What are your preferences for in camp shoes=Crocs or what other brand
What are your preferences for in camp shoes=Crocs or what other brand
some thrus we met a few years back had these and recommended them.
Vivobarefoot Ultra Pure
we love them. great for water crossings too as you can secure the speed laces. they're pricey but wait for a sale like we did and get them at a more reasonable cost. though they don't come down THAT much if you find a sale and have coupons you can get them around 35-40. we used to use flip flops which are of course smaller and lighter, but after a bunch of stubbed toes and poison ivy ended our flip flop run. crocs are bulkier than these but less expensive, and harder to walk around in if you ask me, especially through water.
Doin' the trail one section at a time
You can read about my adventures at http://happyonthetrails.wordpress.com/
I would specifically NOT recommend Crocs as a camp shoe because they are just so heavy.
What I currently used (though I found mine at WalMart years ago) is this that can be found at Bass Pro Shop:
RedHead Ragin'
Cheapest pair of flip flops I can find at the dollar store or Walmart
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My camp shoes double for water-crossing shoes (ok, actually my water crossing shoes double as camp shoes as I frequently leave them at home if I know my hike won't require fording any streams). So I want something to protect my toes to avoid hurting them if they get jammed in rocks while crossing waters.
They've upgraded them, the retail ones are now up to $95.00, and apparently are made from algae-based foam; this would seem to price them well out of the range of camp and water shoes. I picked up a like new pair (the 'pre algae/vegan model') for about $30 on ebay a few years ago, and they are durable and quite comfortable. They're very light and have a fairly sticky sole, but if you walk far in them you do feel every sharp stone.
I have croc knock offs called Waldies. Not sure where they came from, but I bought them at Mountain Crossings.
Whether you think you can, or think you can't--you're right--Henry Ford; The Journey Is The Destination
I think this was mentioned on backpackinglight (not sure) but there was a guy who sprayed FlexSeal on the bottom of a pair of Darn Toughs and it worked decently around camp.
I set up tarp, eat dinner and go to bed.
Don't have no need for camp shoes.
My feet are perfectly comfortable in the shoes I hike in.
Just another useless item.
Imo
So yeah, currently my Camp shoes are inov8 295.
Do y'all bring pajamas and bathrobes too?
Well... sort of...
I try to keep a set of clean cloths to sleep in and another set for hiking... with the clean clothes acting as a backup set if something goes wrong with my hiking cloths.
Since most stream crossings in GSMNP are only a few inches deep, I hike in boots rather than hiking shoes. So to avoid hiking in wet boots, I need water shoes for the fords (as I don't want to risk my bare feet).
And when you have to make a "midnight run", it's quicker and easier to slip into the water shoes than put your boots on... Heck, even if you don't have to get out of your tent at night, it's still nicer to be able to slip into your water shoes while sitting on the ground allowing you to hold off on putting tall boots on when you can get out of the tent and sit on a log or something to put your boots on...
But again, I don't recommend camp "shoes" just for that purpose, so the water shoes generally stay at home if I know I won't be fording any creeks.
Dont make midnight runs
Thats what ziplocks is for....
Another no camp shoe guy here. My Altra trail runners are plenty comfortable after hiking. On a really long hike, or one with a lot of fording, I'd consider sandals, maybe.
"It's fun to have fun, but you have to know how." ---Dr. Seuss
Likewise. Mine get left a lot, too, but always come along in winter.
Even if you don't change into them for a crossing, or can't wear them to explore up a creek or something, it's nice to have dry feet in camp when temps are way below freezing, and the hiking shoes and socks that ended up getting wet during the day freeze solid before you even get a fire going.
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I bought a pair of Waldies (the original before Crocs) at Mountain Crossings and they are almost half the weight of crocs and more comfortable. Still going strong 3 years later.
I use a pair of Dawgs Ultralight Spirit Shoes for both camp and fording. They're much lighter than Crocs, they're not clogs and actually stay on your feet fairly well (which means I can use them for emergency hiking shoes just in case) and they're cheap ($9 a pair or so.) Since they're made of EVA, just like Crocs are, they're completely waterproof and work well for fording pretty much anything you'll come across. They also slip on easily, making them more convenient than my boots for those late-night privy trips. I find it very nice to be able to slip on different shoes in camp at night, letting my feet and my boots have a bit of a rest apart from each other.
Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat.
Sun Tzu, The Art of War.
I don't mind the weight, necessarily, of crocs. I have a knock off pair that I started with. Super light, super cheap from Wal-Mart. Plenty comfortable, even. The BULK absolutely kills me, though. The pair of them is bigger than a long weekend's worth of food for the wife and I. I don't love having a bunch of crap hanging off my pack, as where we hike typically can get a little narrow from time to time and snag stuff. I mind less about losing a $7 pair of camp shoes than I do about tearing shoes off my pack and littering in a wilderness area. I wear Merrel barefoot vapor trail shoes when I'm not on trail and they are super comfy. If I know the trail will be dry, I leave them in the truck at the trail head. If it's going to be cold or wet on trail, they come with. They pack flat and are extremely light.
Cheers,
The Goat
Crocs Swiftwater Sandal; 13.8 oz. Very comfortable.