By Jace Bauserman
I was that kid. You know, the one a dad, mom, teacher, etc. constantly asked, “Why do you have to learn everything the hard way?”
Now for the bad news, at least for me: I didn’t change once I hit adulthood, whatever “adulthood” even means. I consider myself a 44-year-old child. I continued to make things complicated and not learn from my mistakes. It’s broken, but why fix it?
For me, the hard road always seemed the right road. That could be why I signed up for another grueling 100-mile ultramarathon less than a week after running one, finishing, and then coughing up blood.
That winter, I decided on a case of bismuth when I planned on spending the greenbacks on a pair of new 1,800-gram Thinsulate boots. Two weeks later, I killed a limit of honkers but got frostbite on the hunt. Nope, not the sharpest tool in the shed.
Or, how about the three archery elk seasons I spent fighting blisters and hot spots and wrapping my feet nightly because I wouldn’t drop money on a top-end pair of boots? I had the best bow, arrows, and broadheads money could buy, but taking care of my feet was secondary.
The good news: After that third season of misery, I bought a new pair of quality boots. Since I’ll now never hesitate to spend money—as much as is necessary—to protect my feet and ensure my walkabout hunting missions are as comfortable as possible.
My hunting buddy and outdoor legend, Scott Haugen, prompted me to try Meindl boots. As usual, I took his advice.
With a mountain lion hunt and winter of calling toothy critters ahead, I opted for Meindl’s Comfort Fit Hunter 400.
Why not go with an option with more insulation during the dead of winter? If sit-and-wait hunting were on the agenda, more insulation would be the right move. However, when tailing a fine pack of hounds through steep, crumbly, and broken terrain, I prioritize weight, comfort, and boot flexibility. The same principles hold when walking to and from coyote stands. I want to move fast and efficiently. When I sit down to call for 20 minutes, 400 grams of Primaloft Gold insulation is more than enough.
The Comfort Fit Hunter 400 boots stand 9.25 inches tall and weigh just 4.125 pounds. The mid-height nubuck uppers looked to provide plenty of ankle support, and I appreciated the full rubber toe guard and lengthy lace-up system.
I read a lot about Meindl’s Comfort Fit Last, a shoe mold engineered to provide more room in the toe box and wider width at the foot’s ball. I have long, wide feet, and according to my research, Meindl’s exclusive cork footbeds mold to the feet to provide custom support without letting the feet wander too much inside the boot. Wandering feet create hotspots, and hotspots develop blisters. Blisters hurt like hell and can end a hunt.
My initial impression of the Multigrip 6.0 Vibram outsole was positive. I like a terrain-grabbing outsole that isn’t overly aggressive. Lugs that are too tall and deep will make walking on flatter, calmer terrain more difficult. I have a pair of earth eaters that are difficult to wear on a dirt road, so they remain in the back of my closet.
THE BREAK-IN
The day I received the boots from the brown delivery truck, I put them on, laced them up, put on a 30-pound backpack, and went for a walk. After a mile on flat ground, I learned the outsole was aggressive but not too aggressive. It was also alarmingly clear that Meindl’s desire to create a comfortable boot was achieved. You can’t beat the out-of-the-box comfort these boots provide. They are flexible yet not at all sloppy or flimsy. My foot, especially in the toe box, didn’t feel scrunched, but my toes didn’t wander, and my heels didn’t lift.
After the one-mile dirt road spin was completed, I returned to work and planned a more extreme hike in broken terrain the following day.
FIELD TEST
I never completed that extreme hike to further my break-in test. Unexpected snow had me, my oldest son Hunter, and good friend and houndsman Jay Waring prospecting for lion tracks at 4 a.m.
When hunting mountain lions, you start looking for tracks the second the snow stops. Fortunately, we cut a track in the new powder less than 100 yards from where the lion had crossed a month earlier. That track was in the dry dirt on the side of the road, and it was too old for the dogs to open. We’d gotten extremely lucky.
I wore the Meindl’s for the next several hours in six-inch-deep snow. I went up and down slippery, rocky canyons across sage-dappled flats and dry creeks. The snow on the south-facing slopes melted fast, which meant plenty of side hilling, helping the dogs get back on the track. The terrain was wet, muddy, and crumbly. Jagged rocks and boulders meant strapping the bow to the backpack and climbing.
At day’s end, a dead mountain lion was in the back of the truck, my feet were 100-percent dry, and I had zero hot spots or blisters. The boots weren’t scuffed and scarred. This was a trial-by-fire field test, and the boots won. I’ve since worn the Comfort Fit Hunter 400s on several coyote-calling missions. The Vibram Multigrip 6.0 outsoles dominate any terrain without sticking to it and causing a face plant. The boots are like an excellent pair of running shoes.
I ordered a pair of Comfort Fit Hunter Uninsulated boots with spring and fall hunts on the horizon. From bears in Idaho to turkey in Colorado to archery elk—well, anywhere I can hunt them—Meindl’s Comfort Fit Hunter line checks all the boot boxes for me. I have zero doubt these two boots will remain in my hunting arsenal for years. Oh, and when the soles wear out, both boots are resoleable.
Cost: $330 uninsulated; $350 insulated
Pros: Light, tall, but not too tall and restrictive; extremely comfortable, durable, and no break-in period, at least for me, was necessary; the cost also hits an under the $400 sweet spot
Cons: I would like the rubber rand to wrap around the boot.
