Wet boots - what do you do?

[billbennettoz]

If your boots get wet the previous day, do they ever dry out overnight? Are there facilities in the albergues where you can dry your boots? And if not, what's it like putting on wet boots in the early morning before you head off again?

 

[supersullivan]

Bill

I use full leather hiking boots and make sure I use Brasher leather conditioner every few days, this greatly increases the water proofing and unless I'm wading through streams the damp never penetrates all the way, if your boots do get damp all the way through then stuff some old newspaper inside overnight and this will help to speed up drying, no special drying facilities in any of the albergues I was in last year but leather boots should NEVER be dried by placing close to heat as this will cause cracking in the leather and greatly shorten the lifetime of the boots. Can't speak for canvas boots as I'm old school and have always used leather.

Regards

Seamus

 

[dougfitz]

The advice at http://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/caring-hiking-boots.html is pretty good. If it is wet, you will find space near radiators etc at a premium, but basic measures such as removing the inner soles and stuffing the boot with newspaper allow a reasonable amount of drying.

As for putting on damp boots - its never pleasant! Nonetheless, I have found that the unpleasant sensation doesn't last long, and in any case, when there is no option, a lot of things one thought one would never do, suddenly become possible.

Regards,

Edit: note that while good construction and regular water-proofing will protect the inside from water entry through the boot itself, you will get both sweat and moisture entry from the top of the boot. In my experience, these are the major causes of wet boots. Gaiters or good rain-pants will help stop rain running down one's legs into the top of the boots, but not sweat generated inside one's rain gear.

 

[billbennettoz]

I use full leather hiking boots and make sure I use Brasher leather conditioner every few days. Can't speak for canvas boots as I'm old school and have always used leather.

Thanks for the reply Seamus. I've been considering leather boots, but I like the lightness of the non-leather variety. It was pouring where I live here in Australia yesterday so in anticipation of walking in Galicia in September :wink: I put on my Asolo boots, a combination of leather and synthetic, plus my Icebreaker merino wool socks, and of course boots and socks got soaked. Hence my question. But maybe leather's the go, because I would HATE to put on wet boots in the morning! Bill

 

[billbennettoz]

.. when there is no option, a lot of things one thought one would never do, suddenly become possible.

Thanks DougF for the link. Very helpful. And yes, I suppose wet boots are a small deprivation in the larger scheme of things. Bill

 

[grayland]

Goretex non leather boots are actually more water proof than most leather treated boots. Having said that everything leaks if exposed long enough.
Newspaper in boots when you arrive and then changed before bed will help..but wet boots are always a threat. Blisters love wet boots :shock:
Try to have dry socks handy so you can change socks in wet boots as often as possible.

 

[billbennettoz]

The advice at http://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/caring-hiking-boots.html is pretty good.

I've now had a chance to read this article DougF and it's terrific - thank you for posting. I'm now going to read some of the other articles on the REI site too! Bill

 

[scruffy1]

Sure there is a good chance to get your boots good and wet however it is far more common to find that you, all by yuourself, have created a wonderful environment for the growth and export of mildew, fungus, and mushrooms due to the hot sweaty feet that come in and out of your boots every day. Even if you haven't been in the rain, walking through swollen creeks and rivers, wading through mudflats and puddles, your feet will generate incredible heat and worse, moisture. Pull the insoles out every day stuff them with newspapers whenever you can (newspaper is not an easy commodity to find on large parts of the Camino), sore feet and blisters are bad enough so preserve your feet from microscopic sub-organisms who will absolutely fall in love with mal-treated boots.

 

[Tia Valeria]

The insoles of our boots do not pull out although they are 'replaceable'. We would stuff them with newspaper if necessary, but use waterproof leather and carry some re-proofer with us. In rain our waterproof trousers come down over the boots and so far we have never had to paddle in water deep enough to come in over the stitched in tongue ( nearly ankle height). [This did involve walking a bank side and hugging a tree on one occasion]

We do wear Crocs once we have arrived in our stopping place to give maximum airing time to our boots and also powder them with Fungusol regularly - keeps them smelling sweet and absorbs any sweat.

