Thread: 2011/2012 Tecnica Bushwacker Pictures / Unboxing / Photo Review

Here is my jongtastic picture review of the 2012 Tecnica Bushwacker, aka Cochise Jr.

I just got these today and was curious as to how they're put together.

At this point I have no slope performance review, I am walking around the house with them and will get to ski and compare them to my usual AT and alpine boots this weekend.

This box seems too light for ski boots, I was beginning to worry if they only sent me one boot, or more shitty Dukes instead.


Retail Box . The marketing packet consists of a pair of some hex head wrenches for removing the soles and the manual which I haven't bothered to read yet.



Back of the boot showing air bladder pump, release and tour mode switch. I wonder how the inflation/deflation clitorii will stand up to a ski edge?


Top buckle / strap system. There is no micro adjustment of the buckle here (doesn't need to be):


Front View. The white bits of plastic are actually more flexible than the rest of the shell and are supposed to help getting in and out of the boot:


Picture of the top liner cuff and velcro spoiler system, it's adjustable but comes centered like this stock:


Pictures of the Bushwacker liner. The tongue is reinforced with plastic as well as the outer sides of the front of the liner:




Shitty footbed. Replace ASAP! I will be using my InstyPrints custom footbeds.


Cutout area on liner for those who need boot electric bootwarmer stuff. It isn't cut out of the box.


Inflated the airbladder all the way, about 20 pumps or so:



It's not riveted in place, so it's removable.


Upper cuff in walk mode, all the way back. Not much movement here, doesn't seem to go past 90 degrees:


Cuff fully forward for comparison:


Pulled off the DIN soles, a flat head screwdriver was required to wedge them off after removing the screws.
The orange bits feel like really hard rubber, not plastic. The are secured by metal screws and metal nuts in
the boot. No plastic to strip. Looking at you Garmont. The white grid pattern on the bottom of the boot
is rubber, which should help for climbing on rocks. I was supposed to get tech soles too but they're on backorder:





It fits into a Small Duke with maybe a thread to spare. I don't yet know how the tech soles will work.


No problems with FKS either:


General Impressions:

Although the cuff does not articulate as much as other AT boots, it is surprisingly easy to walk in.
I can't really say I notice the air bladder effect, which is the way it should be if you size the shell right. Time will tell when it packs out more.
The air bladder system is screwed into the cuff and the top of the boot board, it looks like it can be removed.

My foot is size 27.5, D-E width. With the stock liner and my custom footbed, I have a lot of room to wiggle my toes, which is unusual for me, but the heel doesn't move and there's no lateral movement.
It doesn't feel too tight or uncomfortable which is not necessarily a good thing in a brand new boot, I can crank the front buckle down all the way and still be okay.
I will probably get some Intuition liners for it.

The shell is marked 27/27.5 with a 320mm BSL which seems about right.
That FKS is mounted using jondrums FKS template and it falls in the middle of the adjustment range.

Edit: So I am slightly knock kneed and I am playing around with the cuff canting adjustment.
There is only one wheel to adjust on the lateral sides of the boot, so the range of motion is limited.

Reserved

what's yer shoe size? i'm not near a dealer but am thinking about buying these in either a 28.5 or 27.5... i'm a 10.5 shoe or 44... i know there's no direct relation between boot size and shoe size, but it might help if you shared what yours is... thanks!

Get the 27.5. I'm about the same size as you and I was swimming in the 28.5.

Do the shell fit, 27.5, 320mm shell. Get rid of the stock liner, it's crap. I replaced mine with an Intuition PW and it rocks.

I'm a US size 9 and 26.5 in Scarpa (Scarpa's chart puts me in a 26, but that gets me a half-finger or less space behind my heel).

Shell-fit the Bushwacker at REI after hearing Tecnica's sizes are off, but they seem right on the money. Best Bushwacker shell for me was also a 26.5.

A few measurements.....
Amount of forward lean?
Volume over ones' instep?
Heel-pocket size...tight or lots of room?

thanks.....thinking about it or Cochise....