Michael Gray
Member
- Time of past OR future Camino
- Camino France (2015 and 2016)
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Wear them.What is the best regime for looking after boots on the Camino? I always brush the loose mud and dirt off and pick stones etc out of the tread at the end of the day. What about drying wet boots? I have seen manufacturer’s advice to avoid sunlight and artificial heat and not to stuff them with newspaper to absorb moisture. I’ve also seen hikers using hairdryers to speed dry wet boots, but been told that will damage Gore-Tex linings. What have people found works best?
What is the best regime for looking after boots on the Camino? I always brush the loose mud and dirt off and pick stones etc out of the tread at the end of the day. What about drying wet boots? I have seen manufacturer’s advice to avoid sunlight and artificial heat and not to stuff them with newspaper to absorb moisture. I’ve also seen hikers using hairdryers to speed dry wet boots, but been told that will damage Gore-Tex linings. What have people found works best?
This is from the Hanwag people who produce excellent leather shoes as well as other walking shoes:Does the manufacturer provide any advice on what you should do to dry the boots overnight or are they just focused on what you shouldn't.
It sounds like if you can't find newspaper, paper towel is a good (in some cases preferred) substitute. That is likely available in shops. You can probably buy a roll and share it with your fellow pilgrims, and leave behind the rest for the next poor soul who comes in with wet shoes/boots.So that was Hanwag's advice. However, comparable manufacturers such as Lowa and Meindl don't object to using newspaper when you want to dry your shoes. The Lowa UK team says:
USING NEWSPAPER OR KITCHEN ROLLIf you have either of these materials available, stuffing your boots with these is ideal for soaking up any excess moisture. For newspaper, removing sheets and rolling up into small balls is the best way to stuff your boots. The rolls should be reasonably loose as if they are too tight water may not be absorbed effectively. Another tip is to tear holes through the newspaper before scrunching. Place the paper or kitchen roll throughout the boot, all the way up into the leg opening. Again, make sure not to stuff too tightly as the paper needs a bit of space to soak the water. You can replace the kitchen roll or newspaper after a few hours to remove the first load of moisture before sleeping, or as many times as needed when the materials have been soaked.I've used newspaper to no ill effect. As someone else said already, newspaper is not easy to come by on the Camino though. During one particular rainy period in Galicia, we tried to buy a newspaper in a shop during the day but even that was not always as easy as it may sound.
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