Meindl Canada Pro

[johnnylaw]

Does anyone know if they are still making the Meindl Canada Pro boot. Can't seem to find them online, even the Cabelas Canada Pro show no longer available

[rudysteelhead]

Its gonna be really hard to get them anywhere in BC. A few local shops where I live also stopped selling them even though they typically sell a pair a couple pairs a week to loggers and hunters. Try giving Larry Fisher a call at Fishers hardware in Vernon. He had some last year and said he sells lots at the time I talked to him ???? Thats all I got. If you find any, let us all know.

[calvin L]

I second that ,
. If Larry doesn't have them I don't think anyone will in bc

[geoskier]

I had a pair of Meindl boots (ortlers) and they were the only boot I have ever had that lasted more than one year working in the bush. I went to great lengths to get another pair via AJ brooks. 2 separate times I ordered the boot in (2 months before needing it) and both times they let me down. Recently I called them up and asked if they had any (variety of boot types) in and they said that they weren't getting any boots until the fall. I replied "after the hiking season". It's unfortunate but it seems that there is a minimal market for good boots these days. I resorted to buying Kenetrek mountain extremes which seem ok for now. I will wait to critique them until I use them for more than a day hike.

[sheephunterab]

Still lots of good boots around and the market is bigger than ever. I think people are just starting to realize that quality of Meindl was slipping badly and that warranty was non existent and are just going to other brands now.

[300rum700]

They are now called the Canada Pro 3000 after they went away from split grain leather and went to Nubuck. I have nothing but good things to say about Meindl but would not hestitate from looking at other brands as well, first on my list would be Hanwag. Fishers hardware will be your best bet to find the canada pros.

[freonguy]

I spoke to Larry a week ago, and he said he was expecting a shipment of Canada's in shortly - seemed like a real good guy - give him a call - -- - - - - -

[Chironomid_16]

Larry at Fishers got their order on tuesday, mine are on the bus!

[geoskier]

The Meindl double stitched boots were great. As I said; the only boot out of many others (zamberlan, scarpa, garmont) that made it more than one year of bushwacking.

The problem is that there is no market for full leather boots. Even scarpa only makes a pair or two now and they aren't sold at any of the hiking stores I have ever been to (Escape Route, Valhalla Pure, MEC). Everyone wants goretex boots now... only problem is that once you get dirt inside of them the goretex is screwed.

The cabelas meindl boots are a world apart from the double stitched boots (ortler, perfekt (not cabelas perfekt))

[sheephunterab]

The Lowa Baffin Pro is a full leather option.

[geoskier]

How is it? I am looking at it right now and the weird sole looks like it would fall apart given my experience with similar ones...

[geoskier]

What I was trying to get at is that it is next to impossible to find a "traditional style" leather boot. The meindl double stitched line is exactly that. There are other leather boots out there but they are not designed nearly as burly as those meindls. They may, however; be considerably lighter. But for 100-150 days in a bush a year I would take the longevity.

[sheephunterab]

How is it? I am looking at it right now and the weird sole looks like it would fall apart given my experience with similar ones...

Not sure what you mean by weird sole. Lowa has their soles made exclusively for them by Vibram and they are known as the toughest and most "sticky" soles around. They seem to easily withstand the rigors of backpack sheep guiding which is about as tough on a boot as it gets. I agree, I loved the old Meindls and that's all I wore for a decade or more but the new version left me flat....thankfully, there are several other manufacturers out there offering high quality products. Not all change is bad.

[geoskier]

Meindl still does make those "old boots". They are just difficult to get in Canada. AJ brooks in Vancouver does carry them but have been useless at keeping stock over the past two years.

As for the weird sole: http://www.google.ca/imgres?imgurl=http://www.lowaboots.com/images/products/2104354037_l.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.lowaboots.com/catalog/baffin-pro/2104354037/2&h=360&w=420&sz=30&tbnid=18YU0XFCGnCpJM:&tbnh=90&tbnw=105&zoom=1&usg=__1nJM7IVpjlf3PBKjUc8ZU3sIono=&docid=yPG4acLz3dNuuM&sa=X&ei=6ZbyUYWXDKnYigLD34HYCw&ved=0CDkQ9QEwAQ&dur=273

The groves on the side of the heel would be one of the first things to go. It creates friction since it isn't smooth.

