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illininagel
01-03-2003, 18:55
A number of people have mentioned that all thru hikers will hike for many days with wet feet, regardless of which boots are worn. Of course, hiking with boots that are filled with water is uncomfortable. My question is whether very wet feet on a sustained basis will more likely lead to injuries (blisters)?

During a short backpacking trip last summer in SNP, my boots lost all of their water resistance and they were just sopping with water. I could see the water oozing out of the top of the boots with every step. It was uncomfortable to say the least, but I didn't have any other problems with my feet. I was thinking, however, that a few days with those conditions might have been a problem...

Illininagel

Israel
01-03-2003, 19:44
I have to say when i made the switch to tennis shoes I stopped dreading the rain. They are still light on your feet even when soaks and dry out very quickly compared to leather boots. If you can get your pack weight down trail or tennis shoes are the way to go. I bought mine enroute at local wal-mart or similar stores for $20 a pop and would get at least 700-1000 miles out of each pair. Not a bad deal for $20 shoes.

illininagel
01-03-2003, 19:56
That doesn't sound like a bad idea. When I first starting hiking, I would slip quite a bit with tennis shoes. After my brother fell on his back three times within a 20 minute time span on a rainy morning in the Rockies one year, we both switched over to the boots. I've been using the Vasque SUNDOWNER MX2 boots (weigh in at 3 lbs, 1 oz.) per the Vasque web site. They seem a little heavy. Also, if they should get soaked on the inside, it will be quite some time before they every dry.

I'm thinking I can make some of these decisions on the trail. If the boots get to be too much, I can go the Wal*Mart tennis shoe route during one of the town stops.

Did wet feet cause you to blister more easily? Or was it simply uncomfortable?

Illininagel

RagingHampster
01-04-2003, 10:48
Last year i used Vasque Clarion GTX boots. 3 pounders each. a great gore-tex lined boot, but the outers are lether which soaked up water after 20 or 30 miles of usage. Don't get me wrong, they were still dry inside, but the soaked up water on the outside of the membrane adds atleast a pound on each foot. When they get wet it feels like your hiking with cinderblock shoes. This newer model also lacked a outsole that stretched up and over the toe. This caused splitting between the rubber & upper, which I've repaired twice already. Right now I'm using Merrell Winterra Insulated boots while snow-shoeing. Theyre ok, but could be better. This spring I'm going to look for a pair of rugged trail-runners that weigh around a pound to a pound in a half each. Waterproof outer, and a rubber toe is essential. I'll wear my rocky mountain low Outdoor Reserch gaiters for dirt & rock protection. I've also dropped about 10 pounds off my pack so far this year, and hope to drop another 10 before the summer hiking season...

Jumpstart
01-04-2003, 10:49
Started with the Lowa Renegade Boots, which were okay for water resistance unless it was POURING. Got drenched feet a few times, but generally (and suprisingly) didn't get blisters, not once. However, when I switched to sneakers, I also stopped dreading the rain. Partly because by the time I switched to sneaks, it was warmer, and warm rain is never as bad as cold rain :D I switched to a pair of Goretex montrails that are STILL waterproof, and comfortable enough that I wear them as my everyday sneakers now that I am off the trail. My husband never had blister problems, either, just squishy, wet feet :-)

It does help to bear in mind, though, to obviously GET OUT of your wet shoes and switch to camp shoes, and dry your feet well before bed, etc.. Gold bond powder absorbs moisture wonderfully. Nothing will dry your boots overnight, but get as much water out of them as you can, take the insoles out to dry, and putting new dry socks on in the morning usually helped to make it more bearable.

illininagel
01-04-2003, 11:13
Originally posted by RagingHampster
Last year i used Vasque Clarion GTX boots. 3 pounders each. a great gore-tex lined boot, but the outers are lether which soaked up water after 20 or 30 miles of usage. Don't get me wrong, they were still dry inside, but the soaked up water on the outside of the membrane adds atleast a pound on each foot. When they get wet it feels like your hiking with cinderblock shoes. This newer model also lacked a outsole that stretched up and over the toe. This caused splitting between the rubber & upper, which I've repaired twice already. Right now I'm using Merrell Winterra Insulated boots while snow-shoeing. Theyre ok, but could be better. This spring I'm going to look for a pair of rugged trail-runners that weigh around a pound to a pound in a half each. Waterproof outer, and a rubber toe is essential. I'll wear my rocky mountain low Outdoor Reserch gaiters for dirt & rock protection. I've also dropped about 10 pounds off my pack so far this year, and hope to drop another 10 before the summer hiking season...

