Lightweight Summer Camp Shoe Ideas

[John Whynot]

I second Mike's suggestion — after switching to trail runners, I've never found a need or desire for camp-shoes.

Camp shoes would just be one more thing to keep track of, and I like simplicity.

[George Matthews]

If you continue to wear boots and do not switch to trail runners, then cheap flipflops work. During my boot days, I'd take a pair of Crocs. But I saw the light.

Try trail runners. They will work. No more boots. No more camp shoes.

Of course, if they don't work out then go back to your boots and re-new your search for the perfect camp shoe.

[Shane S.]

Going lightweight is a matter of perspective relative to the individual’s perceived need at the time. Since going “Lightweight” is a vague term as everyone’s perception of lightweight is different.

I have taken water shoes with me when I know that I’ll need to cross hip deep streams or rivers, such as I did in Montana on the Nyack trail in Glacial Park. Water shoes were invaluable in crossing those streams and keeping my hiking boots dry. I would never consider crossing a stream such as previously mentioned without some sort of foot protection. There is glass, fishing hooks and lures and sharp rocks that can do serious damage and ruin a hiking trip, not to mention the excruciating pain that coincides with stubbing your toe on an underwater rock when your feet are freezing in the water.

Currently my choices of water shoes are made by Ahnu, and weighs 13oz.They have good non-slip traction and are built well.

Also, they can be a great backup shoe if your boots fail. On a 6 day 55 mile hike in Montana’s remote Bob Marshall Wilderness, my buddies' Montrail synthetic/leather hiking boot literally blew apart at the seams, all that was showing was the gore-tex liner sock. That sucked for him as the terrain was really rough. In this case, a backup shoe would have come in handy for hiking in if he had too.

He contacted Montrail and they replaced the boot free of charge

[Mike Clelland]

I've crossed a lot of big streams and rivers. And I always wear shoes.

I have lightweight hikers on my feet, and I just cross in those, and let 'em get wet.No need to change, so it's faster. They dry out eventually. And if it's raining, they are wet already. No need for an extra set of shoes.

I also carry with me (on long trips) a repair kit with various glues and a needle sewing supplies, so I can fix my shoes.

Again, the lightest camp shoes are the pair you don't take.

[Shane S.]

Not all of us wear light weight running shoes on the trail. As it might work for you, it doesn't mean that it will work for evryone. I personally I'm not a fan of hiking in squesy, water logged hiking boots for several miles until dry as this can acclerate blisters and speed up the break down of the boot.

[Roger Caffin]

> I'm not a fan of hiking in squesy, water logged hiking boots for several miles

But that's the whole point! UL walkers do NOT walk in 'hiking boots' at all. Wet or dry, they are too heavy and too clumsy.

> [wet boots] can accelerate blisters

Urban myth. We often have wet feet all day from crossing creeks and rivers. They do not give us blisters.

Cheers

[Ross Bleakney]

Camp shoes are one of those luxuries that some like to take and other (ultralighters) laugh at. At under two ounces (for the pair) it is not a very heavy luxury. A camera weighs more. The difference between closed cell and an inflatable is more. There are probably lots and lots of little "luxuries" out there that all but the most dedicated super ultra lighter takes. I personally applaud every effort to shave grams, but still carry a few luxuries. I find these slippers rather comfortable, even after a day of wearing light trail runners. I would prefer a different sole (and have considered replacing the sole) but in general I find them much more comfortable than any shoe.

[Shane S.]

I counter your counter point! That is why, on occasion I bring water shoes to ford waist deep streams so that my hiking boots don't get wet. I don't think that a more substanital light weight hiking boot is more clumsy, just a bit heavier then trail runners and the like. Again…not all wear ultra light trail runners.

Also,the common argument is that using trail runners has the advantage of keeping your feet cooler by using more breathable fabrics to aid in your feet breathing and keeping the feet dryer. If that is the case, why do you want to get the shoes soaked to the point of saturation…kinda defeats the purpose.

