Meindl Perfekts or Lowa Renegades

[Toby]

I have more or less narrowed my boot search to these two, I am interested in any feedback you may have on either or both. Thanks, Toby.

[Fridaythe13th]

Brother like his Meindl. swears' by them

[huntabsarokee]

The Meindle Perfekt run a little large. I had to order a 1/2 size smaller.


I just received a pair of Lowa Camino and they run true to size for me. Suppose to be a hair stiffer than the Renegade. So far I like them.

[Toby]

Hunts,

Any comparisons between the Meindls and the Lowas?

[pointysticks]

i have the Renegades.

i have been running the burliest boots i could find. i wore Schnee beartooth insulateds. they are stiff, above the ankle, heavy..did i mention stiff? i would find myself sometime slipping sidehilling and climbing up some california and AZ mountains. it got me thinking. would i gain some traction if my ankle could flex some?

so i went out and bought the renegades. first, holy krappola..comfy right out of the box. embarassingly comfortable. almost decadent. soft, flexible, light..let me say..i went from a california hog hunt with the Schnee's..went home, took a shower and went to REI. my foot was still achy from the big boots. but i tell you what..those boots were COMFY!! i took them home.

i went back to the exact same california mountains. the ones without any wild pigs in them. i was blasting up hills fast. this was a combo of having a lighter boot, and the flexy ankle traction thing. my fears of twisting an ankle didnt come to fruition. i carried an ankle brace in my pack. (i have one weak ankle).

a few weeks later, i put my Schnees in the back of my truck, and drove to AZ to hunt deer. i did that hunt 100% wearing the Renegades. same conclusion!! super comfy, super fast, super grippy!

i came home, cleaned my boots and coated them with a conditioner. they are mine to stay. i love that boot. i bet i could trail jog with them. i admit, the durabiltiy is suspect. they dont feel that tough. the leather feels thin. the sole feels flimsy. i wear them ONLY to hunt, so i dont think i will wear them out prematurely. the only other complaint? that first hook for the laces is stupid. it is too small, it is too short. you run the laces thru eyelets at the beginning..then going up the ankle they transition to hooks. that first hook i miss 90% of the time. not a HUGE deal, but if you are hunched over in a dark tent, missing that hook gets annoying FAST. i miss only one side of the foot and the entire lacing process needs to start over again. just a small complaint.

no experience with your other boot choice.

[huntabsarokee]

Which Perfekt? I had the 400 gram hunter. They also make a hiker. My buddy has those and fit is similar between the 2. I think if you are comparing the perfekt hiker to the camino it is a toss up. I think the lowa may be built a little better. I like the rubber rand on the Camino. Price is similar.

Now if you are looking at the 400 gram Perfekt it is a different type boot then the Camino. I got the Camino for early season mt hunting.

[LckyTylr]

I'm now on my 2nd pair of Perfekts. My first pair lasted 5 years of mountain hunting abuse and for the last two years, I wore them every day to work (construction). I can't believe how long they held up. They were waterproof up until the last year I had them.

My 2nd pair has already gone through 2 full hunting seasons. I have beat the living he!! out of them and they are still sturdy, comfortable and waterproof. My first pair I took good care of with Obenauf's boot wax (still beat them up pretty bad). This pair I'm experimenting with to see how long they will last with NO leather conditioning/wax.

I love 'em, I'll probably never switch to a different boot unless they start making these somewhere else or the quality slips.

[phall]

never had lowa but have pair of meindl light hikers that by far outperformed the merrell phaser peak hiker. rained everyday last year and stayed dry in the meindel hiker. it is very flexible, bare bones hiking boot with minimal ankle support which is what i wanted. they make much beefier models for those looking for more support. as someone else stated the meindel's do run about 1/2-1 size big

[Toby]

Great information. This boot search can almost be mind numbing. I see that some love a stiff/heavy boot while others prefer a light flexible one, probably a subject for another thread.

