Women’s Boots Start Man Off On Right Foot

Q. My husband needs a good pair of ski boots. He has a very small foot (about a 6-1/2 to 7) and seems to be right in between a junior boot and an adult boot.

He bought a junior boot 2 years ago, but finds it is just too short on the calf. He has very narrow feet, but needs good support. Please show us some boots that you would recommend for him.

Beverly Morello

Gear Guy: The fit problem actually is pretty easily solved. Put him in a woman’s boot. If he balks, tell him, hey, the Gear Guy wear’s a woman’s ski boot!

It’s true - my foot is pretty narrow, too, and a few years back a savvy boot-fitter could tell I was man enough not to be threatened by a woman’s Tecnica boot.

It has worked out great for me. Moreover, an adult woman’s boot will be much better proportioned for him than a junior boot. And the graphics for most boots are the same as the men’s models. As for models, there are lots to choose from. Lange’s GX8 ($525), for instance, has more fore and aft support to hold up to the hard, tight turns super-sidecut skis allow, assuming he’s skiing on one of the new boards.

I also like Tecnica boots, and their new Explosion TNS ($535) is a de-tuned racing boot that’s comfortable to wear but has plenty of stiffness for crisp turning. In a bit more affordable boot, Nordica’s Grand Prix Exopower S ($450) is a very stable boot that’s an above-average all-mountain performer.

Q.This might be tricky. I need a pack for my girlfriend to buy for our yearlong trip around Europe and Asia. We will be carrying full camping gear to stay outdoors but we will be staying in hostels as well. In addition, she needs it for hiking trips when we get back. Are you up to the challenge?

Dave MacLeod

Gear Guy: Of course I’m up to it. The larger question is: When do you leave? If you can wait for a bit, I highly recommend holding out for Lowe Alpine’s new Voyageur travel packs. I saw these at the Outdoor Retailer’s show in Salt Lake city recently, and they are really slick. The Voyageur Plus 55+10, for instance, is a 5,000-cubic-inch-plus pack with tuckaway straps for airline travel, a removable daypack for town excursions and convenient haul handles for schlepping around train stations.

It also has an above-average suspension that won’t feel out of place when hiking back home. It goes for $200, and should be hitting stores this month. I really haven’t seen a travel pack like it, in terms of finding one that will be at home in the woods as well as the streets of Rome.

Another good option, really, is to buy whatever good backpacking pack you like, then buy a sturdy duffel bag that will hold it. You put the pack in the duffel when checking it at an airport or hotel, then whip the pack out and stuff the duffel inside the pack.

Actually, Madden Mountaineering is putting that concept to use in a travel pack of their own called the Hemisphere,which is a full-on backpacking pack that has a pop-out duffel that wraps around it. Alas, they won’t be out until the spring. Have a great trip. Send me a postcard.

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