Tramping Research Project

Boots, my number one pet peeve is boots (and the prices for them). I'm simplifying this a lot but a good pair of boots will set you back anywhere from $400-$700 dollars. That is fine if they are durable but most expensive boots last hardly any longer than a cheap $200 pair. Give me boots worth that $600 dollars (ie they last longer than one summer season) or charge me less for them...actually apply that to any gear that cost my eldest born to acquire:> Give me quality or charge me less!

Hello sophiam, I agree with bradley1 about there being scope for design (and cost) improvement with boots. Lack of boot durability, boot pricing, & boots not being designed for wet NZ conditions i.e. regularly fording rivers & possibly being wet for days on end is my biggest peeve with tramping gear. A stiffish soled light weight boot without internal padding that breathes/lets the water out would get my attention. There are good boots around for those in situations where feet can be kept dry but not for those who will get their boots wet multiple times a day.

This is the second thread about this topic? Packs. We are the ones going out and using these things, and some designs are just not thought through. It would be good to know how the designers arrive at some of their concepts - where and who tests them? Just imagine what form they may have taken if half the people on this forum had tested them... This thread could end up being quite an eye-opener…

Socks. All my clothes are drip/dry, wash & wear, dry-by-body-heat within 30min, except my socks. Thick, towelled, wool-blend socks are great for tramping in, but once wet are hard to dry. Wet feet all day isn't so good. Neoprene gaiters you can velcro or zip on & off for river crossing ?.

@Pro-active. I bought some neoprene gaiters and they are hopeless. Plus they remain wet and heavy to wear or carry on your pack. Something like these Wiggys Waders might be worth going for, although I wonder how well the thin rubberised soles will last on sharp rocks… http://wiggys.com/moreinfo.cfm?Product_ID=5

"Alaska Performance Backcountry Skiing" has something like this - http://crust.outlookalaska.com/Gear/Kelley_CustomXCGaiters_IMG_0140.JPG Put 'em on, take 'em off. How about dry bags, boot shaped, with a sealable cuff, worn over the boot ?. Just for serious river crossing ?. This is an oven bag over a sock, worn inside a boot. http://assets.sectionhiker.com/wp-content/uploads/thumbskeep/2014/01/Oven-Bag-over-a-thin-sock-liner.jpg

Can't we do something better than this ?. https://klromo.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/walmart-snow-boots-3.jpg

I prefer to just accept I'm going to have wet feet, so aim for quick-drying as opposed to "waterproof" (which, unless you're wearing waders, is BS anyway), but yeah, I agree about the socks. There are SO many different types of socks out there, but I just haven't found any that provide warmth, comfort, are quick-drying, and don't give you blisters. I pretty much gave up on socks years ago, when I discovered (and fell in love with) Vibram Five Fingers. But as good as they are, I don't think they've (yet) come up with a model that will carry you from the flats into the mountains, comfortably. I still ummed and ahhed about wearing them on the TAT til, well, a few days ago really. Anyway, having bitten the bullet and accepting that VFFs aren't going to quite cut it, I'm now back to dealing with socks (and friggin' blisters). But I'd settle for a pair of socks that will dry quickly! I know I can take two pair of underwear; all good. One pair of shoes; no worries. But socks? Can I really rely on a pair of soaking wet socks to be dry, even in a day or two (especially in sustained rainy conditions)? Not as far as I know. As as gaiters go, if you wear shoes as opposed to boots, and expect your feet to get wet, then I've just come across Dirty Girl gaiters, and will definitely be getting a pair. Another option is the innov8 socks/gaiters in one. Not sure if you can get either of those in NZ.

Wet socks?? Geez, some of you guy's need to harden up....