These Boots Are Made for Hiking + Altai Tactical Boots

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It takes a lot to get me excited about clothing and other personal items.  It is not that I am particular but these days, I value my investment in survival gear and supplies far more than an investment in the clothes on my back and the shoes on my feet.

On the other hand, hiking boots are something I take quite seriously.  When push comes to shove (or the stuff hits the fan), a good pair of boots will be well-purposed during everything from a trip to the lake for fresh water, to an emergency evacuation on foot to higher ground.  For that reason, I was absolutely thrilled when I was contacted a week before my Alaska trip and asked if I would be willing to review a pair of ALTAI tactical boots.

Thanks to some quick maneuvering on the part of manufacturer, ALTAI GEAR, I had them in time for my trip.  Lucky for Shelly (known around here as the Survival Husband) but not so lucky for me, they were out of stock in my size so Shelly was given the assignment to field test the boots.

Before I tell you about the boots, note that I have worked things out with the folks at Altai Gear to give one pair away to a Backdoor Survival reader.  More about that in a moment.  First I want to let Shelly tell you about the boots themselves.

A Review of the Altai Tactical Boot

When Gaye told me I was going to have to test out a brand new pair of tactical boots without any sort of break in period I did a roll-eyes.  I did that because what you do not see behind the scenes here at Backdoor Survival is the ton of stuff we purchase that somehow ends up over on my little section of the kitchen counter for testing.

Anyway, I should not have worried.  We just returned from our trip to Alaska where we hiked over 55 miles.  We hiked around the Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau, the Dewey Lake trail (rocky, narrow and very steep) in Skagway, and through a section of the Tongass National Forest in Ketchikan.  I did it all while wearing my new tactical boots.  Not bad for a 74 year old if I do say so myself.

Hiking in Alaska

Let me tell you about the boots.

First of all. the Altai’s were comfortable from the get go. The soles securely gripped all kinds of terrain including sand, gravel, stone, mud and general trail brush.  Most impressive was that when worn in water (Gaye made me do that not knowing if I would end up with squishy wet socks or not)  the boots were totally waterproof.  The water literally rolled off when exiting the water.

Depending on the kind of hiking we were doing, I laced the boots all the way to the top or, for the less strenuous hikes, left off the top  two eyelets and just wrapped the laces around the boot and tied them together.  I do not recommend the latter if you are trekking thru water.

Wading in the water – she made me do it!

Photo of the boots moments after stepping out of the water

Spec wise, here is what you need to know.

The boots run large so you need to order them half a size smaller than your normal size.

Gaye’s Note:  While the boots are offered in men’s sizes, I am told that the custom shape of the ALTAI boot fits most women.  Women should order one full size smaller so a size 8 in women’s sizing would be a size 7 in men’s. Return shipping via Amazon is free so there is no risk in giving them a try.

They are remarkably light weight.  I weighed them on my scale at home and the two boots (size 9.5) came in at 3.32 pounds.

The boots are totally waterproof (look at photo), the water rolls off of boot when exiting water.

There is a heavy duty no-slip sole and heel and the inside of boot is padded from the ankle up for comfort.

The eyelets are riveted for strength into the upper and have no sharp edges for easy wear on the laces.

The first five eyelets the laces string thru, the last two upper eyelets are the hook type for easy on and off.

In summary, these tactical boots were worn for 5+ hours at a time and were very comfortable.  My feet did not feel overheated which is the case with many other boots.  And no, I didn’t get a single blister which is amazing given no break-in period.

Mighty Fine Boots!

. . . . . . Yours truly,  Shelly aka Survival Husband

The Altai Tactical Boots Giveaway

Are you ready to win a pair of these boots of your own?  I have a new giveaway question for you.

What is your favorite survival or post-apocalyptic movie?

All you need to do is answer the giveaway question in the comments area at the end of this article.  A winner will be chosen totally at random so everyone has an equal chance of winning,  The way this works is you win the boots, and I have a great list of movies to watch!

Seriously, the giveaway ends at 6PM Pacific Daylight Time on Thursday, June 19th.  The winner will be notified by email and will be announced on the Sunday Survival Buzz on June 22nd.  You snooze, you lose.  If the boots are not claimed within 48 hours, an alternate will be chosen.

