[pct-l] ultralight and dirt cheap water/camp shoes

[CHUCK CHELIN]

Good evening, Dan,



Those water shoes look promising for wading but before committing them to
the trail I recommend you try them in swift current with a rocky bottom that
twists the shoes around on your feet.  Current has a great tendency to get
under any flap of fabric and peel the shoe off the foot.  I have one pair of
wading shoes with tops made of Spandex which are almost uncomfortably tight;
however the current can start a gap at the top seam and instantly balloon
the shoe to almost come off the foot.  Baring a real trial in swift current
I suggest you lift your foot and try to blast them off with a garden hose
from every direction you can reach. If someone wanders by and asks you're
doing such a goofy thing you can tell them you stepped in some dog-doo.



Any looseness at the heel of these new shoes will only exacerbate the
problem.  You might consider attaching some kind of a string or lace to the
top of the reinforcing seam behind the heel which can then be tied around
your ankle to secure them in place.


The current will also act on the projected area of the sole to spin the shoe
off the foot.  The worst footwear in that regard is the common flip-flop.  They
are almost impossible to manage in current unless one keeps the toes pointed
exactly upstream, and never allows the foot to slip rearward, however
toes-upstream isn't the best way to cross.



Thanks for the suggestion,



Steel-Eye

Hiking the Pct since before it was the PCT – 1965

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

http://www.trailjournals.com/SteelEye09


On Thu, Mar 25, 2010 at 6:03 PM, Dan Africk <danstheman at gmail.com> wrote:

> For those who will be carrying a separate pair of shoes for camp and water
> crossings, I think I found the perfect solution. Basically its a no frills
> water shoe, with a thin rubber sole and nylon mesh upper. Because of the
> elastic the mesh lies flat against the thin sole, so these should pack very
> easily. They are very comfortable, and I beleive the mesh holds it on tight
> enough for water crossings. They are only $4 each, plus $6.50 for shipping.
> I'd imagine you'll need a several pairs if you use them for the entire PCT.
>
> The blog on which I read about it listed it as 1.8oz, which seems to be
> true(my scale only reads to in 1 oz increments, and lists it as 2oz). That
> bllog said that they run large, which is only sort of true. I ordered a
> smaller size(medium which is 9-10) and they  are a bit small on my
> foot(size
> 11/11.5), my heel sticks out slightly over the sole, but they are
> comfortable and the extra tightness is probably good for water crossings. I
> was surprised that I could fit a pair of socks in these, which I want to
> wear on cold nights, but then my heel sticks out a lot. So I'm going to
> order 2 pairs of the large(11-12), which hopefully will not be too loose.
> I'd recommend ordering one or 2 pairs of each size if your a size 11, since
> an extra pair is cheaper than shipping for a second order(this is what I
> should have done).
>
>
> http://www.sprintaquatics.com/prodinfo.asp?number=901
>
>
>
> --
> www.hikefor.com/haiti-2010-Dan
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