backpacking-united.com

[mfolch]

Anyone ever use this site? From what I understand, it's a German distributor of high quality backpacking gear. International shipping is expensive, but when all is said and done, a pair of hanwag Alaska Gtx still costs more than $100 less than the same pair from lathrop and sons. Ordered a pair this morning. Supposedly will get here in a week:

Hanwag Alaska GTX Dark Grey – Asche - us

 

[Ratamahatta]

How much was shipping?

 

[mfolch]

I'm reviving this thread because the boots just arrived, and I thought the Rokslide community might welcome a review of backpacking-united.

To answer some questions:

I paid 196.60 euro (=$216.58 US) plus 40.95 euro (=$45.11) for a total of $261.69 for a pair of Hanwag Alaska GTX.

Now, before anyone cries out because of cost of shipping, $45 is bad, but Lathrop and Sons, which charges $344 for the same boot, charges a minimum of $18 for shipping to my door.

There are a few additional things to consider:

Pros

--backpacking-united has a wider variety of colors: black, brown, and ash (which is what I ended up getting; looks more like charcoal), as opposed to L&S's single choice (brown)

--The boots were made in Germany; some Hanwags sold in the US are made in the company's Croatia, Hungary and Rumania factories. The ones I received were handmade in Vierkirchen. Not sure that there is a difference in quality, but some online chatter suggests that the German-made boots are better.

--When all is said and done, I saved $101.30, approximately 33% of the price of the boot (compared to Lathrop and Sons' pricing and shipping).

There were some cons:

--Shipping costs. $45 is a lot to pay no matter how you look at it.

--Shipping time. I ordered the boots 9/20; they arrived 10/12--more than three weeks. That's a long wait.

--Sizing. If you know your size, Hanwag's and backpacking-united's websites are very accurate. I'm always between a 12 and 12.5 (which is extremely hard to find in the US). I ordered a 11.5UK/12.5US, and they fit perfectly. If the sizing had been wrong, I would have sold them on Rokslide for the same price I paid--given how much I saved, I'm pretty sure they would sell immediately. So, best case scenario: the shoes fit and I saved a ton of money; worst: they don't fit, I break even, and I'm left with the annoyance of time wasted while waiting for the boots to arrive. It was a risk I was willing to take.

--Neurosis. I hate buying from unknown retailers abroad, and I couldn't shake the feeling that I had taken a gamble and lost. The sensation was especially bad when DHL's tracking website shut down for four days for system maintenance and updating. The tracking for my package, which had made it to German customs (where it sat for the majority of the shipping time), simply disappeared. Convinced that I had been had, I wrote backpacking-united to ask for an explanation. Their customer service was exceptional: they wrote me within 12 hours, located the package, and sent me a new tracking link. So, this con turned into a pro (sort of).

Concluding thoughts. These are really amazing boots--I'm very happy with them and with backpacking-united. If you can handle the wait, this is a great way to save a significant amount of money on very high quality gear. I'm taking the boots out on a scouting trip tomorrow, and I will consider purchasing from this website in the future.

 

[Beendare]

Great find, thx for the heads up

 

[colonel00]

Those are ash? Maybe it's the lighting but they look pretty brown.

One other thing to add to your list is the cost of returns. As many know, boots are tough to find the right fit and I'm guessing another $45 or more in return shipping would sting quite a bit if that's what you'd have to pay.

 

[ctsmith]

This would be a great option if you are replacing a pair of worn boots and know your sizing.

 

[mfolch]

You're right that there's risk of ordering the wrong size, but I thought someone on this website would be willing to purchase a new set of Alaska GTX's for a hundred bucks off the standard US price.

The lighting in those photos is from a desk lamp; it's yellow and makes the boots look brown, but they are in reality charcoal with a slight brown undertone. More photos attached. One is a bit overexposed, so the boots look brownish. The one with the dog is closer to what they look like in real life.

 

[wasatchcomm]

great find
i waited that long for my L & S boots i ordered so no difference to me in the wait time

thank you for sharing

 

[wind gypsy]

I bough a pair of hanwag ancash gtx boots from them recently for $280 shipped. Took about 2 weeks for them to get to CA. Buy with confidence if you find a deal and know your size.

 

[Stalker69]

I am bringing this post back to life, after ordering some shoes ( May 23rd) from them and not having received them, and my order says canceled. But they excepted my pay pal. And after 10 or so emails, not one reply. No phone number to get ahold of them. THEY SUCK, DONT BUY FROM THEM. Going through the whole PayPal dispute thing ( not sure what’s involved, first time having to do it) So heads up, I advise you to shop else where.