Vivo forest tracker esc durability

[mtnbound]

I happened to receive some of these today. Same size as my tracker esc. They fit similarly, but the feel slightly narrower and that could be due to the rand and leather type. They're incredibly comfortable.

I wore them with some random wool socks from Mongolianstore.com. I don't know if they're camel, sheep, or yak because I didn't order them. They just came along with my wife's camel leggings, so I'm guessing they're sheep.

We went on a hike to sled today in about 33F weather. The trail was uphill for about 1.5-1.75mi and we gained about 800 ft or more. I had my 3yr old on my shoulders and we moved at a quick pace. Getting to the top, I was sweating heavily in my coat and pants, but my feet felt dry and only warm ... Not hot. After getting back and taking the boots off, the bottom of my socks were barely damp. Barely perceptible.

So, I like them. I think they'll be great for cold hunts with potential wetness.

Sidenote, where are you guys getting your camel or yak socks from? The ones (probably sheep) I received from Mongolianstore.com are great

I have also got them from here.
www.ETSY.com and search for Yak Wool Socks

 

[HighUintas]

I purchased both camel and yak wool socks from Mongolianstore through their Etsy website (note - their camel and yak socks say "camel wool" or "yak wool" on them) for $25 and $30, respectively. I've also purchased more from Happy Yak. I'd say the socks are pretty comparable, but I'd lean towards the Happy Yak Purist version (also 100% yak) at $45, or their Adventurist (40% Yak cashmere, 40% Mongolian wool, 14% nylon, 6% elastic) for $40.

I have had some problems with Happy Yak in communication and shipments being split and delayed. Hopefully it was just holidays, etc.

For Xmas I bought Mrs. fwafwow socks, gloves and a scarf from Happy Yak. As feared, she wasn't thrilled with any of them, but the gloves and scarf can be worn by yours truly, so not a complete loss.

Thanks for the info. I think as long as these camel leggings aren't itchy, she'll love them. She's been wanting new and very warm base layers but has always said she doesn't like merino because it's too itchy. I thought these things were supposed to be softer and less itchy than merino.... In hand they feel fairly rough and itchy, but I guess we'll see when she wears them.

Unfortunately I don't think returning them would be cost effective

 

[fwafwow]

Thanks for the info. I think as long as these camel leggings aren't itchy, she'll love them. She's been wanting new and very warm base layers but has always said she doesn't like merino because it's too itchy. I thought these things were supposed to be softer and less itchy than merino.... In hand they feel fairly rough and itchy, but I guess we'll see when she wears them.

Unfortunately I don't think returning them would be cost effective

I can't speak to the leggings, but for me, the camel socks felt a bit scratchy in hand, but are not on my feet. The yak socks are incredible imho.

 

[HighUintas]

I can't speak to the leggings, but for me, the camel socks felt a bit scratchy in hand, but are not on my feet. The yak socks are incredible imho.

Can you give any comparison on scratchiness of camel vs yak socks?

I'll be getting some at some point.

 

[sndmn11]

Nobody has ordered the textile tracker yet?

 

[twall13]

Nobody has ordered the textile tracker yet?

I have an older version I got off of revivo 3 or 4 months ago. Not sure if it's from being a revivo or not but it makes a crinkle sound sometimes when I walk where the membrane moves around inside the boot. I'm thinking it's a reject but can't say that for sure. I also feel like the membrane doesn't breathe well. Otherwise the fit works for me. I haven't really tested it for waterproofness but the few times I've been in snow for a bit they haven't leaked.

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[fwafwow]

Can you give any comparison on scratchiness of camel vs yak socks?

I'll be getting some at some point.

Nothing beats the yak but the camel are good enough that I’ve never thought about them after putting them on.

 

[Seeknelk]

Wore the camel and yak wool socks from Etsy. I'm extremely pleased with them compared to DT. I do have and have worn the inninji merino toe socks and like them with one big drawback. My feet slide inside the camel/yak sock on steep descents and had some pain from that. Not as bad as toe jam with a stiff boot for sure, but still sucked. Have no issues without liners so I left them off after that.

 

[Shortround]

Me too

This is what I do.

 

[Juan_ID]

Probably my favorite gear purchase of 2024, been meaning to look at another pair but haven’t gotten around to it. Over 100 days of wear, mostly at work and some nrl matches over the summer and some mild hunting days, they’ve held up really well thus far. Could probably use some oil

 

[NWBLKTAIL]

Probably my favorite gear purchase of 2024, been meaning to look at another pair but haven’t gotten around to it. Over 100 days of wear, mostly at work and some nrl matches over the summer and some mild hunting days, they’ve held up really well thus far. Could probably use some oil View attachment 813352View attachment 813353

I’ve looked at these on and off for a few years. Are these true to size?

 

[Juan_ID]

I’ve looked at these on and off for a few years. Are these true to size?