I'm not sure exactly how the Vasque web site records the weights of their boots. They post the Clarion GTX boots at 3 lbs, 1 oz---the exact same as my Sundowners. I wasn't sure if this weight was for one boot or the pair. However, when I put one of my Sundowners on the scale, it comes in at about 1.5 lbs. Obviously, this is when they are dry here at home. :)

illininagel
01-04-2003, 11:14
Originally posted by Jumpstart
Started with the Lowa Renegade Boots, which were okay for water resistance unless it was POURING. Got drenched feet a few times, but generally (and suprisingly) didn't get blisters, not once. However, when I switched to sneakers, I also stopped dreading the rain. Partly because by the time I switched to sneaks, it was warmer, and warm rain is never as bad as cold rain :D I switched to a pair of Goretex montrails that are STILL waterproof, and comfortable enough that I wear them as my everyday sneakers now that I am off the trail. My husband never had blister problems, either, just squishy, wet feet :-)

It does help to bear in mind, though, to obviously GET OUT of your wet shoes and switch to camp shoes, and dry your feet well before bed, etc.. Gold bond powder absorbs moisture wonderfully. Nothing will dry your boots overnight, but get as much water out of them as you can, take the insoles out to dry, and putting new dry socks on in the morning usually helped to make it more bearable.

How many pairs of socks did you carry at one time during your thru hike? I was thinking of two pairs at a time...but then, it wouldn't take long before both pairs were soaked.

Footslogger
01-04-2003, 12:23
I'm hiking now in an Asolo Cerro Terra, a GoreTex lined nylon/leather boot. It's in the mid to light weight range. I bought 2 pair for the trail in 2003 and plan to use a pair of Montrail TRS Comps in the middle (warmer) months.
I have yet to get them what I would call "totally soaked" but I have hiked them in wet conditions. About the only moisture I've experiences so far is persiration build up, most likely due to the GorTex. I use a CoolMax liner sock and a merino wool backpacking sock sold by REI (a SmartWool knock-off). What I started doing quite a while back and still do today, is to take off my boots whenever I stop for longer than 10-15 minutes for a break or snack. I remove the outer wool socks, turn them inside out and lay them over a tree branch. I immediately feel the evaporative cooling of my feet through the liner sock. When I put my wool socks back on my feet feel a lot cooler and dryer and I've had very little problem with blisters.
As far as how many pairs of socks I carry goes ...I generally use the "wear one carry two" rule of thumb. On this years thru I plan to stash several extra pairs of liners and wools in my bounce box and then just swap them out along the way as they burn out.

RagingHampster
01-04-2003, 15:08
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Originally posted by RagingHampster
Last year i used Vasque Clarion GTX boots. 3 pounders each. a great gore-tex lined boot, but the outers are lether which soaked up water after 20 or 30 miles of usage. Don't get me wrong, they were still dry inside, but the soaked up water on the outside of the membrane adds atleast a pound on each foot. When they get wet it feels like your hiking with cinderblock shoes. This newer model also lacked a outsole that stretched up and over the toe. This caused splitting between the rubber & upper, which I've repaired twice already. Right now I'm using Merrell Winterra Insulated boots while snow-shoeing. Theyre ok, but could be better. This spring I'm going to look for a pair of rugged trail-runners that weigh around a pound to a pound in a half each. Waterproof outer, and a rubber toe is essential. I'll wear my rocky mountain low Outdoor Reserch gaiters for dirt & rock protection. I've also dropped about 10 pounds off my pack so far this year, and hope to drop another 10 before the summer hiking season...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



I'm not sure exactly how the Vasque web site records the weights of their boots. They post the Clarion GTX boots at 3 lbs, 1 oz---the exact same as my Sundowners. I wasn't sure if this weight was for one boot or the pair. However, when I put one of my Sundowners on the scale, it comes in at about 1.5 lbs. Obviously, this is when they are dry here at home.


