View Full Version : Vibram Five Fingers or Speed Hike Trail Journals
Wrangler88
05-23-2010, 19:21
Anyone know of someone keeping a trailjournal that has been hiking in primarily Vibram Five Fingers? I know a few people had mentioned trying it on the AT this year.
Also, anyone keeping up with a trailjournal of someone who is hiking at a quick(er) pace? Maybe sub 100 day pace? Besides Galilee Man ...
Any links would be appreciated!
amuderick
05-23-2010, 22:27
I just did a 16 mi segment today (Clark Valley to Swatara Gap) as a day hike in them. I only day hike right now but I can't see any reason that you couldn't use them ongoing. They take getting used to but, once it 'clicks', you are golden.
Wrangler88
05-23-2010, 23:53
Yeah, I wear them exclusively. I've actually worn a hole through the bottoms and tops of them. They lasted me about 9 - 10 months. Although I am still wearing them. I don't have the money for new ones. And they've suddenly become so popular they're always sold out.
I just wonder how people who've used them on the trail for several weeks at a time, especially in wet weather, think of them now.
I know someone that tried it on the PCT this year, but switched to a conventional shoe after a couple hundred miles.
Wrangler88
05-24-2010, 00:35
I know someone that tried it on the PCT this year, but switched to a conventional shoe after a couple hundred miles.
Yeah, the PCT seems like it would be a better fit for Vibram Five Fingers. Did your friend have a journal? I'm just wanting to get people's thoughts on them after having worn them for several hundred miles at least.
He has a journal, but he doesn't put much into it:
http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?trailname=10465
I'll try to ask him for his thoughts about those shoes when I see him again.
I don't think they'd be a good fit for the PCT...too much loose rocks and overgrown trail that won't let you see those rocks. Seems like a recipe for busted toes to me. I suppose it'd work if you're a high stepper. Zero Zero walks like that and is able to do big miles...more than I can currently do...although he did admit to still kicking plenty of rocks despite the high stepping.
Wrangler88
05-25-2010, 23:08
Oh okay. That makes sense. I was thinking they'd be more fit for the PCT because of how much drier it is than the AT. That's the one thing I dislike the most about them. I wish the fabric in between the toes was waterproof. I wasn't even thinking about the tread of the trail.
Thanks for the info.
I thought the PCT was smooth and not hardly ever overgrown. I was hiking a section (in So Cal) this weekend and considered going barefoot for a good portion of it. I didn't, though. What it is is relentless, so if you are bothered by a little blister on one toe caused by the trail slanting a little to the left, by the end of the day, you'll have slanted to the left for 20 miles and that little blister will be big as the universe.
The grade of the trail is smooth, but tends to have rocks strewn all over it. It kills me where it's overgrown like on that area just past Mike Herrera's house or the descent down the San Jacintos...at least before the latest fire... Actually, the latter wasn't too bad, but not being able to see where I was placing my feet was torture on my tender ankle. I only got as far as Deep Creek before that ankle kicked me off the trail. Anyway, I remembered something else.
You reminded me that Evan was having a problem with material separation in between the toes. I just remember him trying to repair it with glue. I don't know exactly why he decided to stop using them, but that area of trail was surprisingly moist this year and had a few longish stretches of snow when he was there.
Shiraz-mataz
05-26-2010, 13:24
Wrangler88, I just got a pair of KSO's a couple weeks ago and am planning to use them exclusively on a 30 miles section of SNP this weekend. I'll let you know how it turns out!
I'd be hesitant to hike solely in a pair of Five Fingers on the AT. What do you do when it's freezing or raining constantly? Seems like a recipe for unhappy feet to me.
Wrangler88
05-27-2010, 00:02
I'd be hesitant to hike solely in a pair of Five Fingers on the AT. What do you do when it's freezing or raining constantly? Seems like a recipe for unhappy feet to me.
Yeah, that's what I'm trying to get people's reactions to. I talked to a couple people and or read some posts by people before the season that said they planned on hiking in them primarily during their thru. Maybe they decided not to.
During cold weather they make vibram five finger flow. I think its an insulated version. Or some people wear socks with them. The rain thing ... that's my main concern. I don't mind wearing them when they're wet for the rest of a day but I don't know how I'd feel about wearing them for a week soaking wet.
But then again, my trail runners were soaking for a week in Maine last year. So I guess it'd be about the same.
I too have been looking for VFF user trailjournals, but haven't seen any.
I've hiked several hundred non AT miles in the Flows(I also have KSO's, but strongly prefer the Flow). I hope to hike most of the trail in them next year, but I will not be using them for snow or extended periods of wet cold.
I've hiked previously through several days of wet with warmish temperatures, and don't find that it bothers me all that much.
I did ~40 miles in the Porcupine Mountains(Michigan) a few weeks back. The first two days were rainy and 40ish. I do not wear socks with mine as I find that it creates an extra uncomfortable layer of friction. As long as I kept moving they were pretty comfortable, but standing/sitting the toes cool off very quickly and are difficult to warm up again. I definitely needed something to change into for inactive periods and wouldn't want to wear them if it was going to be any colder and I expected to be wet.
Personally I could never manage them in snow. Perhaps the Treks are better, but the Flow/KSO have no traction on snow or ice in my experience. The Flow is *somewhat* insulating, but it's sort of the mitten vs. gloves concept. The separated toes get very cold, very quickly for me. IMO, an hour in snow is guaranteed frostbite, but I have seen reviews of people that do it so perhaps I just have cold feet.
I'm still trying to figure out what I want to use for colder weather. There have been quite a few barefoot like shoes released this year, and I'm waiting to see reviews.
This is a crazy untested idea, but I sewed these foot covers out of tyvek for my shoes. The velcro in the back behind my heel and loop over the toe in the front with elastic, kind of like little shower caps for my feet. My plan was to use them when it's raining because I hate how my rain pants channel rain into my shoes. I should test them on hiking in foxtails, too.
Perhaps something like this for your VFFs when you take a break would be useful. You could quickly put them over your feet while you are sitting. The tyvek certainly feels warmer. You could make something similar out of other fabrics as well.
i leave thursday morning for a 4day hike on the AT around roan mountain, and i'm at least starting off in my VFFs. i have 3 pairs and i love them but like previously mentioned, i'm having trouble w/ the idea of wet feet all day long. i have strongly considered bring my boots, but that's an extra 4 lbs.
someone tell me what to do!!
Philetus
06-14-2010, 17:03
I love my KSO's, but I don't think I could use them on the trail. Granted, I'm well more than half blind, and I end up catching a lot of rocks sideways, but I have no doubt that I'd go over my ankles if I tried to use them exclusively. Having said that, I also still travel with 32ish pounds, so someone going significantly lighter would probably have a lot better luck with them.
Shiraz-mataz
06-15-2010, 06:25
I mentioned in a similar thread that I recently did a 25 mile section of the SNP in my new KSO's. My pack was 25 pounds fully loaded and it rained the first day. The KSO's never dried out that day after it quit raining, or the next morning as I walked through grass wet from dew. My feet never got water-logged oddly enough. The KSO's totally dried out after ten minutes of sitting in the sun at lunch and were spot-on awesome the whole time. As for traction, there were a couple of little slips but nothing that put me on the ground. I definitely plan to use them again!
awesome. i am definitely starting in my bikilas. i'll carry my boots, or hopefully i can get my husband to do it ;) ...but if that gets to be too much then i think i could let them go and maybe someone else can provide them with a good home. they've had a good long run. i hope it doesn't come to that though.