I beg to differ on what you refere to as an uban myth by my statemnet that went feet can accelerate blisters. When the feet(or any skin for that matter) becomes saturated (like siitting in a bathtube you prune up)the skin loses elasticity and this decrease it's abrasion resistance. Also, wet feet over the long term (long term would vary depending ont he individual) are more suceptible to foot fungus.

[Mike Clelland]

(wet feet in the photo)

question:
=====
Where do you do your hiking? I do a lot in alaska and the northern rockies. Both can be freekin' WET. A lot of the trails in the rockies are set up for horse traffic, so no bridges.

I've found that it doesn't bother me to have wet feet. The first stream I get to in the morning, I just tromp across and get my shoes wet early. I find if I do that, the rest of my hiking day is easy. I don't need to worry about keeping my feet dry. If I changed my shoes at each stream crossing, my travel would slow to a crawl. And – If it's warm and sunny, they dry off quick. If it's cold and rainy, my feet are wet anyway.

I hike in low top nylon trail runners (Montrail HARD rock). I do a lot of complicated off trail travel (no trails in alaska) if I keep my pack weight really low, I do a LOT better with light shoes in off trail 3rd and 4th class terrain.

And – I do LONG trips, here's a two week trip report from the WINDS:

LINK:
====
http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=15837

If you've never NOT taken camp shoes, I encourage you to give it a try.

Also – I take luxury items, in the form of coffee and special oily chap stick (for my dry skin).

[Roger Caffin]

Hi Shane

> When the feet becomes saturated (you prune up) the skin loses elasticity
This verges on myth. A long-standing, wide-spread myth and very cherished myth, and one that is very stubborn, but still a myth. The makers of heavy leather boots love it of course.

Realise that under the thin surface layer of half-dry dead skin cells your skin is totally wet. Don't believe me? Try looking under a blister. That moisture or plasma is all through your body. That dry surface layer is maybe a fraction of a millimetre thick, compared to the several millimetres (plus) for the rest of your skin. It is there to buffer the nerve endings which nestle just below the surface and to keep out bugs and wogs.

> and this decrease it's abrasion resistance.
I don't abrade my feet when I have socks and shoes on. This does not seem relevant.

> Also, wet feet over the long term (long term would vary depending ont he individual) are more suceptible to foot fungus.
Actually, I have far LESS problems with tinea etc when I am walking than when I am at home. And on a hot day, walking through a cool creek is very pleasant.

A typical river walk here in Australia.

Another river walk. Actually, in this case it was raining and all of me was wet, not just my feet. No matter.

Cheers

[Jolly Green Giant]

I agree, wear lightweight joggers and you won't need "camp shoes". Needing them is, in my opinion, just an old way of thinking.

Mike –

Just wanted to say that I've really enjoyed all your illustrations over the years. I get a kick out of the detail in each one and I always find myself quite jealous that I can't hardly draw much of anything. Quite a great talent which makes reading even the old pages of the BPL magazine more fun. And yes, another reason I'll miss the magazine.

[Mark Mendell]

here, here….

[Ashley Brown]

This blister article makes interesting reading.

I find that damp feet is not a major factor for me. The most important thing is having a well-fitting footwear and sock system that avoids any hotspots. If you wear very rigid boots and carry a heavier load, you are asking for trouble. I would defy anyone to get blisters wearing Roger's shoe of choice (the dunlop KT26)… it is super-flexy and moulds to your foot over time. Very hard to develop hotspots if your shoe does not slide much and you aren't carrying a heavy load. It's all about the friction forces across the heel (and other parts) of your foot!

I like to have a camp shoe as a 'luxury' item. For me, a dry pair of socks is as good as a shower (well, almost!).

[Mike Clelland]

Hey – thanks for the kind words, I love hearing that kinda thing. Really, I do my drawing alone in my cabin, and I have no idea what happens when I send 'em out. It's really nice to know people enjoy 'em.

peace,
M!