Crap, I never weighed them originally. maybe they are rated as 3lb per pair instead of each. They still feel like cinder blocks when the outter leather soaks up water though :(

Kerosene
01-04-2003, 16:04
I have Vasque Clarion GTX boots also. They weigh in a 3 lbs, 1 oz for the pair. I've repeatedly considered moving to trail runners, but the Clarions fit my feet perfectly. Also, I have very weak ankles (although I'm doing exercises to strengthen them and you can argue that it's more important that you catch yourself from turning your ankle than depending on boots to try to keep your ankles in line). I may give them a try once my Clarions wear out since the lower weight and faster dry time is attractive, but I'll be surprised if they can hold up to the sharp rocks as well.

RagingHampster
01-04-2003, 16:12
Hey Kerosene,

Have you had any problems with yours? The rubber on the toe is peeling away from the leather on mine. I've had to glue them twice (in less than a year). They also fit my feet great as well. It's like putting a heavy duty treaded sock on now that they're really beaten in.

I'd like to see the rubber outter sole extend up over the toe box, and a synthetic upper material rather than leather which really soaks up water. I've tried to re-spray a DWR on them, but they still scuff and soak. I think mine do weigh 3 pounds each after they sop up the mud. I'd still ike to point out that my feet remain dry though.

In addition, the cheap insert that came with mine wadded up into a nasty ball by the end of my first 20 miles with them. I just hike without them.

Blue Jay
01-04-2003, 20:56
Like Jumpstart, I have used Montrails and never had any problems with blisters. I have also used Nike and Merrel trail runners. Since my feet are hot, when they get wet and I keep keep walking, they dry out in about four hours. Remember every pound is a ton per mile (2000 step average). In my opinion, you do not see anyone in leather shirts or pants anymore. Why, because leather is obsolete, it's heavy and dries very very slowly. It is durable and lasts for twice the milage, but at the price of pain. Most of the first 10 thruhikers that finished in 2002 wore some type of trail runner. How do I know that, because they passed me.

Israel
01-05-2003, 01:30
Originally posted by illininagel

I'm thinking I can make some of these decisions on the trail. If the boots get to be too much, I can go the Wal*Mart tennis shoe route during one of the town stops.

Did wet feet cause you to blister more easily? Or was it simply uncomfortable?

Illininagel [/B]


I never had a problem with blisters except when I wore boots. Last time I thru-hiked was 1998 (time flies!!). Prior to that I had $300 all leather boots and sometimes the leather/nylon mix boots.

The only issue I had with the cheap trail runners I bought was that they were not waterproof at all and thus my feet would sometimes get wet walking through large dew covered pastures. But it was never a problem and they dried right out. I can guarentee you too that I didn't get near as upset when those $20 shoes wore out after 1,000 miles as I was disappointed when the same thing happened to $300 boots! Just don't try using tennis shoes with a 50 lb. pack though! All that said, the lightweight boots would be on my feet for starting early March and then I would switch to trail runners.

CeeJay
01-05-2003, 23:44
I have a pair of Aslo AFX 520's I've been breaking in for the start of the hike when it is cold. I'm hoping to find something lighter for the middle section of the trail. So far the Aslo's have been heavy but they seem to do a fairly good job of keeping my feet dry in rain and snow. (I've only done a few 5-9 mile day hikes in them, but some of them were in wet conditions) I've put a lot of boot treatment on them and plan to put this in my bounce box to treat the boots when I get into town. Does keeping them conditioned seem to help them?
Does wearing gaiters help? I'm trying to decide if I want to pack them or not.

Illininagel, you ask some great questions!

