Updated: The Lady's Take: Kenetrek Mountain Extreme Hikers

So I recently cam across a deal to acquire some high quality hiking boots for my wife in the form of Kenetrek Mountain Extreme Hikers.   She is new to the west, backpacking, and really anything in the outdoors.  Advice has been given, and heeded that if I am going to successfully have her come on these outings it will be necessary for her to have quality gear from the start.

The boots seem to fit her feet well and after Monday I will have some more to add to this post regarding her thoughts on the overall fit/comfort of the boot.  We will be heading north and trying to get a little bit of fishing and hiking in.

Some things I notice right away that caught my attention compared to both pairs of my Meindl's is that Kenetrek sends wax with the boots.  Very easy to take care of the product that way and my investment.

Because the wax came with the boot it took about 10 minutes for them to have their first coat.  The loops for the laces are much better than the Meindls in design and function.  They are easily moved for application, and twist to be able to get all of the leather the necessary life preservation.

The quality seems to be very high.  There is nothing on these boots to suggest that every inch wasn't thought out and planned.  If this is true then the boot should live up to the hype that has been passed onto it for so long.

The tongues are very different.  Kenetrek seems to leave a much smaller space for getting the foot in as the cost for better ankle support.   It wasn't tough for her to get them on, but it took more effort than my Perfekt's or Alaska Hikers take.

Pictures will be posted as well, enjoy the Memorial Day weekend!

Update:

The verdict is not completely out, but it seems these boots do not fit her feet well.  The heel cup seems to slip is the laces aren't tight enough, and if they are too tight she has circulation issues.

Now, it must be stated that this has nothing to do with the boots themselves, it is simply that her feet do not do the standard width well.  We are going to try a mens 7 and see how they work based on the extra width she can get from a boot like that.

Gear List-The Current Clothing

This is a constant piece of work to keep this portion of the hunting gear up to date.  It is also the easiest portion to keep up to date, as well as finding great deals.  Clothing gets updated every year and its very easy find close outs on the previous year, or two year old model.   This is an area that I don't feel like the newest model is necessarily best, but rather comes down to function and fit.  Some great deals can be had at High Mountain Outfitters websites, my transactions with them have been top notch.

Current: Kuiu Attack Pants, Sitka Core Baselayer, First Lite Chama and Springer Vest.  All of these pieces are new this season, so there really isn't much to talk about in terms of evaluation.  After this fall and the proper use a full scale review will be done.

My initial impression of the Kuiu Attack pants is very positive, and they are extremely comfortable.  The gusset in the crotch is very important for someone above 6'2" like I am.

Intial impressions on the First Lite tops has been positive as well and time will tell.  The Merino make is already winning favor as opposed to the Sitka Core base layer.

After a few trips with these pieces there will be much more in depth discussion, but that is all for now.

Previous:
The last two seasons a set of Kings Desert Shadow has been doing it's best to keep me concealed.   In the clothing duffel there is on 36T pant, one polyester shirt, one breathable shirt, and a polyester hoodie.

For a guy who is 6'5" it's tough to find a set of normal pants that fits well, let alone a set that is dedicated to hunting.  These pants are tall enough, and fit well, but don't have the gusset like the Kuiu, and it would be a major improvement.

Their 100% polyester make was strong enough for the abuse that they were subjected to, and they dried out very quickly.   They did show some wear in the usual spots around the heel and sides of the feet where normal rubs and wear happen.

 The only complaint in my mind is that they fit more like a jean rather than a pant that is dedicated to the back country like Kuiu.  Would I recommend them, yes.  Would I buy them again, well no.  Not because of quality, but because I am sure I could find a little more comfortable fit.

My Desert Shadow Full Zip Pro Hunter has been great as a layer piece and I would buy this one again if I found it on the clearance rack.  It has kept me warm on many occasions and will likely do so again in the future.  One night it even kept me warm next to a fire when the situation called for us to stay at the kill site all night long.  We slept close to the fire, but it did the job.

The Long Sleeve Kings Shirts also did well, but there likely won't be any additions of this piece to the gear closet in the future either.

I like the pattern itself, but will be buying it on ApXG2 if I do, not on the Kings name brand stuff.