Gear review - An Update on Meindl boots

Last year I wrote about my experience of Meindl Boots. I also outlined why I have no issue with the weight of leather boots despite the online mantra from lightweight footwear evangelicals of one pound on your foot equates to 5 pounds on your back. Walking boots are clearly a personal choice and one that seems to depend on a number of factors: personality, physiology, philosophical outlook, appetite for comfort, gear durability, preferred walking speed, climate, path quality, terrain traversed ...

A year on from those posts and time for an update.

Boot line up July 2015

Dovre Extreme GTX boots

The boots have met all my of expectations for cool weather comfort, sole rigidity, waterproofness, ankle support etc. The stiffer sole has been a revelation for the ease of traversing across or contouring sloping ground and the band of rand has provided protection to the leather from sharp and abrasive rocks. An extended trip to the NW Highlands in Dec 2015 witnessed 8 days of 'weather' including two named storms and excursions were constrained to saturated often pathless lower elevations in terrain best described as rugged. A wild camping trip in late July and the Dovres were worn as the ground was saturated, streams in spate and temperatures not even reaching double figures. The only problem with the Dovre boots, aside from taking an age to lace up and unlace, is the Gore Tex lining in warmer weather.

Protective rand on Dovre and Engadin boots

The hype of Gore Tex 

My faith in marketing claims for outdoor gear is fairly low, online anecdotes even lower and I prefer to trust opinions of real people I meet on my wanders and my own personal experiences. The Gore Tex lining in the Dovre boots made walking in warmer weather distinctly uncomfortable and unpleasant: hot, sweaty, wet feet. Years ago I discovered the breathability claims of Gore Tex jackets to be risible in the humidity of the British climate and a similar abject performance can now be extended to Gore Tex boot liners.

I have no idea if the Gore Tex lining in the boot has proved durable, as with extremely low expectations of Gore Tex I have kept the leather well waxed to ensure waterproofing.

Engadin Boots

I was suitably impressed with the rigidity of the Meindl BC rated sole and the relative ease of walking across more challenging terrain. I was also conscious that the tread on two older pairs of Borneo's (one pair over a decade old the other getting on for 5 years old) were well worn in comparison with the tread depth on the Dovre boots. I decided a warm weather boot with a stiffer sole would be very desirable.

Screen shot from www.meindl.de

The current Meindl UK website is really poor in conveying information, so a search on Meindl's German website and I eventually found what I wanted a boot named the Engadin:

• Leather boot 
• No Gore Tex lining
• Memory foam system 
• BC rated sole
• Protective rand band
• Air active 
• Vibram multi grip sole

A quick call to my local independent outdoor shop and I enquired that if the Engadin's were the same wide fit as the Borneo and Dovre boots, I would order a pair. They were and I ordered a pair that took a fortnight to arrive from the continent.

So far the Engadin boots have been perfect as a replacement leather boot to the Borneos, with the advantage of the protective rand, stiffer sole and COOL feet again in warmer weather. A recent trip to Scotland was a case in point where both the Dovere and Engadin boots were packed, an unanticipated change from the NW Highlands to the Cairngorms meant only the Engadin's were worn. Warm temperatures, terrain mostly underlain by granite bedrock and geologically young superficial deposits derived from granite, meant the Dovre boots were not required. The Engadine boots were also taken to the NW Highlands in December 2015 and not worn, whilst on a trip to Gairloch/Toridon in October 2015 both boots were worn depending on the temperature and anticipated wetness of terrain.

Ye olde faithful Borneo's

Are still worn for walks in the local woodlands and countryside. A pair is left in the car boot just in case I should forget to pack boots for a trip, once bitten twice shy ...

Boot line up July 2016
From R to L : Engadin, Dovre, Borneo x 2

Paramo Cascada a long term review

Water beading on 12 year old Paramo Cascada jacket and trousers

The difference between hill walking and landscape photography in the hills is :

• Your rucksack and its contents will be bulkier and heavier.
• The heavier rucksack means increased exertion and more heat generated. To avoid hyperthermia, human thermoregulation is mainly accomplished by sweating to cool the body down.
• Stops will be of a longer duration whilst waiting for the light. 
• Increased effects of Windchill on a static body.
• Quality light is at the extremes of the day when temperatures are lower. 
• Photographing a sunset from a summit means ascending during a warmer period of the day

The video below is from a series by a British outdoor retailer appraising the virtues of outdoor jackets and is a fair representation of the Paramo jacket philosophy on weatherproofing.

Paramo have also produced a video that demonstrates how the fabric works.

Before an interest in landscape photography, I enjoyed walking the landscape and already had outdoor clothing that kept me comfortable in the British climate. The clothing resulted from experience i.e poor purchasing decisions and from empirical evidence that in inclement weather on the hills you were sure to see the Paramo logo.  Chatting with Paramo users in the hills elicited user opinions and guidance. Paramo also appeared socially responsible and environmentally aware, which held some appeal.

A cool, wet and windy Glyderau in November is ideal for wearing Cascada jacket and trousers

Circa 2004 I invested in a Cascada jacket (green) and Cascada trousers (navy) and established that there are indeed GOOD things :

• Breathability
• Windproof
• Weatherproof
• Thermal insulation even when wetted out was good and when it stops raining the heat generated from activity will dry out the inner.
• Noise free clothing.
• The wired peaked hood was a revelation at the time, ditto the scooped back on the jacket.
• Abrasion resistance from pack straps.
• Durability
• Minor tears easily repaired.
• In colder weather the trousers can be worn as overtrousers and they are easy to put on and remove whilst still standing.

There are also NOT SO GOOD things or Caveat Empor  :

• After the manufacturer's proofing has worn away, sadly it is you who has responsibility for reproofing the garments with Nikwax. 
• You will become proactive in keeping the garments waterproofed i.e carefully following the instructions. 
• The amount of proactivity is dependent on variables: how often the garments are worn, how dirty the outer surfaces are, how much you sweat etc. Machine washing and reproofing will necessitate taking an unhealthy interest in the cleanliness of the washing machine especially the soap/detergent dispensing draw and no doubt investigating the virtues of hand washing, air drying and tumble drying.
• Kneeling, sitting or leaning against wet surfaces reveals the materials limitations under compression.
• I found that Cascada garments are more suited to cooler weather.
• Cleaning peat bog stains from trouser bottoms, I have given up on.
• Easily punctured by thorns, brambles, not so easily ripped though as the thorns were embedded in my flesh ... I have good sense to instinctively avoid close contact with Dog rose shrubs and thorn trees.
• The trouser zips infuriatingly can get snagged and after much faffing can be released. Also the trouser belt hoops are too small for a large majority of belts and the draw strings could be longer.
• The Paramo Cascada garments cut and styling could be euphemistically described as universal and classic. Fashionista's loath Paramo with a passion.

ANECDOTAL stuff

• I have found that every so often a really DEEP CLEAN is required to remove all the old and accumulated Nikwax, ingrained grime etc. A machine wash in Biological powder and washing soda. Then a Nikwax TX Direct reproof. Failure to take heed of the warning signs and implement a preventative action of a DEEP CLEAN and reproofing will result in spectacular failure of waterproofing in inclement weather and an uncomfortable day out.
• Whilst green and navy blends into the landscape it is perhaps not the best colour for alerting people of your presence; after walking in Norwegian woodland in the hunting season or returning to the car in the dark along roads, I can make a compelling case for more visible coloured clothing and reflector strips on the rucksack.