Uncle Wayne
01-06-2003, 03:11
After a severely broken ankle which required 7 pins and a metal plate to repair, an orthopedic surgeon advised me to buy a pair of Vasque Sundowners for the ankle support they provided. The cast was removed from my ankle 1 month before I planned to leave on a 10 day backpacking trip so I needed something that would provide support and comfort to a tender ankle. The Sundowners provided both and I made the trip fine. But the drawback to leather boots with gore tex is they take forever to dry once they get wet. I've only made section hikes on the AT but my experience has been you're gonna get wet. Even with gaiters, the inside of my boots were soaked and the gore tex lining became a sponge. I have actually poured water out of them! I may have caused part of that problem by putting layer upon layer of waterproofing, ( Sno-Seal ) on the outside, I don't know.
On my last section hike I bought some High Tec "Outpost" boots to use. They are above the ankle leather boots with "breathing holes" (for lack of a better description) without gore tex. Found them on sale at Campmor for $32 and thought I would try them out. They worked much better in the wet conditions we encountered. They still got soaked but on the dry days they would dry out while I was wearing them. That was not the case with the Sundowners.
A Thru Hiker told me "You won't make it to Maine if you don't hike in the rain" and no doubt that is true. I've never hiked on the AT in snowy conditions so I can't say what is better then but once winter / early spring is over you'll need footwear that will dry quickly.

RagingHampster
01-06-2003, 09:26
My Vasque Clarion GTX boots have leather outters which get soaked and take forever to dry. But this never penetrates the Gore-Tex liner. I can completely submerge my foot up to the gusseting of the boot tounge and still remain dry.

Just thought I'd repeat myself lol.

Jumpstart
01-06-2003, 11:38
Originally posted by illininagel
How many pairs of socks did you carry at one time during your thru hike? I was thinking of two pairs at a time...but then, it wouldn't take long before both pairs were soaked.

I always had on my feet and two spares in the pack. Socks hardly weigh anything, they were ALWAYS worth it. I'd ditch lots of stuff in my pack before I'd ditch my extra socks. Never had a single blister. There was a guy this year, Smokey, who carried 7 pairs of socks. He changed his socks EVERY SINGLE time I saw him stopped! Overkill, but he was maniacal about his feet. :)

walkabout
02-03-2003, 22:58
Something just to think about. One thing i always carry is about 4-6 of the "hand-warmer" packets. stick one in each boot when you make camp and more than likely they'll be dry by morning.

chris
02-04-2003, 09:33
Last summer there was a stretch of about 10 days during which my feet were never dry. Between river crossings, snow, and ice in northern British Columbia, my boots (heavy, mountaineering types) were constantly wet. The only time my feet dried were when I took my boots and sock off at the end of the day. Too cold and too humid for anything to dry. I suffered no ill effects, blisters or rotting, during this stretch. I think as long as you get your feet out of wet boots and let them thoroughly dry, you can avoid the more disgusting problems associated with constantly wet feet, like trenchfoot or something.

MOWGLI
02-04-2003, 11:14
My experience based upon my 2000 thru-hike is that very few thru-hikers use gore-tex boots. It is not a particularly good solution for boots on a long-distance hike. Unless there is an incredible drought (1999 & 2001) your boots are gonna get soaked. Gore Tex does not dry out quickly. Better to use a boot that will dry in a day or two than a boot that takes 4-5 days to dry. Then again, if this year is like 2000, your feet will be wet for weeks on end. June 2000 saw 28 days of rain out of 30. It wasn't much better in the Southern Appalachians in March & April.

oruoja
11-26-2003, 02:08
This year ran into a SOBO at Nauheim shelter (VT) who was developing trench foot from chronic moisture. This guy had to get off at Bennington for a bit. Learned all about this while in the military. For the majority of us who will have wet feet for days on end remember to rotate those socks. They have to be clean socks even when wet since it's the crud that grows in the warm moist confines of your footgear. Take as many boots off breaks to rinse and air those feet and use some sort of powder. One old GI carried a cannister of corn starch which he said worked well in 'Nam. If you are one of those few who rely on expending half a roll of duct tape on your feet to keep them together, remember to change those "dressings" as much as possible.

WalkinHome
11-26-2003, 17:22
In 2000, we had quite a bit of rain from mid July to the end of August. The only blisters I got were from my feet being wet alot and the skin getting so soft, it couldn't take the abrasion that hiking produced. Not much you can do about that with wet weather. Wore Thorlos, a Polypro liner and Bean's Cresta Hikers.

bailcor
11-27-2003, 00:45
Started from Springer this past March with a pair of Gore Tex boots and got blisters the likes I have never experienced. Although I changed my socks at least 5 times a day and bandaged them the blisters still continued to grow other blisters. My feet began to swell to a point where I could hardly get my feet into the boots. I was rescued off the trail by "Smokey Moutain Steve" who told me I should not be hiking on those feet. After getting home it took a month for my feet to return to normal. I was told that my blisters had turned into a World War I malady called trench foot. I recently sectioned hiked from the AT trail station in NY to Great Barrington, MA, about 75 miles. I used a pair of New Balance Trail Shoes and averaged 15 miles a day. Not a hint of a blister. I found that my feet got wet when it rained but never bothered me. I forded one stream up to my knees and hiked the shoes dry in an hour. I also found that the shoes gave me greater agility and my MPH picked up considerably. My feet will never see Gore Tex again.

