As part of my ongoing assessment of the new GORE-TEX EXTRAGUARD footwear material I recently took my Meindl EXG Combat Boots out to Jordan, writes Bob Morrison
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Firstly, I must stress that although at initial glance these EXTRAGUARD (EXG) coyote tan Meindl boots might look a little bit like suede leather desert boots they are actually intended for four-season wear and are constructed from a new synthetic material formed around a Gore-Tex waterproof and breathable liner ‘sock’, so they are not really a logical choice for a dusty and arid theatre where daytime temperatures were around, and on a couple of days peaking considerably above, the 30°C mark. However there seems little point in me only trying this new material out in temperate UK climes until an opportunity to wear them in the snow and winter mud arises, so for contrast I originally planned to wear them on assignment in Jordan around mid-summer….. that was until Israel’s ‘pre-emptive strike’ on Iran caused my trip to be postponed for a few months.
Until a little over a decade ago one would not have considered wearing Gore-Tex laminate boots in the Middle East in summer or early autumn as W.L. Gore’s original membrane, which many consider first really proved its combat effectiveness for a lucky few in the cold and wet conditions encountered during the 1982 Falklands Campaign, relied on hot (inside) to cold (outside) temperature differential for maximum breathability. That, however, all changed with the widespread introduction of their Comfort Footwear range of three (Insulated Comfort, Performance Comfort and Extended Comfort) 3-layer and 2-layer laminates for combat boots around 2014.
These EXTRAGUARD boots were not the only footwear I took out to Jordan, as I prefer a mid-height boot for travelling and driving, but I was very keen to try out the Meindl Combat Boots in their own right because I haven’t owned a new pair of boots from this manufacturer for over 12 years (see – MEINDL Desert Fox CHL Boot). Needless to say, as Meindl’s combat and patrol boot models are worn by soldiers and police officers of several European nations, I wasn’t disappointed.
Like many Bavarian boots designed for hillwalking and serious hiking, this traditional 8-eyelet full height boot is quite stiff, which can take a bit of getting used to if one is accustomed to always wearing footwear of the more modern lighter construction types, but it didn’t take me long to break them in earlier in the year. The lacing system is two-zone, with a locking D-ring fitting at the fifth eyelet position to keep the foot section snug, and the top three lace ‘eyelets’ for tight fit and support around the ankle are of open-hook type; I much prefer a closed lacing system but some wearers and military specifiers think open is better and s/he who pays the piper usually calls the tune. The Meindl branded Multigrip / Multigriff composite sole, manufactured for them by VIBRAM, offers good grip across all terrains and has reasonable-self-cleaning properties, though in rainy Devon I have found that wet vegetation mulch can sometimes be a bit problematic. Few issues on this score out in Jordan.
Even though a massive disused stone quarry in the foothills to the north of Amman is not primarily the theatre either these boots from Meindl or the new EXTRAGUARD material from W.L. Gore were conceived for, wearing them out there has expanded my user experience of both ~ and neither let me down. Next I have a British winter to look forward to before I draw my overall conclusion, but so far everything has been favourable.
NOTE: These latest Meindl EXG boots are not yet available for private purchase.
To be continued…
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