 

[alexwalker]

well-working army trick from the Arctic:

Take out the soles. Put the soles and shoes in the bottom of your sleeping bag through the night. Put some paper in each shoe, if you have. Shoes will be warm and fairly dry in the morning from your body temperature. As for damp socks: Put one sock in each armpit through the night. Socks will be dry by morning.

I know it sounds bad, but this has saved me many a day when I was in cold/wet and snowy conditions as a soldier.

 

[billbennettoz]

...also powder them with Fungusol regularly - keeps them smelling sweet and absorbs any sweat.

Thanks for the advice - so I have to add fungus powder as well to my kit?

 

[supersullivan]

well-working army trick from the Arctic:

Take out the soles. Put the soles and shoes in the bottom of your sleeping bag through the night. Put some paper in each shoe, if you have. Shoes will be warm and fairly dry in the morning from your body temperature. As for damp socks: Put one sock in each armpit through the night. Socks will be dry by morning.

I know it sounds bad, but this has saved me many a day when I was in cold/wet and snowy conditions as a soldier.

Sod me Alex, the cure sounds nearly worse than the disease :wink:

Seamus

 

[koilife]

Not to be contrarian, but the best way to handle wet boots is to get rid of them altogether.

Several years ago, I moved to lightweight, low-top, non-waterproofed, no-leather trail shoes and trail sandals for everything except hardcore winter. I do a lot of mountain hiking in rough terrain, including some multi-day wet and mud fests.

In dry conditions, I have almost no sweat accumulation in the socks, whereas with Gore-Tex I have several ounces extra sweat. In extreme wet conditions, I'm gonna get wet either way, but the GoreTex becomes a swimming pool that doesn't drain. In mixed conditions I'll easily dry while walking or overnighting.

Good wool socks (and liners, if you wish) are critical. Rotate them and rinse them regularly to eliminate dirt, salts, and other abrasives.

The key is, in my opinion, to manage moisture more than it is to prevent moisture.

Obviously, you'll get lots of different opinions on this, and mine is only one of them. A good hiking buddy of mine can't/won't make the seemingly irrational leap on this. On the bright side, he knows more about blister care than I do . . .

Your mileage may vary. Happy trails and buen camino!

 

[Anniesantiago]

This is why I wear New Balance trail shoes or trainers on the Camino, not boots.
They dry overnight no matter how soaked they get.

 

[scruffy1]

Let me add my mantra - hiking sandals are cool and New Balance are well New Balance - remember the song "Be kind to your knees, you will miss them when they are gone" - sandals and NB give little or no support for your ankles knees not to mention the lower back - I am sure you can do the Camino in either however talk to me in another 10 years or so. Fungus powder? No,to paraphrase, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of fungus powder. Me? I take my boots off at lunchtime or picnic a goodplan for circulation and change my socks as well - makes one feel like a new wo/man.
S

 

[Tia Valeria]

Terry was told about the Fungusol by a farmacia on the Norte when he had a tiny blister starting. They recommend it for pilgrims. It is similar to talc but much better. We have bought some every year now for walking, not for its fungicidal properties. I use it at night but Terry prefers to use it in the morning. No other foot treatment and no blisters. Sweet smelling boots etc....

 

[wayfarer]

...also powder them with Fungusol regularly - keeps them smelling sweet and absorbs any sweat.

Thanks for the advice - so I have to add fungus powder as well to my kit?

I would stick with just the Silic 15 Bill as discussed in the other thread. :arrow:

 

[Stacy08]

I agree with the newspaper idea, although out of necessity I often found myself using toilet paper instead.

And, well putting your leather boots/shoes next to the heater may reduce their overall life, I found I really couldn't care less when it came to whether my shoes were going to be wet or dry in the morning. Living in the moment and all that...

 

[wayfarer]

Best setup I saw was in Fonfria on the way down from O'Cebriero. The boot shelves all had several pairs of plastic air tubes that went back through a manifold system to a fan mechanism. You put an air tube into each boot and if required the people who ran the hostel (which was private) would turn on the system and it blew slightly warm air into each boot. This system could cater for pretty much all the boots on the shelves. Great but simple idea.

