Boundary Waters Quetico Forum :: Trip Planning Forum :: May - wet footing or not?
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tumblehome |
trailchief: "I always wet foot and never had an issue. As stated above a good pair of wool socks will keep your feet warm even when wet." But who wants to walk around in wet squishy socks??? Try walking around your house or yard in wet squishy socks and tell me it feels good. Just keep your feet dry. Maybe I'm a wierdo that I like dry warm feet. I'm going to have to start asking around if people like walking in wet squishy socks. I don't get this at all. Tom |
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lindylair |
These happen to roll down far enough so that if you get a warm day they actually dry out pretty good. But perhaps the biggest benefit is on portages. They are comfortable, supportive and rugged enough for most portages and i no longer care what i run into on the trail...puddles, mudholes, etc I just slog right through them and don't have to try and skirt them on the side of the trail. Although I wish they were 4 inches taller they are great and were a good value for me. I have looked at new ones but the cost is a lot for something that gets used 5-10 days a year, up to each individual I guess in that respect. My buddy is a wet footer but on our cold water May trips i make sure to hop out first and do my best to keep his feet dry. Doesn't always work. Come mid summer, well that's a totally different story. |
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cycle003 |
Mucks feel great when it’s cold out, you’re standing in 40 degree water and don’t even notice. |
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Jakthund |
Who wins? Your decision must be "clear as BWCA mud". :-) Have a great trip. I'll be up there the same time with some long time friends, heading to Insula on the 18th. |
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mgraber |
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Jakthund |
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schweady |
tumblehome: "schweady: "Tom - On multiple occasions, I'm up to my knees in water when loading or unloading. :-) No problem. I'm sure we'd have a high old time. My only point was, if it happens once, it happened. So, the first time we hit any water, it's liberating to just go ahead and embrace it. Not gonna melt. It's never bothered me to squish along on those first few rods of a portage. They feel a bit drier after a while. Actually, when we reach camp, I'll usually set up tent and tarp and gravity filter and get other things organized a bit before switching to dry socks and camp shoes. And, yes, nothing feels better. I started portaging with old tennis shoes, went to leather field boots lathered with Sno-Seal, tried dedicated draining boating shoes, and settled on Keens. Everyone's different and all of the 'which footwear is best?' threads mean less and less to me after 45 trips. |
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Kendis |
Jakthund: "So Kendis, as you see you've struck a chord here and gotten many opinions. Certainly many opinions on this thread, some strongly held. Thanks to everyone who responded. We will be going to Fall Lake and then up through Basswood on the 16th. For now my wife and I have decided to continue using the Merrel Moab draining hiking boots we have used on past trips and purchase higher thickness/warmest wool socks to wear instead of the lightweight and midweight wool socks we've worn on our other trips. We have had too many trailheads without gently sloped landings, and especially campsites where the landing is just a wet, sloping slab of rock to want to worry about staying dry. Best of luck to the future knowledge seekers who find this thread in the future. |
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tarnkt |
I would decide based on the forecast before you head in. If it’s warm out wet feet wouldn’t be a problem, if it’s not I would get pretty uncomfortable. |
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mschi772 |
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HighnDry |
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Kendis |
My wife and I will be going to the BW in mid-May. Our previous trips have been between late-June to early-August. We have wet footed it all of our past trips and most of our local canoeing as well. Last Fall we purchased waterproof boots to use in cooler weather closer to home. The boots come up to a little below the knee and are waterproof. What is your opinion about wet foot versus dry in mid-May? I'm wondering if the water will be uncomfortably cold to sit with wet feet in the canoe for hours as the shoes and socks dry. Thanks, Kendis |
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Blatz |
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pswith5 |
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cyclones30 |
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EddyTurn |
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dschult2 |
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mschi772 |
tumblehome: "trailchief: "I always wet foot and never had an issue. As stated above a good pair of wool socks will keep your feet warm even when wet." I wet foot in the warm season. I prefer it to the alternatives. I wear Astal Loyaks. I usually do not wear socks, but rarely I might wear socks. They drain and dry extremely fast--it isn't uncommon for them to be mostly dry by the end of a portage. When the water is cold in the shoulder seasons, I wear Dry Shod boots to keep my feet warm and dry. |
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Boppasteveg |
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bapazian1 |
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nctry |
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BearBurrito |
bapazian1: "I wet foot the entire canoe season. For early trips a pair of neoprene boots like the NRS Boundary Boots are an excellent choice. They are knee high so are waterproof to that point. If you do go over the boot the neoprene insulates well when wet. I originally got these for sea kayaking on Lake Superior but found them very useful for early and late season bwca trips. I usually wear 2-3mm neoprene socks underneath. I find these far superior to muck boots as they are lighter, more comfortable, and perform well in the event of going over the boot. When the water and or air temperature warms a bit I switch to NRS ATB wetshoe with .5mm neoprene socks. Again these are marketed for kayaking but I find the hard sole does well on portage's and it's nice being able to comfortably walk right through the water on portage's without collecting debris like sandals or to a lesser degree trail runners are prone to collecting. I as well wear the boundary boot during shoulder season |
