Tips for Repairing Boots

Timely question. I too have one. The stitching in one boot has just started to be abraided at 3 sites. Does anyone know if I can merely put some substance on that will glue the seam intact and further protect the sites from repeated abrasion? I have seen some people have the seam repaired and a leather patch put over but I'm keen to find out if there's some substance out there that I can apply myself so I don't have to drop the boots off to a repairer which is a pain in the arse as I work full-time, all the handy repairers have relocated in the quake and I'm away in the weekends. BTW does anyone know a repairer near to the Christchurch CBD now that Bennett's has gone to Papanui. Addington would also do but I finish work at 5pm and I'm sure unlike Bennett's these places weren't staying open until 6pm on a Friday.

Regarding looking after boots: as far as drying them goes, the general rule of thumb is to not subject them to any source of heat that would be too hot for your skin to handle. I found this out the hard way when after 3 weeks of drying my boots by the fire every night, they developed deep cracks and were stuffed. When I come to huts, I drain them upside down and then put them on the highest possible level in the hut, preferably above the stove as this is the warmest place all night but not an excessive source of heat.

I have been told that even sunlight is too much heat for boots but mine still stay in the back porch beteen trips. Never considered drying them on trips. Just leave them outside the door with socks and gaiters next to them. Regretted this on a recent trip to Roaring stag though. Hard frost meant that the socks were like rocks and the gaiters could be held from one corner like a plate. The feet complained about the cold boots for 10 minutes and never felt a thing for the following hour.

Oh, I am such a sook. If I'm not putting them on and immediately commencing the tramp then I like them as dry as I can get them. When I met him on Stewart Island, Andrew Barker pointed out the fact that they would get wet straight away the next day and of course I know this but I don't like to linger around camp in wet boots as the tootsies aren't happy. To balance this up, when doing my Fiordland traverse the boots were constantly wet for 54 days as we would just leave them and the socks outside in the rain but I think I'd hardened up big-time!

Ive have had a pair of Asolos for about 4 years or so and all i do is let them dry by my backdoor step(which dosent get a huge amount of sun)and once nearly dry but not completely i add a good coating of beeswax and leave it to soak in naturally with just outside temperatures.If you put your boots in front of artifical heating its a really good way to stuff them.

I don't know about these terms used in the context of boots... a few nicks... waterproof... a few years. I put my boots on and tramp with them. They get lots of nicks in them on the first trip, but that is because they are protecting my feet. For the first few trips they are waterproof but that is a pain because the water doesn't drain out of them after I cross creeks. Just when boots get good, they wear out and I then use them for potting panseys in the garden after that. Boots last me 2 years max. It doesn't matter if they are cheap or expensive, they only last 2 years. I tend to go for the stiffest boots I can get for the lowest price. I also tend to avoid full leather boots now as it seems that it is the leather that deteriorates in water the quickest. I also never quick dry. Boots get cleaned after a trip and then dry out slowly over the week inside the house where it isn't too hot or cold.

i usually stuff my summer boots with newspaper to dry them out quickly so they are ready for the next weekend, i do the same with my winter boots, dont like to leave them to dry out slowly as i reckon its good to get the leather to dry out a bit or the leather can degrade a bit quicker and the boots dont last as long, always put the boot wax on as well to keep the leather in good nick, not too worried abouts nicks and cuts in the leather as its inevitable that it will happen!