I particularly like the look of the Z8S (or N) GTX.
the dry boots one is hard. Ive always gone the they are going to be wet anyway way but I had it pointed out to me that the military go to extreme lengths to keep the feet dry. Its one thing to get wet feet for a weekend or 4 or 5 days tops but more than that and lovely things like swamp foot become an issue. You are looking at 3 months in the same boots.
I would also consider good boots for the tracks and lighter trail shoes for the road sections. Ive never understood the 5f things but if they work and adequately protect the feet then why not.
Yeah, I did 10 years in the Oz military, so know all about that mentality. But some of truly swampy areas around here have had me re-think that a bit.....
Yeah, I know VFFs don't do it for some, but they really do work for me. These have pretty much been my running shoes exclusively for about 6 years now. I have hiked 100km hikes in them, ran 147km in one day in them, and just love them. I can cross waterways without even thinking about it, and they dry out quickly.
If I was to go the other way, and plan on wearing 4 pairs of boots on the trail (750km each pair, which is about optimum for footwear), which pair of Hi-Tec would people recommend? Looking at the Torpedo 7 website (cheers Wayne!), and Hi-Tecs are really cheap. I can easily afford 4 or more pairs of those, as opposed to 2 pair of say, Salomons. So yeah, any thoughts on the Hi-Tec models please?
natals look like the most substantial construction
Yeah, I was thinking the same. I'll order a pair, road test them, and if they're comfortable enough, I'll order a bunch more pairs and post them to strategic spots along the trail with other care package items.
I figure if I buy, say 6 pairs, (which is still only around $400), I'll only cover 500km in each pair. That way, who cares if I flog them? :D It won't matter if they're soft-soled, get waterlogged, mud-soaked or blown out. Duct tape will be sufficient to get any pair of boots 500km if need be. :)
This post has been edited by the author on 16 March 2015 at 20:52.
+1 for Quest 4D. After my previous subalpine boot (Solomon Pro Trek 7), i decided to give the Salomon Quest 4Ds a go. Got rave reviews overseas, as a lighter boot, think of it as a trail runner with ankle support. I found the Quests to be a wider fit, a third lighter, but the same overall midsole chasis/makes-you-want-to-walk ultra comfort. Torpedo7 carry them, or you can get them on ebay for around USD180.
I use cheap Hi Tecs for working around our bush property as they are cheap and light weight. They are, however, somewhat lacking in padding under the foot and thus I can feel even small rocks underfoot. I suspect this would not be too great for extended tramping, especially on rough terrain although some sort of insole would help. Maybe buying a slightly bigger pair so that a nice padded insole could fit in?
I've been section walking the TaT and have done the sections between Queen charlotte and Tekapo, as well as some sections in the North Island.
I agree with deepriver about the Hi Tecs, i've used some before and the padding between foot and ground is not up to hard rocky trails.
What a lot of TaT trampers use are light fabric boots (Solomon/Mammut/Asolo's are all brands I've seen) or walking/mountain running shoes (Solomon/Teva/Innov8). Personally I just wear my normal tramping boots, either La Sportiva Valojet's or Lowa Rangers at the moment. You will need some light shoes for the road walks, boots will just kill your feet on a road.
Every through hiker I've talked to on the trail has used more than one pair of foot wear, The TaT like most long trails kills boots. One guy I struck recently was wearing boots that were more duct tape than boot, it was nearly a cm thick in places.
July through November will be a difficult period to walk the trail. You are likely to strike snow through all of the South Island sections of the trail, and Travers & Waiau Pass are likely to be impassable.
Even if there is no snow it is likely to be very cold, wet and windy. If you are serious about trekking over those months you will need alpine skills, excellent winter weight equipment and clothing as well as plenty of experience in the NZ mountains.
Not trying to put you off the idea but you need to know the facts to make an informed decision.
This post has been edited by the author on 17 March 2015 at 11:34.
Cheers Bradley for the input. I really appreciate it. Having just gotten the go ahead from my boss, I am now officially preparing for the TAT. :)
Over that distance, I don't really see any better choice for pack than an Aarn. So I reckon I'll get one of those.
As an Aarn pack keeps you a lot more upright, I think padding has a lot less part to play in footwear. I'm already a huge fan of Vibram Five Fingers, and my feet are conditioned to wearing them over long distances across many types of terrain. My reason for choosing to combine them with boots was 3-fold: The cold, getting stuff in them (even KSOs get stuff in them) and being wet(when cold). However, just this morning I found out they've come out with a pair of fully enclosed waterproof VFF boot. I'm going to order a pair and see how they go over some longish training tramps. If they can handle that, then I think I've found my footwear.
Traditionally, a pair of runners lasts you 800km. A pair of VFF lasts me - consistently - 2000km or more. There's no support to collapse, so the only thing to really wear out is the sole, and as most of you know, Vibram make just about the best soles going around.
So rather than buy 6 pairs of Hi-Tecs, I'd feel much more comfortable getting 3 pair of VFFs; providing they're the right model. Anyway, will keep you posted once I've got a pair and tried them out.
