Which sidecountry boot?

[Dr_Moreau]

Its a jungle out there! The new salomon qst? Lange xt 130 freetour? Cochise 120? Lupo ti carbon ($$$!)? Pinnacle?

Need to replace my old cochise lights which had an ok fit but never great. Have Backlands as dedicated touring boot but need a sturdier boot for daily driver. So just liftserved sidecountry and short tours. Weight is not a major concern but around 1800g or lighter would be nice. Fairly low volume aswell, dont need to be superstiff. My skis have tech or marker tour bindings.
And yeah I know go to a bootfitter, get the green ones bla bla. But the new boots are not in yet and I crave more info!!

[gregL]

The new Cochise is a totally redesigned last, and fits much closer around the ankle, tighter in the medial midfoot, and has a more rounded toebox. But if you're going Tecnica, I'd look at the Zero G Guide Pro since it skis great and weighs just over 1500 grams - it has the same 99 mm last as the new Cochise. The XT 130 Free Tour is great as well, with a more relaxed fit than a regular XT/RX (offered in 100 and 97mm lasts) but weighs 1790 grams in a 26.5. Haven't skied in the others, but they look fantastic too.

[mntlion]

buy the ones that fit YOU the best? (and its RED, not green)


what did you NOT like about the cochise?

[XavierD]

New Cochise and Lange XT free tour are lightweight alpine boots that ski well and tour alright. Both are around 1800g (Cochise has a heavier liner), and walk well enough that ROM is generally not an issue on most shorter tours (under 5000v ft). Both ski well, but different from each other. Fit aside, if you like the way Lange's engage a ski get the XT, if you like the way Tecnicas do get the Cochise.

[TahoeJ]

And do keep in mind that the liners in the OG Cochise boots left a lot to be desired and improvements were made with the next version. And presumably this latest version as well.

[BigDaddy]

Never thought I'd see the day I'd say this but, I have a EEE foot and love my Langes.

[Coño Frío]

Just picked up a pair of Salomon MTN Explore. Great fit and they walk great. Excellent ROM. Will have to wait and see how they ski but the reviews all seem pretty positive on the downhill. Light compared to my Fischer Soma Vacuums.

[babybear]

Triple e's! What do you have bear feet?

[Dr_Moreau]

buy the ones that fit YOU the best? (and its RED, not green)


what did you NOT like about the cochise?

To wide I guess, never got the fit quite right and had problems with shinbang. Not to keen on the flex either, not very progressive? But I havent skied that many boots so its hard to compare. So looking for a lower volume boot, but all of my options are lower volume. Yeah I gues I just have to wait and go try them on. But things like how the flex feels is hard to judge on carpettesting in roomtemps.
One thing that makes me consider Salomon qst is the great reviews mtn lab got and the custom shell thing, maybe I could downsize and bake the shit out of the shell like Blister did with the x-pro? http://blistergearreview.com/gear-re...omon-x-pro-120
Leaning more towards a lightweigt alpine boot that tours ok than a full on touring boot, (have my backlands for that) so thinking more cochise/lange/qst than mtn explore or zero g. These are going to be my Daily drivers.

And its definitely green, why would I want a red boot?

[BigDaddy]

Triple e's! What do you have bear feet?

At least I don't need swim fins when snorkeling...

[burrito]

If I had an extra grand on hand I'd snag a new pair of Lupo Carbons in a heartbeat. What I do have, and have been relatively happy with, is an older pair of Sherpa 5/5s that I stiffened up with modded Full Tilt tongues. They're lightweight enough for sidecountry/day-hikes, but they're sturdy enough to push in-bounds, too.

[gregL]

Leaning more towards a lightweigt alpine boot that tours ok than a full on touring boot, (have my backlands for that) so thinking more cochise/lange/qst than mtn explore or zero g. These are going to be my Daily drivers.

The Zero G is a lightweight alpine boot that tours OK, and it happens to be a lot lighter than the others in this new category. You'll have to wait a bit for an ultra light touring boot from Tecnica, but I bet it'll happen now that Federico Sbrissa works there. Have not skied the QST, but I have lots of days in the MTN Lab and have friends who use it every day (with Wardens on their alpine setups). They rip, so it's not like they're giving up too much performance to get into the sub 1600 gram range.

[MagnificentUnicorn]

Just picked up a pair of Salomon MTN Explore. Great fit and they walk great. Excellent ROM. Will have to wait and see how they ski but the reviews all seem pretty positive on the downhill. Light compared to my Fischer Soma Vacuums.

I think the Lab would be a better sidecountry boot. I have the MTN Explore as my dedicated touring boot and they are great on the up and good on the down. You can't really push them. Good for noodling around in pow and generally medium to fast smooth skiing.

[sethschmautz]

Dynafit Khion/Beast?

[TAFKALVS]

Is this a trick question? Obviously the red ones are faster.

