I won this bag at last year's Gathering and just in time. My old boot bag shoulder straps were stitched on a second time and coming apart again. Its single compartment design left my Smith helmet looking like a golf ball from repeated banging against my boots despite always putting the lid in its bag and putting my gloves between them. Storage room was limited to the main compartment and a small zippered outer compartment.
The Kulkea Boot Trekker is everything my old bag wasn't. Boots are stowed in side compartments from the rear. Front zippered side compartments are large enough for gauntlet gloves. The main compartment is divided vertically with half accessible from the top zippered opening and the other storage compartment through the front zippered opening. Both have smaller zippered compartments on the outside, the front compartment is ample, a zippered mesh area inside the flap and a soft goggle pouch suspended from the top so goggles are protected and easy to find. There is a helmet bra that stows in its own zippers pouch at the front bottom. The shoulder straps and waist belt are backpack quality as is the bag material, heavy duty. Straps can be detached and stowed for air travel. Boot compartments have mesh vents at the top and drainage grommets on the floor. I'm sure I missed something, but you get the idea.
I used the bag this season as my daily boot bag. It is large enough for a weekend bag and some would think it too big but I like to have enough room for packing extra layers, neoprene butt pad, extra gloves and socks. First aid kit, rub on wax, basic tools, family lunch....you get it. The pack is so compartmentalized it's easy to keep things organized. For day trips you can store your helmet in the front compartment, for weekend travel the helmet bra comes out, the helmet in, yielding even more space to stuff with base and mid layers, ski pants, street clothes, and toiletries.
If most days you shlep your gear into the lodge the Boot Trekker will help move thing easier whether your walking a short 15 yards to the door like I do every day at Laurel or you're parked out in no mans land and you'll hike a gridiron's length away. The Kulkea Boot Trekker is a great, well thought out boot bag for heavy day use or a light weekend carry all with first rate construction and materials that should hold up for years.
*****
The Kulkea Boot Trekker is everything my old bag wasn't. Boots are stowed in side compartments from the rear. Front zippered side compartments are large enough for gauntlet gloves. The main compartment is divided vertically with half accessible from the top zippered opening and the other storage compartment through the front zippered opening. Both have smaller zippered compartments on the outside, the front compartment is ample, a zippered mesh area inside the flap and a soft goggle pouch suspended from the top so goggles are protected and easy to find. There is a helmet bra that stows in its own zippers pouch at the front bottom. The shoulder straps and waist belt are backpack quality as is the bag material, heavy duty. Straps can be detached and stowed for air travel. Boot compartments have mesh vents at the top and drainage grommets on the floor. I'm sure I missed something, but you get the idea.
I used the bag this season as my daily boot bag. It is large enough for a weekend bag and some would think it too big but I like to have enough room for packing extra layers, neoprene butt pad, extra gloves and socks. First aid kit, rub on wax, basic tools, family lunch....you get it. The pack is so compartmentalized it's easy to keep things organized. For day trips you can store your helmet in the front compartment, for weekend travel the helmet bra comes out, the helmet in, yielding even more space to stuff with base and mid layers, ski pants, street clothes, and toiletries.
If most days you shlep your gear into the lodge the Boot Trekker will help move thing easier whether your walking a short 15 yards to the door like I do every day at Laurel or you're parked out in no mans land and you'll hike a gridiron's length away. The Kulkea Boot Trekker is a great, well thought out boot bag for heavy day use or a light weekend carry all with first rate construction and materials that should hold up for years.
*****
