Reviews > Footwear > Winter Boots > Baffin Extreme Series Boots > Leesa Joiner > Field Report

Baffin Boots
Extreme Series
Field Report
March 9, 2004

Personal Information:
Leesa Joiner
ljoATmidmaine(dot)com
Southwestern Maine
41 years old
Female
5'7" (1.7 M)
150 lbs. (68 kg)

Company Information:
Product Name: Impact, from the Extreme Series
Year of manufacture: 2003
URL: http://www.baffin.com

Background:

      My camping, hiking and backpacking experience has included trips varying in length from one day hikes, to 2-week trips.  My experience hiking began with my father, when I was about 6 years old. We hiked along the river pathways in northeastern Ohio and western Pennsylvania. During cold weather, I backpack, hike, snow shoe, cross-country ski, go ice fishing and winter camp with friends and family.  Although I am not an lightweight backpacker, I am trying to `lighten up' and even have converted to using a hammock while camping.

Impressions:

    I have worn the Baffin boots on over 20 occasions the last two months. They have been worn while shoveling snow, chipping ice, walking on frozen lakes while ice fishing and for walking around outside of our cabin while camping. We had an extremely cold winter this year, with temperatures dropping to -28 F (-33 C) for over 4 consecutive days (12 days total).
    The best feature of these boots is the warmth they provide. My feet did not get cold while wearing them. I wore a variety of socks, everything from mid-weight cotton/wool blends to a pair of lightweight socks with a pair of heavyweight Merino wool socks on top. I found that my feet did not perspire, even when I came inside a building and left the boots on.
    The boots did not rub or press on any spots on my foot or leg. I did find the boots somewhat ‘clunky’ to walk in, because of their size. I have not had any problems with leakage of either wind or water.
    One of the first times I wore the boots, I was cabin camping with a group of scouts. I wore them while we hiked in from the parking area, and while we gathered wood for the fire. Late at night I put them on to walk the kids to their cabins and to the ‘facilities’. They were a pleasure to slide on- no tying.   The two nights we spent at the cabin were extremely cold with temperatures dipping to - 30 F (- 35 C).    
    On the 6 days I wore them ice fishing, I found there is enough insulation in the bottom of the boot to keep my feet warm even when standing on ice for hours. Usually I find that my feet get cold if I am unable to move around enough. The Baffin Boots provided a well insulated warmth.
    Some days I put on the boots and took the dog out into the woods, just for a quick walk and some fresh air. The boots did quite well on the rough, icy snow conditions. They provided enough traction that I didn’t slip or slide too much. The tread is aggressive enough to maintain traction on all but the smoothest ice. On glare ice I did slide some, especially if I didn’t raise my foot enough with each step.
    On a trip to Vermont in mid-January, I wore the boots while snowmobiling- they were fantastic. A few people commented that they’d like to try them out. (Un)fortunately, they wouldn’t fit them!
I will continue to test the Baffin Boots in what is left of our winter, hopefully not at such extreme temperatures though! I have two camping trips over the next month and two backpacking trips in April. During this time I will also be watching for how well the boots keep water out and away from my foot.

Reviews > Footwear > Winter Boots > Baffin Extreme Series Boots > Leesa Joiner > Field Report