howdy

looking to do some winter summits this year.. have a lead on a really good deal on a pair of pre-owned unused koflach arctis expes, but they're 15 years old. guy says they've been in his closet since buying them new, all those years ago.

my guess is they'd be fine.. no UV exposure, no freeze/thaw.. ? i've also heard tale of plastic ski boots shattering after sitting in the closet for years- so i'm slightly paranoid about it.

thoughts? how old is too old for plastic?

My Koflach Verticals are 12-13 years old. I don't use them much, but I haven't had any problems other than needing to replace the liners. I've never heard of plastics shattering. I know people that have been using the same ski boots for well over 20 years (not people that ski much!)

Had a pair of ski boots shatter on me a few years back. But they were only 3 years old, tecnicas...heard I wasn't the first to have the happen. Had to ski the entire back of Snowbird on one ski, carrying my other one...sucked, then, but funny story now.
Anyway, those boots sound like a steal.

I've seen shells crack and cuffs literally rot and tear on Koflachs. 5 years is questionable and 10 years is likely too much. UV expose is not the only issue. The softer cuff material in particular simply degrades over time. The shells get hard and crack. No every pair reacts the same so I would think it is a batch problem.

I really like Koflachs but one bad experience and a boot failure while in use can make them really expensive.

Save your money and buy something newer that will last a trip or two.

hmm... mixed opinions.. lame.

i dont have any new koflachs to compare, but perhaps i can twisty/bendy the plastic around and get a feel for whether it's about to explode on me at 14,000 feet in a whiteout.

It might depend on how much the seller wants for them, propably not much if they sat around unused for all those years..

I have a pair of 1996 Koflach Arctis and for the last few years, I use them here and there in winter. They are fine, no visible cracks or deterioration of the plastic cuff. I would say if you get a really good deal and don't plan to go to Alaska or another cold place next season, you cannot lose.

Save your money for those $700 boots when you are ready for an expedition. In the meantime...

well.. i offered him a semi-lowball price off his already pretty low price... if he accepts, it'll definitely be worth the experiment.

thanks for the input, gentlemen. if anyone else has any, feel free to post- still interested in the lifespan of plastics..

My 1996 Koflach Via Softs have been used at least 10-15 days/year and are still going strong.

I am constantly looking for an excuse to buy a fancy new pair, but so far, no luck.

At 54, I am afraid they will last me the rest of my days.

Don't expect the rubber to be close to the original stickiness for climbing rock. Rubber soles loose a lot of their sticky after about 2 to 3 years of drying out.

Koflach made their boots out of different materials.

The Viva Softs tended to crack in cold, the arctis expes, being their higher-end boots, were likely made of better material (grilamid)

he would not come down to my price... considering i'm finding NEW koflachs in the same condition on ebay for LESS, i opted against. i might try some old plastic, someday, but it's gonna be for less than $100/pair if i do- and not in the winter.

I bought a pair of plastic Koflachs in about 1989 and they proved to be a sturdy pair of winter mountaineering boots clear up to early spring of 1999 when I used them with a pair of randonee' skis to the top of Mt. St. Helens. They performed very well on that trip as both a ski boot and a hiking boot.

Seven years later I used them on a snowmobiling trip to Island Park, Idaho and they literally shattered before my eyes shortly after putting them on at the sled rental shop.

My first thought was I'm sure glad I'm in a rental shop where I can rent a pair of snowmobile boots. My second thought was I'm sure glad they didn't fall apart on me on Mt. St. Helens.

Hopefully, the quality of plastic that Koflach uses now is better than it was 20 to 25 years ago.

My Viva Softs shattered while I was climbing at Mt. Washington, NH.

Thanks for the feedback on the Koflach Viasofts. I will keep a close eye on mine. They were dirt cheap on clearance at Sierra Trading Post, something like $70, so I have long since got my use out of them.

I also have a pair of Koflach Actis Espes that have never been out of the box. Might be time to start using them. Had been saving them for when the Via Softs kicked the bucket.

The best way to store anything plastic that you want to last long term is sealed in a black plastic bag. To keep it from drying out and to avoid UV exposure. The two things that degrade plastic.

Rock shoe rubber also falls in this category. If you want to retain the original stickiness, store your shoes sealed in a plastic bag. I do this with my ropes also, technically nylon is plastic.