Camp shoes?
For LASH, camp shoes or no camp shoes? Trying to decrease my base weight. Is leaving camp shoes out worth the decreased weight? My camp shoes are 9 oz....
Depends on several things IMO
How much time are you going to be in camp vs walking? IF you are someone who spends a lot of your trail time in camp, and you enjoy having them then take them.
If you value a lower base weight more then the enjoyment of camp shoes then leave them.
I can think of a hand full of times I wish I had camp shoes when I did not, and I can think of many times I with I had left the weight at home.
I have a very old pair of crocs I take frequently with me as camp shoes, that have also been known to turn into my hiking shoes when feet have gotten bad.
I carried a pair of amazon rubber soled slippers through New Hampshire and Maine....Jury is still out on their efficiency...Not the most comfortable but quick to get on when in and out of the tent, cheap and half the weight of the crocs.
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wow, this all brings back fond memories... I ran both XC and track (1/4 and half mile) in HS and for a while in college, and yeah, I wore those ridiculously light racing flats/spikes. I wish I hadn't thrown them away now!
What are your trail shoes? Mine are so comfortable and dry so quickly it makes no sense to bring second pair.
"Throw a loaf of bread and a pound of tea in an old sack and jump over the back fence." John Muir on expedition planning
Yeah, this. When I get to camp, I loosen my laces drastically and take out the footbeds/orthotics and my hiking shoes feel like slippers.Originally Posted by garlic08
Just another vote for no. My wife brings crocs, I call her silly, she just laughs at me.
Never thought of that....not a bad idea....thanks.
And if your shoes get wet during hiking, slipping bread bags over dry socks before wearing your loosened hiking shoes makes for a SUL camp shoe solution
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This is almost what I do, I tie the laces very very loosely so I can just slip my feet into my trail runners easily when I need to get up and take care of any business in the middle of the night. That and brushing my teeth before going to bed are the only times I ever stand up in camp after setting up. I'm only stopping to camp to sleep and maybe cook dinner if I didn't stop earlier for that. Camp shoes make no sense at all to me in that context.
Once carried a pair of flip flops for water crossings & camp in a wet spring on the OHT. Didn't like the fiddle factor of removing hiking shoes, crossing stream, putting shoes back on, & attaching them to the pack. All of these delays meant I wasn't walking, and the cold in the air became noticeable. The remaining crossings were done in trail runners that provided great footing & dried out surprisingly fast.
Loosened my shoes at night to double for camp shoes (as above) & continue to leave flip flops at home.
What are you hiking in?? Sounds great--comfort and being able to dry out.
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I've never brought along camp shoes because of weight and the seeming hassle of hanging crocks or some other shoes from my pack.
But I wished I had something many times in camp!
Agree, I don't carry extra camp shoes, just open the laces of my trial runners and I'm good.
This has been discussed at length in the past on this forum and you will undoubtedly find a range of opinions.
I always bring camp shoes. Having a lightweight pair of slip-ons that I can quickly put on each time I need to leave my tent (esp. when I need to pee in the middle of the night) is easily worth the extra ounces, IMO.
It's all good in the woods.
I've carried flipflops for years, as camp shoes and as kind of a backup if my hiking shoes would fail.
Over the years, I used the flipflops less and less, my hiking shoes never failed and since being an older and pretty lazy guy I switched to using a night bottle, so now I'm saving space&weight of the flipflops.
Will you be staying at hostels or campgrounds? If so, you want shoes that you can wear in a communal shower.
I agree. I carry camp shoes mostly for that purpose. Otherwise, it is a matter of comfort.
What makes sense to me is if you can combine water shoes and camp shoes into one thing...
I don't like crossing deep creeks in bare feet... too many ways you can harm you feet.
And I specifically want a shoe that is closed toe.
@Bubblehead 8oz is what I look for in water shoes, so if you're 9oz camp shoes can double as water shoes, I think you're good.
I love camp shoes. It feels great to change things up at the end of the day. My secret is I use a pair of old cross-country racing flats (usually a pair of Saucony Kilkennys). They fully cover the foot securely (laces), drain water, have tread on the bottom which helps going up and down some muddy slopes for water, only weigh a few ounces (less than crocs, and they pack down better), and previous years models can be found online for next to nothing.
People that see me pull a pair of running shoes out of my bag usually think I’m an idiot for hauling them around until I put them in their hand and then they are dumbfounded by the weight. Not a lot of ex-runners backpacking, I guess.
This is brilliant. I just ordered a pair and am going to give them a try. I've been using Crocs for years but they are clunky and not that light. The other nice thing abut the XC flats is they have laces which make them more secure in stream crossings. The single strap on the Crocs is not that secure and I always worry about them coming off and floating downstream.
I bring flip-flops. My baseweight is 11 pounds.
Lots of folks seem to mention stream crossing as a additional use for camp shoes. I forded a few streams in northern Maine only. It's much safer to use your regular hiking boots (removing insoles and socks) for the very few fords you will encounter. If you wear trail runners, they'll dry out in an hour.
Springer to Katahdin: 1991-2018
4.6 ounces for amazing shoes always makes me happy, and I’m not even a weight weenie. I was really happy to have them on the Arizona Trail this fall when a significant amount of water came from cattle tanks. It usually involved multiple steps through shoe sucking cow poop at the waters edge (really selling the trail, aren’t I?). Camp shoes also rinse off better.
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