the sunshine. Fortunately I took the Baffin boots and it turned out to be the perfect choice. Although they were a bit warm it was well compensated by the water resistance. The impregnation was removed from my hiking buddies' shoes in no time in the wet snow. Their boots filled with water while the Baffins kept my feet comfortably dry and warm during the whole trip. You should have seen the jealous looks:)

I have never thought that these boots were appropriate under these mild conditions. It was a pleasant surprise.

The boots still look new (after proper care) the only defect I have found is a few cm (about 1.5 in) rip on the shiny metallic layer on the sole of one liner. Its size and extent did not change during the test period.

The draw cord of the snow collar and the shoelace can be handled with numb hands and/or wearing gloves or mittens (tying the shoelace wearing mittens require a little experience, but can be done without difficulty). I didn't have to do it too often, I usually tied the shoelace in the morning and untied in the evening, no adjustment was necessary during the day. If the ends of the trousers are tucked in the boots the snow collar should be cinched tightly otherwise snow can get into the boots easily. As I wore most of the pants outside the boots I didn't have any problem with snow getting in the boots and this setup protected the shoelace from collecting snow and freezing as well.

I tried to drive our car (Suzuki Swift) wearing the Baffin boots but I didn't feel the pedals well enough through the sole and the boots seemed too big (I almost pushed two pedals at the same time with one foot once). Of course the size of Japanese cars is a bit smaller than the others but I had no chance to test it with other brands.

Summary

I am satisfied with the Baffin boots. They are warm, comfortable, weather resistant, durable boots, the best choice for severe winter conditions, and even in warmer, but still snowy and wet conditions. There are trade-offs, like the relatively heavy weight but this is well compensated by the other features. I will wear them whenever the conditions will be appropriate. I am seriously thinking of a good northern trip :)

Thanks to BGT and Baffin Boots for the opportunity to test these wonderful items!

Reviews > Footwear > Winter Boots > Baffin Extreme Series Boots > Attila Hargitai > Long Term Report

Reviews > Footwear > Winter Boots > Baffin Extreme Series Boots > Attila Hargitai > Long Term Report