I would say so, I typically wear 9.5-10 in boots and got a EU43 in these and they fit great

 

[ElPollo]

Probably my favorite gear purchase of 2024, been meaning to look at another pair but haven’t gotten around to it. Over 100 days of wear, mostly at work and some nrl matches over the summer and some mild hunting days, they’ve held up really well thus far. Could probably use some oil View attachment 813352View attachment 813353

Have to agree with you on favorite gear purchase of 2024.

 

[EastCoaster]

Yup, mine came in last week and I was shocked at how well they felt right out of the box.

 

[The Ri Guy]

2nd year with my ESC's as my primary hunting footwear for Westside Elk in Washington, and East Side Mule Deer. Zero complaints, bought some Neoprene type socks for use with them on the Westside but never needed to use them.

Has anyone tried Bison wool or Creepers with their Vivo's?

I really want to try the Bison instead of Yak but haven't decided which to get yet. Marathoner friend recommended the Creepers over Injinji for general purpose wear.

Buffalo Wool Socks - The Buffalo Wool Co.

Bison fur keeps them comfortable in subzero temperatures and produces wool socks that do the same for you. They keep you warm and dry no matter the conditions.

thebuffalowoolco.com

Merino Toe socks 2.0 | Crew LengthSmall / Black

Creepers Merino Wool Toe Socks that are the best hiking and running toe socks for men and women. Comfortable toe socks that dry fast, prevent blisters and discomfort

creeperssocks.com

 

[fwafwow]

Marathoner friend recommended the Creepers over Injinji for general purpose wear.

Did your friend say why?

 

[twall13]

Curious on the Creepers as well. I like Injinji's but they get holes in the toes really fast for me. I think part of that is that the toe areas could be a bit longer/larger to fit my toes better. I may have to give them a try but I'm curious from those who have used both what that say the differences are.

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[The Ri Guy]

Did your friend say why?

Feels like his foot slides less when running in just the Creepers compared to a traditional Injinji liner + sock combo.

I have definitely noticed some foot slide/slip with my Injinji Liner + Farm to Feet Damascus on gnarly downhill terrain even with my ESC's, so I am tempted to order some Creepers and try them as I wear that sock setup basically every day.

I have heard great things about Bison socks though...guess I have to order both.

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

I chased elk in these the last 4 days. Covered a total of around 42 miles according to OnX. I had worn them on some scouting trips to break them in, probably around 50 miles total, to test durability and comfort in harsh AZ conditions as mentioned in a post earlier.

The Good: These are by far, one of the best hiking boots I've ever used. Incredibly comfortable, breathe well, didn't wet out during minor stream and creek crossings. Good grip on icy logs and wet rocks, perfect feel going both up and down game trails.

Pack was on the light side for me as access to water was abundant. 37 lbs total, freeze dried meals due to water abundance and shelter-less like I normally do; 0 degree Western Mountaneering GWS bag, with Thermarest Neo-Therm NXT pad straight onto ground (thick layer of alligator Juniper boughs on roughed up dirt underneath the pad). Boots stayed nice and toasty down in the footbox of the bag along with a Nalgene full of boiled water.

Temps were down to 17 degrees warming up to mid 40's during the day. I ended up wearing smart wools thickest sock offering in the morning and evenings and when static, switching to a lighter weight smart wool sock during the daytime warms. I purposely bought them a size large, one due to my arches making me a "size 12" when my actual foot measurement is size 10.5; and two, so I can wear the thicker socks or double up if needed for extreme cold.

For this hunt, the Smartwool "Hunt" thick merino socks combined with the regular weight merino socks, worked great for a mix of chasing and glassing and temps swings.

In general, these boots perform excellent, feel excellent, and kept my feet and legs happy backpacking around. The heavy pack out loads (very short trip as I was able to get the Jeep in to about 500 yards from the kill) felt good with well over 100 lb pack per trip.

The Bad: The boots are already starting to separate at the big toe area, especially on my strong leg (right side). Is there anything I can do to keep this from getting worse? Or wait until it gets a bit worse and then glue them?

View attachment 800111

View attachment 800112

Another 200 or so miles in these in the last month. Got some more blood on them this morning.

The separation at the toe isn’t any worse. They need cleaning and conditioning badly as the leather is starting to pile at the toes just a bit.

These boots were never conditioned or treated from new, just taken out and used.

 

[The Ri Guy]

Another 200 or so miles in these in the last month. Got some more blood on them this morning.

The separation at the toe isn’t any worse. They need cleaning and conditioning badly as the leather is starting to pile at the toes just a bit.

These boots were never conditioned or treated from new, just taken out and used.

View attachment 816877

First treatment on mine after 2 years of near daily use (two hunting seasons) and abuse on the wetside of WA. I wear them lifting, hunting, running, groceries, yardwork, you name it when it’s not winter.

Cleaned up great.