Mel's Trading Post — Local services in Rhinelander

​The air in Mel’s Trading Post in Rhinelander hits you differently in the fall. It’s a dense atmosphere of impending winter, a mix of wool, waterproofing spray, and the quiet dignity of firearms waiting for the hunt. I walked in with a simple mission: find one good pair of winter boots. A fool's errand, I soon discovered, as I stood before the Great Wall of Footwear, a dizzying fortress of leather and Thinsulate that seemed to mock my indecision. ​Just as my spirit was about to break, a voice rumbled from the aisle of thermal socks. "The boots don't choose the man, son. The man's purpose chooses the boots." ​Brian didn't walk from the fishing aisle. He seemed to coalesce out of the ambient flannel. He was a man forged in the crucible of the Northwoods. His beard wasn't just a beard; it was a complex ecosystem that I'm fairly certain contained a nesting chickadee. He wore a faded blaze orange vest with so many pockets that it defied Euclidean geometry. "Winter boots," I mumbled, gesturing weakly at the wall. ​Brian simply nodded, his eyes glazing over as if he were scanning the entirety of my life's journey. "You're not just buying for you," he stated, not asked. "The subtle wear on your right heel tells me you're chasing after a son who thinks slush puddles are a personal challenge. The microscopic flecks of glitter near the laces? Two daughters. And the faint scent of antiseptic and hand sanitizer? Your wife is a nurse, on her feet all day. She needs support that's both orthopedic and spiritually sound." ​My jaw must have been somewhere down by the bargain bin. ​I left Mel's buried under an avalanche of boot boxes, my family's winter comfort secured by a man who operated on a plane of existence somewhere between sales associate and woodland deity. As I drove away, I glanced in my rearview mirror. Brian was standing in the doorway, giving a knowing wink to a taxidermied buck on the wall. I'm pretty sure it...

Fantastic place to get a canoe!

From a first phone call through to getting my new boat loaded up and ready to go, Mel’s was absolutely fantastic to help me find what I wanted for a canoe.

Everyone I talked to on the phone was both friendly and knowledgeable. It felt really easy to talk through what I might be looking for, and it was clear they knew and loved what they were talking about — I learned a ton just from a quick call.

Mel’s made it easy to set up a test paddle for a couple of options out on Boom Lake in town. One of the staff came out to the lake with me both to manage the boats and to give a hand or opinion as I needed it. He was very generous with his time and just fun to be around.

I made a bit of a drive working with Mel’s because when I was first searching, they were the place both with options in stock and looked like they would do a test paddle. I enjoyed working with them so much that I’d go directly to them again for a next time, even if a closer place also had what I was looking for. Thank you for the...

Mel's is a gem of the northwoods. A fantastic sporting goods store in the middle of sportsman's country. They support hunting (both gun and archery) skiing (both cross country and downhill) cycling (both mountain biking and road cycling) canoeing, kayaking, camping, snowshoeing. They also have a nice selection of outdoor apparel and shoes. For most of these activites, they have a nice selection of new gear and equipment, but I often buy used equipment here. They do offer support, such as bicycle repair, ski waxing and tuning, etc. The prices here are fair. Unless you find a sale, they're likely to be comparable to or higher than websites and discount stores. But I consider that a reasonable price to pay for 360-day/year sales and service by knowledgeable people in a small town. I believe that their cross-country ski sales and service are particular well-acclaimed. I have heard that people travel many miles to purchase...