 

[koilife]

Me? I take my boots off at lunchtime or picnic a goodplan for circulation and change my socks as well - makes one feel like a new wo/man.

Hey there Scruffy!
That's good advice no matter what the footwear strategy is.

. . . sandals and NB give little or no support for your ankles knees not to mention the lower back - I am sure you can do the Camino in either however talk to me in another 10 years or so.

I know we're drifting off topic here, but you also bring up a good point around the question of support. Assuming that the most important support is the human body itself (we are made for walking), then we need to strengthen our feet, ankles and legs, improve balance, and have good stretching for all our various tendons and ligaments. Personally, I use Tai Chi and Pilates to get in shape for each summer's backpacking. Also, I find using thin, flat water shoes (Five Fingers also do the same thing) around the house and yard all spring to help strengthen calves and feet because they force a slightly different walking mechanic the really helps with supporting muscles.

Then, the question of footwear is whether it cooperates with the natural walking mechanics, or whether it compensates, or whether it inhibits. I look specifically for shoes that fit my foot (not just any NB will do) and that provide good support (my feet need good arch support and heel alignment). While my shoes have always been sufficient for me, I know many people replace their shoe insert with Superfeet inserts to give them the specific additional support they need. I've found that a quality running store is 10X better than the best outdoor store for getting a suitable trail walking/running shoe, precisely because they people are skilled specifically with feet and body mechanics.

Good balance and conditioning with a 1 pound shoe that cooperates with body mechanics are far better at preventing slips and falls than a heavy, 3 pound boot-encased foot with constricted ankle movement (and therefore constricted flexibility) that compensates for poor mechanics and inhibits good mechanics. Moreover, legs are less tired and therefore less prone to late-day falls, and can comfortably (relative term here) sustain greater mileage.

As to longevity, I find it interesting that most of the people who repeat "thru-hikes" of the Appalachian Trail (3,500 KM), or the Continental Divide Trail (5,000 KM), or the Pacific Crest Trail (4,300 KM) do so in sandals and trail running shoes (NB, Brooks, Salomon, etc.). Many people do this right up into their 60s and 70s, and even into their 80s. In fact the conventional wisdom on these trails is to use shoes, NOT boots, and that wisdom is driven by those who have hiked those trails over literally dozens of years.

Yes, it is contrarian, but I've never met anyone who, having seriously made the move from boots to shoes would ever go back.

 

[Susannafromsweden]

I agree.
But some people fancy heavy boots, even though there's nice new comfortable shoes to wear these days. Of course it's their business, but it's interesting, especially as they seem to enjoy telling us we just got to wear boots, too.
I wonder if that is because they have done the military service a long time ago, and when out walking the obligatory 70 km march in the woods, eating nothing but old pea soup from their helmets, they had to wear old march boots.
Like this?:
http://www.rodastjarnan.com/skor/marsch ... ensk-12930
Horrible shoes. And perhaps now they think, that when out walking, one has to have Proper Boots. Otherwise one is not doing it right.
I'm only guessing. :wink:

On topic,
When I walked vdlp, I noticed that the hotels turn off the heating in the night. So when I tried to dry things close to the radiator, they were still just as cold and wet in the morning, as the day before.

 

[Anniesantiago]

The BEST thing for your knees and ankles is to walk barefoot, according to some studies.
I've seen at least one bloody footed person attempt that, at least as far as Acebo.

If a person has problem ankles that require support when not hiking, then I agree that boots might be a better option.

Also, I changed my mind about boots last year on the Aragones. There are some really rough sections where a person might need more support.

But for the Frances, there just aren't many stages in my opinion that call for boots. To me, it's mostly a rambling walk, not a hike.

It's just a personal opinion... there are threads as long as the Camino discussing this issue.

 

[danielle aird]

If your boots get wet the previous day, do they ever dry out overnight? Are there facilities in the albergues where you can dry your boots? And if not, what's it like putting on wet boots in the early morning before you head off again?

You will think I am totally cuckoo but here is how I managed quite happily. At Roncesvalles, my hiking shoes were soaked and the newspapers were all used up so I had nothing to dry them. In the morning, they were still soaked. I had plastic bags from some rice cakes. I put on clean socks, slipped on the plastic bags and then my shoes. Believe it or not, it was perfect. My shoes dried on the way and my feet stayed dry and I had not problem with blisters or anything else. I am off to the Camino again in about ten days and you bet there will be a couple of plastic bags big enough for my feet in my bag! Buen camino!

