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Vivian Darkbloom posted:Why are most hiking boots waterproof these days? My Merrell boots are fine for support but my feet get really painful when they can't breathe for hours and hours, and that doesn't seem to happen when I wear trail runners with less support. I've been looking at the Keen Targhee Vent as a decent compromise. It's because the target market for major brand hiking boots overwhelmingly wear them to the corner store or possibly from a parking lot to a photograph point. They are not meant to be worn for hours and hours.
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Sep 23, 2020 08:49
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Vivian Darkbloom posted:
Gpx file has it at 46 and 11k climbing 
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Sep 23, 2020 13:54
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I can tell you from working at an REI for a summer that I had to spend almost as much time convincing people not to get waterproof boots as I did actually fitting them.
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Sep 23, 2020 14:02
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Waterproof boots are great for walking around a city on a rainy day and terrible for hiking.
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Sep 23, 2020 14:12
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Bottom Liner posted:Waterproof boots are great for walking around a city on a rainy day and terrible for hiking. they are very good for going on a long walk in the uk in winter on public footpaths. it will be muddy with big puddles, but there's no need to have wet socks!
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Sep 23, 2020 14:19
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Waterproof boots are great when you've got to be in the mud, like when I was doing trail work. If I'm hiking though I'd rather just walk around the mud. I never understood why people just tromp right though those mud puddles that are easily avoided, unless they're just trying to get their money's worth.
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Sep 23, 2020 14:57
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"Just go around!" isn't always an option   In my corner of New York I have very few options for hiking nearby, the entrance to one of my favorite trails is super narrow and just flanked by tall rear end plants. In Not-Summer it's just a mudslide for a quarter mile. Also our eternal flame (not visible from this angle) is only accessible if you walk up a shallow creek/river thing 
Sab669 fucked around with this message at 15:03 on Sep 23, 2020 |
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Sep 23, 2020 15:01
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If it's a day hike and weight isn't a concern I'll either strap a pair of wellies to my bag or a pair of keen sandals. Both are pretty bad to hike in (though you can get wellies good enough for 3-4 miles without ruining your feet) but if it gets really swampy I'll swap from my comfy hikers to something designed to get wet.
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Sep 23, 2020 15:16
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Waterproof boots are also nice in slushy winter when you dont have to worry about sweating out as much.
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Sep 23, 2020 15:23
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Lowness 72 posted:Thanks for all the advice. With all these brands, the other challenge is finding a place that stocks them all so I can try them on. I'll check out REI first. I'm in the NYC area so if you guys have other recommendations for stores to check out I'm all ears. Thank you again. There is a Campmor is Paramus I believe, if you have a car. Their supply changes regularly though. The buses will also get you there, but I think you'd have to do a transfer in NJ. Pinus Porcus fucked around with this message at 15:41 on Sep 23, 2020 |
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Sep 23, 2020 15:38
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Sab669 posted:"Just go around!" isn't always an option Everything is wet. Mud, and often standing water a couple inches deep, is unavoidable. It’s usually hot. No rocks to speak of, but You step on lots of substantial sticks and dead palm fronds. Zero hills. None. Insulation against cold is not a factor. So far most of the trails are only 1-5 miles long. So it’s pretty weenie but wet, with I think a non-zero need for puncture protection. I’m still undecided about ankle support. Help?
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Sep 23, 2020 15:40
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Fitzy Fitz posted:Waterproof boots are great when you've got to be in the mud, like when I was doing trail work. If I'm hiking though I'd rather just walk around the mud. I never understood why people just tromp right though those mud puddles that are easily avoided, unless they're just trying to get their money's worth. Walking through the middle is what you’re supposed to do. Braiding the trail by going around just creates an even bigger mud pile and a worse eyesore, not to mention damaging the vegetation and expanding the human impact in general. This is basic Leave No Trace stuff.
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Sep 23, 2020 15:48
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I had a pair of Vasque that I was pretty happy with for all of my day hiking here in the north east. I'm not sure exactly what model they are though, and they're no longer listed on Moosejaw either as I bought them 4+ years ago. I say had, because the shitbag on the green leash in my first photo just chewed them up last week  So unfortunately I can't really recommend anything specific, but yea I was happy with them as a brand at least.
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Sep 23, 2020 15:52
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Time Cowboy posted:Walking through the middle is what you’re supposed to do. Braiding the trail by going around just creates an even bigger mud pile and a worse eyesore, not to mention damaging the vegetation and expanding the human impact in general. This is basic Leave No Trace stuff. Yes, this is good to mention. Pretend I also said this in my post.
