La Sportiva Trango Review
Specifically, these are the Tango TRX GTX and they are the cheapest of the Trango series, but that doesn't mean they are in any way lacking as far as I'm concerned.
Well just as a starting point with these boots, they were some of the most comfortable I've ever put on out of the box. They are a combination of materials, including good ol' Gore-Tex, and are available in several colours, although the majority of stockists sell them only in yellow or red. They feature things such as 'TPU Thermo Tech Application' and 'Vibram Mulaz outsole with a technical edging platform' which I have no idea what mean but, all add up to make a really comfortable and all-round practical boot.I do have some expensive gear for when I'm out but I always spend the most on a good pair of boots. I've gone through Karrimor and Berghaus boots, along with others I can't remember, and usually I just wear them until even 3 washes in a row cant make my family stop complaining about the smell but, with what I to do while I'm out and about in the wilderness, these are probably the most ideal boots I've come across. I do a bit of climbing up rock faces and some trekking through forests and over mountains and these boots seem to be a really good jack of all trades.
As with the above mentioned technical features, they do have something I could at least figure out which is the '3D Flex' insert. This goes all the way around the bottom of the boot and effectively 'cups' your whole foot in a slightly stiffer material for support. When I first put my foot in I noticed a stiffer heel support and eventually realised it extended around the base of my whole foot. My first thought was I would always 'feel' it while walking, which if you were me would be the worst feeling ever. I am the type who feels a tiny thread come loose in the boot and obsesses over it until I either remove my foot or remove half of the stitching and ultimately compromising the overall integrity of my footwear. With these it was a reassuring feel on the few occasions that I did notice it, but generally I couldn't tell it was there.
As with the above mentioned technical features, they do have something I could at least figure out which is the '3D Flex' insert. This goes all the way around the bottom of the boot and effectively 'cups' your whole foot in a slightly stiffer material for support. When I first put my foot in I noticed a stiffer heel support and eventually realised it extended around the base of my whole foot. My first thought was I would always 'feel' it while walking, which if you were me would be the worst feeling ever. I am the type who feels a tiny thread come loose in the boot and obsesses over it until I either remove my foot or remove half of the stitching and ultimately compromising the overall integrity of my footwear. With these it was a reassuring feel on the few occasions that I did notice it, but generally I couldn't tell it was there.
For a start there is a small patch near the toes of tread that is designed around climbing. Its called the 'climbing zone' and it has no flex in it which gives you an excellent
surface to get your toes into crevices, while climbing, that is as solid as the rock you will be stood on. I don't do anything extreme these days, like free climbing, but for my general scaling of smaller cliffs I would be more than happy wearing these.There is one thing that I find the most useful out of all of its features for my ventures. These are Gore-Tex and waterproof. I didn't intentionally test this feature out however, while getting some photos for some waterproof backpacks on a river, I did slip and go in more than ankle deep. I have a pair of full leather Magnums (advertised as waterproof) that go much higher up my leg and they have soaked my feet in less so I was expecting there to be a very wet foot at the end of my leg, but it was completely dry. I know it sounds strange to say that I was shocked that a waterproof boot was waterproof, but with every pair I've ever owned what happened that day would never have resulted in a dry foot, and I am really pleased I have something I can rely on there.
Well I couldn't say I usually test items as extensively as I have with these boots but, with footwear, it has to deal with whatever you come across for every second you are out in the world. So it can be 
anything from a small puddle or a fallen tree, to a raging river or land slide. These have encountered pretty much all of that (the landslide wasn't happening at the time but I did make my way over a recent slide) and at no point was I aware that I was testing a pair of new boots. I've worn these over 80 miles of Welsh mountains with, at times, a very heavy pack and they just felt like some boots I'd had for years and knew inside out. This may be the first 'real' pair of hiking boots I've ever owned and I certainly wont be looking at any others for a long time. There are some things I would alter on this shoe if I was making it for myself, but really I would probably just make them worse. These were the TRK GTX version of the Trango although there are other versions (more expensive) that are available with slightly different styling or materials, but they are all basically the same boot. I couldn't recommend these boots more highly, they are absolutely superb and worth every penny you spend on them.
anything from a small puddle or a fallen tree, to a raging river or land slide. These have encountered pretty much all of that (the landslide wasn't happening at the time but I did make my way over a recent slide) and at no point was I aware that I was testing a pair of new boots. I've worn these over 80 miles of Welsh mountains with, at times, a very heavy pack and they just felt like some boots I'd had for years and knew inside out. This may be the first 'real' pair of hiking boots I've ever owned and I certainly wont be looking at any others for a long time. There are some things I would alter on this shoe if I was making it for myself, but really I would probably just make them worse. These were the TRK GTX version of the Trango although there are other versions (more expensive) that are available with slightly different styling or materials, but they are all basically the same boot. I couldn't recommend these boots more highly, they are absolutely superb and worth every penny you spend on them.[taq_review]
La Sportiva Trango Review
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eager to get some and find out if they were up to the task. I browsed their many departments and options to get an idea of what they had in stock and then I wrote a list of activities I usually undertake to give myself some idea of what might work out best. I do some hiking and climbing (when I have to), some bushcraft and chopping wood and generally I have two pairs at any one time, one pair are for warmth and one pair are just some general construction gloves for when I'm swinging an axe or carrying logs. I came across these ones and thought, as all rounders, they are probably best I've seen in a long time. I did like a few of their other gloves more for my tasks, but these had the least amount of parts on the pads of the hands and I figured the less seams there are, then the less points of failure there are. So these should be more durable and probably more comfortable for general use, but lets find out.
