Fording deep water with Tyvek painters suit

[DirtyFeet]

I know you only ford a few places, and so far I've read that people either
a) go barefoot, which is slightly dangerous for cuts and stubbed toes
b) go in your mesh trail runners (without socks & insole) and grin and bear it while they dry out over a few hours afterwards
c) bring camp shoes (like crocs) at a weight/space penalty

I used to work in a cleanroom and they had disposable tyvek suits, I'm sure made to cleanroom standards, but they looked 100% like painter's suits. You were supposed to throw them away after a single use, but I kept a bunch thinking they might come in handy later (pack-rat gene). They were full body with hood and integrated boots and a zipper from the neck to the crotch and were baggy fit over clothes (and boots). All the seams were taped, and I'm assuming that since tyvek is waterproof the only place it might leak is at the seams. Also pretty puncture and wear resistant material.

Anyway, tyvek is relatively light weight (polyolefin?), and if you weren't into carrying camp-shoes, would anyone like me to report on testing the waterproofness of them? If they work I could cut them down to just be boots + leggings and either hold them up with a hand or get creative to cinch them with a string belt.

[kayak karl]

its still nice enough out to test it your self. ;)

those suits were not made for that. if you ripped it and it filled with water you could be swept away. ask anyone that went too deep with waders on. movement is awkward also, like wearing a drysuit.

[Slo-go'en]

Tyvek is reasonably waterproof, I'd just be concerned about how durable the feet are and how slippery it is.

You definitely don't want to go bare foot - I broke a toe slipping off a rock doing that. I can't keep Crocks on my feet on dry land, in rushing water they would be swept away in seconds. So, I take my socks off, put the boots back on, then dry them off on the other side. Not a big deal.

[Nooga]

B ( I keep the insoles in) or C.

[DirtyFeet]

its still nice enough out to test it your self. ;)

those suits were not made for that. if you ripped it and it filled with water you could be swept away. ask anyone that went too deep with waders on. movement is awkward also, like wearing a drysuit.


Fair enough, all I have access to at the moment though is my tub/shower.

To play devil's advocate to your argument, tyvek is pretty rip proof. It's possible it could tear, say if you caught it on a sharp edge of a rock or stick, but I don't think walking across marshy or pebbly stream beds would kill it. If it did tear, I don't think the tear would continue to rip, but water could then get in, though I'm dubious if it would turn into a hazard sweeping you away. If the water is that deep and moving that fast, you probably wouldn't be able to ford it with or without a tyvek suit - you'd be lucky to swim it. Also, keep in mind, as you walk into deep (mid-thigh) water with them, unlike rigid rubber waders, the water pressure will press soft tyvek against your body like a second skin, not like walking with pants, so movement shouldn't be too awkward.

I don't know what kind of traction it would provide though - I would think keeping it tight against the bottom of your shoe would be important, as slack in the sole area would be a bad thing.

Still, if people are happy with mesh trail shoes sans socks or crocs + duct tape I don't see any reason to pursue it.

[Malto]

What is the purpose of the tyvek suit? Strip down to shorts, put of whatever shoes you want and go. I have done my fair share of stream crossing and found that less clothing is better because it reduces drag in the water. Don't overthink the "gear" aspect of stream crossings, technique is 99% of the game.

[bigcranky]

+1 to technique.

You're going to get wet while hiking. Just part of the deal - you're living outdoors. Stream crossings are only one way that you'll get wet, and even then it's not for long. My trail runners and wool socks work just fine, and on a nice day they are dry within a couple of hours. (And when it's raining they are just wet, no big deal.)

I would be concerned about the traction in Tyvek on a slippery creek bottom, plus I would think the suit is way heavier than a pair of crocs, which have many more uses while the suit is single use. Also, you won't be holding up the leggings with your hands -- your hands are much better used holding your hiking sticks or a stick you grab for the crossing, which is a crucial part of "technique" -- using three or four points of contact for balance in fast moving water.

[off-pher]

If your whole idea is staying dry..............................
You need another hobby.............
Your foot ware will always be wet or dry on the trail.

[Busky2]

C is for cookie that good enough for ..... wait that's not it, C is for Crocs that is good enough for me.

[garlic08]

Yet another option: Remove insoles from shoes, wear them across water inside your socks, wring out socks, put dry shoes back on.

[kayak karl]

don't under estimate the current. even a foot of water can sweep you down stream.

[DirtyFeet]

C is for cookie that good enough for ..... wait that's not it, C is for Crocs that is good enough for me.

I think I kind of like this one... Have you done this? I would think it might be the quickest drying solution - I use SuperFeet insoles which are a hard plastic under a closed cell foam liner. I know I'll get wet either way, but I dislike the feeling of walking in wet shoes. I may bring along some cheap socks since I don't want to muck up my DarnTough merino wool socks.

[Traveler]

Fair enough, all I have access to at the moment though is my tub/shower.

To play devil's advocate to your argument, tyvek is pretty rip proof. It's possible it could tear, say if you caught it on a sharp edge of a rock or stick, but I don't think walking across marshy or pebbly stream beds would kill it. If it did tear, I don't think the tear would continue to rip, but water could then get in, though I'm dubious if it would turn into a hazard sweeping you away. If the water is that deep and moving that fast, you probably wouldn't be able to ford it with or without a tyvek suit - you'd be lucky to swim it. Also, keep in mind, as you walk into deep (mid-thigh) water with them, unlike rigid rubber waders, the water pressure will press soft tyvek against your body like a second skin, not like walking with pants, so movement shouldn't be too awkward.

I don't know what kind of traction it would provide though - I would think keeping it tight against the bottom of your shoe would be important, as slack in the sole area would be a bad thing.

Still, if people are happy with mesh trail shoes sans socks or crocs + duct tape I don't see any reason to pursue it.

Tyvek on the feet in water would be very slippery, even with good traction material on the river bottom. To compound this, what the suit keeps out it will also keep in. If you were to fall and the suit fills half way with water (which would happen incredibly fast), you now will weigh a couple of hundred pounds and would be unable to stand up. As more water entered the suit, you would loose most of your natural buoyancy. Without a fast way out of the suit, you can easily drown in 4' of water, especially if the water is moving at good clip. Remember, it only takes about 6" of water moving fast to take you off your feet. A car can be swept away at one foot, sometimes less. Water is perhaps the single most underestimated obstacles in hiking and is one of the leading causes of trouble on a trail.

As suggested here, being wet is part of the long distance hikers life. I would avoid the suit as having a higher potential to kill you than save you from being wet and opt for crossing footwear that would provide some toe protection and possibly traction. But thats just me.

[flemdawg1]

d) Just wear your trail runners and normal socks. They are probably already wet from rain/mud. Wring out on far side if you want (I normally just keep walking.)