- -50° C
- Just as soft and warm as it is practical. Be sure to think of the lip balm!!!
Baffin Hike winter hiking boot, rated at an indicative −20 °C / −4 °F, Tundra rated. Breathable softshell upper at 17.8 cm (7 in), speed lacing, tendon guard and ledge for snowshoe bindings. TPU plate, Polar Rubber™ outsole, B-Tek™ Dry waterproof breathable membrane. Built-in liner, insulation comparable to 400 g. 1.75 kg (3.86 lb) a pair.
Protection given down to −20 °C / −4 °F*. The Hike is a winter sports boot: 1.75 kg (3.86 lb) a pair, a breathable 17.8 cm (7 in) softshell upper, speed lacing and a rear pull loop. The base takes in a TPU plate that stops the sole twisting, a Polar Rubber™ outsole, an EVA midsole, and above all a tendon guard with a ledge shaped to take a snowshoe binding. The multi-layer Fixed-Fit liner is built into the boot, with insulation comparable to 400 g. Tundra rated. EUR sizes 36 to 41, two colourways.
Anyone who has tried strapping a snowshoe onto ordinary winter footwear knows what follows: the strap bites into the Achilles tendon, the binding creeps forward on the first climb, and the next hour goes on retightening it. The tendon guard and rear ledge settle that one problem: the strap finds a stop and stays where you put it. The other piece is hidden under the foot — a TPU plate stops the sole twisting when a step lands awkwardly on hard snow, which is what saves the ankle on a traverse.
Under effort, footwear has to solve two opposing problems: hold the heat in and let the vapour out. The Fixed-Fit liner stacks three layers with distinct jobs — Thermaplush™ carries perspiration away from the skin, the thermoformable B-Tek™ Foam moulds to the shape of the foot, and the four-channel hollow fibre B-Tek™ Heat builds volume of air while staying breathable, for insulation comparable to 400 g. Added to that is a built-in frost plate under the foot, which returns heat and blocks the cold rising from the ground: that is the answer to conduction, the main route of heat loss the moment you stop. The B-Tek™ Dry waterproof breathable membrane closes off water while letting vapour escape, and the B-Tek™ Scent-Free lining keeps odours down on long outings. One point decides the outcome: the sock must never grip, because any compression crushes the air and removes the insulation.
Because it is built around one use: walking and snowshoeing in hard cold. The tendon guard and ledge hold the binding in place, the TPU plate steadies the foot on hard snow, the waterproof breathable membrane clears the vapour you make under effort, and the frost plate blocks the cold rising from the ground. All of it at 1.75 kg (3.86 lb) a pair, which is the argument that counts on an outing of several hours.
On a long outing, every hundred grams is paid for in the calves
* Indicative temperature. Perceived warmth varies with activity, body type, humidity, wind, length of exposure and the socks worn.
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