Cabela's Meindl Alaska Hiker-Update-Important Lessons Learned
I want to pass this little story on because not only was it a profound lesson for me, it is something all of us should keep in mind when we are looking for the right boots.
If you look back to my post introducing the Cabela's Meindl Alaska Hiker I was pretty candid about how it worked out for me. They are well made boots with great features but during my first outing with them they made my feet numb. As I said in that post, they are very nice boots and they are the favorites of some pretty knowledgeable and highly experienced folks but they just didn't work for me that day.
Well, here is the update. My plan has been to put at least 18 miles or three full circuits on each boot before I decide whether or not to put it on my recommended list. My second time with these boots was with the same pair of socks and on the same 6 mile test loop in our mountain preserve. Nothing else was different...except the results. My feet were comfortable the entire hike. No numbness at all. Not even a hint. The Meindls performed very well.
How do I explain this? I am not sure. Maybe they needed some break in time. Maybe it was something else. Jim Whitaker of Ranier Mountaineering told me once that the best exercise to prepare your body for mountaineering was mountaineering. That makes perfect sense, I just didn't think that it applied to feet too. It does and I can tell it has made a big difference in my performance on the trail and how I feel the next morning. In fact, I feel so good that I have extended my loop from 6 miles to 8.5 miles. After weeks of hitting the trail everyday, my feet have been what my SEAL buddies call "conditioned".
So, what have I learned so far? Fit is everything. Master boot fitters are hard to find. The best boot size for me is 11.5 E US not 11D. Feet are weird and they seem to be changing constantly, especially the older I get. A perfect boot for you may not work at all for me no matter how good it is or how much I want it to. A combination of Tincture of Benzoin and Johnson & Johnson Dermicel Cloth Tape works best for keeping hot spots from turning into blisters. Address hot spots right away on the trail regardless of how inconvenient it might be. Upgraded, after market foot beds are just as important as upgraded, after market all terrain tires. At the top level, there is not much difference between wool socks. Foot massages from your wife are good but they will cost you. Foot massages from a professional are even better but they will cost you. One bad test run with a high quality pair of boots is not definitive. And last but not least, never take your ATM card with you into a topless bar.
That's it. That's all I got today. Hasta.
Thanks.
Wade Nelson
Editor
If you look back to my post introducing the Cabela's Meindl Alaska Hiker I was pretty candid about how it worked out for me. They are well made boots with great features but during my first outing with them they made my feet numb. As I said in that post, they are very nice boots and they are the favorites of some pretty knowledgeable and highly experienced folks but they just didn't work for me that day.
Well, here is the update. My plan has been to put at least 18 miles or three full circuits on each boot before I decide whether or not to put it on my recommended list. My second time with these boots was with the same pair of socks and on the same 6 mile test loop in our mountain preserve. Nothing else was different...except the results. My feet were comfortable the entire hike. No numbness at all. Not even a hint. The Meindls performed very well.
How do I explain this? I am not sure. Maybe they needed some break in time. Maybe it was something else. Jim Whitaker of Ranier Mountaineering told me once that the best exercise to prepare your body for mountaineering was mountaineering. That makes perfect sense, I just didn't think that it applied to feet too. It does and I can tell it has made a big difference in my performance on the trail and how I feel the next morning. In fact, I feel so good that I have extended my loop from 6 miles to 8.5 miles. After weeks of hitting the trail everyday, my feet have been what my SEAL buddies call "conditioned".
So, what have I learned so far? Fit is everything. Master boot fitters are hard to find. The best boot size for me is 11.5 E US not 11D. Feet are weird and they seem to be changing constantly, especially the older I get. A perfect boot for you may not work at all for me no matter how good it is or how much I want it to. A combination of Tincture of Benzoin and Johnson & Johnson Dermicel Cloth Tape works best for keeping hot spots from turning into blisters. Address hot spots right away on the trail regardless of how inconvenient it might be. Upgraded, after market foot beds are just as important as upgraded, after market all terrain tires. At the top level, there is not much difference between wool socks. Foot massages from your wife are good but they will cost you. Foot massages from a professional are even better but they will cost you. One bad test run with a high quality pair of boots is not definitive. And last but not least, never take your ATM card with you into a topless bar.
That's it. That's all I got today. Hasta.
Thanks.
Wade Nelson
Editor
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