Yeah Doug, it takes some thought and sometime some precarious balancing to stay dry unloading the boat, but when it’s cold I like to keep my feet dry.
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How many pairs of footwear: in canoe vs. on portage vs. in camp?
- Thread starter Glenn MacGrady
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Lems Boulder Boots, a very lightweight moc boot, is the best thing I've found for camp. A NRS neoprene boot kneeling in the boat. If it's cold I'll wear a pair of Sealskinz socks under the neoprene, because I load/unload from a floating boat. The neoprene gets hot, but they've got great traction on slippery rocks and they actually fit. I have yet to sno-seal the Lems, but the next time I get headed into likely week-long rain, I'll do it. Summer trips, Bedrocks instead of Lems, but Lems are light enough and roomy enough for use most of the year.
I'd love a pair of boundary boots, but they don't make them for big feet.
I'd love a pair of boundary boots, but they don't make them for big feet.
Cold water river footwear: I wear a thin wool sock under a knee-high NRS boundary sock inside an unlined LL Bean Maine Hunting Shoe. Wool sock keeps the NRS sock from feeling too clammy and the NRS sock keeps my foot mostly dry, even when I step in over my knee tops. There's a tiny amount of nuisance water volume in the sole of the Bean boot after submersion but it drains quickly enough by bending my knee and inverting the boot.
Warm water river footwear: I switch back and forth between Chaco sandals and the Astral Brewer 2.0 water shoe. Both give me hot spots after a few days so mixing them up keeps blisters at bay. I portage in both as long as there's a decent trail.
Around camp, I used to wear crocs but now bring my slip-on Blundstones, which protect my feet better and still breath sufficiently. Sometimes I'll bring a pair of Tingleys too, which can make the Blundstones waterproof and/or keep the mud at bay
Warm water river footwear: I switch back and forth between Chaco sandals and the Astral Brewer 2.0 water shoe. Both give me hot spots after a few days so mixing them up keeps blisters at bay. I portage in both as long as there's a decent trail.
Around camp, I used to wear crocs but now bring my slip-on Blundstones, which protect my feet better and still breath sufficiently. Sometimes I'll bring a pair of Tingleys too, which can make the Blundstones waterproof and/or keep the mud at bay
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Plus one on the Blundstones.
I never used them on a canoe trip, but traveled all over Scandinavia & Finland with a #3 Duluth pack and Blundstone boots. Don’t see why with a pair of Tingleys that they wouldn’t be great in a canoe right up to freeze up.
I never used them on a canoe trip, but traveled all over Scandinavia & Finland with a #3 Duluth pack and Blundstone boots. Don’t see why with a pair of Tingleys that they wouldn’t be great in a canoe right up to freeze up.
The Astral Brewer 2.0 looks and sounds like a great option and I was sorely tempted to pickup a pair ahead of our Adirondack paddling trip that we just completed. Yankee frugality, however, won the day and I stuck with my Chacos/NRS sandal socks (neoprene)/Darn Tough hiker socks (for camp). The trip reaffirmed, at least in my summer tripping experience, that this combination works well for me. The NRS sandal socks keep my feet warm despite my Raynaud's even on cool, wet days, protect my feet from blisters on portages, and keep my feet comfortable in muck and mud. The Darn Tough socks keep my feet warm at camp, help them dry out, and protect them mostly—but not perfectly—from bugs. Lastly, this combination helps to minimize my pack space and weight.
They are great, however another season of use has seen the inner liner of the shoe starting to peel away from the sole, right at the front of the toe box. This may be endemic to many water-shoe designs, since this happened to me once before with another brand. I will repair them with some 5200 marine adhesive, but I'm now comfortable concluding that the Astral Brewers are not "canoe-tripping" grade.
Chacos last forever, so if it ain't broke, don't fix it.
I recently did eight days in Algonquin wet-footing, using Merrell Moab 3.0 ventilated boots. They did really well, although didn't dry quite as quickly as I had hoped. I would like to have tried the Astral Rassler, but I was unable to find any place to try them on to see what the ankle support was like. Still, the Moabs did great, and they will undoubtedly be my tripping shoes for the next few years unless they blow out...
I've been back and forth on this... most of it depends on portages; the more/harder, the more I try to stick to just one pair of shoes/boots (I try really hard to be an ultra-light backpacker who happens to also carry a canoe).
As I've gotten older, going barefoot in the Adirondacks has gotten harder on my feet (the pebbly/rocky/rooty landings hurt more). Normally, I'd just bring a pair of hiking shoes, but this last trip has me looking for something like a neoprene bootie for warm-weather trips. I've tried water shoes but the ones I had were too heavy for what they are. Crocs may be an option... I know people hike/backpack in them, but that's different than portaging 60lbs of gear.
When it's colder, I'm good with just a pair of Muck boots; a little clunky, but I've done the long Turtle to Clamshell to Fish portage in the St Regis Canoe Wilderness several times in them, and it's fine. This may change as I get still older (balance is something I'm noticing is changing every year for the worse.)
I have looked hard at a pair of NRS Boundary Boots, as they are a couple pounds lighter than my Muck boots, and seem to be more form-fitting, which might help with 'feeling' the ground you're stepping on.
As I've gotten older, going barefoot in the Adirondacks has gotten harder on my feet (the pebbly/rocky/rooty landings hurt more). Normally, I'd just bring a pair of hiking shoes, but this last trip has me looking for something like a neoprene bootie for warm-weather trips. I've tried water shoes but the ones I had were too heavy for what they are. Crocs may be an option... I know people hike/backpack in them, but that's different than portaging 60lbs of gear.
