Mud hiking/backpacking tips needed plus shoes

Do you mind having wet feet?

Well, I guess it depends :) In summer wet feet should be OK but I am in Ontario so springs can be quite cool. What did you have in mind?

Yep, mud sucks (sometimes literally). It makes creek crossings desirable. Best way to mitigate it is to make sure you know how to take care of wet feet and wash them before bed. If I know my socks and shoes will be frequently wet, I make sure I carry dedicated sleep socks. Sorry, can’t help you with the minimalist shoe.

I think it depends on just how deep the mud is.  If it’s groomed trails that just get a little sloppy, a waterproof high-top *might* make things a bit more pleasant.  But if you’re likely to get into stuff deeper than the tops of the boots, go minimalist, clean up good at night, take at least two pairs of socks so you have one drying on your pack all day after thoroughly washing it the night before, etc.

If its really really muddy I have hiked in rubber boots. Not normally ideal but I have found it better in some situations. There is a reason Xtra Tuffs are popular in Alaska.  I found a thinner, more minimalist pair that where reasonably comfortable. I think they were Redwing brand.

Other tips. Find a pair of neoprene socks.  I think Seal Skins were reasonably comfortable. They are warmer then wool and they keep grit and mud out better.

Also consider knee high gaters. They keep the mud off your pants which is nice.

You might also consider camp shoes. Usually I don’t bother but it might be nice if your shoes are constantly trashed.

Embrace the mud. Its part of the experience.

Once you stop fighting to stay dry, you are completely liberated from that fairly significant mental effort. If I do a packrafting trip or I’m going cross country along the coast with swamps and river crossings, I just say f**k it and hop off the airplane floats into the ocean at the start or find the first puddle, stick my feet in it, and get it over with. If I’m doing a high country trip where there is a decent chance I can stay dry, I will work towards that end. So my strategy is based on the likelihood of success. You probably fall into the “get wet and get it over with” category.

Not that this strategy is without its downsides. Your feet will be colder, no question. That’s a deal killer for many. Putting wet socks and shoes on in the morning sucks. Some people’s feet fall apart if pruned all day. You need to practice good foot care in the evening and sleep with dry socks/feet to allow them to recover.

Inov8 makes some minimal shoes with seriously aggressive tread patterns like the Mudclaw. Those, with some medium cushion synthetic socks (for instance Coolmax crew height) and some very light gaiters to keep some crud out, could add up to a viable strategy. But definitely do some day hikes with wet feet to see if you are okay with it before committing.

If your mileage isn’t super high, Boggs are decent to hike in. I wouldn’t want to hike high mile (15+ for me) days in Boggs.

+1 on inov8 models. They still have some minimalist xtalon options

For extra sloppy day hikes and shallow water crossings, I have a pair of over-the-calf waterproof boots that are amazing for keeping feet dry (Readhead brand, Cabela’s clearance).  For backpacking, I have a small assortment of trail runners that I can choose from for different terrain.  When I anticipate mud, I have a pair of Addidas trail runners with “mud release” tread/materials that seem to help prevent caking.  Here in the Midwest, we have a lot of sticky clay in our soil, so one can quickly end up with 5lb shoes if they have tread/surfaces that like to collect the mud.  My Addidas Terrex coupled with Simblissity gaiters are pretty good at keeping the mud collection to a minimum.

. GEAR SUITED FOR WET, COLD WEATHER HIKING . this article shows muddy conditions

I have backpacked up to 14 miles in rubber boots. Big enough I could wear two pairs of thin wool socks and superfeet insoles. Temps in the low 40’s.

Surprised how well it worked. No cold feet, easy stream crossings, less worry about snakes.

You can get 8 inch foam boots that weigh about about 8 oz each, I have some but haven’t hiked in them yet. The are pretty warm, and good for mild winter conditions. Will post a review at my blog soon.

XtraTufs are an option. Every coastal Alaskan can’t be wrong. That is the only outdoor shoe option for a friend of mine be it a hot summer day or mountain goat hunting in the snow. I used to (day) hike in them a lot, but the soles are meant for boat decks and aren’t the grippiest. But the are comfy and absolutely waterproof assuming you don’t overtop them.

A couple of years ago I took one of my daughters to spend the weekend in the Dolly Sods area.  We both had nasty sunburns because I wasn’t expecting it to be so wide open and exposed, but the thing that really stands out in my memory was the mud.  Here’s Katie trying to pick her way along the Dobbin Grade Trail…

And here I am after sinking to mid-thigh with one leg a little further on…

We turned around and followed a different trail after that – For a minute or so I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to pull my leg out without help.  I did learn a few things:

• Sometimes mud can’t be avoided
• Deep mud never has a pleasant smell and stirring it up with your legs doesn’t make it better
• There’s no way to visually tell how deep the mud is – a trekking pole can help but one poke is NOT a reliable indicator
• Tighten your shoelaces as much as you can before entering such a muddy area and BEFORE your shoes are too muddy to see your laces.  I was really afraid I was going to lose my boot as I pulled my leg out of the muck!

Great photo of you stuck in the mud, Kevin! This is why I chuckle when people get irate if you go around a spot on trail instead of marching through. In many cases, you cannot possibly march through! I have seen people lose their shoes, and the surface mud closes quickly over it. Trail runners need not apply here!

Extra points if you are carrying an elk quarter.

(And yes, he’s wearing XtraTufs and nearly lost one pulling his leg out)

Wow!  Philip – that’s amazing!  I was lucky…My right leg was about mid-calf and it was my left leg that disappeared to mid-thigh.  I was close enough to a bush that I was able to use my pole to pull a branch to me and used that to pull myself out.

Tasmania.

I hiked several days on slippery english trails with mud and leaves where it was almost impossible to walk up even slight hills. Poles were the most important asset.

Oy, those pics are going to give me nightmares! The fact that ankle deep is the deepest mud I’ve hiked through confirms my newbie status!