What would inspire a Zamberlan ULL GTX review you might ask? Well, I was headed to a completely different hunting environment, unlike any I had ever experienced- Alaska. I knew the terrain was going to be rough, the temperatures cold, and weather extremely wet. I really did not have a boot I was completely confident in keeping my feet warm and dry, while having the stability to cross tundra tussocks without rolling an ankle.
After countless hours of research, I landed on trying a pair of Zamberlan 3032 ULL GTX RR BOA Primaloft boots.
Break-In Period – Zamberlan ULL GTX Boots
Living in an extremely cold environment where winter can see temperatures well below zero, I immediately put them to work at an ice fishing derby. The derby was going to be several hours on the ice with no shelter to warm my feet. I have had numerous pairs of boots where the cold eventually seeped in through the sole of the boots, but much to my delight, this did not happen with these Zamberlan ULL boots.
I took them ice fishing several more times without a shelter to further prove, not only their warmth, but their ability to remain waterproof while splashing them with water from the holes and sitting for hours trying to catch a few fish. I was quite impressed with both the warmth and waterproofness of the Zamberalan ULL GTX Primaloft. They performed well in cold and wet environments.
Before I headed to the Alaskan tundra for my much anticipated brown bear hunt, I wanted to be confident that they were going to give me the ankle support I needed as well. I had never used a boot quite as stiff as the Zamberlan ULL GTX, so I wanted to make sure, to the best of my ability given where I live, that the boots would provide me with the ankle support I needed.
As part of an additional break-in before my Alaskan brown bear hunt, I took them turkey hunting. Now, for the most part, where I hunt turkeys is relatively flat, but I found as many riverbanks and steep areas that I could to test out their support. I also did a few river crossings on rocks to see how they would react, and they stood up to the task as far as ankle support goes. I knew this wasn’t going to be as severe of terrain as I was going to be facing in Alaska, but it was my best option.
These Zamberlan ULL boots are certainly stiff. I would guess that I put roughly twenty miles on these boots before they “broke” in. That being said, a stiff boot will still remain a very stiff boot.
I think that it is important to understand what stiff boots are designed to do and what they are not. They will provide the user with extra support, but less flex. Typically, these would be best for people who have bad ankles or require this kind of boot for the type of terrain they are going to face.
Some prefer to have a more flexible boot and carry along ankle braces for heavy pack outs. I prefer to use a more stiff boot as I am a little overweight and appreciate the extra support that the boot offers.
I did use factory insoles rather than an aftermarket insole and felt that the factory ones were adequate. However, I have also used and love Sheepfeet, which I would recommend if can pick up a pair. They’ll provide you with additional support and cushion that the factory insoles simply won’t.
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The testing – Zamberlan ULL GTX Review
As noted, I tested these Zamberlan ULL boots in a wide range of terrain. They saw time on the frozen lake ice fishing to test their warmth, the tundra of Alaska for my brown bear hunt, as well as some turkey hunting. Through all of these experiences, I came away with a good understanding of what these Zamberlan 3032 ULL GTX boots can handle.
Outsole – Zamberlan ULL GTX Review
The outsole is what I would call a moderately aggressive tread pattern. The outsole is pliable, and I would argue that it should be as stiff as the boot. This pliable tread allows the user to secure better footing on rocks and slippery surfaces where more flexible boot would allow the foot to adjust to the terrain, which isn’t possible with a stiffer boot like this. The tread depth is excellent and what you want in a cold weather boot. Being a Vibram outsole, it should last a long time. This deeper lug is excellent for mud and snow and certainly worked well for me to climb up river banks.
Although I have not used them to climb snow-covered hills that are steep, I am confident that the tread depth and pattern would also be good for that, particularly given that other team members have tested this same outsole in snow that the Zamberlan Sawtooth boots have and had great results.
I did not feel that the rubber got too stiff even when I used them in extremely cold temperatures out ice fishing or blowing snow (as low as -20° F). I have had experience with other boots that had soles harden and become extremely slippery on ice, so it was a nice surprise to see how this outsole maintained its pliability in cold weather.
Best Uses – Zamberlan 3032 ULL GTX Review
I think that this boot is very much designed for the hunter in the northern portions of our country. The whitetail guys of Minnesota, Wisconsin, etc. should love these. If you are sitting in the tree stand in late November through the first part of January, the warmth this boot provides is a dream come true, although you may not need the stiffness they provide.
I would not prefer these boots on my next elk hunt, however, given their stiffness and warmth, unless temperatures were especially cold during a late season hunt where conditions are more extreme. On my bear hunt in Alaska, temperatures ranged from 35 to 45 degrees, and they proved to be on the warm side in those temperatures.
For the most part, I stood or sat glassing most days, and my boots stayed entirely dry. A few of the days, I was actively spotting and stalking, crossing many shallow streams and bogs where water was well up my boots. I never had wet socks from exterior water, however, I did get sweaty feet while actively hiking on some stalks. The double boa system does allow the hunter to loosen them and provide some additional ventilation if needed when sitting and temperatures rise above comfort levels, but for the active hunter, temps above freezing will likely result in sweaty feet.
If you are someone who suffers from bad ankles, these Zamerblan ULL GTX Primaloft boots are certainly ones that will give you support in spades. In fact, I found that these boots were the most stable I have ever owned and never feared rolling an ankle on the tussocks of Alaska.
Sizing – Zamberlan 3032 ULL GTX Review
I ordered these boots right at my tennis shoe size. They fit perfectly with a pair of Darn Tough medium socks. I would not want to wear anything thicker with these boots or your feet will definitely get too hot. The sizing allows for the use of thicker socks, but I think it would have diminishing returns with sweaty feet creating an opportunity for them to get cold.
