Hjortleifson has been heard, the DynaFit Vulcan

[auvgeek]

^^Given that you've had some time on each, which of those three do you expect to be on your feet the most?

[LeeLau]

^^Given that you've had some time on each, which of those three do you expect to be on your feet the most?

Too early to tell. Probably the one that fits the best

[auvgeek]

Dammit Lee. That's way too reasonable of an answer for this crowd.

[verbier61]

I've read several reviews in euro magazines, and heard serveral friends who have skied them, and had my feet in the vulcans and mercury. Marshal nailed it: very stiff, less progressive than maestrale (which are a bit softer than vulcan), go to cochise if you like the overlap boot feeling.
This winter we have a wide range of unprecedented AT boot options, and a robust literature on these options. Good!

[time2clmb]

I can't really keep track. Smallish guy like me (160lbs) found Vulcan to be not so progressive. Medium sized guy like JimS ditto. Pow11 who is built like brick shithouse and powerful skier finds it fine. T2C what say you?

I haven't tried the Vulcan, only the Mercury. I find the flex to be fine. As I increase pressure in to the tongue and really crank on it the flex gets gradually stiffer. No brick wall feeling what so ever.

Lee, I tried on a few different pairs of the RS and found that there was some play in all of them before the flex engaged. Do you notice this at all when skiing?

[LeeLau]

Dammit Lee. That's way too reasonable of an answer for this crowd.

I'm into long term reviews without snap judgments. Old fashioned

I haven't tried the Vulcan, only the Mercury. I find the flex to be fine. As I increase pressure in to the tongue and really crank on it the flex gets gradually stiffer. No brick wall feeling what so ever.

Lee, I tried on a few different pairs of the RS and found that there was some play in all of them before the flex engaged. Do you notice this at all when skiing?

Thx t2c. I'm going to stick the bigger Scarpa straps on the boots to see how they do (ie the big Scarpa power strap that comes stock on Maestrale). Eager to see how the production Vulcan and Mercury feel as fede has assured me that they feel and are constructed differently than the protos.

The Maestrale RS feels reasonably smooth. No hitch in the walk mode itself (you got me curious enough to check both boots to look at this actually). RE stiffness, In other words it feels like the Maestrale which is to say fairly smooth (but not alpine boot smooth). The difference between RS and regular Maestrale is in that overall the boot feels more supportive fore-aft

[afraid]

I haven't tried the Vulcan, only the Mercury. I find the flex to be fine. As I increase pressure in to the tongue and really crank on it the flex gets gradually stiffer. No brick wall feeling what so ever.

Lee, I tried on a few different pairs of the RS and found that there was some play in all of them before the flex engaged. Do you notice this at all when skiing?

I just tried on some Maestrales and BD Quadrants side by side. I definitely noticed the "play before flex" you're talking about in the Maestrale, and I've noticed that for years in all the Scarpa boots I've owned (Laser, Spirit 4, presently Skookum). I notice it while skiing too, it sucks. It feels loose and I never know where it's going to be as I land air or reengage into a turn.

[time2clmb]

Thx t2c. I'm going to stick the bigger Scarpa straps on the boots to see how they do

Going to throw some booster straps on mine. More out of preference than necessity as it's not needed in the least. But i'd like to pull the upper cuff in just a bit tighter to my leg and get a bit of that elasticity from a beefier strap. Stock strap just doesn't do it for me.

[auvgeek]

Lee, I tried on a few different pairs of the RS and found that there was some play in all of them before the flex engaged. Do you notice this at all when skiing?

I felt the same in mine. Haven't skied them yet, but I'm hoping/thinking it's not going to be noticeable.

Also thinking about tossing some booster straps on them for the same reason you mentioned. And I think it may even cut down on transition times -- just pull the strap tight instead of redoing the velcro...or maybe I'm just dreaming?? Not that my transitions are fast enough for a few extra seconds to matter.

[Lindahl]

Thats why I like the Cochise. Buckled powerstrap kicks ass. Skis a lot stiffer for that reason alone.

[afraid]

I just tried on some Maestrales and BD Quadrants side by side. I definitely noticed the "play before flex" you're talking about in the Maestrale, and I've noticed that for years in all the Scarpa boots I've owned (Laser, Spirit 4, presently Skookum). I notice it while skiing too, it sucks. It feels loose and I never know where it's going to be as I land air or reengage into a turn.