Praxis RX?

[Dr_Moreau]

The Zero G is a lightweight alpine boot that tours OK, and it happens to be a lot lighter than the others in this new category. You'll have to wait a bit for an ultra light touring boot from Tecnica, but I bet it'll happen now that Federico Sbrissa works there. Have not skied the QST, but I have lots of days in the MTN Lab and have friends who use it every day (with Wardens on their alpine setups). They rip, so it's not like they're giving up too much performance to get into the sub 1600 gram range.

Sure but the cochise should be sturdier? Or else why have the two different boots? Do you know what the difference between them is? My main concern isnt realy stiffness, dont need a superstiff raceboot (obviosly), more cuff height, support and feel of the flex. I have long skinny legs so an extra inch in cuffheight would be nice, and a proper powerstrap for support.

Red might be faster but green looks better on the apreski.

[XavierD]

The Cochise has more of a spine in the lower. It is a more powerful boot. Go to a shop when they come in, and look at both.

[gregL]

Sure but the cochise should be sturdier? Or else why have the two different boots? Do you know what the difference between them is?

I don't have the new Cochise, and haven't really compared the two boots side by side. XavierD has looked more closely at the two with liners out, or maybe wasatchback can chime in. I've skied a bunch in the Zero G and have had the new Cochise 120 on my foot, and my gut feeling is the cuff heights are not significantly different. I think it's more plastic density, beef around the shell/cuff junction, and liner. At any rate, the Zero G Guide Pro has a very alpine progressive flex (meaning it starts fairly soft and gets progressively stiffer as you flex it) and is predictable and consistent in a way beef touring boots in the same weight class (for me, that's MTN Lab and Mercury) are not. It's not precise and powerful in the same fashion as my Lange RS 130 or Tecnica Mach 1 130 LV, but for the mostly sidecountry stuff I ski it's perfect. As for "sturdy" I'm not sure, as I only have a month and a half on them - not sure if that's what you mean. I'm pretty sure Tecnica did it to have a 1500 gram option that was better matched to the Zero G ski line than the Cochise.

[Dr_Moreau]

I don't have the new Cochise, and haven't really compared the two boots side by side. XavierD has looked more closely at the two with liners out, or maybe wasatchback can chime in. I've skied a bunch in the Zero G and have had the new Cochise 120 on my foot, and my gut feeling is the cuff heights are not significantly different. I think it's more plastic density, beef around the shell/cuff junction, and liner. At any rate, the Zero G Guide Pro has a very alpine progressive flex (meaning it starts fairly soft and gets progressively stiffer as you flex it) and is predictable and consistent in a way beef touring boots in the same weight class (for me, that's MTN Lab and Mercury) are not. It's not precise and powerful in the same fashion as my Lange RS 130 or Tecnica Mach 1 130 LV, but for the mostly sidecountry stuff I ski it's perfect. As for "sturdy" I'm not sure, as I only have a month and a half on them - not sure if that's what you mean. I'm pretty sure Tecnica did it to have a 1500 gram option that was better matched to the Zero G ski line than the Cochise.

Ok thanks thats very interesting. Im just assuming the heavier boots have a more alpine feel to them, but from what you are saying the zero G sounds like a solid choice. Im not heavy (80 kg) and fairly mellow skier. Any thoughts on any difference in liners between the Zero G and new Cochise?

[gregL]

Any thoughts on any difference in liners between the Zero G and new Cochise?

The Zero G liner is a super light Palau heat moldable affair with minimal seams, a severely sculpted tongue, and a pretty cushy feel. Mine weighed 218 grams in a 26.5. The Cochise liner seems to be a more conventional one with fully sewn uppers and CAS grindable material around the ankle. I bet half the extra weight is in the liner.

Here's a picture of the Zero G Guide Pro liner:
http://randosaigai.com/zerogboot_2776.jpg

[Dr_Moreau]

Ok thanks! Are you happy with the liner for the Zero G? Seems to be popular around here to swith to Intuition liners.

[auvgeek]

Wonder what a Cochise shell and Intuition weighs.

[XavierD]

Wonder what a Cochise shell and Intuition weighs.

mine are just under 1700g /boot in 26.5 (Cochise 120 w/ intuition pro tours, no laces and a custom footbed).

ZeroG liner is noticeably lighter weight than a pro tour

I'd like to put the modified power wrap from the Lupo Ti in a pair of Cochise 120s. That would be a killer resort/sidecountry boot.

[gregL]

Are you happy with the liner for the Zero G? Seems to be popular around here to swith to Intuition liners.

So far they are fine. The foam is super comfy and softer than a Pro Tongue or even a Pro Tour - we'll see how long they last.

[klauss]

Is the scarpa freedom rs 130 both more volume (instep/ankle/toe box) and stiffer flex than the new cochise and zero G?

May have to upgrade the quadrants