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Sep 23, 2020 16:11
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Time Cowboy posted:Walking through the middle is what you’re supposed to do. Braiding the trail by going around just creates an even bigger mud pile and a worse eyesore, not to mention damaging the vegetation and expanding the human impact in general. This is basic Leave No Trace stuff. 
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Sep 23, 2020 16:45
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I wear waterproof boots all day every day at work in my metal shop (I didn't meant to get waterproof boots but that's what was on sale) and it's fine if I just wear big wool socks. I also wear waterproof on the trail because why not. I just pack extra socks, which is advisable anyway. Also, keep to the trail
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Sep 23, 2020 17:00
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Survived my first "dispersed" camping trip recently...in the Upper Peninsula, Hiawatha National Forest - Lake McKeever for those familiar. Basically my GF and I are trying to build up to do some serious backpacking and this was kind of a hybrid spot: it was a campsite just a little hike away from the parking area for the trails. So we kind of practiced limiting our supplies and making the most of what we could carry. Still, kept a cooler and all of our food in the car so we could just hike all day and then "get groceries" out of the trunk on the way back to camp; that was kind of cheating. The skill I took the time to work on in this low-pressure situation was setting up a good ridgeline hang out shelter for relaxing under/keeping stuff. Was able to put something pretty sturdy up with just a tarp, stakes, paracord and some carabiners, including a 9 point carabiner, which I thought was a nifty little tool. It wasn't much but I was proud of my work, and I memorized some knots in the process. Question though: we took all the precautions with food and setting up the camp, but are black bear and moose really that common in the West section of the Hiawatha? How wild is it really? It was pretty windy but we didn't even kick up any deer hiking around. The only wild life we really saw were two loons hanging out on our lake, which was beautiful to hear. My girlfriend was kind of paranoid but my impression was that there was way too much human activity all around where we were to encounter anything on a hike. I thought it was funny how the topography and woods of the Hiawatha can make a location seem super "remote" but in actuality humans are kinda packed in up there. Going in out and we saw mailboxes and private signs on these little gravel roads, I thought they were just access drives for people's hunting land or cabins. But no, there is actually a smattering of super-bourgeois summer homes, some pushing seven figures in value, just about 3 miles from where we were. Kinda glad I looked that up when I got home. Not to mention, we only saw two other couples hiking around us, and they had dogs which I'm sure scared everything away.
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Sep 23, 2020 18:54
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20 Blunts posted:
It's better to be over than under prepared/cautious, esp with food practices at your campsite. There is a pretty huge black bear population in the UP. But, black bears in general are big ole scaredy cats, unless they're under a lot of stressors. Later in the fall just before hibernation and just after waking when they're trying to get food in their gullets as quickly as possible, and while they have lil cubs around tend to be the most cautious times to be around em. In my experience in Northern WI and the UP, make noise while hiking and if you run into one just yell at it and call it a fool and that you'll bop him or her in the nose and they'll scram pretty quick. The biggest issue with bears in general regardless of where you are is when they get habituated to food scraps and garbage cans and raiding campsites for treats. That is usually when they're most aggressive towards people. With all the fancy summer homes, who knows how strict they are about dealing with garbage. If bears have a taste for the stinky bits, they'll be more prone to sniffing around your tent if you're not tidy. Moose, idk, they're bulldozers with tempers on stilts. You just need to make sure you have good shoes and you're faster than anyone you're hiking with. Casu Marzu fucked around with this message at 19:45 on Sep 23, 2020 |
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Sep 23, 2020 19:41
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20 Blunts posted:Survived my first "dispersed" camping trip recently...in the Upper Peninsula, Hiawatha National Forest - Lake McKeever for those familiar. There's a nice hiking trail right there, Bruno's Loop. Is like 10 miles and in the fall is really exceptional. I've encountered bears twice in the UP in the wild. On one I saw a giant black rear end sprinting away and the other was two black asses sprinting away. They are so scary fast it's hard not to laugh. Like Casu said, it's the bears that correlate food with campers that are trouble. Though racoons are more likely to wreck your poo poo at a campsite than a bear. The garbage eating bears tend to get shot. As far as moose, there isn't a western Hiawatha moose herd. There is an uncounted quantity in the eastern UP around Newberryish but the DNR lacks the budget to do a proper count. The western and northern UP, Marquette county and west, does have some moose but I'm not sure there's a good count. They are rare enough they make the paper when one is hanging around a town or is hit by a car. Due east of Mckeever Lake is the Big Island Lake Wilderness Area. It's a bit more of a wilderness area, but like you mentioned, it's still fairly well developed in that whole area. The lakes south of Mckeever, called the Corner Lake chain, is pretty much a lakefront suburb. For a much more deep in the woods experience head towards Melstrand and check out the lakes south of the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Gemini Lake etc. PM me before your next visit and I'll recommend some cool spots.