[huntabsarokee]

I started out with the Meindl Alaskans and probably too stiff for the type of hunting I do. Last year I picked up a pair of Salomon 4D and they fit great and are light. I really like them. A lot of people complain that they don't last or hold up as long and I can see that compared to an all leather boot. Mine still look great but I have only used them 1 season. I got the Camino just because I wanted a 2nd pair of boots and figured I would go a little stiffer than the Salomon but nothing like an all leather Alaskan.

If you are near a Cabelas and you keep checking the Bargain Barn you can usually find a pair of Meindls in there for about 40% off their regular price.

If you want a stiff boot but don't need the height I see the Meindl Alaskan hiker is on sale right now for $239 which is a decent deal.I believe it is an 8" boot so should be a hair higher than the Perfekt hikers, Salmon 4D, and the Lowa Camino.

[Toby]

Thanks hunta...

I don't want a real stiff boot, so will look at some others you recommended.

[elkmtngear]

i have the Renegades.

i have been running the burliest boots i could find. i wore Schnee beartooth insulateds. they are stiff, above the ankle, heavy..did i mention stiff? i would find myself sometime slipping sidehilling and climbing up some california and AZ mountains. it got me thinking. would i gain some traction if my ankle could flex some?

so i went out and bought the renegades. first, holy krappola..comfy right out of the box. embarassingly comfortable. almost decadent. soft, flexible, light..let me say..i went from a california hog hunt with the Schnee's..went home, took a shower and went to REI. my foot was still achy from the big boots. but i tell you what..those boots were COMFY!! i took them home.

i went back to the exact same california mountains. the ones without any wild pigs in them. i was blasting up hills fast. this was a combo of having a lighter boot, and the flexy ankle traction thing. my fears of twisting an ankle didnt come to fruition. i carried an ankle brace in my pack. (i have one weak ankle).

a few weeks later, i put my Schnees in the back of my truck, and drove to AZ to hunt deer. i did that hunt 100% wearing the Renegades. same conclusion!! super comfy, super fast, super grippy!

i came home, cleaned my boots and coated them with a conditioner. they are mine to stay. i love that boot. i bet i could trail jog with them. i admit, the durabiltiy is suspect. they dont feel that tough. the leather feels thin. the sole feels flimsy. i wear them ONLY to hunt, so i dont think i will wear them out prematurely. the only other complaint? that first hook for the laces is stupid. it is too small, it is too short. you run the laces thru eyelets at the beginning..then going up the ankle they transition to hooks. that first hook i miss 90% of the time. not a HUGE deal, but if you are hunched over in a dark tent, missing that hook gets annoying FAST. i miss only one side of the foot and the entire lacing process needs to start over again. just a small complaint.

no experience with your other boot choice.

Cliff I have these too, and you are spot on about everything (including that first hook)

Love my Renegades!

[RichM]

I have the Lowa's GTX Renegades. I like them, They run a little wide which is good for me when wearing heavy wool socks. They are comfortable and seem to hold up. Wore them trudging though 2 feet of snow last year and was content with no special waterproofing. I do have Superfeet insoles in them for a little more arch support.

Regarding the first hook complain I look at it this way, it allows you to leave the lower part of the boot laced looser than the upper ankle part since the hook grabs the lace and doesn't allow it to slip much at all. So to get the ankle support you don't have to crush your toes or have the boot so tight it cuts into the top of your foot.

When they wear out I'd be torn between these and the Asolo Fugitive GTX that I also really like.

Rich

[JCS]

I have the Meindl Perfect Extreme's. It's a great boot and they seem to be made well. I have also heard a lot of good things about the Lowa Renegades. I think either boot would be a good choice but, I would have to try them both on to see how they feel on my feet. I probably tried on seven different pair of boots before going with the Meindl's.

[Kevrod3]

I have the Perfekts 400gram hunter boots... One word Amazing!!! Another buddy has them as well and loves em too! Don't forget to purchase liner socks and a nice pair of Synthetic merino wool socks as well.