First day out in the new Dynafit TLT6 today - mainly because my trusty old TLT5s exploded yesterday!
Note: this is the rare GF model.
A loud bang and the spoiler hinge gave up...which meant tricky left turns all the way home. Happily, Dynafit sell spare spoilers (do lots of them break?) so the TLT5s aren't finished yet. Getting the replacement ordered was the usual Swiss "customer service" experience. This used to be a shock, but now I'm used to the process. Having distracted the staff from shelf arranging you should expect a good 10 minutes of being told off for using your expensive boots (what are they for?) followed by disapproving comments on the "worn-out" state of your expensive boots, before finally they finally concede that they could possibly just order a new bit, you'll have it by Friday, is that everything sir?
Anyway, new boots...TLT6 seems at first glance very similar to the old 5, which was a huge step forward in touring boot design. Finally, a light boot that skinned, skied - even big skis - and climbed! The main difference in the new boot is the lack of forefoot flex. To be honest I never really noticed the flex on the old boot (but then my previous touring boot was the super-bendy Scarpa F3) but the lack of it in the new boot is very obvious. The boot feels much stiffer and more "skiable" even without the tongues in.
Apparently the shell is wider too. I've fitted into a smaller shell than in the 5 (28.5 instead of 29) and I'll need the shell stretching a bit around the forefoot (I have broad feet) but fit is otherwise much better.
Buckles are better and feel more solid. Double hinge on the top buckle is a minor improvement, but the front one now stays shut when skinning too, yippee! Remains to be seen if the rivets last - I'm on my 5th replacement buckle on the 5s.
The boot feels stiffer already without the flex - mine are the Performance with the carbon cuff. Adding the soft green tongue makes it feel like the old boot with the tongue in. The new stiff black tongue is really stiff! I haven't tried yet but it feels like it should cope well with a bigger ski.
So overall impression after 1 day skinning and skiing is that it's like the old boot but better, which is exactly what fans of the old boot wanted. Phew!
