Budget UL Camp Slippers

[Christian K]

I debated bringing my flip flops on my last multiday trip, but decided against it because they were still 12+ oz for a pair! I was baffled. So, after messing around with a quick and dirty pattern I made these (well… this) slippers! I’ve seen some lighter CF and gridstop versions before which repurpose old shoe soles, and I’m SURE someone has made some out of other CCF before, but still wanted to share.

They’re made out of those CCF garage puzzle floor mats and some good old fashion duct tape. You can get a 4-pack of the 24″x24″  puzzle floor mats as cheap as $5 or $8, which would probably make a 6-8 pairs. I think it’s much more durable than the CCF I use for hip belts and whatnot, but it’s also heavier.

Although, walking barefoot around camp isn’t too bad (and is really the lightest option), sometimes small rocks and sticks and various spiky vegetation can get annoying.

They’ve not been field tested, I can’t speak of long term durability, they don’t compact flat, and they’re definitely not suitable for river crossings, but hey… they were free to make. The nice thing about slides is that they can be worn with socks at camp :)

• 36g (1.2 oz) per shoe, so 2.4 oz +/- per pair. I’m a size 10, for reference.  I’m sure if you make a good template, it’d be pretty easy to make these as needed.

Just wanted to share. MYOG on!

[Kevin Babione]

On my last trip one of our guys slipped off a rock while getting water near camp and dunked both of his feet. He pulled out the insoles of his boots and laced them on using some paracord that he was carrying anyway.

Weight:  0 grams ;)

We finally convinced him that his boots would dry faster from the heat of his feet than just trying to air them out, but I thought his solution was clever and might be a good option for someone who needs to air out their feet in camp when they don’t have a lot of walking to do and want a bit of underfoot protection.

[Diane “Piper” Soini]

I like those slip-ons. There’s a guy who used to make tevas out of tires. Maybe I can still find his page. Yeah, it’s still up. http://www.hollowtop.com/sandals.htm The pattern could be made with this foam and it would result in a secure sandal that was a lot lighter than tire rubber and you could use them for creeks. Probably would not add much weight, either.

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