 

[RussB]

Not to be contrarian, but the best way to handle wet boots is to get rid of them altogether.

Several years ago, I moved to lightweight, low-top, non-waterproofed, no-leather trail shoes and trail sandals for everything except hardcore winter. I do a lot of mountain hiking in rough terrain, including some multi-day wet and mud fests.

In dry conditions, I have almost no sweat accumulation in the socks, whereas with Gore-Tex I have several ounces extra sweat. In extreme wet conditions, I'm gonna get wet either way, but the GoreTex becomes a swimming pool that doesn't drain. In mixed conditions I'll easily dry while walking or overnighting.

Good wool socks (and liners, if you wish) are critical. Rotate them and rinse them regularly to eliminate dirt, salts, and other abrasives.

The key is, in my opinion, to manage moisture more than it is to prevent moisture.

Obviously, you'll get lots of different opinions on this, and mine is only one of them. A good hiking buddy of mine can't/won't make the seemingly irrational leap on this. On the bright side, he knows more about blister care than I do . . .

Your mileage may vary. Happy trails and buen camino!

I agree. Non gortex trail shoes, your feet get wet, your feet dry out, plus shoes are always dry in the morning. I have had too many early starts with wet boots so made the change.
understand it’s not for everyone but works for me.

 

[RussB]

Hey there Scruffy!
That's good advice no matter what the footwear strategy is.

I know we're drifting off topic here, but you also bring up a good point around the question of support. Assuming that the most important support is the human body itself (we are made for walking), then we need to strengthen our feet, ankles and legs, improve balance, and have good stretching for all our various tendons and ligaments. Personally, I use Tai Chi and Pilates to get in shape for each summer's backpacking. Also, I find using thin, flat water shoes (Five Fingers also do the same thing) around the house and yard all spring to help strengthen calves and feet because they force a slightly different walking mechanic the really helps with supporting muscles.

Then, the question of footwear is whether it cooperates with the natural walking mechanics, or whether it compensates, or whether it inhibits. I look specifically for shoes that fit my foot (not just any NB will do) and that provide good support (my feet need good arch support and heel alignment). While my shoes have always been sufficient for me, I know many people replace their shoe insert with Superfeet inserts to give them the specific additional support they need. I've found that a quality running store is 10X better than the best outdoor store for getting a suitable trail walking/running shoe, precisely because they people are skilled specifically with feet and body mechanics.

Good balance and conditioning with a 1 pound shoe that cooperates with body mechanics are far better at preventing slips and falls than a heavy, 3 pound boot-encased foot with constricted ankle movement (and therefore constricted flexibility) that compensates for poor mechanics and inhibits good mechanics. Moreover, legs are less tired and therefore less prone to late-day falls, and can comfortably (relative term here) sustain greater mileage.

As to longevity, I find it interesting that most of the people who repeat "thru-hikes" of the Appalachian Trail (3,500 KM), or the Continental Divide Trail (5,000 KM), or the Pacific Crest Trail (4,300 KM) do so in sandals and trail running shoes (NB, Brooks, Salomon, etc.). Many people do this right up into their 60s and 70s, and even into their 80s. In fact the conventional wisdom on these trails is to use shoes, NOT boots, and that wisdom is driven by those who have hiked those trails over literally dozens of years.

Yes, it is contrarian, but I've never met anyone who, having seriously made the move from boots to shoes would ever go back.

I have several pairs of Alberg / Aku and Meindl and if carrying a heavy load over rocky ground in wet conditions I would prob wear a pair.
However for the Camino it’s prob not the case so will stick to my Altras, lighter and dry quicker

 

[Former member 92300]

I wear non-waterproof trail runners. They usually dry overnight. Much faster than boots. And then my double socks help keep my feet dry if they are still damp - but if they do get wet - put on a dry pair half way through the day. Stuffing with newspaper also helps absorb water - but I usually don't need to do that with trail runners.