By Chris Chesak
A key element of great adventure travel gear is versatility, you need items that can accomplish multiple tasks or work well in multiple applications and environments. The Chair 5 from Teva is a lightweight, compressible snow boot that is very versatile indeed.
The first thing I noticed about this boot is its extremely light weight, which comes in at only about two pounds for the pair (about 50% less than other boots). They are not only lightweight, but also extremely comfortable, with minimal necessary break-in time. Yet, even with this minimal weight, the Chair 5 is still packed with 250 grams of Thinsulate™ LiteLoft™ insulation and temperature rated to -25F. The boot also has cold weather White Spider Rubber that keeps the sole flexible when the temperatures drop, rather than stiffening like other rubbers.
Another feature that makes this good for winter adventure travels is its compressibility. The Chair 5 packs up to shoe size, meaning your luggage space won’t be completely consumed by a single pair of heavy, stiff boots.
Further, the Chair 5 has an additional feature that I’m particularly excited about. Say you’re snowshoeing up to a cabin, or maybe just hiking into a snowbound yurt. In the past, you might enter the toasty accommodation, take off your boots and then bust out of your pack a pair of booties, to keep your feet warm on the cold floor. With the Chair 5, you can actually pop the liner out of the boot and wear them around the cabin or yurt. The liner actually has a light sole of its own (just enough to be grippy on a cold cabin floor) and lightweight toe and heel caps.
Teva Chair 5
Specs:
Manufacturer: Teva
Product: Chair 5
Product type: boots
Website: http://www.teva.com
Product webpage: Teva Chair 5
MSRP (in USD): $170.00