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[pct-l] Boots



The Onion wrote:
>
I'm curious for other
light+fast hikers thoughts on boots--do you ever use
them?
>

Well . . . last August on my section hike of Wa section K (Stevens Pass
to Stehekin) I wore trail runners and loved them.  At least for the
first 30 miles.  But then I severely sprained my ankle by rolling it on
a rock on the trail.  It was all swollen and turned black and blue and
green, but I didn't have a good bailout option so I taped it up heavily
with athletic tape and finished the other 70 miles.

It took me almost a year with an MRI, physical therapy, custom
orthotics, etc.) to put that ankle back into working shape again and I
still don't trust it very much.  I did Wa section I this year in fairly
lightweight but high-topped leather boots and was glad for the
protection.  And yeah, it rained and water got in my boots and they
never dried out.  But you do what you gotta do.  In my case, my doctor
tells me that if I put one more bad sprain on that ankle I'll probably
be done hiking for good.  That got my attention, for sure!

All that to say that all gear decisions have to be made based on knowing
your body and your capabilities rather than just following conventional
wisdom.  In my case I knew that I've had weak ankles ever since high
school but I hadn't had a sprain in several years so I thought I could
get away with trail runners.  I was wrong.  My base pack weight is 13.5
pounds and I pull 20+ mile days on my section hikes so I think I'm in
the light+fast hiker category, but I _need_ ankle support.  I can't cut
corners there.  Many other people can.  It just depends.

On a related note, does anyone have experience with ankle braces or
anything else that can give me dependable support without using
high-topped boots?  Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Eric