Big guy light touring boot

[skibrd]

With ZipFits release of the GFT inner boot, I want to give light weight touring boots a shot, again.

Me: 6-3x, 225lbs and could use to lose 25-30 of those. I have a strong preference for long (>190cm) skis, used to like big stiff skis, but have been shifting towards softer skis as of late.

I liked the Dynafit TLT6P, they could let me ski my 193 Blizzard Scout or 193 Volkl Shiro, but in sub 10F temps my feet got really bad frost bite. The Atomic version of the TLT6P was way too soft. I’m currently in the Lange XT Free Pro with the cork liner out of my last pair of Lange RS140s. It’s ok, not comfy, and super heavy.

What do you guys like for a light weight boot and why?

Anyone holding a pair of 26.5 TLT6 performances? That aren’t totally beat?

Ski wise these will probably be paired with a 190 Raven, or 190 Wildcat 108 tour, and a 193 Mindbender 116C.

Just so everyone knows, no matter what you guys say, I’m going to take GregL or Tom (at JHS) advice before everyone here. I know fit matters more then anything.


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[plugboots]

I had the TLT 5P, and bought the Dalbello Quantum Asolo Factory Alpine Touring and the Scarpa F1 LT and brought them in to GregL to fit and ended up w/ the Scarpa. It’s better in every way from the TLT. Way stiffer. I thought I was going to get the Dalbello because carpet fit was better, but the Scarpa with a punch and molding was great. By the way I tried the TLT6 in whatever stiffest version, and I didn’t think it was significantly stiffer/better than my TLT 5Ps.

[skiJ]

what about pairing a light boot with a climbers' Overboot for warmth -

skiJ

[XXX-er]

buy the next class of boot up from the light touring

cuz the light touring boot isnt really going to ski worht a fack enyway

if the xtra weight bothers you just lose 25-30 lbs

[ctsmith]

May not be the direction you decide, but I do have a pair of TLT6P’s, 26.0 shell in good shape.

[The Stopper]

Similar size as you, spent a good amount of time last year in the Atomic Backland Carbon. I never really liked it, always felt too soft in anything but perfect snow and at that point I’m usually on a bigger ski/boot. It might be technique but I’m over it. Using Zero G Pros this year which actually ski well.

How do you like the Ravens? I’m trying to like these but they feel like wet noodles. If you pressure the tip at all they fold. Defaulting to Renegades more.

[skibrd]

Similar size as you, spent a good amount of time last year in the Atomic Backland Carbon. I never really liked it, always felt too soft in anything but perfect snow and at that point I’m usually on a bigger ski/boot. It might be technique but I’m over it. Using Zero G Pros this year which actually ski well.

How do you like the Ravens? I’m trying to like these but they feel like wet noodles. If you pressure the tip at all they fold. Defaulting to Renegades more.

Yeah, I was in the Backland Carbon and felt the exact same way. Just spongy.

Haven’t bought Ravens yet, wasn’t really sure what I wanted, but I tend to like skis that Jonathan Ellsworth at Blister likes, and he likes the Ravens as his narrow touring ski, so I was going to give them a shot. Hum, you make me think the Ravens and I won’t get along.


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[Benneke10]

I’m a smaller guy so my opinion isn’t worth a lot but I love the skorpius. It is the spiritual successor to the tlt6, similar weight and fit but skis so much better, and easier transitions. No other light boot has the same level of progressiveness in the flex

[NWFlow]

I'm also on the skorpius. It handles bigger skis "ok" if needed i.e. it's stiff enough with a decently progressive flex, but you do lose a lot of the oomph and suspension from a heavier boot.

I ski them daily with a 186 line vision 98 which seems to be a good match, and use a 189.atris occasionally in good snow. I notice a decrease in performance relative to say my old maestrales, but it's not enough to bring other boots out, especially given the benefits of the better walk mode, lighter weight, and simple transitions. I am not as big as you however, and have never liked big stiff skis for any application.

