One hundred and fifty five days with a pair of LOWA boots. Back on October 5th 2007, I acquired a pair of LOWA's Hunter GTX Extremes. The catalog said that the recommended use was Extreme Hunting, and listed the following features: 1. Upper sturdy, water-repellent nubuck. 2. GORTEX lining for climate-control and waterproofness; and additional insulation layer. 3. Midsole/outsole: Vibram "Tsavo" sole with SPS system. 4. Technology: AWP, "C4" tongue system; LOWA climate control system. I took them out of the box as we sat around the campfire the night before our Utah elk hunt. It was October 5th. Having worn LOWA boots before, I knew that the break in period would be next to nothing. Day 1: I laced them up at 4:30 am and half an hour later, the newness was gone and we were climbing through the dark towards elk country. Even though the ground cover was a combination of frosted deadfall, scrabble rock and buckbrush; I never slipped or fell. Around sunup, I reached the top of the mountain we were climbing and was impressed that my feet felt dry, not sweaty or clammy. During the day I hiked through dark timber without the usual fatigue that comes with most heavy hiking boots. The descent off the mountain could have been a real ankle breaker, but instead with good traction and support; I made it back to camp with nothing to brag about other than the quality of my boots. For a pair just out of the box, I didn't even have any blisters or hot spots. Day 2: It snowed during the night and the ground was covered with about 6 inches of mush. I climbed the same mountain as the day before and again, never slipped or fell, even with the coating of snow. A real accomplishment considering I like to step from dead fall to deadfall or "stump jumping" as some woodsmen call it. Throughout the days hunt my feet stayed warm and dry. The soles didn't collect mud and hold the snow, so my traction was always "grabber tough". That evening around the fire, while my partners were trying to dry and warm their feet, I was able to gaze up at the stars and dream of the next days adventure. Day 3: Most of the day was spent bushwhacking past timberline. The barriers in doing so were some boulder fields and lots of side hilling on loose skree and rocks. This type of terrain is brutal on feet, ankles, knees, hips and back. I suffered from none of them. Again, the hunt was uneventful, but the bouldering and rock hopping was made for a fun and memorable day. Days 4-10: More of the same, lots of hiking through wild country with no elk. Still, it was pretty enjoyable with the way my joints felt. Days 11-140: I've worn these boots on multiple coyote hunts, where a guy spends hours standing in cold snow. My feet are always warm and dry. I've also worn them when I go recreational snowshoeing. The toe and heal fits perfectly into custom bindings. I've also worn them on snowmobile trips, where the vibram soles grip on ice covered running boards. For an Outfitter tough boot, made for all conditions--- the Hunter GTX Extreme should be on the feet of every Top Rated Outfitter. For more information on the entire LOWA line go to www.lowaboots.com