Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board Expensive Gear Care...

So I'm headed to the Cascades this July to get some glacier experience on Mount Baker. The class I'm taking requires plastic double boots so a few months back I went over to the Adventure 16 in West LA and picked myself up a pair of Lowa Civetta Extremes...tried on tons, but the Lowa's just fit the best and felt the best to walk around in. Long story short, I've taken them out on mixed terrain in the Sierra this past winter and spring and they're starting to show some wear. I've never owned a pair of plastics, just wondering if there are any tips from the gear gurus out there on keeping them looking and performing like new for as long as possible, cuz they aren't exactly a cheap piece of gear. Thanks in advance!

"they're starting to show some wear"
I am guessing that it is the boot sole that is showing some wear and tear. I knew someone with La Sportiva double boot that has problem with the sole because the boot was designed to be worn with crampons.

I have used Koflach Artis Expedition, and Asolo AFS 8000. The sole on both of these boots are solid and can take some scrambling abuse. Still I always use the boot with crampon, or Kahtoola micro spike which adds some protection.

Best care is to hike or climb carefully and avoid the sharp rocks and hard ice. At the end of the trip, clean and store it out of the sun, UV light damage the plastic fairly quickly. At the mean time locate a good boot repair shop.

If it's the soles that are showing wear then I'd take ThinAirHiker's advice and locate a reputable company to resole them when the time comes. My doubles are La Sportive Baruntse and I've put some serious approach miles on them and they've held up great however I've read some negative reviews on the LS Olympus Mons soles as wearing out pretty quick on rocky terrain so it's obvious there is difference on durability amongst the various high end mountaineering boots. After each days climbing I take extra care to completely dry my inner boots out in my sleeping bag and also make sure to keep the boots free from dirt and debris that might contribute to wear on the inner boots. Unlike the dry climate of the Sierras, the Cascades are a wet, sloppy, humid environment and getting and keeping your stuff as dry as possible takes alot of effort but has to be a priority in order to stay warm.

most mountaineering boots have Vibram sole so to say one wear out faster than the others given the same usage and conditions is odd. what kind of wear are you refering to? the sole? the sides? i think you will find that the liner boots will bear out years before the shell does. a scratch or two on plastic boots is not going to affect their performance.

mountaineering down in Peru, i sometimes wear approach shoes and carry 6lbs of boots on my back to avoid the pain of double boot on trails. it is a difficult choice between 6lbs on your back or on your feet.

Adventure 16 has a 90 return or exchange policy. Maybe you got a defective pair. I bought a pair of lowa renegades and went up whitney twice this year on them... then one of the little gortex metal logos came off. I took them back and they didnt think twice about giving me a brand new pair.