[pct-l] Seeking Advice on PCT footwear and other stuff

[CMountainDave@aol.com (CMountainDave@aol.com)]

Valerie - Didn't mean to sound too mean. It's just that I saw so many fine 
people suffer because of blisters that I feel somewhat compelled to tell 
people what to expect from wearing random footwear. Don't you agree something 
is amiss when such a large percentage of people trash their feet? I'm just 
saying the only way to remedy the problem is to try a new approach, or 
perhaps an old one. What would really help is for people who have been there 
and done that to tell future hikers what did and didn't work for them. Many 
people didn't wear hiking boots simply because they weigh more than sneakers. 
I'm just saying that weight shouldn't be the deciding factor. I think the 
real problem is that many hikers start out committed to basically untested 
unbroken in footwear. Perhaps the answer is simply more hiking experience 
before attempting a thru hike to get a better feel of what works and doesn't 
work for each individual. True, hiking in a variety of footwear is both 
costly and time consuming but I'm a firm believer in dues paying and starting 
at the bottom rather than the top. I'd run a 10 K before a 26 mile marathon 
and pitch 70 mph before pitching 90 mph and learn algebra before attempting 
calculus. So why not a section hike or two before trying to eat the whole 
enchilada? (That was my strategy) Hope your business is doing well!