[pct-l] Re down bootie advise

[Georgi Heitman]

Subject: Re: [pct-l] Re down bootie advise



> Ned asked:
> Was that store in Berkeley called the Ski Hut on University Ave.?  Outdoor 
> Research still makes a wonderful down bootie made as you described.  They 
> weigh next to nothing, stuff down to softball size, and make your feet 
> feel like at home, even when truckin' out in the cold snow for a short 
> walk.  We love 'em!
>
> Noooo, I'm thinking more that it was on Addison, maybe a half a block or 
> so west of, what is the street that runs into Sather Gate?   I also think 
> that Hink's  Dept. store was on the corner of that street, Telegraph??? 
> and Addison.  The Frost Line store carried only Frostline Kits and some 
> repair or specialization stuff, like zippers, D rings, velcro, etc.  Also 
> maybe sacks of down, I kinda remember.  It was a cool place...very 
> accomodating.  When I was a Cadette (Jr. Hi) Girl Scout leader and my 
> inner-city troop wanted to learn about and try some winter camping as part 
> of a Challenge they were working on, some of these girls had never been in 
> snow before, none of us had much money, but gaiters were a must have.  I 
> stopped by Frost Line, their gaiter kits were too expensive, but they let 
> me sketch one of their simpler patterns, gave me some velcro and D-rings 
> for each pair that we needed to make and gave me a nice discount on the 
> rip-stop nylon I wanted to use in the construction.  I still have the 
> pattern, make copies for folks who need inexpensive but sturdy gaiters and 
> still wear mine on a regular basis...here in volcanic cinder and snow 
> country they're invaluable any time of year..............> For Information 
> on Programs, previous Trips, and Photo Gallery,
>
> Please visit: www.mountaineducation.com
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Georgi Heitman" <bobbnweav at citlink.net>
> To: <pct-l at backcountry.net>
> Sent: Saturday, December 09, 2006 11:17 AM
> Subject: [pct-l] Re down bootie advise
>
>
>> Yo, Monty.....    Your post caused me to go out to my cold garage and dig 
>> through my winter camping gear, which was in the lowest of six bins of 
>> seasonal clothes and camping equipment, thank you very much...
>> But, there they were...my 
>> fiber-filled-run-around-outside-with-care-booties.  First, please 
>> understand that these practically perfect in every way booties are 
>> roughly 30 years old, and my faulty memory recalled that I'd made them 
>> from a Frost-line Kit.  For the uninitiated, Frost-line Kits were the 
>> thing in those days, if you could sew and had a sturdy sewing machine, 
>> one that could sew tin cans comes  to mind, you could make anything from 
>> a Frost-line kit.  On Berkeley there was a big store where there must 
>> have been 100, maybe more styles of kits, from these simple booties to 
>> backpacks and tents.  Great way to teach your kids, both sons and 
>> daughters how to sew.  But I digress.  The label sez I purchased them 
>> from REI.  Mine are ripstop nylon, Dennie's are not, just nylon.  Mine 
>> are older than his by a year or two, his are better insulated, not down, 
>> but both are fiber-filled.  Both have Cordoba cloth 'soles'  that rise an 
>> inch above the ground.  Dennie and I have used a se
>> amsealer on the Cordoba, and any seams in the nylon and my recollection 
>> is that unless we went wading, they were pretty water/snow resistant.  We 
>> used them snow camping, not if we dug a snow cave unless we used a ground 
>> tarp, but in our tent, and they were very comfortable.  They are machine 
>> washable on  short cycle, low suds soap, cool water, and machine dryable, 
>> again on warm for 15 minutes (the label is very specific on that), or 
>> they can be hung by the laces to dry.  Hope this gives you some place to 
>> start looking.  Oh, while the F-L kits are no longer popular, tho I can't 
>> understand why, they were listed in Backpacker Mag. up until a few years 
>> ago.  The copy some hiker left here last summer no longer carries their 
>> ad but I haven't checked on-line.
>> Good Luck....
>> Georgi
>> Trail Angel w/o a Trail Name
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>
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>