Youngblood
11-27-2003, 10:06
Started from Springer this past March with a pair of Gore Tex boots and got blisters the likes I have never experienced. Although I changed my socks at least 5 times a day and bandaged them the blisters still continued to grow other blisters. My feet began to swell to a point where I could hardly get my feet into the boots. I was rescued off the trail by "Smokey Moutain Steve" who told me I should not be hiking on those feet. After getting home it took a month for my feet to return to normal. I was told that my blisters had turned into a World War I malady called trench foot. I recently sectioned hiked from the AT trail station in NY to Great Barrington, MA, about 75 miles. I used a pair of New Balance Trail Shoes and averaged 15 miles a day. Not a hint of a blister. I found that my feet got wet when it rained but never bothered me. I forded one stream up to my knees and hiked the shoes dry in an hour. I also found that the shoes gave me greater agility and my MPH picked up considerably. My feet will never see Gore Tex again.

Bailcor,

I had similiar experiences with water-proof leather hiking boots and went through a much scaled down blister problem BEFORE my thru-hike. I fear that if I hadn't switched to low-cut breathable hiking shoes I might have had an experience similar to yours. I tell people that hiking boots will protect you from the trail, but that I couldn't figure out how to protect my feet from hiking boots.

Are you going to give it another try?

Youngblood

Hangman
07-16-2006, 20:41
what hiking shoe, sneaker, or other that would dry quickly would anyone recomend for someone that needs ankle support?

Frolicking Dinosaurs
07-16-2006, 20:48
You might want to look at the Hi-Tec Sierra V-Lite Fastpack (http://www.hi-tec.com/category.php?styleId=1768&colourId=4720). I had to switch from trail runners to something with ankle support due to ortho / muscle injuries. I got the Hi-Tec's without the Sympa-Tex (Hi-Tec's name for goretex). The pair weighs about 4 ozs more than my trail runners. While I don't have a lot of miles on these yet (about 120 to 150), the only complaint I have is that I have to relace them about every two hours to keep the heel-lock feature working as well as it must for me to have the stability I need. They dry much faster than any boot I've ever worn.

dirtnap
09-30-2006, 03:27
I recommend sandals. It is refreshing to tromp through a stream instead of picking your way across rocks, and a minute later your feet are dry. I like Tevas or rope sandals. Chacos are popular, but I've never tried them as they weight alot and cost 2-3 times as much.

-dirtnap

highway
09-30-2006, 07:21
Ditto/sandals-but sandals designed for trail running, with the hardened shank, great for hiking. My personal preference are Teva Wraptors, one of the (if not the)first in this genre of hiking footware. It has taken a while to realize it but they are perfect for my weak ankles and damaged feet.;)

highway
09-30-2006, 07:25
A number of people have mentioned that all thru hikers will hike for many days with wet feet, regardless of which boots are worn. Of course, hiking with boots that are filled with water is uncomfortable. My question is whether very wet feet on a sustained basis will more likely lead to injuries (blisters)? ...

Illininagel

To answer the original question....trench foot/jungle rot...if you cannot keep them dry they turn into prunes

Sandals keep them aired out and dry quickly-mostly, anyway

Footslogger
09-30-2006, 10:38
There's really not much you can do while you're on the trail and your footwear gets soaked out. In 2003 we had an inordinate amount of rain. There were days/weeks when it rained non-stop from morning til night. My feet did get a little wrinkly and pruny looking from time to time. The key is to get the footwear off and let your feet totally dry out as often as possible.

In terms of the footwear itself ...one strategy I used with good success was to stuff my shoes/boots with newspaper whenever I was in a town or hostel. Also, whenever possible I set my boots/shoes in the direct sun several times during the day.

