Dukats Journal of Hunting

Lowa Banff Hiking Boots Review

Written by Dave Dukat

Lowa boots are not common on the American market, but these boots are some of the best made for backpack hunting. If you haven’t heard of Lowa boots, your not alone. They don’t have a large market in the U.S, but they have slowly been infiltrating the rock climbing and hiking stores.

Lowa is a German made boot and is designed to handle everything from moderate hiking to ice climbing. The Lowa Banff is part of their trekking line, meaning in-between a weekend hiking boot and a mountain climbing boot. They are designed for heavy backpacking loads over long miles, but not necessarily vertical rocky terrain.

I purchased the boots before an archery mule deer hunt in the Ruby Mountains of Northern Nevada. I had previously been on a sheep hunt in the Yukon and had worn the air bob soles off my boots in 10 days of mountain hunting. The manufacturer resoled the boots, but I decided they were not up to the challenge. I found the Lowa Banffs in a small store in Steamboat Springs, Colorado with a mix of hiking, hunting, and fly fishing gear. I had read reviews in Eastman’s and on several forums and decided to give them a try.

Lowa Boots in the Backcountry of Nevada In my opinion, Lowa makes three boots for the hunter. The 10” Hunter GTX, the Tibet GTX which is an 8” version, and the Banff, which is a 6” version without the Gore-tex or insulation.

Over the years, I have worn out numerous brands of boots, expensive and cheap and in many different configurations. I was looking for a boot that could handle steep, rocky terrain with a 50+ pound pack. I wanted something that would not require a lot of break in time, was durable enough to handle the abuse and cool enough that it could be worn in August and September for the early bow season hunts.

After trying them on, I chose the Banff for several reasons. I didn’t want Gore-tex, I needed an easy break in, I wanted something that could provide support and comfort for mountain hiking with a heavy pack, and durability in the rocks.

First let’s discuss Gore-tex versus bare leather. I was a long time fan of Gore-tex and the majority of my boot purchases for the previous ten seasons had a layer of Gore-tex in them. They worked great for the late fall pheasant hunts and chasing Chukars in the Nevada foothills. You can walk through patches of snow and dew soaked grass and your feet will remain dry and comfortable. The problem was, in warmer weather and hard hiking, my feet would be soaked with sweat. Gore-tex is breathable in comparison to other waterproofing material, but still holds in a lot of heat.

A representative of another boot manufacturer, after much debate, convinced me to give a non Gore-tex boot a try. I was concerned they would soak through and leave my feet wet and miserable, but he persisted. I tried the boots on a sheep hunt in the Yukon Territory. I was amazed at the difference in the lower amount of heat generated by my feet, and the comfort the straight leather provided. A leather boot breaths better than a Gore-tex boot regardless of what the Gore-tex die-hards tell you, and if treated regularly (before every major hiking outing) they will hold out the water just as well. These boots sold me on the Banff, and after many hard hikes and highly technical climbs, my feet have yet to be wet. Let me condition this statement by stating that none of my hiking has been in continuous rain, snow, or continuous wet conditions. There have been wet mornings, stream crossings, and soggy trails but these are not rain boots. The benefit is they keep out mild doses of water and your foot breaths a lot better, which for me is a lot more comfortable where I hunt in early fall.

The next selling point was the comfort out of the box. This I only learned through experience, but had read high reviews of the Lowa boots. I broke them in for about two weeks with short hikes, before a week long hunt in the Nevada mountains. We were mule deer hunting in August and climbed some horrendous mountains without a trail and 45 pounds on our backs. We crossed many rock slides with 10’ boulders down to gravel size shale and I never even had a hot spot. For my feet at least, the boots fit perfectly and were comfortable from the day I put them on. They beat every other boot I have tested in this category hands down.

The third item I require is durability. The terrain when mountain hunting is much different than the rolling hills of the mid-west or south and a sturdy boot is required to make the grade. Hiking in rocks is hard on a boot and the continual shifting as you try to get your footing in loose material can ruin your trip. The Lowas held up great in the ankle support category. I took one bad spill when a 4’ boulder shifted on me while crossing a rock slide, but the Lowa’s saved an almost sure injury in lesser boots. I received a bloody gash, but no harm done to my ankles and continued hunting.

After a week of hunting, the leather in the toe of the boot was beaten up somewhat, so they didn’t make it through the trip without fault. The wrapped toe on the Tibet would be a nice addition to these boots and protect the toe of the shoe. I was concerned this portion of the boot might not last long, but have since hunted another year in them and although scarred, they seem to be no worse for the wear. My latest hunts have been in the Southern Alps of New Zealand and in the southern Arizona desert and the terrain is just as steep and less forgiving than Nevada. The boots are still as comfortable as the day I bought them, and although they don’t look as pretty, they function the same.

Overall, Lowa has one of the best mountain hunting boots on the market. I would recommend the Banff for an early fall mountain hiking boot and think it can tangle with any other boot on the market. They aren’t made for sneaking, so if you bowhunt, take your boots off when you get close, but for getting you up the mountain safely and comfortably with your gear, they are hard to beat.