When it's colder, I'm good with just a pair of Muck boots; a little clunky, but I've done the long Turtle to Clamshell to Fish portage in the St Regis Canoe Wilderness several times in them, and it's fine. This may change as I get still older (balance is something I'm noticing is changing every year for the worse.)
I have looked hard at a pair of NRS Boundary Boots, as they are a couple pounds lighter than my Muck boots, and seem to be more form-fitting, which might help with 'feeling' the ground you're stepping on.
I like my Bean Maine Hunting Boots for everything but slippery rocks. The chain tread has literally let me down - slipping off wet rocks at inopportune moments, including once ending up in water nearly up to my neck. Fortunately I had my PFD on when that happened and didn't let go of the boat, which would have headed down river on its own if I had let go.. I was lucky I didn't whack my head against the rock as I slid in. That said, I found them flexible enough to kneel in and sturdy enough to portage in. Last summer, I wore very light Soloman water shoes in the canoe and changed to my Bean rubber bottom moccasins (hunting boots type). But on that trip we had no ports. I did wish I had footwear that I could wade and keep my feet dry when scooping water for use around the camp.
Most of the time, while on the water, I wear the old-style NRS Boundary Boots, if for no other reason than I am just really used to and comfortable with them. In warmer weather I sometimes go with a pair of Altama Maritime Assault boots. If there are rough carries, I find the NRS Work Boots do really well. In very early/late season, I have often gone back to my Bean insulated boots, although I do use the Boundary Boots as well. In camp, I wear Off-Road Crocs, with no socks in warmer weather and thicker socks (usually wool) when it gets colder. I like that they are easy on/off when I get in/out of the hammock. This past winter I received a gift of 16" Bean Hunting Boots which I waterproofed and I'm looking forward to trying them out with some Sealskinz waterproof socks or Kokatat Launch Socks which I alo received.
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Like Lowangle Al, I wear LL Bean uninsulated tall boots when on the trail, and comfortable shoes in camp, usually crocks, but lately I wear a pair of Keen Sandals with a toe cap.
However, like Fritz mentioned, theBean boots with the chain tread is not good at all on slippery rocks. One must really use caution, especially when tripping solo. Still, they are my preferred tripping boot and I have many miles on mine.
Bob.
However, like Fritz mentioned, theBean boots with the chain tread is not good at all on slippery rocks. One must really use caution, especially when tripping solo. Still, they are my preferred tripping boot and I have many miles on mine.
Bob.
I've accepted having wet feet and quite like spending time in the water. Except a) around camp, and b) trekking the portages. In those situations I've usually resorted to warm dry socks and waterproof shoes. In all but the boggiest places I've managed to keep dry comfortable feet this way. To me it's worth the little extra time to change footwear. For happy wet feet I like water shoes best. Tried sandals and never got along with them, in any conditions. I also tried living in wet shoes for extended periods of time and didn't like the foot funky results by day 3. Once upon a time I swore love to leather boots but they're just too hard to keep dry no matter how well I treat them.
Those Altamas look very interesting.
Those Altamas look very interesting.
That's my experience, too. Plus, the insteps are not flexible enough along the top of my foot for my preferred low kneeling position in a canoe. My 6" Bean Boots are good around camp in wet or dry weather.
Another issue with the Bean Hunting boots is that they tend to leak around the seam between the leather uppers and the rubber bottoms, especially if your feet are a bit loose in them. Heavy wool socks can compress the seams so the leakage is more of a minor seep than a leak.
But I still love them, in part because they remind me of Maine where my mother grew up and where we would visit her sisters from time to time.
But I still love them, in part because they remind me of Maine where my mother grew up and where we would visit her sisters from time to time.
I noticed that the LL Bean boots seem to seep more after they have been resoled. It's not a big deal, but you can feel water leaking in after a few seconds. I will try rubbing some flex seal into the threads before using them on a trip again, I think that should help.
I've had good success with Seam Grip--pretty tenacious stuff. I seal them upon new and it lasts for years.
These are what I wear fly fishing along with really thick smartwool socks, i usually wade wet (no waders). I’ll wear these when I get to take any sort of meaningful trip. They are great to hike in, as comfortable as my regular hiking boots. Short trips are usually in keen sandals. I broke down and bought crocs this summer at scout camp. i hate to admit it, but I really like them. I’d probably use them for camp shoes.
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I wear a pair of light trail runners on the river/portaging and sandals at camp. I'll be switching over to crocs this season as I find the sandals tend to fall off in more rugged campsites.
For in the canoe, most often an old pair of medium grade trail runners without shanks. Socks as appropriate for the season.
Sometimes in really tame places I'll do just Teva-style sandals in the summer. But I've found the Teva's are not as good for kneeling as running shoes. I've also had a few Teva's fail catastrophically, something I've never experienced with running shoes.
For out of the boat, I'll bring higher end trail runners with a shank. They are not as flexible but offer good protection from rocks. In really rugged places gaiters are a good idea.
Sometimes in really tame places I'll do just Teva-style sandals in the summer. But I've found the Teva's are not as good for kneeling as running shoes. I've also had a few Teva's fail catastrophically, something I've never experienced with running shoes.
For out of the boat, I'll bring higher end trail runners with a shank. They are not as flexible but offer good protection from rocks. In really rugged places gaiters are a good idea.
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