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Post by Coolkat on Jan 20, 2017 10:53:20 GMT -8
I'm just thinking out loud and some of you more experience folk might know whether this would work or not or that maybe there is already something out there that does the same thing.
A couple of years a friend of mine while hiking in the desert accidentally stepped on something with a rather nasty long and pointed thorn. In the process more or less nailed his shoe/boot to his foot. If I remember correctly he had an interesting time getting his shoe off without breaking the thorn off in his foot.
So I'm getting ready next month to do my first ever desert hiking and while I know that being careful where you step etc.. etc.. is the best thing, accidents do happen. So I'm wondering if I got my hands on some Kevlar cloth and cut into the shape of my shoe insert would that prevent this from happening to me? Or is Kevlar good against bullets but no so good against pointy things like thorns, knives, and arrows?
Or am I simply being overly paranoid?
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Post by vicioustom on Jan 20, 2017 11:50:29 GMT -8
Maybe a little paranoid, but paranoia is a survival reflex. Kevlar probably won't work. You need a pretty thick pile for puncture resistance and the right type at that. Most stab vests have between ten and fifteen layers of purpose specific kevlar which is way more bulk than you're going to want in your boot. If you're concerned about it try a boot with a harder sole, may not be the most comfortable solution, or watch where your stepping.
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BigLoad
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Post by BigLoad on Jan 20, 2017 13:09:24 GMT -8
As noted above, thorn/spine resistance needs heavy overlapping layers. I do most of my hiking in the desert, and I don't take any special precautions against things that poke. I get some snags, but that's not really an issue. I don't wear sandals or running shoes, but I have in the past with only minor annoyance. I've had cactus spines go entirely through full-grain leather boots and even through vibram soles. It's really just a minor annoyance. I worry more about agaves and catclaw than I do about cactus. The only cactus that gives me any concern is Teddy Bear Cholla and to a lesser extent Chain Fruit Cholla. For other cacti, I worry more about the glochids than the major spines.
Enjoy your hike. The desert is a beguiling place.
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zeke
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Post by zeke on Jan 20, 2017 13:15:49 GMT -8
Carry a plastic comb to remove any burrs, from Cholla and the like. Much easier to shed them from the comb than from your fingers.
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Post by Coolkat on Jan 20, 2017 13:25:14 GMT -8
from Cholla and the like. Both you and BigLoad are mentioning things that I've never heard of like "cholla". What exactly are these things that I'm combing out? Enjoy your hike. The desert is a beguiling place. Thanks! Not sure of the itinerary yet but it looks like it'll be about 5 days in the Superstitions and then up to the Grand Canyon for 2 or 3 days. This will be a different kind of hiking than I'm use to. You need a pretty thick pile for puncture resistance and the right type at that. Thanks Tom, that is what I was wondering about. I'll just be careful then. I do not wish my trip to end early because I stupid about where I put my foot.  |
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Post by vicioustom on Jan 20, 2017 13:30:11 GMT -8
You know, something just occurred to me, i've seen people sporting those hard plastic orthotics, i imagine something like that would make a decent barrier unless that spine is super determined.
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zeke
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Post by zeke on Jan 20, 2017 13:34:19 GMT -8
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Post by Coolkat on Jan 20, 2017 13:51:40 GMT -8
All I can say is that doesn't look fun!
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zeke
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Post by zeke on Jan 20, 2017 13:55:05 GMT -8
They come off a plant that looks like this.
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Post by Coolkat on Jan 20, 2017 13:57:05 GMT -8
Well Well... I think I'll to avoid sitting or stepping on those.
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zeke
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Post by zeke on Jan 20, 2017 13:59:48 GMT -8
It is called Jumping Cholla, because sometimes you swear it jumped out and grabbed you. The burrs stick to everything, fingers, clothes, any exposed skin. That is why I started carrying a comb after it was suggested to me.
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rebeccad
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Post by rebeccad on Jan 20, 2017 14:33:20 GMT -8
In addition to the comb Zeke mentions, I have tested the tip of using duct tape to pull those tiny hair-like thorns out of your skin--the ones you can't really even see. It works. Just press the duct tape onto the area where you feel the irritation, and then peel it off, and the hair/thorns come with it (and yes, it will be both the hair-like thorns and your hair, but it's worth it). I got my hand onto a cactus last spring while taking a macro photo |
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gabby
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Post by gabby on Jan 20, 2017 16:54:41 GMT -8
Cholla (I always heard it called "jumping cactus") thorns have barbs (like many other cacti) that keep them attached to whatever they come into contact with. When I was a kid, my dad always said that it was imperative to remove all cactus thorns because of the "barb", because the thorns could only go one way, "IN", and those not removed would fester and get worse over time.
I have no idea if this "fatherly word of advice" was just an "old man's tale" or not. I still try to get them all out, however.
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BigLoad
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Post by BigLoad on Jan 20, 2017 19:45:49 GMT -8
When I was a kid, my dad always said that it was imperative to remove all cactus thorns because of the "barb", because the thorns could only go one way, "IN", and those not removed would fester and get worse over time. I find that a moderate fraction of unrecovered spines will fester, usually the more shallow ones. Others eventually find their way back to the surface over time (weeks, months or years), along with a fair amount of itching when they do. I agree on trying to get 'em all out sooner rather than later. I'm sure this is making it sound much worse than it really is. Cactus is no more than a minor annoyance to me in the cases where it even rises to the level of conscious thought. The desert, especially the Sonoran Desert is so magical that a few pokes are a small price to pay for access to the glorious flora and exposed geology. |
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rebeccad
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Post by rebeccad on Jan 20, 2017 22:29:43 GMT -8
I'm sure this is making it sound much worse than it really is. Cactus is no more than a minor annoyance to me in the cases where it even rises to the level of conscious thought. The desert, especially the Sonoran Desert is so magical that a few pokes are a small price to pay for access to the glorious flora and exposed geology. Absolutely! And I've been enjoying the Sonoran, Mojave, and Great Basin deserts for over 20 years now, and have never gotten seriously stuck with a cactus. The few stickers last spring were the worst I've ever had, and that was trivial. Even the boys avoided it, even when they were very little. |
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