As one might hope, Fischer returns for 13/14 with heat moldable liners for their Vacuum series of boots, which means the Ranger 12 gets a much needed revision to the touring comfort possible. All the other aspects of the Ranger 12 remain: a progressive flex for arcing the fall line, three levels of cuff motion, rigid, soft, and touring, a shell that molds to the 3D shape of your foot, and as any decent AT boot should, an Intuition liner.

Now the only thing this boot needs to be taken seriously are Dynafit inserts, but you’ll have to wait until next year for that.

For those just getting in to the backcountry, especially those whose feet have some, er, mountainous topography to their footsies, the Fischer Ranger offers a boot that, in the hands of a good bootfitter, can provide that elusive blend of performance and comfort you may have never known. Keep in mind there are limits to how much Fischer’s Vacuum concept can accommodate with their molding process. Theoretically Fischer’s Ranger can satisfy many reading this who have avoided earning their turns because ski boots simply can’t be that comfortable — can they?

The vacuum process may do more than enhance comfort. Ski magazine testers noticed boots held an edge better when turning, in part because the molding process allows the skiers stance to be accounted for also. As a midweight boot, the Ranger-12 has the chops to handle rugged terrain and high speed, while also delivering exceptional comfort on the skin track. The slightly softer, Ranger 11 is no slouch either.

The Intuition liner comes with an Ultralon foam, meaning that the foam squishes under heat and pressure isometrically, yielding a consistent density for molded areas. To enhance touring, Fischer adds a thin bit of plastic around the back of the cuff, with a hinge, to help the liner bend to the rear, while simultaneously increasing the forward flex stiffness, and thus transfer of power from your lower leg.

As mentioned earlier, the only thing preventing this boot from being embraced by serious backcountry skiers is the lack of Dynafit inserts. However, if you’re not ready for the light is right mentality, weight IS great, especially when it works as well as these boots do banging down a mogul run in-bounds or skinning back from beyond the boundary. With a passport binding and climbing skins these boots can vastly increase your skiing options.

Fischer

Ranger 13, MSRP: $900
Ranger 12, MSRP: $800
Ranger 11, MSRP: $700
Weight/boot: 4 lbs., 11 oz. (2130 g)
Sizes available (mondo): 23.5 – 31.5

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Fischer Ranger 12 (12/13)

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