Specs And Performance Notes: Zamberlan 3032 ULL GTX Review
Zamberlan ULL GTX Boots | |
---|---|
HEIGHT | 11″ |
FIT/WIDTH | Wide |
UPPER MATERIAL | Synthetic |
GORE TEX/WATERPROOF | YES (Waterproof) |
LINING | GORE-TEX Insulated Comfort |
INSOLE | Flex 4mm + PE |
MIDSOLE | Double Density PU Wedge + Light TPU Layer |
OUTSOLE | Zamberlan® Vibram® StarTrek II |
RESOLABLE | YES |
SIZE RANGE | 8 – 12, 13 |
HALF PAIR WEIGHT | 965 Gr (Misura/Size 42) |
LAST | ZWL Wide Fit |
INSULATED | YES (Insulated) |
MADE IN ITALY | YES |
My pair of boots weighed in at almost exactly four pounds. These were far from a lightweight boot. The ULL are a very tall boot at 11″ in height. I do not think that they were necessarily built for the kind of hunt I took them on in Alaska, however, they did very well. These boots are excellent for extreme conditions, and are also great for outdoor winter enthusiasts who like ice fishing, snowmobile riding, or even snowshoeing. I intended to try these on a snowshoe trek, but this year we had far below-average snowfall which didn’t allow me to use them in that way.
As previously mentioned, the Gore-Tex system performed flawlessly. I have been more of a traditional, leather boot guy until this pair, so I was curious to see how the full synthetic would handle the moisture. I wanted a synthetic boot due to the chances of getting my feet wet on my Alaskan hunt, and needing to dry them out overnight which would be more difficult with a full leather boot. The ULL did not let me down either on the ice or in creek/river crossings both in South Dakota and Alaska.
Zamberlan’s site advertises that one can easily wear a second pair of socks in these boots if needed. I would say that it would be difficult to imagine a scenario in which that would be necessary unless you have really poor circulation in your feet. These boots are extremely warm as is. I wore these boots while calling in coyotes in -20 degree weather, and my feet were certainly the last thing to get cold.
I understand with the double BOA dial system, it would be easy to create enough space in the boot for additional socks and still be able to tighten the boot for stability, but these boots are extremely warm, and I just do not see it as something a hunter in typical hunting conditions would actually need.
Effective Temperature Range – Zamberlan 3032 ULL GTX Boots
I remained warm and comfortable in temperatures ranging from 0° Fahrenheit to 40° Fahrenheit while ice fishing. I am confident that these boots would be adequate in much colder temperatures as I also used them in temperatures as low as -20° Fahrenheit siting on my snow blower to clear the driveway as well as while calling in coyotes. I never had a hint of cold feet during that entire time.
Out of the Box Comfort – Zamberlan ULL GTX Review
Walking in a boot as stiff as the Zamberlan ULL GTX definitely takes some getting use to. They certainly are not a boot you grab off the shelf to go hiking in for miles in the mountains without giving them the proper break in period. I am pretty stout at about 270 pounds and in this case, the extra weight helped break in these boots more quickly. There are a lot of personal preferences that come with the flexibility a hunter chooses in their boots. I definitely got to experience something new with this stiff of a boot.
Double BOA System – Zamberlan ULL GTX Review
During this Zamerbaln ULL GTX review I got to test out the double BOA system, and it worked flawlessly. I was admittedly very nervous about how it would handle river crossings in the mud. However, they never quit working on me. One thing to consider is that if you do select a boot with a BOA system, it is advisable to take a BOA repair kit with you in the unlikely event of failure.
I probably should have done this on my Alaskan bear hunt. If that system had failed, I could not have fixed it with paracord and would have really been up a creek. However, there are zero indications that they are going to fail anytime in the near future.
From my experience during this Zamberlan 3032 ULL GTX review, I would recommend tightening the lower BOA system first, then the top. This seemed to secure my foot better. In fact, I would usually tighten the bottom, then the top, and go back to the bottom again.
The uppers are extremely sturdy and support your ankles very well. Hunters have an interesting decision to make when it comes to walking on tussocks of Alaska. A hunter either has to walk on the tops or in between them. I chose to walk on the tops, which turns into more of a skip back and forth. This would not be possible if it were not for the stability of this boot. With my other hunting boots I feel I certainly would have put my hunt in danger by choosing this approach.
What I Liked – Zamberlan ULL GTX Review
- Stability
- Waterproofness
- Warmth
- Boot Height
Something I’m Concerned About – Zamberlan 3032 ULL GTX Review
- Double BOA system
If you are going on an expedition-style hunt, you’ll want to plan ahead and pick up a spare BOA kit in the event one breaks on you. Repairs are easy to do in the field, but since you can’t fix it with paracord like you can a traditional boot lace, you’ll want to be prepared.
What I Disliked – Zamberlan 3032 ULL GTX Review
- Weight
- Stiffness (although it was exactly as advertised)
- Price $595
- Weight 4lbs/pair
Conclusion: Zamberlan 3032 ULL GTX Review
At the end of the day, if you need a super rugged, super stiff boot that is crazy warm, the Zamberlan 3032 ULL GTX is certainly a boot to consider. Keep in mind this boot is built for extreme conditions, extreme terrain, and extreme temperatures. The double BOA system is unique, and one I was nervous about, but it performed flawlessly. I probably should have picked up a repair kit just in case, but thankfully I didn’t need it. These are incredible boots, but certainly built with a purpose. If I could sum them up in a word, I’d say they are built for the “EXTREME.”
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