[pct-l] shoes, sandals, ursacks, sneering Ultralighters, and Uncle Lorenzo

[CHUCK CHELIN]

Good morning, Tim,



The old insole-in-the-sock technique for wading is very viable.  I’ve used
it many times when fording the numerous glacial streams that drain Mt. Hood
and other Pacific NW mountains.  I typically use thick, old wool socks, and
I trim the take-out insoles to closely profile my feet; much smaller than
what fits in my shoes.  Alternatively, I leave them full-size and nip little
gussets around the edges to allow them to wrap around my foot inside the
sock.



Even the sock alone is MUCH better than barefoot, and the insole makes them
just that much better. The texture of the sock provides quite good traction
on slick rocks and the insole protects against sharp ones.



The down-side?  They don’t have as much sole protection as a sneaker, a
water shoe, or a sandal; and the socks retain water after I take them off
and hang them on the back of my pack.  I’d sooner carry the wet socks in a
plastic bag than have them dripping water down the back of my legs – or
worse, dripping down the crack of my butt.



Go for it.  It’s a very effective and inexpensive solution.



Steel-Eye

Hiking the Pct since before it was the PCT -- 1965

http://www.trailjournals.com/steel-eye


On Sat, Feb 28, 2009 at 1:13 PM, Tim Nye <tnye at gmklaw.com> wrote:

> OK, Call me crazy, but it occurred to me the other day that another option
> for crossing fords was to use the insoles that I've replaced with Superfeet
> inside my spare pair of socks.
>
> Has anyone tried this method and if so, did it work?  (Yes, I've got GTX
> trail runners...got to this site too late.  I've found though, that my
> Solamons non-GTX, have great arch support and I'm wondering if they
> wouldn't
> be adequate although they aren't graced with mesh).
>
> Also, where is an ice axe possibly going to be needed So of KM.  the storms
> don't seem to be stopping despite the drought proclamations.
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: pct-l-bounces at backcountry.net [mailto:pct-l-bounces at backcountry.net]
> On Behalf Of mark v
> Sent: Friday, February 27, 2009 9:21 PM
> To: pct-l at backcountry.net
> Subject: Re: [pct-l] shoes, sandals, ursacks, sneering Ultralighters,and
> Uncle Lorenzo
>
>
>
>
> Most debatable items on the PCT seem to reach a thru-hiker consensus, for
> better or for worse.  The shoe/sandal/water crossing issue doesn't seem to
> though.  So trust your past experiences and preferences.  Part of the
> equation is how wet of a year and what time of year you go.  I did the slog
> through and deal with wet shoes method in '08.  I did most of the Sierra
> with Emma who actually used (gasp!) goretex.  She swears she actually
> stayed
> DRY by using them for everything except the non-hoppable river crossings.
> For those, she (and me too) just went barefoot.  I'm sure there are
> conditions where this wouldn't work.  It did for her.
>
> No critters will get in your food in SoCal.  But the Ursack could be very
> useful in Washington.  Mice abound, and the occasional rumored grizzly too.
>
> If the sneering ultralighter really got the Independence Chevron to stock
> enough hiker food for Sierra resupply, he can sneer all he wants, and i'll
> be ok with him anyway.
>
> I was told 2nd-hand that Uncle Lorenzo finished in late September.  The
> last
> i saw of him was Sierra City, but i kept hearing he wasn't far behind me.
>
>
>
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