panatomicx
Trail Wise!
Less noise and more green
Posts: 497
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Post by panatomicx on Nov 21, 2015 13:31:32 GMT -8
I always take my boots off, and do the camp shoe/water shoe thing. I have a pair of Merrell low hikers, but lately I've been wearing leather gtx boots-Asolo Powermatics.
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Post by tipiwalter on Nov 21, 2015 15:57:52 GMT -8
I think location and season determines creek crossing techniques on a backpacking trip. I'm a big fan of goretex boots as follows--- THE ADVANTAGES OF GORETEX BOOTS Okay, let's reason it out. 85% of all creek crossings in the Southeast mountains of TN, Georgia, NC and VA are easy fords between 1 to 6 inches deep and so whatever you are wearing will sink to that depth in order to do a ford or to rock hop. Try these little crossings in fabric boots or trail runners and POW you've just saturated your socks---not good on the first day of a 21 day winter trip. A good boot with a GTX liner is able to pull 6 inch deep wadings with no leaks, and of course you don't stand in the water for 20 minutes. Fabric boots soak in water like a canvas tennis shoe and so the high need for an above ankle GTX boot. That's my take on GTX boots. The point is to keep my hiking socks and boots as dry as possible for the duration of the trip, and not voluntarily saturate them on a creek crossing on Day 2 of a 21 day trip. Of course by Day 8 I could be hiking in 2 feet of wet snow which will saturate everything but at least I got to Day 8 with dry socks and boots. I use crocs for both camp shoes and all my creek crossings and also as backpacking "boots" if I have to pull a long creek trail like Slickrock Creek with its 12 fords or the Conasauga in Cohutta with its 38 fords or the North Fork Citico with its 7 to 15 fords. I just stay in the crocs and hike. 0F FORDS Everything changes on creek crossings at low temps. Then it is vital to keep my boots and socks dry no matter what but it's painful to cross a creek in crocs and barefeet at zero degrees. Some people like neoprene socks. Deep snow and creek crossings are the hardest challenge with bare feet and crocs. In that case it's probably better to stay in my boots as snow kills my feet NOT in the water but when hiking in the snow with the crocs. Some backpackers swear by the Baffin style waterproof boots but in the Southeast where I backpack most fords are just too deep to keep water out of these kind of boots---you'd need hip waders. On the South Fork Citico trail. Don't try this in Baffin boots. Crocs work best. It's tough to cross in the winter but if the snow isn't too deep they work very well and keep your all-important boots and socks from getting soaked and freezing solid. Deep snow with fords and crocs is difficult and painful Ergo the need for knee high neoprene socks.
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Post by tipiwalter on Nov 21, 2015 16:03:46 GMT -8
Btw, this crossing looks easy enough but air temps were 0F just after the polar vortex covered the TN and NC mountains in January 2014 and I had to cross in my crocs as I couldn't allow my boots to get soaked and have the laces freeze solid.
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Post by bradmacmt on Nov 22, 2015 17:13:22 GMT -8
My wife uses water shoes... I use crocs or go barefoot.
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Westy
Trail Wise!
Diagnosed w/Post-Trail Transition Syndrome
Posts: 1,962
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Post by Westy on Nov 22, 2015 17:40:11 GMT -8
I go around!
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