I tried the Maestrale RS today, no play like the Maestrale.

[Scotsman50]

First day lift skiing on the Vulcans and all I can say is WOW. I take back everything bad I have said about these boots. Stiff yes but once you get used to them there is some flex and I liked it.
Incredible boot.

[Jim S]

Tangenial, I picked up a pair of little brother Mercury's today. The tour mode has a huge ROM (range of motion), they are light, and I'll ski them without the Rubic's Cube effort of reinserting the tongues.

[Scotsman50]

I skinned the Vulcans yesterday with both the tongues in and out. For mellow skin tracks, skiing with the tongues in was perfectly OK. With the tongues out the ROM is incredible but offers little support. On steep icy sidehilling sometime in future.. I think I"ll keep the tongues in!

[Andyski]

^^^tlt5s have the same issue: "I'll just leave them unbuckled for this little downhill...ahh. So that's what my ski tips taste like"

[PNWbrit]

New Dynafit Mecurys ski like a f#cking dream. Didn't try them tongues out downhill, but touring with them out gives quite incredible range of movement... disconcertingly so at first. no resistance from cuff at all - like a tech fitted sneaker, you really have to use proper form and tour through your heels since you can't put any pressure on the ski in front of your toe. Kick turns amazingly easy, since you can pull the ballet 3rd position toe to heel move with only your creaky joints inhibiting movement, the second foot step up and around to complete turn also great because cuff moves so far back on the uphill planted foot. Can see how you'd actually want to keep them in for many touring situations like a tricky traverse or firm snow, real track stomping or anything with some rolling terrain/slight downhill. Also heel lifters can go one notch lower or just stay flat. With tongues in they still tour far better than any AT boot I've been in.

Downhill is a revelation for this has not skied an alpine boot in 10 years gaper. Like driving a pick up truck for a decade then being handed the keys to BMW M3.

[LeeLau]

With tongues in they still tour far better than any AT boot I've been in.

That's the rub. I'd probably leave the tongues in almost all the time

[PNWbrit]

That's the rub. I'd probably leave the tongues in almost all the time

Yep. In deep snow yesterday where a one ski at a time transition was needed to avoid sinking up to your nuts and with wanting to keep gloves on, tongue insertion was a royal pain in the ass and required some choice Antipodean vulgarities.

[gregL]

With tongues in they still tour far better than any AT boot I've been in.

Fasten the power strap in BACK of both tongues and just leave the removable tongues in; they tour fine.

[Fejau]

Thats why I like the Cochise. Buckled powerstrap kicks ass. Skis a lot stiffer for that reason alone.

I really want that buckles powerstrap to rivet onto my alpine boot, it's epic.
I could only bare the Cochise Light Pro due to the Palau liner that the rest of the line doesn't have.

A good slackcountry boot.

On topic though, molding my Mercury's tomorrow, stoked to try e'm out.

[Jim S]

Fasten the power strap in BACK of both tongues and just leave the removable tongues in; they tour fine.

Darn good idea. I have to try that

...when we get some more snow.

[nyskirat]

Ill be interested to see the results of some hard climbing and touring with these and the soles.

[bulten]

Another weekend touring with the merury's and i just cant believe how good they are for me. I was telemarking for a long time and missed the lightweight and ease of motion from that in my previous setup but with these new boots and my dynafit bindings i finally have it all! lightweight, manouverable, ease of use and power. Every week now i just think of the weekends for more skiing.

[midnite]

Anyone tried out the One? Curious as to how it compares to Vulcan and Mercury. I'm in the market for a lightweight, competent touring boot to replace some aging and heavy-as-all-hell Spirit 4's, and the One may be the ticket. I'm 6'2, 185, and will be driving G3 Tonics the majority of the time.

[Andyski]

Anyone tried out the One? Curious as to how it compares to Vulcan and Mercury. I'm in the market for a lightweight, competent touring boot to replace some aging and heavy-as-all-hell Spirit 4's, and the One may be the ticket. I'm 6'2, 185, and will be driving G3 Tonics the majority of the time.

Note that the One doesn't have a secondary tongue the way the Vulcan, Mercury and TLT5 do. Didn't bother trying them on because of that.