[Beder]

I'm in a Cochise 120 with an Intuition liner and the simple velcro power strap. I like how it skis and walks and it's 1650g, about 300g heavier than the Zero G TP. Granted I've never been in a super light touring boot so maybe I don't know anything.

[UkBCyeti]

Same size pretty much.. then I lost that 20-35.
Before that I was in the dynafit hoji's predecessor. 4 buckle boot. The new one with the wider last would have been an option as I loved that boot.
Went with the Lange xt 140, and loving it.
Kastle FX 116 in a 188 one quiver ski and boot. Loving them.

They're heavier for sure but the performance on the down makes up for it IMO

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[skis_the_trees]

I still am trying to understand how you are 6'3" but wear a 26.5 shell in the TLT6?

I'm the same height but 175lbs, I have just accepted soft 2 buckle touring boots for most touring uses. I find the La Sportiva Spitfire 2.1 drives 192 GPOs and 196 Protests "fine" when I'm touring. I imagine the newer Sportivas and other brands ski even better. I have a set of Maestrale RS that ski better but 90% of the time I'm walking uphill so rarely take them.

[Lord Thomas]

I'm about the same weight as the OP, 220lb, and have pretty much settled at this point on 27.5 XTD 130's. They walk OK but I find that I don't even have to think about my boots when skiing. With the lighter, softer boots I was always aware of what kind of snow I was in and trying to adjust my skiing to not fold my boots. No more worries about how long and stiff a ski to use as well. (Wishing now I hadn't sold my 191 Lhasa's) With the XTD's I just go have fun. Also, with the current generation of buckles that you can leave in the appropriate spot on the ladder I've found transitions to be much faster.

Being a little more mature, broken down, and better insulated than many on this forum I find myself being pretty aware of grams. Direct negative correlation between grams and vert for me. With a Palau Power LT liner I can get my total field boot weight under 1,400 g. Not bad for having close to full alpine boot power.

[Marshal Olson]

6’2”
215

i liked how the Fischer Travers Carbon boots skied with a more robust liner, but cracked the lowers a few times with bigger skis skiing fast on windboard.

I graduated to Hoji boots for last season and really liked them so far, after a little bit of wrangling to get their fit sorted. Much more substantial feeling, walk pretty well.

[carlh]

6’3” 200 here and in hawx xtds. Occasionally think about a lighter boot on the up but then forget that on the way down. Have been migrating to lighter skis and bindings but I like real boots.

[eSock]

6'3, 210 and in the hawx ultra xtd130s as well. They've been my primary boot for the last season, in and out of bounds. Would recommend! I'm only just starting to miss having a true inbounds boot this season and thinking maybe the cochise 130 could be a good inbounds boot that can hike occasionally.

[plugboots]

I'm in a Cochise 120 with an Intuition liner and the simple velcro power strap. I like how it skis and walks and it's 1650g, about 300g heavier than the Zero G TP. Granted I've never been in a super light touring boot so maybe I don't know anything.

My other boot is a Cochise 130. I rarely take it out touring because I don’t see the need.

[Mudfoot]

6'4" and 225 here and skiing old Dynafit Zzero Carbons. Light, stiff, comfortable and skied like shit until I bolted on some spoilers adding about an inch and half to the back of of the cuffs. Now I love them, which illustrates a problem with equipment for big guys. I have found this with all kinds of stuff like bikes, boots and skis. Sports equipment is designed for an average size guy and then they usually just make it in a bigger size without changing the materials, which is probably why most people like my model boots but they did not work for me out of the box. If you take an average size anything and make it bigger or longer but do not beef it up taller and heavier guys and women end up with a much differently functioning product. With longer legs and more weight the leverage I'm putting on my boots is exponentially more than a 175 pounder, but our boots are usually made out of exactly the same materials and with the same design..

Again, sorry for the rant but I sympathize with the OP on trying to find good boots. Traditional light equipment is often not a viable option for us.

