With this many people already through the line, there is no way they are anywhere near up to date on what is sold out.
It's frustrating enough to sit for hours, but even worse if your units are already gone and not listed as such.
I like the Ascents and Timberlines on the two ends of the spectrum, but I keep coming back to the FL Corrugates in the middle. They seem to fit the best and provide that Goldilocks in the middle comfort for me.
I wouldn't go up. Yes, you can get a better pull. But with a heavier load when you want things nice and tight, a bigger belt can "bottom out" on the buckle. If you run out of slack, which can happen with a bigger belt, you'll be frustrated.
It would probably be better to DIY some extra...
Thanks for your feedback. I'm always keeping an eye out for boots that have a genuinely wide toebox. I'm another Altra fan; and wish there was a high end boot maker with the same philosophy.
I was just planning on ordering a Stryker as an alternative to the Ma Deuce for warmer/shorter situations. Now I'm conflicted on whether the XL is the right way to go, but I worry it's actually too big. I guess options are nice ...
You can also remove the lumbar pad entirely or put a smaller piece of foam inside. The Gen 1 XRAY is still popular on the used market because it doesn't have the big lumbar pad like the newer ones do.
Although I use the XRay regularly, my fitting advice isn't really relevant, because I think it...
@pyrotechnic in the web management and buckle section of the kifaru site there is a pulldown menu. One of the options is the metal k-clips.
https://store.kifaru.net/web-management-and-buckle-sets-p144.aspx