River crossings: wet boots vs water shoes.
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Hello all,
I was hoping to bounce some ideas off of people.
I'm still getting used to the river crossings here and must admit I am not totally comfortable with it. It is not something you are likely to encounter in Canada, so I am still trying to gain some confidence in this area of New Zealand tramping and learn to make sound, safe decisions.
That being said, I hate walking in soaking wet boots all day long, especially when it hasn't rained in days. I also like to carry an pair of sandals with me to wear around the camp. So I am trying to figure out a way to kill two birds with one stone.
I understand that using a pair of jandals to cross a river is just plain dumb and I would never attempt it. However I am getting mixed opinions on whether or not it is safe to cross in shoes. I was thinking of getting a light pair of water shoes like the Salomon Tech Amphibian, or a pair of Keens to use for crossing rivers and general camp use. What do you folks think, is it a good idea, or a dangerous one?
I have also considered that changing boots to shoes at every river might start to get tedious and take up more time than the effort is worth.
Thanks for your thoughts and help!
Just buy a good pair of boots that drain well combined with the right socks your feet will quickly dry out or at least feel like it.
I reckon walking in wet boots is much less annoying than stopping to change footwear (twice) at every river crossing.
Just don't get "waterproof" boots.
yeah... problem is that i have already got new boots and they have an Event lining.
What you do is stop after each river crossing, find a nice place to lie down and then prop your feet up on a log, a branch or a rock or something. After a couple of minutes most of the water will have drained out. Good chance to have a bit of a rest too.
I reakon wet boots are better than hard/stiff boots. i.e less chance of blisters!...anyway you feet sweat making your feet wet anyway. Just harden up and get use to wet boots!
Shoes are fine for river crossings. I do quite a bit of fly fishing and have done hundreds of river crossings while wearing shoes. In most cases they are no different to boots.
The more substantial Sandals are also fine to wear, just need to avoid stubbing toes. Keen makes a few hybrid Sandals which offer a solid piece over your toes.
http://www.keenfootwear.com/product_detail.aspx?sku=110230
I know quite a few people who cross rivers in bare feet. I am much to lazy and just wear wet boots.
I was surprised when i first got to New Zealand to see that it is common to do river crossings in your boots. In Scandinavia, where I am from, I have never seen that before. I have allways carried a pair of good sandals for river crossings. It does take a while each time you have to change, so if it is a day with numerous crossings, it might not be worth it.
For day trips i don't mind getting my boots wet, but for a weeklong trip, I would do my very best to keep them dry.
It is a safety issue. Lots of NZ river beds are bouldery and it is safer to leave your boots on when crossing, rather than risk injury to feet by taking them off. That is what the old river crossing manuals used to say
See http://www.riversafe.org.nz/facts/rivercrossing.shtml
New Zealand conditions tend to be rather damp at the best of time. Feet tend to get wet whether it os mud on the track or just rain. To me trying to keep feet dry is a total waste of time.
yeah my concern is the whole safety issue. is it safe to cross in a water type shoe or toed sandal? i understand that crossing barefoot, unless very low flow, is dangerous, but i guess i have never been told why. is it dangerous simply because you risk injuring your feet on loose river beds? or is it a stability in moving water issue? i guess too then one has to ask, if the water is so powerful that you risk being swept down river when not fully booted, is it really safe to cross with boots as well? these are relatively new concepts for me to consider as we tend to build bridges in canada. parks canada spends far less money on huts and more on trail maintenance. so any help in making safe choices is certainly appreciated.
with as for keeping my feet dry, it is more that i would prefer to not walk all day with two buckets of water strapped to my feet for days on end if i don't have to.
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| Forum | The campfire |
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| Started by | dspottydog |
| On | 12 October 2008 |
| Replies | 16 |
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