Dadhairday
Member
- Time of past OR future Camino
- Camino del Norte (2020)
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I plan to walk in trail shoes, nothing heavier. Expecting lots of rain March and April. What are experiences of gtx and similar waterproof or non-waterproof alternatives? I don’t want feet to overheat but don’t want to walk in soggy socks all day?
Simple arithmetic tells me that's unlikely.I predict 18 comments with a 60/40 split...
Brilliant!! Except it is my understanding that 94.652% of all statistics are made up so I won't trust the poll regardless!I predict 18 comments with a 60/40 split...
I have never had total success at keeping my feet dry in very wet conditions, which led me to research what has been done to develop effective strategies. If I can’t keep my feet dry, then I need to try and eliminate or minimize the risk of any of the bad things that could occur to my wet feet when walking.
Some of these lessons I learned while in Vietnam…. Like the fact that our boots had fabric tops and numerous holes in the thin leather bottom portions so that water drained out quickly and never sat in the boots.
My solution is to wear watershoes - they grip slippery surfaces really well and are made so that the water drains out. I've been using the Keen McKenzie, but it looks like even the second iteration of this model is no longer available at Keen direct or from REI. But you can get them on Amazon.Wear non-waterproof shoes which can drain and then dry out quickly. This minimizes the amount of puddling in the shoe that bathes the feet in moisture. Modern trail running shoes, and trail shoes often have nice open mesh fabric which is terrific for draining water.
Ahh, you're assuming each post would be 100% for or against? Mine was 92% for... 17% against and just over a quarter ambivalent... Never mind simple arithmetic, this is Camino mathematics!!Simple arithmetic tells me that's unlikely.
I just read that as mid thigh boots.... well i guess they would be pretty water proofBrilliant!! Except it is my understanding that 94.652% of all statistics are made up so I won't trust the poll regardless!
I'm a fan of GTX mid-high boots, Lowa is my preference. Comfortable and handles ground water and mud well and when matched with Smart Wool socks I never had sweaty feet. Most Albergues had old newspapers to stuff in your shoes if you had a particularly bad weather day, which I'm sure those wearing non-GTX shoes probably did too?
I can only speak to my experience. I walked the Camino in April. Waterproof trail shoes, gaitors and rain pants. My feet stayed dry the entire time except when we had three days of down pour. At the end my shoes were damp and took a couple of days to dry. If we would have been in places with proper heat, we would have dried out at night and this would not have been a problem.I plan to walk in trail shoes, nothing heavier. Expecting lots of rain March and April. What are experiences of gtx and similar waterproof or non-waterproof alternatives? I don’t want feet to overheat but don’t want to walk in soggy socks all day?
Love my Ahnu waterproof breathable shoes. Walked for days through mud and pouring rain and my feet were always warm and dry at the end of the day. They probably have over 1,000 miles on them and I am still wearing them - although I doubt they would last another Camino.I plan to walk in trail shoes, nothing heavier. Expecting lots of rain March and April. What are experiences of gtx and similar waterproof or non-waterproof alternatives? I don’t want feet to overheat but don’t want to walk in soggy socks all day?
Good thought. I have a pair of gtx trail shoes and similar that are not waterproof. Frankly don’t mind wet feet for a weekend on the fells. My query was really trying to explore best option for what will be two months’ daily walking - something I can’t test. I do plan to take sandals to alternate footwear a little. Don’t mind cold feet, my worry is about blistering. Perhaps I should have put my question more carefully?I prefer to carry an extra pair of socks to change along the day in case of wet feet than to wear 'waterproof' shoes.
As you see, opinions vary. Do you have time to test different options and see what works for you?
can someone recommend a brand of "goop"?
Thanks for the advice so far. I don’t mind walking with cold or wet feet. I am worried about blisters which tend to develop more rapidly when feet are wet in my experience. I regularly do two day trail events in non-waterproof shoes and often suffer from blisters. I also get that waterproof shoes can’t be 100% effective as others note eloquently here. Still leaves me with a quandary. By the way I will travel with walking sandals too and alternate with the trail shoes. Whilst I’m trying to travel light I recognise my feet are my most important bit of equipment!
