I'll be going from EP 16 Moose/Portage River (north) to somewhere on Basswood this year entering on September 10 and ending sometime around the 16th. We will be going up to the border and then along the border to Basswood.

I have comfortably wet footed during trips between late-June to mid-August. Chose to dry foot during a mid-May trip last year. Any advice on wet vs dry in mid-September would be appreciated. Especially as it relates to the river travel portions of this particular trip.

I don't know how anyone can go on a canoe trip any time of year and expect to keep their feet dry. If they somehow manage to stay dry at the landing, there will be a mud hole somewhere on the portage trail.

Lake temps in September will be cooler than in July. Knee-high boots will work to a certain degree (no pun intended) until you step into water deeper that your boots. Go with good portaging boots and expect them to be wet. If you can manage to keep your feet dry, that's a bonus.

I wet foot the last week of Sept every year no problems. Water temps are low 60s.

Last three trips were late Sept... wet footed them all no problem. I'll be doing that route in reverse over the same time. Watch for three solo guys laughing, sweating and picking on each other unmercifully.

I'd just see what the weather and water temps are doing leading up to the trip and forecast during the trip. But...if typical you shouldn't have a problem w/ wet foot.

It is very easy to dry foot it if you use chota hippies or something similar.

cowdoc: "Last three trips were late Sept... wet footed them all no problem. I'll be doing that route in reverse over the same time. Watch for three solo guys laughing, sweating and picking on each other unmercifully."

If you see a husband and wife pair in a Nova Craft give us a wave. Hope you have a great trip.

I generally go mid-late September and always wet foot no problem. The water is still relatively warm.

Last trip was Sep 24- Oct 2 2021. Wet footed with Salomon Speedcross 5 trail runners and lightweight wool hiking socks. Worked great; will be my go-to combo.

We comfortably wet footed the third week of September in both 2020 and 2021. The 2020 weather was colder with frost two mornings but warm sun as the day progressed. The key for us was warm dry footwear for camp and attention to staying warm (core body) overall during the day. On the coldest morning, around 27F at dawn, we took a little time breaking camp and found some protected sunshine for a longer breakfast. The best way to put the wet shoes on in those temps was to warm the shoes up in the still relatively warm lake water. I did get cold feet paddling to some extent but not to the point of changing shoes or wishing I had a dry-foot system.

Murphy’s law
The water is alway a 1/4” deeper than the top of your boots. Been there, done that several times.

Carl

For mid-September trips, I'll sometimes switch from my Darn Tough wool socks to neoprene socks. In last fall's relatively warm waters, I didn't bother, and it made no noticeable difference.

schweady: "For mid-September trips, I'll sometimes switch from my Darn Tough wool socks to neoprene socks. In last fall's relatively warm waters, I didn't bother, and it made no noticeable difference. "

My system too. Highly recommend the Darn Tough socks with an honorable mention for sealskinz when it is colder.

We go the last week of September and most in our group have knee high muck boots, the neoprene type, often winter weight. If you push your pants down in them, and wear wool socks they will fit tight enough around your calves to not allow water in. I have worn them for years in cold temps and not had water get in.

cyclones30: "I'd just see what the weather and water temps are doing leading up to the trip and forecast during the trip. But...if typical you shouldn't have a problem w/ wet foot.


It is very easy to dry foot it if you use chota hippies or something similar. "

+1

I'm dry-foot all day, but I know i'm in the minority with all of the kevlar folks here.

jwettelrin89: "I'm dry-foot all day, but I know i'm in the minority with all of the kevlar folks here. "

That's how I grew up canoeing out west with homemade fiberglass canoes - 90 lbs of materials makes them almost as tough as aluminum!

YetiJedi: "

jwettelrin89: "I'm dry-foot all day, but I know i'm in the minority with all of the kevlar folks here. "

That's how I grew up canoeing out west with homemade fiberglass canoes - 90 lbs of materials makes them almost as tough as aluminum! "

We use royalex penobscot 17's. carrying a 55 lb canoe to not have to get your feet(and evererything in the bottom of the canoe) wet is an easy trade off for us. Me and my group are all guys in their early 30's though, maybe in anohter 10-20 years we'll join the light canoe crew. Until then full speed ahead!

jwettelrin89: "

YetiJedi: "

jwettelrin89: "I'm dry-foot all day, but I know i'm in the minority with all of the kevlar folks here. "

That's how I grew up canoeing out west with homemade fiberglass canoes - 90 lbs of materials makes them almost as tough as aluminum! "

We use royalex penobscot 17's. carrying a 55 lb canoe to not have to get your feet(and evererything in the bottom of the canoe) wet is an easy trade off for us. Me and my group are all guys in their early 30's though, maybe in anohter 10-20 years we'll join the light canoe crew. Until then full speed ahead!"

Well, not much speed; we're talking royalex Penobscot.

When making the Rubber/Neoprene boots vs wet foot call in fall tripping air temperature is really the determining factor.

I went in mid October once and wet footed in the STUPIDEST possible shoes I could have picked. So humiliatingly dumb I’m too embarrassed to say. My feet were very cold, but I was fine. Now I own water proof knee high neoprene boots. I promptly wore them the next May and was sweltering in unseasonably warm weather that whole trip. Many hilarious pictures of me in knee high boots, shorts, and my lightest shirt- a wool long sleeve baselayer.

You can’t win.

I wear Mucks boots in the canoe and for portages. In camp, I switch to leather ankle high boots. However going last week of September it is never warm enough to make Muck boots uncomfortable.

Always wet-footed in NW Ontario From mid to late May thru early September and I did fine but used heavy wool socks early and late season. And we changed into dry shoes/socks once we made camp for the day.

Wet

They had a lady on KFAN outdoors yesterday from Spirit of The Wilderness. She mentioned some folks are using something called Sealsinz - a waterproof sock. I have never tried this, but it could be a nice option for someone who wants to get in the water and stay dry.

This discussion seems to beg a proper definition of wet footing when describing what you are willing to do or the strategy you plan to employ. I've always thought of wet footing as "willing to step into the water in order to find a spot to float my canoe when setting it down or picking it up without it scraping on the rocks." Some of the comments here seem to be using a slightly different definition, along the lines of "the skin of my feet get wet every time." This may be the case much of the time, eg. when using sandals and socks or some other water shoe, but not always, such as when using a waterproof boot in which water does not enter over the top and your socks and feet stay perfectly dry. Both of these, by my definition, are "wet footing."

schweady: "This discussion seems to beg a proper definition of wet footing when describing what you are willing to do or the strategy you plan to employ. I've always thought of wet footing as "willing to step into the water in order to find a spot to float my canoe when setting it down or picking it up without it scraping on the rocks." Some of the comments here seem to be using a slightly different definition, along the lines of "the skin of my feet get wet every time." This may be the case much of the time, eg. when using sandals and socks or some other water shoe, but not always, such as when using a waterproof boot in which water does not enter over the top and your socks and feet stay perfectly dry. Both of these, by my definition, are "wet footing."
"

For the sake of this discussion (I'm the OP):

Dry footing = your foot doesn't get wet. Accomplished using waterproof boots or impressive acrobatics

Wet footing = your foot gets wet. I personally wear Merrell Moab boots for full foot covering and ankle support

Sounds good. I just recall that most discussions suggesting that you "wet foot" refer to a technique, rather than a sensory comfort level... employed with the purpose of moving the canoe from water to water, never touching the ground, protecting it from unnecessary damage. You could do this barefoot, or in chest waders... I'd call either one "wet footing."

But this is your thread, and I'll let it go now.

We wet foot with no issues in that time frame. :-)