[MHSP1497]

My touring buddy is 6’ 3” and around 225, wears 30.5. He’s had the La Sportiva Spectre for last couple seasons and he really likes them for more aggressive skiing. He removed the toe buckle because it’s pointless to him. He also uses Arc’Teryx Procline boots for mellower tours, but really only grew to like them once he switched to Tecton’s; on his old G3 Ion’s they were too vague and lacked the control he wanted.

[SoVT Joey]

I just put a Zipfit stealth in my Lange xt tour pro and it is pretty awesome. It still has great range of motion and skis like an animal. I have the zips in my XT3 140 today and they are decent, skis amazing downhill, ROM was a little restricted.

if you like your Lange now in the least, I would try the new Lange touring boot for sure. Or a ZeroG.

[gregL]

Well, the question is "how light." I was also a fan of the TLT6C.

I've used the Scarpa Alien RS and Dalbello Quantum Asolo Factory with some success, but each had some faults and I only used them in the spring/summer with 164 Zero G 85's. I doubt anything in this 950 gram class (probably including the Zero G Peak Carbon, but we'll see) is going to cut it for you.

In the 1000-1100 gram class the TLT8 fits like a breadbox and the Speednose is a non-starter for me, probably my favorite at the moment is the F1 LT. You'll need a gutsy bootfitter to punch the carbon scaffo. My solution in the 1200 gram class (most of my winter touring) is currently a Zero G Tour Pro without the power strap, but that might not work at your height either.

Haven't been able to try the Skorpius (couldn't get my fat foot into the 26.5) or the Travers Carbon before the recall, so no legit opinion on either.

[skibrd]

Well, the question is "how light." I was also a fan of the TLT6C.

I've used the Scarpa Alien RS and Dalbello Quantum Asolo Factory with some success, but each had some faults and I only used them in the spring/summer with 164 Zero G 85's. I doubt anything in this 950 gram class (probably including the Zero G Peak Carbon, but we'll see) is going to cut it for you.

In the 1000-1100 gram class the TLT8 fits like a breadbox and the Speednose is a non-starter for me, probably my favorite at the moment is the F1 LT. You'll need a gutsy bootfitter to punch the carbon scaffo. My solution in the 1200 gram class (most of my winter touring) is currently a Zero G Tour Pro without the power strap, but that might not work at your height either.

Haven't been able to try the Skorpius (couldn't get my fat foot into the 26.5) or the Travers Carbon before the recall, so no legit opinion on either.

I’m leaning towards the Zero G Tour Pro also, but with a power strap and (maybe?) the ZipFit GFT liner. I’m at work until late Feb, then headed your way before back to Wyoming. I’ll shoot you a PM before showing up. You, Silas, and a long list of people like that Zero G Tour Pro. I learned how to ski the TLT6P, just have to slightly adjust from the Head 140RS to the ZGTP.

The super light boots seem interesting, but not for more then a workout lap up a groomer, and my bank account isn’t big enough for a pair of boots for that. The speednose is also a non starter.

And for those who are wondering, yes I ski a 26.5 at my size. My climbing shoes are even smaller. I have narrow weird feet, I know.

Yep, working on losing that weight….


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[Skip Dooley]

Zero G Pro is what you're looking for. None of the UL boots you mentioned are going to drive those skis well. And, a big boy like you is going to make that issue even more apparent. The actual weight of the boot isn't that big of a deal, the ROM is much more important. I have skied the Alien RS as my primary boot the last 4 seasons. But, upon getting bigger stiffer skis, it doesn't drive them well at all. Once I got my ZGs, I have hardly touched the aliens.

Hoji boot is another consideration, but heavier than Zero G, and I think harder to fit.

Fischer boot is a nice middle ground. But, I have heard multiple reports of shells breaking.

If you're dead set on something lighter than the ZeroG, maybe wait for the new tecnica 1kg boot next year?

Consider saving weight in bindings/skins instead of boots.

[WhetherMan]

Similar size as you, spent a good amount of time last year in the Atomic Backland Carbon. I never really liked it, always felt too soft in anything but perfect snow and at that point I’m usually on a bigger ski/boot. It might be technique but I’m over it. Using Zero G Pros this year which actually ski well.

