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2012 GEAR REVIEW: DynaFit TLT5 Mountain Backcountry Ski Boot (Winter 2012/13 Edition) | Reviewed On: November 26, 2012 By WarPigSinFin
OUR ADVICE
AVG USER ADVICE
Gear Reviews>>Boots/Foot Wear>>Alpine Touring>> GEAR REVIEW: DynaFit TLT5 Mountain Backcountry Ski Boot (Winter 2012/13 Edition)Best in Test
AVG USER ADVICE
n/a
About the Reviewer:
5’10”, 190 pound male skiing mostly powder in the Teton Range on Black Diamond Megawatt 188 and Surface Live Free 191 skis. Both skis have Dynafit Bindings. Aggressive (and sometimes out of control) skier on soft snow with occasional cautious descents of dicey terrain in hard/variable snow. Reviewer has been searching for an affordable ultralight touring boot that climbs well without compromising downhill performance.
I’ve ridden in DynaFit touring boots for the last 8 seasons and am a big fan of their four buckle boots and top-of-the-field touring bindings. Over the years I’ve gotten to try touring boots from Garmont, Scarpa, Dalbello, and Black Diamond, but I always end up going back to Dynafit boots because they climb well, ski well, are usually lighter, fit my messed up feet just right, and have proven themselves durable and trustworthy time and time again.
After years skiing assorted four-buckle boots from Dynafit’s Zzero series of “all around” AT boots I finally got my hands on a pair of their ultralight two-buckle TLT5 boots. I’ve skied 8 days in these boots in conditions ranging from deep pow to heavy crud and have also gotten to spin some groomers at Grand Targhee Resort in these boots. I’ve skinned ~9000 vert in these boots and have stomped up a few steeps in them as well. Here is my initial review. I will be reviewing these boots at the end of the season regarding their overall durability as well.
STUFF TO BE AWARE OF:
*The TLT5 series of Dynafit boots are NOT compatible with normal alpine ski bindings or with touring bindings like the Fritschi Freeride or Marker Duke. These boots only work with “pin bindings” made by Dynafit and knockoffs like the G3 Onyx. In my opinion, this isn’t a problem because “pin bindings” are the only touring bindings worth owning.
*The TLT5 series of Dynafit boots are lower volume and shorter overall boot length than other Dynafit boots of the same size. For example, I wear a size 28 boot and my 4-buckle Dynafit Zzero boots have a length of 316mm. My new pair of TLT5 Mountain boots are 307mm, almost a centimeter shorter than my old Dynafit Zzeros. Depending on the binding model, Dynafit bindings offer 6.4, 26, or 61 millimeters of adjustment to accommodate different boot lengths. If you plan on using both the TLT5 boot and a longer boot with the same skis, you may need to remount the binding heelpiece to adequately accommodate both. Fortunately, I was able to adjust my Dynafit TLT Vertical bindings to accommodate these boots without having to redrill my skis. Adjusting Dynafit binding lengths is easy (especially if you have a long-shafted screw driver), so swapping between a lighter two-buckle boot and a beefier four-buckle boot for different snow conditions or applications is a very real possibility. Here is a helpful chart showing the boot lengths of assorted Dynafit Boots.
THE GOOD:
*The TLT5 Mountain is much lighter than other similarly priced ($750) touring boots. These boots weigh in at 2.7lbs (single boot size 27.5) while most touring boots at that price weigh in at 4-5.5 pounds per boot. I can feel the weight difference during the ascent, especially while bootpacking or skinning steeper slopes. If you’ve got an extra $250 laying around, Dynafit’s $1000 TLT5 Performance (pictured to the left) is a similar boot incorporating carbon fiber that weighs in 6.2 oz lighter than the TLT5 Mountain at 2.3lbs per boot.
*Removable tongue on the TLT5 Mountain boot offers additional range of motion and lighter weight during the ascent. Tongue slides in and out easily with one hand making removal/installation easy on the go. In walk mode with the tongue removed this boot offers 60* of articulation at the ankle.
*Boot liner incorporates “flex point” above the ankle offering additional range of motion and less flex resistance during the ascent. Very, very comfortable and functional during the ascent.
*Boot liner is thinner than conventional touring boots making sweaty feet less of an issue if you have problems with that sort of thing. I know I do.
*Understated color scheme in white and two-tone green. I don’t wear neon shoes around town so why in the hell would I want to wear brightly colored boots in the backcountry?!
*Upper shell extends as high up the leg as heavier touring boots. Some of the ultralight touring boots shave weight by lowering the total boot height, but that’s not the case with the TLT5 series.
*Both buckles are right where you want them and combined with the solid Velcro upper strap provide a snug and supportive fit during the descent. These boots ski great.
*Adjustable forward lean in ski mode (15-18*). Ski mode stiffness is solid.
*When the top buckle is fully engaged the boot is locked into downhill mode. Unlike many touring boots this simple mechanism is both foolproof and less likely to malfunction or break.
*Skis as well as my heavier, 4 buckle touring boots. I noticed no difference in downhill performance between this boot and my trusted, heavier touring boots. Granted that I am skiing on fat “new school” skis incorporating reverse camber in the tip, and generally in powder snow conditions. Fat reverse camber skis rarely bog down under the snow and take a lot less effort and torque to turn, so traditionalists on skinnier or stiffer skis may want a stiffer and more burly boot. If that’s you, you may want to check out the Dynafit Titan Ultralight or the new Dynafit Vulcan.
*Incorporated into my setup, these TLT5 Mountain boots are ideal. I like a lighter, looser, surfier feel which is why I use a lightweight ultra-fat ski with reverse camber tip coupled with light bindings and light boots. I am excited to test these boots in the high peaks. After skiing firm groomers in these boots I think they’ll have no trouble handling the firmer snow often encountered way above tree line. I could have spent a few hundred bucks more for an even lighter boot, but this boot seems plenty light to me… and it works great.
*Made in ITALY, not by slave labor in some 3rd world country.
*Excellent crampon compatibility.
*Great hard boot option for split boarders.
THE BAD:
*Lightweight materials and minimalist construction call into question the durability of these boots. They seem solid for now, so it’ll be interesting to see how long they hold up with my fat ass skiing on them. I’ll update this review if I happen to break them, but for now they’re doing fine. Glancing at other reviews online it looks like no one has really had problems with them so hopefully my hunch is wrong.
*$750 is cost-prohibitive to many ski bums. Many people would buy these boots if they were a little more affordable.
*Thin liner and low volume boot may make them a little too cold when the temp drops really low. This remains to be seen, but other reviewers have mentioned cold feet. They functioned great at 10*F, but how warm will my feet be when it’s -10*F? If I do get cold feet, I’ll probably invest in a pair of lightweight overboots.
*Not compatible with normal alpine bindings. This is no big deal to me but it may be a factor in some skiers boot decision.
BOTTOM LINE:
The TLT5 Mountain backcountry ski boot is ultralight and tours amazingly. It is also great for the descent. There are lighter boots out there but this boot is both affordable and light weight. I’ll be riding in these boots every day this winter. I wish I’d gotten my hands on a pair when they first came on the market a few years ago. Peace.