And I know everyone on HBC thinks that sheep guiding is the ultimate gauge of equipment's durability but to me, work is. Doing geological work is much more taxing on a pair of boots because they get exposed to such a wide range of environments and you can't sheep hunt 150 days in a year (I guess you could globally). For example, I have destroyed a $400 pair of scarpas in 2 months of working in the Mexican desert, just due to the sharp volcanic rocks.

[Bistchen]

On a recent trip to Germany last year, even the stores there, were very limited with Meindl stock. Most of there good stuff had to be oredered in. They claimed they didnt know how long it would take to order in. This was going to several large chaing outdoor stores to high-end specialty alpine shops. It seems Meindl are really limiting their top quality products in the quantity that they are producing over the last few years. Focusing more on the their medium quality prooducts to compete with other countries and brands.

[sheephunterab]

Meindl still does make those "old boots". They are just difficult to get in Canada. AJ brooks in Vancouver does carry them but have been useless at keeping stock over the past two years.

As for the weird sole: http://www.google.ca/imgres?imgurl=http://www.lowaboots.com/images/products/2104354037_l.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.lowaboots.com/catalog/baffin-pro/2104354037/2&h=360&w=420&sz=30&tbnid=18YU0XFCGnCpJM:&tbnh=90&tbnw=105&zoom=1&usg=__1nJM7IVpjlf3PBKjUc8ZU3sIono=&docid=yPG4acLz3dNuuM&sa=X&ei=6ZbyUYWXDKnYigLD34HYCw&ved=0CDkQ9QEwAQ&dur=273

The groves on the side of the heel would be one of the first things to go. It creates friction since it isn't smooth.

And I know everyone on HBC thinks that sheep guiding is the ultimate gauge of equipment's durability but to me, work is. Doing geological work is much more taxing on a pair of boots because they get exposed to such a wide range of environments and you can't sheep hunt 150 days in a year (I guess you could globally). For example, I have destroyed a $400 pair of scarpas in 2 months of working in the Mexican desert, just due to the sharp volcanic rocks.

Personally, I'd say guiding sheep is work..... Not sure anyone said it's the ultimate guage but it sure is a good one, especially when looking at a hunting boot. My last pair of Meindls didn't last a year just sheep hunting in the Alberta Rockies. I've never had any sole issues sheep hunting and guiding with three pairs of Lowas but perhaps geology work may be different. I haven't had a friction problem. Truthfully, I find some of the newer boots far more comfortable and think there have been many positive changes but again, I'm just using mine for mountain hunting. I'm sure different disciplines require different things from boots.

[geoskier]

It is definitely work (an awesome line of work). What I meant to say is that I gauge a boot by how it holds up in my own line of work.

Newer boots are definitely lighter which is nice. The one big thing where boots tend to fall apart, which both lines of work have in common, is the inability to dry a boot out property. Boots degrade pretty quickly when they are constantly wet!

[johnnylaw]

Was able to get my boots from Fishers Hardware, they were awsome to deal with.

[goinghunting]

Not sure what you mean by weird sole. Lowa has their soles made exclusively for them by Vibram and they are known as the toughest and most "sticky" soles around. They seem to easily withstand the rigors of backpack sheep guiding which is about as tough on a boot as it gets. I agree, I loved the old Meindls and that's all I wore for a decade or more but the new version left me flat....thankfully, there are several other manufacturers out there offering high quality products. Not all change is bad.

which lowa's do you like the best sheephunter? I've tried on the hunter gtx and the tibets both are very comfortable in the store but I didn't feel they have an aggressive enough sole? I've looked online and the bighorn hunter is interesting seems to be made for slippery surfaces. I've got a pair of cabela's canadian's right now and hate the traction on them so this is my focus for when I get a new pair.

[sheephunterab]

I use the Tibet GTX for early season and the Hunter Extreme for late season.

[goinghunting]

I use the Tibet GTX for early season and the Hunter Extreme for late season.
And you find they have good enough traction for mountain hunting? If I remeber correctly the tibets had a more aggressive sole then the hunters?

[sheephunterab]

Lots of traction for me....until it's time to put the crampons on anyhow. Both have quite aggressive soles in my opinion...as much as any other mountain boot. In the rocks they do seem extra sticky and apparently that's attributed to the rubber compound they use in the sole.