[pct-l] boots and shoes - another view

[Owen <jim_ginny_o@attglobal.net>]

One thing I haven't seen in this boot discussion is anyone pointing out
that the running shoe system is not for everyone.  I don't mean to start
a flame war, but there are other sides to the issue than I've seen here.
If you are not an ultralight packer, you probably need more support than
a running shoe can give.  Jardine intends his system to be just that. 
You can't just pick and choose - 2 lb shoes and a 50 lb pack don't
work.  Oh, you say, but nobody carries a 50 lb pack. I don't, but I am
also not an ultralight backpacker.  I have worked out a balance between
what I consider necessary for safe travel and what is comfortable to
carry, and it is a lot heavier than the extremists think necessary.  I
have spent 22 hours stuck in a tent during a blizzard.  I have done icy
stream fords and postholing in deep snow - there is no way I would do
them without as much protection and warmth for my feet as I can get. As
someone pointed out, frostbite is not fun. Trying to get warm again when
my feet are icicles can take a very long time, and may take more out of
me that I want to give.  I've tried kicking steps in icy snow, or edging
along on a long open traverse.  It wasn't easy even with boots and an
ice axe.  Our partner with the light trail shoes found it impossible at
times to get a grip on the snow.  Someone else pointed out that even if
we have a very mild winter (a big if), we can still get dumped on in May
or June.  That is hard to deal with out of a 12 lb pack.  There is also
a cost issue.  I've bought cheap running shoes.  They last me about 2
weeks before they either start to rot out inside (blister time) or
delaminate.  If I am going to buy good trail shoes that fit my wide
feet, I will spend as much as I do for a pair of boots, but they only
last 500 miles or so. So instead of 2 pairs of boots, I have to buy 5
pairs of running shoes.  And many of them weigh almost as much as my 3
lb leather boots.  What is the advantage?  Like Ron, I am busy trying to
figure out what to wear on the trail this year, but I do know that
wearing sneakers in the high Sierra is not even the remotest
possibility. I value my life, and my toes, more than that. 
YMMV
Ginny

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