I sat on my bumper and laced up the boots with some misgivings. Was this a foolish decision to make in the name of gear testing? I truly do try to beat the hell out of all the gear I review, but was there any need to abuse my feet while doing it? A ten to fifteen mile backpack trip was what I had planned, and I kept lacing up the Danner Mountain 600 EnuroWeave boots, doubts be damned! Up to this point, they had lived up to my expectations, and now it was time for the Uintas seal of approval. But, I’m getting ahead of myself. Let’s start with some basics on Danner’s newest terrain stompers.
The Basics of the Boots
Built to be super light, the Danner Mountain 600 uppers are constructed with EnduroWeave. The material has the appearance and feel of cork, but is actually a lightweight textile that has been treated with a carbon wash. The EndoroWeave combines with Air Mesh liners to allow for maximum breathability, ideal for spring through fall hiking in hot places like Utah. The soles are Vibram Fugas with Megagrip compound, which Danner claims will boost stability on both wet and dry surfaces. I pushed these boots through every type of terrain imaginable, and have to say that Danner crafted a winner.
Performance From the Desert to the Mountains
The Danner 600 boots were on my feet for springtime canyoneering trips. Their grip on slickrock and dry,sandy trails is outstanding. Often I find that bulky hiking boots are painful after several miles on this type of terrain, but the Danners are so light and comfortable that I was stoked to have them on. When it was time to hike the Wasatch mountains, they were up to the task again. Spring slush and mud did not stop the self-adapting lugs from gripping. You can definitely channel your inner mountain goat in these boots; scree fields and loose, steep dirt were no worries at all. As day hikers, these boots perform great, but I still wanted to know more. It was time to take them to a place where boots go to die: the High Uintas Wilderness.
Mountain 600 vs the Uintas
Danner makes no claims that these are backpacking boots, but if you want to see how tough something is, you’ve got to take it outside of its comfort zone. So, I laced them up and hit the trail with my typical load of around 30 lbs. The Christmas Meadows trail is loaded with rocks, mud, and plenty of other obstacles, and really shed some light on what you can expect from these boots. I was honestly amazed at how good my feet felt when I arrived at my campsite some five miles later.
Despite being battered on all sides with sharp rocks, the EnduroWeave uppers had held strong and showed no signs of breaking down. I was again impressed by the outstanding grip from the Vibram Fuga outsoles. Even with a big pack I didn’t slip when crossing streams, or slide around when I hit muddy patches. And the Vibram SPE midsoles used in these boots work wonders when it comes to keeping your feet feeling good for many miles. The only negative about using these as backpacking footwear is the fact that they are not waterproof, merely water resistant.
After a good thrashing all spring and into summer, the Mountain 600s impressed me on every hike. They are absolutely the lightest boots I own that can handle the biggest variety of terrain. I wouldn’t be afraid to plunk down my cash for another pair when these kick the bucket, if and when that day ever comes.