How do you like the Ravens? I’m trying to like these but they feel like wet noodles. If you pressure the tip at all they fold. Defaulting to Renegades more.

6'6", 210#, 29.5 - Inbounds is a Mach lv 130 with wrap liner.

I bought Stopper's previous pair of Zero G pros and they replaced Hawx xtd 130s. For me the Zero g's ski significantly better. My experience with the XTD was quite stiff off the top and then completely folding as you got into the flex. My guess is that this is from the lower bellowing out, and may be related to my very low volume foot. But it was a pretty stark difference. Somewhat notable is that the zero g shell is actually heavier than the (1st gen) XTD in a 29.5. This doesn't seem to be true for the smaller sizes which suggests to me that tecnica recognized you need to beef up the amount of plastic as the boot shell gets larger, in a way that maybe atomic didn't?

I'm pretty happy with the zero g's with tour wraps. Though I would still prefer more stiffness and support. I spent part of last season in lange freetour 130s and though they fit me like shit, they still skied noticeably better than the zero g's. I think the biggest difference is at the end of the flex, where the freetours offer full support whereas the zero's there's still some give if you're skiing hard in uneven snow.

I'm sorta relieved to here someone else echo my experience with the Raven. So many people talk about how consistent and predictable it is, but that thing just folded up in 3d snow and then hooked into tight radius turns. Really didn't get along with it at all.

Haven’t bought Ravens yet, wasn’t really sure what I wanted, but I tend to like skis that Jonathan Ellsworth at Blister likes, and he likes the Ravens as his narrow touring ski, so I was going to give them a shot. Hum, you make me think the Ravens and I won’t get along.

I loved the bibby and generally lean towards skis on the JE end of the spectrum, but the raven was definitely an exception. I've always wondered if the 184 combined with a lighter person performed differently because it is hard to imagine so many people raving about it the way the 190 skied for me.

6'4" and 225 here and skiing old Dynafit Zzero Carbons. Light, stiff, comfortable and skied like shit until I bolted on some spoilers adding about an inch and half to the back of of the cuffs. Now I love them, which illustrates a problem with equipment for big guys. I have found this with all kinds of stuff like bikes, boots and skis. Sports equipment is designed for an average size guy and then they usually just make it in a bigger size without changing the materials, which is probably why most people like my model boots but they did not work for me out of the box. If you take an average size anything and make it bigger or longer but do not beef it up taller and heavier guys and women end up with a much differently functioning product. With longer legs and more weight the leverage I'm putting on my boots is exponentially more than a 175 pounder, but our boots are usually made out of exactly the same materials and with the same design..

Again, sorry for the rant but I sympathize with the OP on trying to find good boots. Traditional light equipment is often not a viable option for us.

Amen brother, rant on.

I'm interested in seeing if I can get the Hoji free to work for me. Might even head to the shop today and take them out. I'll report back if I do. They're heavier than the Zero g pro, but they also reportedly walk better. I'm realizing that for myself and where I tour that may be a pretty good trade if they ski better. I own a pair of the previous generation cochise (bright orange) and if they didn't have such terrible range of motion I'd be willing to put up with the weight on a lot more tours than they I do now. In a carpet test the newest cochise has much better range of motion, still well short of the zero g, but perhaps closer to that than the old cochise. For me the cochise is the only "touring" boot that I'd be willing to ski consistently inbounds and that includes the freetour 130

[The Stopper]

Glad to hear those Zero G’s are treating you well. For what it’s worth since we seem to have similar size and feedback on gear, I tried the Hoji Free for half a season and ultimately sold them. The boot itself is stiffer than the Zero G but I don’t think they walk as well. The one step ski system never really got the cuff tight enough either. The big killer for me on the Free was the extreme forward lean and something that most don’t mention, the boot board ramp. At 17 degrees and I believe 6-7 degrees respectively, these both put me way too far forward and on my toes. This fried my quads and ultimately had me skiing backseat. I can’t confirm if it’s my style or true for taller humans with long legs but this doesn’t work. I couldn’t get off my tips to keep them from hooking.