although, in these at least, they aren't uncomfortable and I don't notice them when I'm wearing them and swinging an axe. It is a shame though because, as far as I'm concerned, this is the only real flaw in these gloves. The only other minor thing I would change is the knuckle padding. I would like it to be a bit thinner as it's quite bulky and I don't think it's necessary for what I generally need.
already talked about chopping wood and handling knives and axes with these (which were all passes in my book), but I also done some climbing of rocks, ropes and trees, and also just general wear while walking.
Overall, these are pretty decent gloves. I would prefer it if the main knuckle padding wasn't as bulky, but I guess these weren't designed around bushcraft/survival but are very good for a pair of combat gloves. They do work well for most of the tasks you would be doing on a day-to-day basis out of combat, but really Mechanix probably has something a bit more suitable for us 'civvies'. That being said though, I can use these over the usual gloves I carry and they will perform the task of the usual 2 pairs I require. I will be looking at some other Mechanix gloves more closely when I get a chance, but for now I'm quite happy with these.
largest blades they make. It holds the blade using two small dimples inside the sheath and the belt clip can be mounted in a few different positions to suit your style. It does rattle a fair bit, and I'm sure after a decade of use it wont hold the blade anymore, but it does its job. I personally like this sheath although I do find the belt clip a little annoying and as it doesn't stand up to what I feel this blade really deserves, it will probably be getting a custom sheath at some point. It should also be noted that you can get a molle back for the sheath, and I would suggest you get this over the metal clip and there's also an optional pouch to go on the front if you wish. But get the molle back. Immediately.
really fit and feel great in the hand. The grey scales and black tang are separated by red liners and there is an exposed portion of the tang for a lanyard hole, and I guess a striking/pry point. There is a finger choil on the blade and jimping on the spine which really give you a great hold for fine wood work. The handle really is the most important difference between the ESEE 6 and RAT-7 that makes the price worth while. The different sheath and better powder coating are irrelevant in my opinion, but the feel of this handle is undeniably better and alone is worth the extra cost.
the very sharp and strong edge you get. I used this as my main blade for several weeks and it only had a couple of scrapes on my stone once during that time to keep it in top form. It would be a shame to ruin the coating, but you can remove a portion from the spine for using with flint and this is actually done quite a lot by owners of these blades. Beside this, after all of the use I have put it through, there is barely a noticeable difference in the coating. I have kept it stupidly clean as any time I see a mark I think 'NOOOOO, where's my cloth?', but really it makes no difference as its tougher than nails. I've put it through some heavy tasks like batoning for a couple of fires over a few different outings, and prepared more than a sack full of kindling with it. I haven't tried chopping through trees for any shelter as there's a sever lack of woodland in the UK and if I done this with every knife I review, I would quickly start ruining some of my favourite spots. It has gone through plenty of dead wood though which is much harder than living wood and the edge has held up perfectly (but you can't expect anything except a great blade from ESEE to be fair).
Overall I'm very happy with this knife and how it performs. I have wanted one of these for a really long time now. It's not quite the top of my list, but definitely top 10 and it's really nice to finally have one. I am disappointed with the plastic sheath, but it does function and there's not much else you can expect. As a comparison to its Rat-7 rival and as a solo blade it is well worth the money. This isn't my first ESEE but it is my favourite although, I dare say when the time finally comes that I get my hands on a JUNGLAS, it will be replaced in my heart.
It comes in a very nice bag which has one really great feature that I didn't notice until the second time I took it out for a day. I will mention that I had this next to my computer for a few weeks between uses and until I opened it for the second time I had no idea that it smelled. Obviously burning wood in it will impart a smokey odour and pretty much makes it smell like an old fire place but, I just didn't realise while it was inside its bag. I don't know if Petromax intentionally made this bag with odour prevention in mind, but I'm glad it does just that as I know when I keep my clothing in my pack with it, it will stop them from receiving a similar scent. It's not a thin piece of cloth like you might expect, but a padded fabric. I mean its not going to protect your kettle from a heavy fall, but it's nice knowing that they put some extra attention into the little things as you know it means this entire kit doesn't lack on quality. The handles have a leather wrapping on them as well which makes it comfortable to carry if you aren't going to pack it in your bag, and overall it feels quite tough and durable.
offer a pretty stable way of pouring your hot water. I think they need to be a bit larger as people with meat fists might struggle to get all four fingers around them, but never-the-less they offer a nice comfortable grip and I think it's probably the best handle on this sort of kettle that I've come across. There's also a whistle to go on the spout which is loud enough for the times when you don't need to be keeping an eye on it (although obviously if you are anywhere that the fire could spread you should not leave it unattended). You always know when it's ready even without the whistle though as it starts to shake quite noticeably when the water is boiling.
There is also a basic pot stand for cooking meals on top while boiling your water, although in my experience the water boils so fast you don't get much time to cook any food and you cant use the kettle without water or you could compromise its integrity.