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Merrell Chameleon Youth
Long Term Report
February 24, 2006
Tester Bios
Child
Name: Cameron Smith
Age: 6
Gender: Male
Height: 3’ 10” (1.17 m)
Weight: 40 lb (18 kg)
Shoe Size: 12.5 US
Backpacking Background: Cameron has been camping and hiking since he was about
18 months old. He will currently carry up to 5 lb (2.5 kg) of his own gear.
Cameron is very comfortable sleeping in his own tent, and has expressed interest
in trying hammock camping. Cameron is growing into an avid outdoorsman, always
asking when the next trip to the woods is.
Adult
Name: Anthony (TJ) Smith
Age: 31 years old
Gender: Male
Height: 5’10” (1.78 m)
Weight: 155 lbs (73 kg)
Email address: tjsmith1946@gmail.com
City, State, Country: Pensacola, Florida USA
Backpacking Background: I have been camping for a little over 5 years now, mostly
car camping. I have recently begun backpacking, and I am constantly adding new
gear to my “collection” in an effort to get my gear list tailored
more towards backpacking. Most of my backpacking trips are short duration, not
more than one or two nights. I am planning some longer trips in the near future.
My current pack weight is around 15-20 lb (7-9 kg) without food and water, depending
on if I'm solo camping or taking my son along, as I have to carry some of his
gear. I am a dedicated hammock camper and have tailored my personal gear to
that aspect of camping.
Product Information
Manufacturer – Merrell
Year of Manufacture – 2005
Manufacturer URL – www.merrell.com
Size - 13 US
Color - Kangaroo/Boa Gray
MSRP – $50.00 USD
| Weight as Delivered |
Left Shoe |
9.75 oz (278 g) |
Right Shoe |
10 oz (285 g) |
Both Shoes |
1 lb 3.75 oz (562 g) |
Initial Information/Observations
For more information, please see our Initial
Report.
Testing
Date: January 8, 2006
Location: Blackwater River State Forest, Munson, Florida
Trail Mileage: 4 mi (6.4 km), elevation ranged from 50-100 ft (15-30 m) above sea level
Weather: Sunny, temperatures ranged from a low of 45 F (7 C) to 71 F (21 C)
This trip was a day hike through our usual terrain, upland pine forest. The trail is mostly grass-covered, with some patches of red clay that offer a unique challenge when either wet or very dry. The Chameleons did not present any problems for Cameron while hiking this trail, even as he stumbled across objects in the trail (fallen limbs, pine cones, etc.) Cameron had his first use of the Chameleons with wool hiking socks, and once he got used to the feel of the socks had no complaints as to the comfort with them. Cameron had on a small daypack during the hike, and at no time voiced issues with his feet hurting.
Date: January 29, 2006
Location: Big Lagoon State Park, Pensacola, Florida
Trail Mileage: 2 mi (3.2 km), elevation ranged from 10-25 ft (3-8 m) above sea level
Weather: Overcast with brief periods of light rain, temperatures ranged from 62 F (16 C) to 69 F (20 C)
This was a short day hike in a local state park. Most of the hike was on boardwalks, with a few short sections on sand. Cameron was able to adapt well to the changes in terrain from the boardwalk to the sand and back without issues. Even on a few slick spots on the boardwalks where a few other children in our group slipped the Chameleons kept Cameron upright. During the brief periods of rain, Cameron did not have much issue with his cotton socks getting wet from water wicking through the shoe upper.
Date: February 5, 2006
Location: Tarklin Bayou State Preserve, Pensacola, Florida
Trail Mileage: 2 mi (3.2 km), elevation ranged from 10-25 ft (3-8 m) above sea level
Weather: Overcast, temperatures ranged from 45 F (7 C) to 57 F (13 C)
During this trip, we hiked approximately 2 mi (3.2 km) on a combination concrete path and wooden boardwalk. We also ventured off the walkway in one spot in search of geocaches in the area. The section off the path was a dirt trail with a fairly level trailway. Cameron wore the Chameleons again on this trip with his wool hiking socks. He did not experience any problems at any time during the hike, either with traction or with comfort.
Cameron has also continued to wear the Chameleons on walks around town and to school, though not on a daily basis as earlier in the testing. As daily wear shoes, he still finds them comfortable and has participated in a variety of activities at school while wearing them; kickball, climbing a rock wall at school, and other playground activities.
Overall Impressions
Cameron still enjoys his Chameleons both on and off the trail. He does not wear them every day any longer, the "newness" having worn out. He does still use them for any treks to the woods or for geocaching and remain his shoe of choice for these activities. Cameron has not had any issues with traction while wearing the Chameleons, and in fact has done a better job of staying upright than with other shoes he has worn (he is a bit clumsy and tends to slip and slide a lot.)
Cameron has worn the Chameleons with both cotton socks and wool socks and has not stated a difference in comfort with either sock type. The Chameleons appear to have retained their ability to shed water, with no complaints from Cameron of his socks getting wet.
As stated in our previous report, the only durability issue we have encountered is the toe rand coming loose on
one shoe. I still think this could be remedied by a stitched
sole instead of the glued on sole the Chameleons have.
The slide lock adjustment still does a good job of keeping the laces in place, and Cameron is able to adjust the laces and locks without requiring any adult assistance.
Pros
1. Comfort
2. Traction
3. Easy to Use Lacing System
Cons
1. Toe rand coming unglued
Our thanks to Merrell and BackpackGearTest for allowing us to test the Chameleons.
Read more reviews of Merrell gear
Read more gear reviews by Anthony Smith
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