[pct-l] Debating about boots...How many?

[Yoshihiro Murakami]

Dear Crystal


Coincidentally, I love Asolo boots. They are very strong and very light.

Last summer, I used ASOLO Expert GV GTX Mountaineering Boots (size 11
) for JMT. The sole of these  boots are very hard and worn very
slightly, although I carried 20-28Kg load. I have no experience of
longer sections than JMT, but I think if you use ASOLO boots, you
might need only one or two pairs in PCT.

Size 11 is too small for me, I cannot use soft insole last summer, so
I have just ordered new ASOLO boots (size 12) for this summer to the
cheep store ( http://bit.ly/fVvWW4 ) .
I cannot buy boots in Japan, because my foot are very large as a
Japanese ( my size is 12 ).

On the foot wear size, there is a research of long distance hikers of
AT (Roland Mueser, Long-distance hiking, Ragged Mountain Press), 30
percent of men finished the hike with over half a size, and Some 80
percent reported the increase between a half and one full size.  I
think these enlargement might be a normal change. If you trained
yourself enough, you will not experience the enlargement of foot. So,
you need not hurry to buy. As Diana said, you can order on the trail.

Most important thing to consider is blister and joint pain.( Am J Med.
2003 Mar;114(4):288-93.Medical risks of wilderness hiking.---They
investigated the 280 AT backpacker, and found that the reasons of
ending a hike were injury, time limitation, and psychosocial
reason.The most common medical complaints were feet blisters (64%; n =
180), diarrhea (56%, n = 156), skin irritation (51%, n = 143), and
acute joint pain (36%, n = 102).) The structure of boots seems to
prevent slippery of foots in the boots. It might be a good point, but
it also prevent the exchange of heat and moisture.

On the footwear weight, I had posted several scientific articles. if
you hike at 4-5 km/hour, you need not to be nervous about footwear
weight. Of course, the lighter is the better. but the lighter footwear
frequently lacks protective function. Best footwear is blister free,
or joint injury free, and best footwear is different for every one,
because people differ significantly their hiking style and pack
weight.
















2011/2/25 Crystal Mcdowall <crystal_mcdowall at yahoo.com>:
> Hey guys!  For those of you that have thru hiked before, I'm still debating
> about footwear and wondering how many pairs of boots I'm likely ruin on this
> trail?  I am definitely gonna go with some-type of boots instead of runners as I
> am someone clumsy and prone to rolling my ankles.  The one pair of "nice" boots
> that I own (Goretex Asolo something-or-others) never fail to leave me with
> horrible blisters.  I've had them for about 3 years and have tried really hard
> to break them in, and really have wanted them to work for me...which has proven
> to be to no avail, and I usually end up switching them up for my chaco sandals
> once my feet get too bad.  I think part of the problem is my feet sweat too much
> and the goretex doesn't allow them to breathe...maybe the toe area is too
> small?  I have cheap leather boots that I wear alot also, but they have the
> nylon type sides and aren't waterproof...so in wet climates it's a debate
> between soggy or blistery feet =)...no good either way.
>
>
> Anyways I'm on a tight budget so my dilemma is this:  Should I buy three or four
> pairs of cheap like big 5 leather boots to tear up on the trail and have my
> sister mail new ones as the old ones wear out, or would it be more cost
> effective to spend the money on maybe two nicer pairs that will last longer?  I
> know this depends on personal preference, but I think my major deciding factor
> at this point will be how long I can actually expect them to hold up on the
> trail.  Are vibram soles really that much more dependable than cheapos?  Any
> advice or opinions are much appreciated.  Sorry if I stir up a huge debate =).
> Thanks everyone!
>
> Crystal
>
>
>
>
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-- 
Sincerely
--------------- --------------------------------------
Hiro    ( Yoshihiro Murakami )
Blogs http://completewalker.blogspot.com/
Photo http://picasaweb.google.co.jp/CompleteWalker/
Backpacking since about 1980 in Japan
2009 JMT, the first America.
2010 JMT, the second America.
------------------------------------------------------