When it rains or when you walk across dew soaked field as you start off in the morning your feet will get wet no matter what type of shoe you wear. The objective is to dry your feet as quickly as possible once they become wet. Shoes that have the most venting features dry the fastest as you walk. First you change your wet socks to dry ones and keep walking. If it rains all day, the rain runs down your leg and ultimately into your shoes. Wear a long poncho and that tends to help a bit. Waterproof pants just make you wetter because you'll sweat yourself wet in them. Tried that, done that, not ever going to do that again. Membrane (Goretex) type of shoes tend to hold the water that much more and longer because they do not vent anywhere nearly as quickly as well vented shoes. Your feet sweat no matter what you wear, so sweaty feet inside the membrane plus wet on the outside means your feet never dry. Membrane shoes are the slowest type of shoe to dry, so much so, that they are more often than not still wet the following morning even if you stuff newspaper tightly in them to help them dry. Vented ones dry much better overnight. I've used both types on extended walks. I use only well vented hiking shoes now.I plan to walk in trail shoes, nothing heavier. Expecting lots of rain March and April. What are experiences of gtx and similar waterproof or non-waterproof alternatives? I don’t want feet to overheat but don’t want to walk in soggy socks all day?
Very helpful, sound advice based on experience. I’m certainly leaning towards well-ventilated rather than gtx at the moment. Fully agree with comments about waterproof pants. I will just wear shorts on wet days.When it rains or when you walk across dew soaked field as you start off in the morning your feet will get wet no matter what type of shoe you wear. The objective is to dry your feet as quickly as possible once they become wet. Shoes that have the most venting features dry the fastest as you walk. First you change your wet socks to dry ones and keep walking. If it rains all day, the rain runs down your leg and ultimately into your shoes. Wear a long poncho and that tends to help a bit. Waterproof pants just make you wetter because you'll sweat yourself wet in them. Tried that, done that, not ever going to do that again. Membrane (Goretex) type of shoes tend to hold the water that much more and longer because they do not vent anywhere nearly as quickly as well vented shoes. Your feet sweat no matter what you wear, so sweaty feet inside the membrane plus wet on the outside means your feet never dry. Membrane shoes are the slowest type of shoe to dry, so much so, that they are more often than not still wet the following morning even if you stuff newspaper tightly in them to help them dry. Vented ones dry much better overnight. I've used both types on extended walks. I use only well vented hiking shoes now.
Very helpful and practical advice. Appreciated.I've slogged all around the world in the cheapest leather boot the gov't could buy. And the Marines never send you anyplace without plenty of mosquitos and rain. I've hiked 3 Caminos and gotten drenched on all three for at least one or two days.
Waterproof works from the outside for about two hours, then it works from the inside for a day.
The greatest enemy to your waterproof boots is water cascading down your legs into the tops of your boots. Now you have two size 10 washing machines for your socks.
So, there are two effective strategies: 1) keep water from touching your footwear. b) quickly drain the water from your footwear.
The second is the most doable, as the first is only possible by not venturing outside.
Draining the footwear eliminates the washing machine effect, but still gets your socks wet. So now we shift to the sock strategy.
I'm not a goop on my feet guy. If it works for you, then do that as davebugg describes.
Wool socks drain quickly and keep your feet warm (unless in ice cold water). I always pack 3 pair. I change socks every 90 minutes and apply baby powder to feet and socks during changes to dry and smooth out the feet. Plus who doesn't love the smell of babies? The sweaty socks go on the outside of the pack to dry for the next change. One pair is not in rotation and is reserved for disasters.
If raining, the wet pair gets wrung out and put inside the jacket, either around the waist, or in the armpits, to dry/warm with body heat.
Here's where a thin sock liner comes in handy. A snug fitting liner helps wick moisture from the skin to the wool sock, and helps reduce the friction of the wet wool on the wet skin. Some swear by the goop, I use a liner instead. The liner also helps if your feet sweat a lot as mine do.
If you find yourself, on a rainy day, in an albergue with no dryer (secadora) (or with more pilgrims than can share the dryer), use your body to dry your clothes. We walked 7 hours in pouring rain, and not even the pack cover remained waterproof. We were soaked, as were tomorrow's clothes with no way to dry out. The humidity was too high for clothes to dry hanging inside.
So, after showering and drying off with a wet towel, we put on tomorrows damp clothes and went about albergueing. In about 90 minutes, our clothes on our bodies were dry and we switched to our damp laundered clothes to dry them as well (this works with quick-dry poly clothing. Longer for cotton).
By the time lights out came, we had two sets of dry clothes ready for the morrow. The socks took a little longer, but into the sleep sack they went and were dry in the morning.
I hike 90% in Chacos (toe socks below 40ºF), 10% Keen vented ankle hi boots with light Merino wool socks.
Buen Camino
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