MYOG Project: Trail Runner OverBoot – Part 1

[Bill Fornshell]

MYOG Project: Trail Runner OverBoot
Part 1: “Define” the Requirement

On 04/14/2006 Will Rietveld asked about a source for fabric Over-Boots.

“Will asked:
1. I’m looking for some fabric overboots that are not insulated.

2. I want to wear them over LW hiking shoes for snowshoeing and
snow camping.

3. The lower section should be WP/B and the upper section highly breathable.

4. Note: OR and Mt Hardwear have insulated overboots, but they are heavy mountaineering overboots. Forty Below overboots are pretty light, but I would like to find some that are just fabric, no insulation.”

–0–

Late in 2003 I made a pair of full-shoe gaiters for my trail runners. The prototype seems to work and I bought a few Gore-Tex remnants from Quest Outfitters. My sewing skills were about “0” at the time and what I ended up with didn’t look like much. But they did work. I posted a few pictures of the prototype on the Whiteblaze web site early in 2004.

1st Picture

2nd Picture

3rd Picture

After Will made his first request I dusted off my notes from my old gaiter project. I have been working on a MYOG – SUL gear list for a winter hike for a couple of years. I expected to get back to an updated version of a new full boot gaiter/over-boot what ever but not for a few more months.

My Trail Runners weigh about 14oz each and used with a full boot gaiter/over-boot it will have to be lighter than a light weight winter boot. My standard winter boot weighs 34oz each. This then is my high weight (34oz) vs (14oz) of my trail runners.

Will stated that it looks like there is nothing for sale that fits what he is looking for. I don’t see why a MYOG Project isn’t possible. If a clear set of requirements is worked out and we can come up with the materials needed then a MYOG item is possible. The research could also be turned over to a gear maker such as David Olson to see if he might be able to make some of these.

A few basic questions I have is to get started are:

Q-1. What should the max weight be for the Over-Boots per pair?

Q-2. Do they need a sole or can they use the sole of the trail runner and be attached to the edges of the trail runner sole in some way?

Q-3. What (specific) material should they be made out of? This can be one material for the lower part and a different material for the upper part. Name the material and where it can be bought?

Q-4. How tall should they be?

If there is no interest in a group effort for something like this project then I will plod along alone.

[Jay Ham]

Bill,

I’m interested, but mainly in regards to the bottom. I want to make some neoprene overboots that use the running shoes’ bottom as the sole with relatively decent water resistence. This would require some type of sealing material around the inside bottom edge, perhaps neoprene, to work as a gasket against the rand of the shoe. I also envision the use of fine wire cable, or spectra cord to wrap underneath the shoe.

Jay
MYOG

[Dale Wambaugh]

I can’t see getting a good seal on a light flexible shoe and most traill runners have little rand to work with.

If you wanted to snowshoe with them, a light, thin, sole could be made from some sort of textured plastic sheet, or you may be able to mold your own using mask-making or model making techniques.

I could see making a plaster mold with traction lugs and using some sort of catalyzed rubber compound you could pour in, and then have an insert that would push the excess up the sides, giving you some control over the thickness and creating a rand to sew or glue the fabric portion of the overboot to.

A “plug” for the mold could be created with a sole-shaped plywood cutout and insert bolts through the plywood so the bolt heads would mold as traction lugs– the options for that are endless. Using plywood would make it easy to cut two soles at the same time on a bandsaw to give identical pairs– just flip one to get the other foot.

I would add a couple straps on the outside to stabilize them.

Other prototyping options might be to canabalize the soles from rubber boots or sandals (heavy though) or find textured rubber material from industrial sources and glue that to the bottom of the overshoe. With double-layered glued-on soles, you could put some sort of spikes out through the bottom layer.

[Bill Fornshell]

I called Kahtoola to order something and when finished asked about anything new coming soon. Brian asked if I had read the review of there
Kahtoola Flight Boot and the rest of the Flight System

I went to BPL site and looked for the review. Yes, there is a picture of the new Flight Boot. The Flight Boot is made to wear with a trail runner type shoe. It has a built in crampon and will attach to the Flight SnowShoe when you need a snow shoe.

Will Rietveid did the review but it really didn’t focus much on tne Boot. I remember seeing the review but didn’t connect the Boot to anything I might want to watch for. I thought the review was about the snowshoe.

The Flight System will be for sale 1 Oct 2006 and will include a number of improvments over the model shown at the OD Winter Market 2006 show. The system will be a little lighter.

I will continue to work on my Trail Runner OverBoot but will also take a close look at this new Kahtoola product as we get closer to its release date in Oct.

[AK Hiker]

I am looking forward to this too. Looks like a fun project.

[Bill Fornshell]

MYOG Project: Trail Runner Over-Boot – Part 2

Fabric Decision Time:

I am still plugging away on my “over-boot” project. I have made several full size prototypes and have about settled upon a pattern I think will work.

It is time to decide on what fabric to try first for the over-boots. I have 2mm inner-tube rubber for the lower area. I have or can get any one of the following three materials listed below for the upper area:

1. Sunday Comics Paper, 0.9 oz
2. Wal Mart Plastic Bag, 0.9 oz
3. Phone Book Cover, 1.7 oz

I will try the 2mm inner-tube for the lower area first as it is kind of stretchy and should form to my trail runners nicely. The upper part will be some kind of breathable material and I think any of the three above would work. The Phone Book may be the most durable of the three but a little heavier. It is possible that some other fabric might work for the upper part but I don’t know what it might be and I have to be able to buy it. I have a plan to backup wear points with small amounts of a stronger material.

For now the sole will be a 3/8″ Wal Mart Blue Pad. If my feet are in crampons or snowshoes most of the time a sole pattern may not be necessary. I also can or may just use sheet metal screws in the sole for traction. I am checking the local dumsters for flip flops that may have been thrown away.

There will be a Saran Wrap version at some point in the future.

`

[Ryan P. Murphy]

Hey Bill have you looked at the stealth rubber resole kits from fiveten? I’ve never used one myself but it might fit the bill. http://www.fiveten.com or http://www.stealthrubber.com

[Bill Fornshell]

To Ryan P. Murphy, Thanks for the suggestion. I ordered a piece of the “5/10 Dot tread material” from a “resole” repair place listed with them.

It should work better than the smooth stuff I now have.

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