In my experience, soaked boots take a lot longer to fully dry out than do the low cut trail shoes. That's not a knock on boots per se but it has led me personally over time to switch over to trail shoes for most of my hiking.

'Slogger

Birddog
09-30-2006, 23:50
Trench Foot and Immersion Foot are both very real issues to avoid. I have seen Trench Foot first hand while I was in the Army and it is nasty (layers of skin peel off of the foot). It is caused, obviously, by prolonged exposure to water. Someone already said it, but it rates saying again....Air your dawgs! BD

Dingus Khan
12-25-2007, 19:17
hey guys i have recently (6 months) picked up the "light weight" asolo fugitives with gore-tex, and im a bit concerned with the reports i have read. although my boots are fairly new i have worn them in well and have put a comfortable 150-200 miles in them. still relatively new.
i have hiked in sleet, rain, hail, snow and 4 inches of water and they have stayed completely dry. i do notice that my feet get wet from sweat/condensation, the wettest area being the area covered by gaiters, especially above boot level (sock is soaked). my feet have remained dry throughout.
i do notice that these boots take longer to dry than my trail shoes yet dry pretty quickly when worn (water vapor dissipates faster as the warmth of my feet "push" it out of the goretex.)

my question is what shelf life does the goretex wp/b qualities have? a couple of months? 2-3 years? i own limited "goretex" items, most have been older PU nylon or lately the precip stuff from marmot.

thanks!

highway
12-25-2007, 19:57
The "breathable" characteristic of most breathable fabrics begins to diminish rather quickly, within days even, as the micro-pores fill up with the grime of regular use. I would suppose that a breathable fabric in a pair of footwear might even suffer worse. Perhaps that is why a nickname for Gore-tex in footwear is sometimes called 'hot-tex'.

superman
12-25-2007, 20:33
My experience based upon my 2000 thru-hike is that very few thru-hikers use gore-tex boots. It is not a particularly good solution for boots on a long-distance hike. Unless there is an incredible drought (1999 & 2001) your boots are gonna get soaked. Gore Tex does not dry out quickly. Better to use a boot that will dry in a day or two than a boot that takes 4-5 days to dry. Then again, if this year is like 2000, your feet will be wet for weeks on end. June 2000 saw 28 days of rain out of 30. It wasn't much better in the Southern Appalachians in March & April.

I started in 2000 wearing Vasque Sundowners. I realized that while the goretex keeps the water from coming in the rain just ran down my legs and into the tops of the boots. When they got wet it seemed like they'd never dry out. I switched to New Balance 503 and the world was a better place. I think it was NJ in the rain when I was walking across a flat rock and instantly found myself on the ground. It was like stepping on ice. I was just more careful after that. It wasn't as bad as the roots of ME.

rafe
12-25-2007, 20:50
I'll second all the other stories of heavy boots staying wet longer, and trail runners drying (relatively) quickly. Regardless, airing the dogs at every opportunity is also really good advice. Must treat the dogs well. Your dogs are your friends. Very critical to a succesful hike. :cool:

Tinker
12-25-2007, 20:55
hey guys i have recently (6 months) picked up the "light weight" asolo fugitives with gore-tex, and im a bit concerned with the reports i have read. although my boots are fairly new i have worn them in well and have put a comfortable 150-200 miles in them. still relatively new.
i have hiked in sleet, rain, hail, snow and 4 inches of water and they have stayed completely dry. i do notice that my feet get wet from sweat/condensation, the wettest area being the area covered by gaiters, especially above boot level (sock is soaked). my feet have remained dry throughout.
i do notice that these boots take longer to dry than my trail shoes yet dry pretty quickly when worn (water vapor dissipates faster as the warmth of my feet "push" it out of the goretex.)

my question is what shelf life does the goretex wp/b qualities have? a couple of months? 2-3 years? i own limited "goretex" items, most have been older PU nylon or lately the precip stuff from marmot.

thanks!