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Sep 23, 2020 20:13
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Every late summer I find myself in the middle of hundreds of acres of wild berry plants marveling that I've never seen a bear there and assuming it's because a few dozen hikers walk past every day. And then I remember that I've had a bear walk up to my house in a suburban neighborhood and knock over a storage bin to eat bird seed.
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Sep 23, 2020 21:16
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BaseballPCHiker posted:Waterproof boots are also nice in slushy winter when you dont have to worry about sweating out as much. Waterproof boots are great in colder weather when you can wear wool socks and bring a change of socks. In hot, dry weather they are not so good, but why would you wear them then?
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Sep 23, 2020 23:17
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Even in hot wet weather I prefer to just wear ventilated boots and some wicking socks like wool that I change once or twice.
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Sep 24, 2020 01:10
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just applied a poo poo load of DWR in a not very well ventilated room
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Sep 24, 2020 08:55
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Congrats on your newly waterproof lungs
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Sep 24, 2020 12:57
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Nobody tell Trump about this new cure for COVID.
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Sep 24, 2020 13:02
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Yooper posted:There's a nice hiking trail right there, Bruno's Loop. Is like 10 miles and in the fall is really exceptional. We did a bit of Bruno's Loop! Had some of the older forest I think we saw. Another wildlife question, you might know: what was the weird-sounding goddamn rodent/smaller mammal romping around outside our campsite every night??? Sounded like it was talking to itself in demon tongues quietly and I'd just shake my keys and it'd gently caress off. Was that a muskrat? That was the first camping experience I've had that much little wildlife farting around outside the tent, took some getting used ot. Also had a big rear end fishing spider sitting on the rain fly when we went to take it down, he was a fighter when I went to knock him off with a stick!
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Sep 24, 2020 20:05
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I was just in the porcupine mountains a couple weeks ago, and thank god i have water resistant boots because the amount of mud was insane.
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Sep 24, 2020 20:27
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Doing another hike this weekend. This time I'm taking a buddy! It should be good, but I've been having a lot of problems with my feet. This is the third time I've had bad plantars warts and it really puts a damper on my desire to hike long distances. What is your foot care routine, goons? How do you ward of swamp foot, care for blisters, deal with hotspots?
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Sep 25, 2020 02:12
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LordAdakos posted:Doing another hike this weekend. This time I'm taking a buddy! It should be good, but I've been having a lot of problems with my feet. Holy gently caress. I had one plantars wart in my life (high school) and it was awful, I think it was from locker rooms/showers barefoot. That thing lasted for months and just didn't go away. It was on the bottom of my foot just before my 2nd toe from the pinky toe so walking always put a lot of pressure on it. I tried the over the counter stuff constantly but it didn't seem to do much. I don't recall if I went to the doctor or not but eventually it went away. I can't imagine having one now. I would definitely be going to a doctor to get it frozen or whatever they can do. I still play hockey during non covid times so I'm usually in and out of locker rooms/showers a lot but I will never step barefoot on anything. I get changed on a small mat that I pack with me, I pack two pairs of flip flops in my bag just in case. I always make sure to really wash my feet. I can't imagine hiking with one, then again location of the wart is a huge factor. Tape for blisters and hotspots. Prevention is always more effective than after the fact. The tape will reduce the friction on your skin and help limit how bad a hot spot will get. Keep your feet dry and if they are wet, air them out, switch to dry socks when you can, some people use foot powder. I've tried using a thin wool sock liner with a regular wool sock. It was okay but I felt like they made my feet too warm and my shoe too tight. If we're taking a long enough break (long enough to eat some food) and its been a few hours of moving, I'll sometimes take my shoes off to let them breathe. Dump out any sand/debris. Take my socks off and just let them dry off. I feel like dusty gritty feet also contribute to blisters and hot spots as its like sand paper constantly rubbing against your feet. This is all dependent on how I'm feeling. If there's no issues, I just keep going. I definitely notice more foot issues when I'm doing any sort of scrambling or technical movement on rock vs just walking on a trail.