The Final Word

I recently learned that Amazon now has the Altai Tactical Boots available in my size.  I don’t want Shelly to have all of the fun so I am going to get a pair of my own.  This falls right in line with my desire to update my emergency evacuation kit with a few more pieces of clothing, better hiking socks, and a pair of PJs.

The problem I am going to have is that I will want to wear my new boots during my daily hike; they are too darn cool to stow away, only for emergency use!

Enjoy your next adventure through common sense and thoughtful preparation!
Gaye

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Spotlight Item:  Todays spotlight is the ALTAI Black Tactical Boot.  What can I say?  These boots are terrific and with free shipping and returns, your purchase is risk-free.  Plus, if you are unsure of the correct size, order two sizes and send the one that does not work out back.

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Hiking & Trekking Poles from Emergency Essentials

Following my 2013 trip to Alaska, I really wanted to invest in some trekking poles but did not want to spend a lot of money.  That said, I need to get something light enough, weight wise, to carry in my luggage and also something collapsible.  When I saw this pair at Emergency Essentials, I jumped on the opportunity to get two for $18.95.

For our hiking needs, we each need a single pole and let me tell you, having a hiking/trekking pole really has made a difference as we scramble up and down rocks on our hikes.  And yes, they are currently with me on this year’s journey to one of my favorite vacation spots.

These poles telescope to different lengths and also feature an anti-shock technology that can be turned on or off (although I have not quite figured out when it should be on and when it should be off).  There are also three different sets of “feet” for different types of terrain, and I suppose weather.

For a starter set of hiking poles or as a replacement for a cane, these are great and the price is right!

Shop the Emergency Essentials Monthly Specials

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Bargain Bin:  Here are some items that match up to the 10 tips that Jump Start Your Path to Preparedness.

Rothco Medium Transport Pack: What I really like about these Rothco packs is the narrow profile.  As you can see in the picture, it is only as wide as my body.  Sure, it sticks out a bit in back but at least I do not bump in to things.  There are lots of compartments and pouches and it by far, the most comfortable pack I have ever worn.  I actually own 3 Rothco packs, 2 in the medium size and one large.  I keep one pack permanently in my vehicle.

EcoZoom or Solo Stove:  A rocket stove that burns biomass is a must.  Both of these stoves are easy to use and burn hot and fast.

LifeStraw Family 1.0 Water Purifier:  The Lifestraw Family contains no chemicals, no batteries and no moving parts to wear out. It features a a high flow rate and is the perfect solution to your portable water purification needs – whether bugging in or bugging out. As of this writing, shipping is free.

Grabber Outdoors Original Space Brand All Weather Blanket:  I was interested in a re-usable emergency blanket so I purchased one of these based upon the excellent reviews.  This space blanket is definitely “heavy duty” compared to the cheapies (not that they don[t have their place.  A Backdoor Survival reader passed on this tip:

We place one of these blankets silver side up on our mattress underneath the fitted sheet or mattress cover.  It reflects body heat like you wouldn’t believe, instead of the heat being absorbed into the mattress.

Emergency Flashlights:  There are many choices when it comes to flashlights.  I prefer to have a lot of small flashlights stashed all over the place.  My favorites are the uber-cheap Mini Cree and the Blocklite. I also have built a total of five 2000-hour flashlights using this Eveready Lantern as a base.

Tote-able Toilet:  I have priced purchasing the bucket and toilet seat lid separately and found that it was more economical to pick up this kit.  I have filled my portable potty with sanitation supplies plus, of course, plenty of TP.

Dorcy LED Wireless Motion Sensor Flood Lite: Don’t let the price lead you to think this wireless flood light is wimpy. I have two of these and feel that these lights are worth double the price.  Using D-cell batteries, the Dorcy floodlight will light up a dark room or a dark stairway in an instant.  I can not recommend these enough. Also see Personal Defense Equipment from Amazon.

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My eBook, The Prepper’s Guide to Food Storage will provide you with everything you need to create an affordable food storage plan, including what to buy and how to store it. Nothing scary and nothing overwhelming – you really can do this!