Goretex, in outerwear application, does not seem to have any limitation to its useful life. You just need to keep it clean inside and out, and replenish the DWR on the outside when water fails to bead up.
Footwear is a tough place for wp/b laminates, as foot sweat contains salt which draws water through wp/b membranes just as it does cell walls in living organisms. To combat this, there is a polyurethane coating (very light) added to the Goretex in some applications (both clothing and footwear from what I've read). By trying to keep the Goretex clean, its breathability is further compromised. Also, there is a lot of shear (friction) between the inner liner of the boot (to which the Goretex - or other laminate) is attached (by glue, further limiting its breathability) and the outer boot, therefore laminates lose their waterproof qualities far faster than they do in clothing applications. The quality of the boot has a lot to do with the longevity of the laminate as well.
My Columbia boots (bought for comfort [and also the Dick's Sporting Goods employee discount]) that I used for the Georgia section the spring of '06 are no longer waterproof. Water comes through the tongue area. My guess is that it comes through the stitching between the tongue and the upper and doesn't have anything to do with the Goretex. BTW, the boots are too hot to wear any time other than the fall and winter due to the Goretex laminate - something I knew when I bought them (but the price - somewhere around $50.00) couldn't be passed up.

jzakhar
12-25-2007, 21:39
has anyone tried waterproof socks durring those times when boots are wet for days at a time? or does too much moisture build up ?

Lilred
12-25-2007, 21:52
The only time I got a blister was after hiking for over a week with wet feet.


How many pairs of socks did you carry at one time during your thru hike? I was thinking of two pairs at a time...but then, it wouldn't take long before both pairs were soaked.

I carry three pairs of socks. A pair to wear, a pair that is washed and drying, and a dry pair. I rotate the two pairs and keep the dry pair dry and clean. I change into my dry pair when I'm stopped for the night.


what hiking shoe, sneaker, or other that would dry quickly would anyone recomend for someone that needs ankle support?

I have a pair of Solomon's and love them. They are lightweight and dry out quickly.

Tinker
12-25-2007, 21:55
has anyone tried waterproof socks durring those times when boots are wet for days at a time? or does too much moisture build up ?

I just bought a pair of Sealskinz to use with my sandals. During the course of a warm day my feet do tend to get damp. I'm thinking that just keeping socks clean (wet or dry) is the best way to avoid foot problems. I used to carry a small bottle of rubbing alcohol on longer hikes and rub my feet down with it at the end of the day to kill the bugs that cause foot problems. I stopped doing that a few years ago, and haven't had any problems either, but I have switched from Limmers (the days of the alcohol) to runners, and then to sandals, (warm weather only so far), so this may be the answer as others have stated.
It should also be noted that once a boot is wet inside and out, no "miracle" laminate or "waterproof/breathable" sock does any good. The relative humidity in a wet boot is close to 100%. The law of physics prevent lower concentrations of water vapor from moving to areas of greater concentration.

Dingus Khan
12-25-2007, 23:07
tinker -good point, i never would have thought about the osmotic draw of salty foot slime!!

4eyedbuzzard
12-25-2007, 23:47
has anyone tried waterproof socks durring those times when boots are wet for days at a time? or does too much moisture build up ?
I was going to ask a similar question. I'm wondering about sealskins with or without a wicking liner and trail runners and/or teva griptor sandals as a footwear combo in all but the coldest weather? Most all of my hiking over the past years has been in pretty warm relatively dry weather(summer). I've always hiked in boots, and even though I've gone to lighter weight ones, I can definitely see an advantage in going lighter and having more easy to dry footwear.

Just wondering what others have experienced along this line.

superman
12-26-2007, 00:02
I was just reminded on another thread that some hikers in 2000 tried wearing plastic bags on their feet inside their boots to keep their feet dry. It didn't work. Their foot moisture collected in the bags.

4eyedbuzzard
12-26-2007, 00:12
I was just reminded on another thread that some hikers in 2000 tried wearing plastic bags on their feet inside their boots to keep their feet dry. It didn't work. Their foot moisture collected in the bags.

I've done that for short periods of time while working in deep snow - put a bag over a pair of wool socks. Fine for a few hours, pretty moist after a whole day. But I wasn't hiking miles on end at the time. I'm thinking it's probably not a good hiking footwear strategy.

highway
12-26-2007, 07:30
I was going to ask a similar question. I'm wondering about sealskins with or without a wicking liner and trail runners and/or teva griptor sandals as a footwear combo in all but the coldest weather? Most all of my hiking over the past years has been in pretty warm relatively dry weather(summer). I've always hiked in boots, and even though I've gone to lighter weight ones, I can definitely see an advantage in going lighter and having more easy to dry footwear.