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A1t2o |
nctry: "You’ll be fine wet footing. Wear wool socks if it’s cold. If you wear neoprene, wear a liner sock at least. But that’s an option." I agree with the waterproof sock. Use a liner sock, but the waterproof sock will keep the cold water from making your feet uncomfortable. I've never been much of a fan of the waterproof boots. They tend to be heavy and uncomfortable. You seem to already have both options though. You could just get some waterproof socks and try both options out at home and see for yourself which one is more comfortable. Not sure how much those socks cost but it is a pretty simple way to see which option is your preferred choice. |
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JohnMoore |
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cycle003 |
mschi772: You lost me here. Uggh, I do not like that feeling. |
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mschi772 |
cycle003: "You lost me here. Uggh, I do not like that feeling." Depends on the shoes. I doubt you'd find socklessess in Loyaks to be objectionable. |
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sns |
PS: also entering mid-May this year and will be wet footing again. |
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chessie |
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schweady |
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tumblehome |
schweady: "Tom - On multiple occasions, I'm up to my knees in water when loading or unloading. Shweady, we're pals but if I was camping with you, I will get the canoe closer to land so that you are not up to your knees in water. A canoe only needs a few inches. Only a few times in my life have I had my boots on and been past the tops in water and most of those times have been accidental. Tom |
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EddyTurn |
tumblehome: "trailchief: "I always wet foot and never had an issue. As stated above a good pair of wool socks will keep your feet warm even when wet." Well, who wants to walk around the house carrying a canoe? Nothing weird about keeping one's feet dry, but in a wilderness it's not always practical. I happened to easily wet-foot a muddy portage and had plenty of time relaxing at the put-in before those in my party who dry-footed it finally arrived exhausted by the experience. |
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tumblehome |
How do you folks navigate muddy, wet, swampy portages? I have a pair of rubber mud boots that I wear when I am getting in and out of the canoe and on portages. I keep the shoes for extended paddling times and in camp. You can buy a $15 pair or a $150 pair. The ones I have are about $90 and comfortable enough to wear all day. Nobody should ever have wet feet in the BWCA. It is extremely uncomfortable, probably the worst thing you can do to yourself in the woods. Keep yourself warm and dry all the time, all the time. Tom |
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EddyTurn |
Dreamer: "Are you really that desperate to shed pounds or comfort that you can't bring some boots? Those boots really aren't uncomfortable. Much better to bring them in my opinion..." It's not exactly about shedding a pound or two - common wisdom says that weight carried below the ankles shall be multiplied by 4 or 5 to be compared to weight carried on the shoulders. If you doubt this math try wearing ankle weights on a hiking trip. Accordingly, the difference between lightest wet-footing shoes and heavy-duty water sandals will be about 1.5lbs multiplied by 4, or at least 6lbs. It's like difference between wood and carbon paddles - may be it's less than a pound, but after you multiply it by 60 strokes/minute for few hours it becomes quite impressive. |
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trailchief |
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tumblehome |
I never wrote that I do not wear socks. I always wear socks and my socks are always dry. If my socks get wet I put on new socks Tom |
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cycle003 |
Anyway, in the summer I wear lightweight trail shoes that drain pretty well with darn tough socks and just get muddy. It’s fine. I just change in camp. The worst part is putting on cold, wet socks to start the day. Two minutes later, though, and it’s all good. If it’s cold, outside of summer, I will often wear Muck Wetlands and dry foot. |
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Dreamer |
Are you really that desperate to shed pounds or comfort that you can't bring some boots? Those boots really aren't uncomfortable. Much better to bring them in my opinion... |
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tumblehome |
cycle003: "Yes, to me wet footing means water and mud go between your toes. Others seem to have some other definition. Back in the day, wet footing meant that you loaded and unloaded the canoe before dragging it on shore, a practice more people need to do to care fro their canoes. Agreed, you can get your feet wet in the hot summer months but there is no reason to step out of a canoe in cold water without a water-proof boot. Unless you are using an aluminum canoe AKA lead sled, you aught to be wet footing to care for the canoe. There are very few sandy beaches in the BWCA where you can shoot right onto shore. Keep you feet dry! Tom |
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schweady |
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Jakthund |
A good pair of hunting boots have arch support and nice vibram soles for traction. I've done mile long portages with them and did not find them too heavy. If I was going on a 10 mile hike, I would not wear them. It's not just about getting in and out of the canoe. In the spring many of the portages are muddy and wet. If using rubber boots, be very careful not to get water in them as they do not dry out easily. There are many variables, in my opinion it comes down to: - Weather - When it snows in May, I like my nice heavy boots - Distance - If your not doing a ton of portaging, weight is less important |
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Northwoodsman |
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cycle003 |
tumblehome: "Please be careful with quoting and editing. Sorry about that. I fixed it. It was mschi772 who wrote it, and I inadvertently left you in the quote. |