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Boundary Waters Quetico Forum Trip Planning Forum Mid-September wet or dry foot? |
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07/18/2022 09:23AM
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 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.
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07/18/2022 09:32AM
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.
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.
"Keep close to Nature's heart, yourself; and break clear away, once in a while, and climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods. Wash your spirit clean." ~ John Muir
07/18/2022 12:15PM
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.
"What could happen?"
07/18/2022 12:33PM
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.
It is very easy to dry foot it if you use chota hippies or something similar.
07/18/2022 12:53PM
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.
07/18/2022 01:20PM
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.
“A lake is … the Earth’s eye, looking into which the beholder measures the depth of his own nature.” - Henry David Thoreau
07/18/2022 02:45PM
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.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." -- Yogi Berra
07/18/2022 03:35PM
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.
07/18/2022 03:51PM
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.
07/18/2022 06:10PM
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
07/18/2022 08:44PM
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!
07/18/2022 11:41PM
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!
07/19/2022 09:07AM
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.
Nobody exists on purpose, nobody belongs anywhere, everybody’s going to die.
07/20/2022 09:03AM
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.
You can’t win.
07/22/2022 09:03PM
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.
07/23/2022 08:29PM
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."
"You can observe a lot just by watching." -- Yogi Berra
07/24/2022 08:22AM
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
07/24/2022 01:29PM
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.
But this is your thread, and I'll let it go now.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." -- Yogi Berra
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