Just wondering what others have experienced along this line.

Sealskinz are warm and do not require an inside sock with trail running sandals. However, I often have used a thin polypro sock with them. I would never use them in a warm rain, though, but save them for cold weather.

They are warm, even in snow, which is what i save them for, or sleety rain which would fall all day, which is about the only condition I have experienced where sandals might be edging out of their element. But they stink, rather quickly, I might add. My advice is to not wash them frequently and if you do wash them NEVER WRING THEM OUT OR YOU WILL POP A SEAM and they will then leak at the popped seam spot. And, once washed and clean-and wet- they seem to take forever to dry again. So, you learn to save them for severe emergencies, like the all day falling sleety rain mixture. If it is just dry snow you are worried about, you might reverse your sock combo and instead of thin polypro liner next to your skin, put it on the outside over your Smartwool sock. The snow doesn't so readily stick to it and then melt as it would with the wool on the outside. It is not a perfect solution but then what pair of footwear really is? I still prefer trail sandals.

highway
12-26-2007, 07:36
Now I wonder how the Gore-Tex socks and sandal combo might be? Would they eliminate the funky odor?

CeeJay
12-26-2007, 09:42
"hey guys i have recently (6 months) picked up the "light weight" asolo fugitives with gore-tex, and im a bit concerned with the reports i have read. although my boots are fairly new i have worn them in well and have put a comfortable 150-200 miles in them. still relatively new."

My husband and I wore leather Asolo Gore-tex boots on our hike of the trail. Most of the time we were the only people in camp with dry feet when the trail was flooded. Neither of us sweat a lot which I think really makes a difference, but we never had a problem with blisters once the boots were broke in which took about 30 miles of hiking. We did the trail in two years '03-'04 and used two set of boots because we were afraid of getting caught with worn out boots half way through the second year. I still have both sets of boots and though the tread is worn off, both still keep the water out. We used smartwool socks with them and were comfortable. I always dried the pair of socks I was hiking in out overnight since they did get a little damp from sweat and had a dry pair I kept just for sleeping since I have cold feet. One other way we kept the water out was to wear rain pants under our gaitors which kept the rain from wicking down our socks and into the boots.
Comfort was more important than lightweight gear and speed, but the boots were comfortable though heavier than most people would probably like.

Tinker
12-27-2007, 21:14
I've done that for short periods of time while working in deep snow - put a bag over a pair of wool socks. Fine for a few hours, pretty moist after a whole day. But I wasn't hiking miles on end at the time. I'm thinking it's probably not a good hiking footwear strategy.

Wearing plastic over socks is a sure way to get sweaty feet. Try wearing them against your skin with your socks over them, or wear a pair of socks between two plastic bags. It really, really works, and your feet, though feeling damp, will not be sitting in a bathtub of sweat as could be reasonably expected. The fact is that once the relative humidity around the foot approaches 100% (probably as little as 90%), the pores stop producing sweat.

Read up on vapor barriers on the Stephenson Warmlite website. Very informative collection of little known facts written by a former NASA aerospace engineer (founder Jack Stephenson).
www.warmlite.com (http://www.warmlite.com)

Tinker
12-27-2007, 21:15
Here, save some time.
http://www.warmlite.com/vb.htm
Enjoy.

4eyedbuzzard
12-27-2007, 21:42
Here, save some time.
http://www.warmlite.com/vb.htm
Enjoy.
Thanks for the info and link

bigboots
12-27-2007, 22:04
Now I wonder how the Gore-Tex socks and sandal combo might be? Would they eliminate the funky odor?

I don't think anything can get rid of the odor in my boots :eek: . I only use plastic bags during winter camping (not hiking) for the reasons posted above.

Bigboots

whiterockjock
12-28-2007, 11:18
I now hike almost exclusively in my Chaco Z-1 sandals with Injinji toe socks. In cold and wet weather I just add a Warmers 2mm neoprene sandal sock over top of my Injinjis and just keep on going....No blisters..no stopping at water crossing...dry faster than ANY other footwear.....I CANNOT believe how comfortable my feet are!!! ..then again..not for everyone!

Semper Fi!