Fording Footwear

[martin cooperman]

Adrian,
You wrote: 'What do folks do when it's super-cold and they're wearing waterproof insulated shoes/boots? Just avoid water?'

I tested this situation on a day hike a few months ago, in 25F temps. I took off my trail sneakers and socks and put them in my pack, along with my pants (the water seem high enough to warrant that), donned my Mary Jane Crocs and still wearing a pair of shorts, went in.

At first I had to cross a small side slough before crossing the main part of the creek (the creek being about 75 yards across). My feet got cold immediately, but that was to be expected. To my surprise I felt my legs hitting and then breaking branches underwater. I was momentarily stunned and then saw a thin sheet of ice break at the surface as my thighs moved up and down while taking steps.

It took a second or so before I realized that the 'branches' were really the ice that I was breaking as I walked. It was covered by some water and not readily visible.

I then crossed to a gravel bar, and proceeded across the main creek. Exiting, I had a towel at the ready and was prepared for a lightning footwear change. Which was, to my surprise, unnecessary. In 4 to 5 seconds out of the water my feet were warm. I never bothered with the towel.

I sat on a log, took out some hot chocolate and a snack and proceeded to eat for about 5 minutes, still in my Crocs. When, done I changed back into pants, socks and trail sneakers, put the Crocs back in the pack and continued on.

I told people about this when I got back, but have a reputation for going a bit beyond the limits, and so was quietly dismissed.

A month later on a backpacking trip, only one of a half dozen hikers with me chose to take the route requiring the stream crossing. His comment: 'I've been carrying these Crocs the entire trip and I'm going to try them out!'.

And so he did. We crossed a creek with the same results as last time – a leisurely changing of socks and shoes afterwards. But when he told the story at the restaurant after the hike, no one dismissed it. On the other hand, no one seemed eager to try it either.

Marty Cooperman

[David Chenault]

Sometimes Martin's system works. Sometimes it's cloudy and blowing 25 mph..

When it's fairly warm (air and more importantly, water), crossings are infrequent, and so forth I wear the usual non-GTex trail shoes and normal think socks and plow on through. I don't have blister issues with this sort of thing.

When it's colder, and especially when the water is snow-melt, I use neo socks. thin NRS socks hike well.

My canyoneering system is thicker (2mm) neo socks with welded seams. These keep my feet warm in almost all circumstances.

Last system is Neos Trekker overshoes. Waterproof to the knee, and fantastic if you can keep from going over the top. I also want a vapor barrier sock if hiking in them for a while, to prevent your shoes/socks/etc from getting soaked by perspiration.

[nanook ofthenorth]

Any recomendations for a crossing glaciel streams?
I've heard of the Treckers but my problem is crossing heavily braided streams on a glaciel morian.
Usualy if I'm doing that we are aproching a climb and I have my Gore-Tex La Sortiva Trango's on. Moving from the streem to a glacier, even in high summer, might not be the best idea in wet boots. We usualy aproch in the cold, before the sun has had a chance to hit the valleys.
I've been trying to find a lightweight system that protects my feet that I can leave on untill I need to put on the boots. Any ideas?

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