As long time readers know, we love the outdoors.  Much of our blog shows us hiking, carting with the dogs, or just enjoying our mountains.  The weather here can be very unpredictable and it is important to always wear the proper outdoor gear.  Winters can be especially harsh with snow as early as October and as late as May.  Readers also remember that we tested a Columbia Sportswear shirt recently in a way that it was never meant to be tested – and it survived (that shirt, for the record, we bought and was not provided by Columbia).

Because of the blog, we are often asked to plug or test products.  We decline the vast majority of these requests, but, every now and then, we are asked to test a product that intrigues us.  Our rules are simple – we disclose that the product has been provided to us without charge, we do not accept any other sort of renumeration, and we reserve the right to tell our readers EXACTLY what we think about the product – even if we don’t like it.

With that in mind, the good folks at Columbia asked if we would test their new Bugathermo Boots.  While I have a number of pairs of hiking boots, I was already in need of a good pair of snow boots and could not pass up the opportunity to test them out.

The verdict – I love them!  The high cut and waterproof Nubuck material kept my feet very dry, despite the deep snows we had this past week.  The Omni-Grip grabbed hold of the ice and prevented slips (without having to add my usual ice cleats).  And, most of all, the thinsulate kept my feet warm despite the well below freezing temperatures.

For extra wow factor, though, you have to add the built in rechargeable heating system.  Frankly, I did not really need it with the thinsulate doing its job, but I had to test it out.  Nothing like a heater on your feet when the Siberian Huskies want to play just a little more.  I was outside for hours with the dogs and turning on the heat was easy and very nice.  The switch is conveniently located on the side of each boot and is easy to turn on and off – as well as choose between the three heat settings.  Charging the boots is a simple matter of connecting to any electrical outlet.

They are snow boots, so they are relatively heavy (1 lb, 14 oz or 855 g) and difficult to put on and take off because of the high cut.  But what are you going to do?  That’s what makes them so effective against the weather.

Most importantly, these boots kept me warm – which means we stayed outdoors in this wintry weather.  The Herd certainly approves of humans staying outside as long as possible!

DISCLAIMER: In case it was not clear above, the boots featured in this product review were provided to me at no cost by Columbia Sportswear Company with a request to provide review information directly to them and, if I wished, to publish a review on the blog.  No other compensation was expected or delivered to me.  I try my best to keep my reviews honest and unbiased, but believe that my readers deserve to know of any relationship I have with a product that I mention.

Ok, ok.  Call it lazy.  Call it indecisive.  Call it whatever you want, but we need your opinion.  We could not decide, so which is your favorite photo? Vote in the survey below and, please, let us know why in the comments.

Black and White Team at an angle

Crossing the road

Heading home

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