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Sep 25, 2020 02:53
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I got a plantar's wart smack in the middle of my right heel when I was somewhere around age 8. I don't remember too much about it, other than walking for a while on the ball of that foot until my mom noticed something was up. The "fix" was to soak my foot in hot water every night for a month or so. Don't remember if there was some magic medicine added to the water, but after a while it just kind of gave up on being in my foot and fell out. It's been 30+ years and talking about it I can feel it in my foot all over again, so thanks!
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Sep 25, 2020 02:58
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I think it was like a year ago I thought I was getting another one. I felt that similar sharp pain in the bottom of my foot near the same spot as before, the spot right before my toes start. When I looked down and investigated I was happy to see it was a piece of glass. *HAPPY IT WAS GLASS*
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Sep 25, 2020 03:31
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I have mostly fond memories of PCT J. Some of those image captions are definitely  (eg that approach to Deep Lake).I joined a buddy at Pear Lake, section K, Sunday night. The smoke had dispersed but the Saturday rain held on until nearly noon. I took a cheater route, 6mi one way, so I got a little bit of sun to dry things, but my buddy started at the pass, 18.5mi, and only got some of the afternoon clouds. Overnight forecast lows of 52F... one thermometer showed 38F at 3am, but at least it wasn't windy. Monday was better for pictures (not yet downloaded). Buddy continued north toward the fires but I didn't have the entire week off and went back the way I came. It was nice to see that my feet could survive the extra weight and a "next day" hike, and a fun drive getting there. Would do again, but maybe the west access trail. There are lots of pikae at Pear Lake which makes me happy.
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Sep 25, 2020 03:51
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20 Blunts posted:We did a bit of Bruno's Loop! Had some of the older forest I think we saw. Likely a possum or raccoon. A co-worker was camping near there had a raccoon open his cooler and was caught eating raw hamburger. He chased it off only to have it come back an hour later. He eventually stuffed the cooler in his trunk. Lots of critters eating off campsite scraps. Yooper fucked around with this message at 21:11 on Sep 27, 2020 |
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Sep 27, 2020 20:34
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Yeah raccoons can be talkative little monsters
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Sep 27, 2020 20:47
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Yooper posted:Likely a possum or raccoon. A co-worker was camping near there had a raccoon open his cooler and was caught eating raw hamburger. He chased it off only to have it come back an hour later. He eventually stuffed the cooler in his trunk. Lots of critters eating off campsite scraps. Trash pandas can get into anything. 99% invisible has a great podcast about how the trash pandas broke into the trash panda proof trash cans Toronto paid million to design and deploy. https://99percentinvisible.org/episode/raccoon-resistance/
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Sep 28, 2020 00:52
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raccoons are incredible little industrialists too. we had an identical set of 4 plastic trash cans on the side of our house when i was a kid, and in the span of a couple days, one or more of those little fuckers managed to chew access tunnels through the corner of the lid, and the lip where the lid connected with the rest of the can, on each of the four cans. They were all perfectly identical, and in the time it took us to replace those cans (several weeks) that raccoon came back every night and used those little ports to eat its fill, easily conquering the duct tape/mesh metal bandaids we put over them. they will succeed us as masters of the world once we're gone.
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Sep 28, 2020 03:43
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I'd be more impressed with their intelligence if they could avoid getting run over once in a while. The roads of Illinois are paved in raccoon blood.
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Sep 28, 2020 04:07
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What are people's favorite day hikes in Yellowstone/Teton? We have some guide books, but I always like hearing others' thoughts. Long, short, popular, less known, whatever. Let's say max of ~15 miles, but less is great, too. We're used to doing that with decent elevation, but this will be 10 days straight of exploring the Parks so we're not likely to go all-out every day. We'll be there mid-October, so a little snow is possible, but hopefully the crowds are minimal. We'll bring our snowshoes just in case.
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Sep 29, 2020 01:39
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incogneato posted:What are people's favorite day hikes in Yellowstone/Teton? We have some guide books, but I always like hearing others' thoughts. Long, short, popular, less known, whatever. Let's say max of ~15 miles, but less is great, too. We're used to doing that with decent elevation, but this will be 10 days straight of exploring the Parks so we're not likely to go all-out every day. We just left Tetons yesterday and the Jenny lake trail to cascade canyon trail and it was really nice. Saw a bear and, very close, a moose. Would have loved to stayed longer but were burning the miles right now.
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Sep 29, 2020 02:26
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Might be hitting Ouchita this weekend. Any good recommendations for the Hot Springs/ Southwest Arkansas area?
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Sep 29, 2020 02:59
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