[Andrew Wolff]

Mike and Roger are quite right , wet feet will not hurt you. If you want to make your trail runners more comfortable at the end of the day try loosening the laces up, tucking the lace ends down over the top of the tongue and wearing your shoes like slip-ons. Now trail runners can dry pretty quick under the right conditions but wet shoes do indeed suck at the end of the day, so, if your shoes are wet at the end of the day put on your dry socks (you do carry one extra pair right?) and then slip a polyethylene bag over each foot (the kind you get for fruit and vegies at the supermarket) and then slip your shoes on for walking around camp. Warm dry feet, no weight penalty (those bags weigh nothing) and NO HEAVY BOOTS. I dare you to try it once.

[Paul Tree]

An idea I saw here somewhere is dual-using your insoles with some stretchy cord. Never tried it yet.

[Mike Clelland]

For a lot of my summer hiking, I wear the thinnest socks I can find (and I mean REALLy thin!) and it helps my feet dry quicker after a stream crossing.

[Rog Tallbloke]

> UL walkers do NOT walk in 'hiking boots' at all. Wet or dry, they are too heavy and too clumsy.

OK, I'll bite. This is a generalisation. The relative 'clumsiness' of footwear depends on the terrain. Whilst on a sandy flat trail stiff soled boots may seem heavy and clumsy in comparison to trail joggers. Going up or down steep uneven sharp rocky terrain, I guarantee I'll be disappearing into the distance being able to balance directly on the points of rocks in my 'clumsy' boots while the trail joggers move with care to avoid ankle scrapes and banged toes.

There is nothing 'clumsy' about the way me and my boots get around the mountains.

Back on topic, for longer trips to warmer climes, I may just take sandals for both in camp and on the trail, and just take more time and care on the off trail sections.

[John S.]

To me wet feet may increase friction in some people which may lead to blisters. If you are prone to hot spots with your current footwear, adding wet could make things worse. It won't with everyone, but you have to hike your own hike when it comes to feet/footwear. No two feets are alike.

[Lynn Tramper]

I totally agree that "wet feet" do not cause blisters if your shoes fit properly. I do NOT agree that wearing trail runners solves all problems and can substitute for camp shoes for everyone. I would say ~60% of my hiking is off trail through untracked rough, steep, rocky scree or bush, and there are often very sharp bits of bush too which poke right through the softer tops of most trail runners.

Wild Spaniard: natives of New Zealand. The leaves and flowers bear numerous bayonetlike spines, and the plants form an impenetrable thicket.

Matagouri

Add to that an unstable ankle that demands extra support, andfor me trail runners are not an option unless I want to buy 6 pairs per year, get my feet poked with spikes, and wear a bulky and uncomfortable ankle brace. So I wear the lightest "boot" that is comfortable and supportive. Walking in NZ means wet feet almost 100% of the time, so at the end of the day I really appreciate having something drier and lighter to slip in to. I also like having something that will keep my feet dry-ish when I slip out of the tent in the middle of a very wet night, or when the grass is tall and wet.

…hole-less croc-type shoes are on my essential list…as a bonus, I can also hike in them on groomed trails.

[Yoyo]

My wife and I make our own camp sandals from blue foam with paracord.
These weigh in at 1.2 oz for the pair (I wear 9.5 in men's shoes). If I get a chance, I'll post pics of the finished product. I've used these for everything from taking showers to crossing fast rivers (I crossed the Rio Grande this summer in Colorado).

[Greg Mihalik]

Off the Wall –

I haven't tried these but just maybe…

FootzyRolls "As Seen on Ophra"
I'd probably remove the bow…or not…;-)

2.5 ounces a pair for womens XL (10.5 – 11.5)

$25 a pair + $7 for shipping

[Kimberly Wersal]

Pretty! Trust me, keep the bow.

[Travis Leanna]

David, how thick is that blue foam? I've made similar camp shoes out of old shoe liners, but they're pretty thin. They didn't have enough cushion for the desert! There were these little spiky seed things that came off a tree near our campsite. The spines were just long enough to reach through the shoe liner. Yay anecdotal stories.

[Joe Clement]

Wow, Lynn, those pics look like far West Texas.

[Author]

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