Cold Wet Boots
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On a recent camping trip with my son (age 11) his boots got really wet after walking in deep snow. I stuffed his spare dry under-clothes in them over night and then dried the damp clothes next to the fire the following morning. The idea being that his clothes would be a lot easier to dry that the boots. It worked well.
Tom
Tom
For me, I find Mr Gryhlls entertaining but the stuff he passes off as his special forces background is rubbish, having done aircrew survival (and had certain hooligans from Hereford) on and teach parts of it he is not a guy I'd want to be helping me in a survival situation based on his show.
Where people to do much of what he 'demonstrates' in his shows in a genuine suvival situation they would end up needing our attention sooner rather than later.
My overall view is that he is survival for the MTV adrenaline junkie generation as genuine survival techniques a big fat 'Could do a damm site better!' I shudder to think what sort of comments his instructors would have to make about him.
Where people to do much of what he 'demonstrates' in his shows in a genuine suvival situation they would end up needing our attention sooner rather than later.
My overall view is that he is survival for the MTV adrenaline junkie generation as genuine survival techniques a big fat 'Could do a damm site better!' I shudder to think what sort of comments his instructors would have to make about him.
During survival training at the old LRRP school I had to make improvised equipment. One item was footwear to wear for river crossings etc. I removed the insoles from my boots (and went without) and stiched them to a pair of socks. Worked o.k but I wouldn't expect them to last too long.
Don't people here dubbin leather boots? Unless you submerge your boot in water they will stay dry anyway when sealed like this.
I did a river crossing just last weekend. Twice solo and twice in a group.I had on light weight leather walking boots with a gore tex lining. I was wearing 2 pairs of wool socks. I was almost half way accross the river before my feet were completely soaked. After the river crossing our group then had to walk about a mile and a half, to our cars, and apart from when I was actually in the water, my feet didn't get cold at all. It did take the boots about 4 days to dry out properly at home though
if your out and they have got soaked your kinda stuffed
as ever prevention is better so gaters help - though watch them esspecially with waterproof trousers as the rain just glides down the nylonstraight onto your socks which will then happilly wick the wet throughout your boots and for good measure give you blisters through it lol.
gortex socks are great to have in your kit if your expecting to get a prolounged soaking however same thing applys watch out for the wet getting in through running down your legs .
this i know doesnt actually address already soaked boots . though stopping at a pub for the evening you can always pop them by the fire while you drink yourself happy done that in snowdonia a few times - however makes for a bad day when you wake up next morning
as ever prevention is better so gaters help - though watch them esspecially with waterproof trousers as the rain just glides down the nylonstraight onto your socks which will then happilly wick the wet throughout your boots and for good measure give you blisters through it lol.
gortex socks are great to have in your kit if your expecting to get a prolounged soaking however same thing applys watch out for the wet getting in through running down your legs .
this i know doesnt actually address already soaked boots . though stopping at a pub for the evening you can always pop them by the fire while you drink yourself happy done that in snowdonia a few times - however makes for a bad day when you wake up next morning
The folks here don't hate him; they just don't like the showbiz way his show treats the subjects that we are most interested in.
On another level, we can see how the uninitiated could get into serious trouble by emulating some of the silly things that happen on his show. Don't forget, not everyone can tell the difference between an entertaining show and a survival instruction film.
That's the secret, taking the inners out and getting a good airflow seems to do the trick for me.
I've tried Sealskinz and thought they were garbage, the black MOD goretex socks work so much better IMHO.
Odd how people think the MoD black GTX boot liners are miles ahead of Sealskins, since I have it on good authority that Sealskins made these for the MoD!
Looking to get another pair of the MoD ones as my current ones are wearing through, can anyone recommend a source of new ones?
Apparently the MoD have not bought more of their contract type of boot liners, and are issuing commercial-off-the-shelf Sealskins now. If that is true then getting MoD ones will be increasingly difficult - is there really such a big difference between the commercial Sealskins and the issue black ones? And can anyone remember the previous-issue green bag-type of boot liners - yeuch!
Looking to get another pair of the MoD ones as my current ones are wearing through, can anyone recommend a source of new ones?
Apparently the MoD have not bought more of their contract type of boot liners, and are issuing commercial-off-the-shelf Sealskins now. If that is true then getting MoD ones will be increasingly difficult - is there really such a big difference between the commercial Sealskins and the issue black ones? And can anyone remember the previous-issue green bag-type of boot liners - yeuch!
I got issued some of those green goretex socks, but I knew by then they were garbage as I had previously bought a set a few years before. This was when Goretex was heralded as a wonder product and nobody understood its' limitations. I was suckered in along with loads of others in my training party! Gaiters work for me now, and I plan my route to not need to have to do river crossings!
I've given up trying to keep my feet dry in the bush TBH. I just get a pair of boots that dry really quickly. A fast drying boot coupled with a decent wool sock ( the white army arctic ones are good IMHO) does me for 90% of what I do here. If you're going to be getting wet feet on a regular basis then I'd avoid any boot with a GTX or breatheable membrane lining. They take an age to dry..
I've recently changed boots over to a pair of LOWA Desert Elites which are lightweight ( even in a size 12) and dry very quickly. Previously I had some Miendl Desert Foxes and they were very good also..
I think if you're moving and a lightweight boot has gotten sodden (river crossing for example) walking 'pumps' most of the water out and the boot drys rapidly. I find if I change into dry socks say at a lunch stop and give my feet a bit of attention this stops my feet getting soft and prone to blistering..
If I'm on a trip mostly above the bushline on open tops with infrequent river crossings then I'll use another pair of LOWA boots I have Mountain GTX's with a Yeti Gaiter it's a very good combination for moorland / above bushline conditions but if the boot gets swamped then the lining takes a long time to dry out as the Yeti's are not really designed for LOWA boots the seal around the boot rand is not 100% water tight as it used to be on the old Scarpa sole units so you get water penetrating into the gaiter if you use them for wading etc...
I've recently changed boots over to a pair of LOWA Desert Elites which are lightweight ( even in a size 12) and dry very quickly. Previously I had some Miendl Desert Foxes and they were very good also..
I think if you're moving and a lightweight boot has gotten sodden (river crossing for example) walking 'pumps' most of the water out and the boot drys rapidly. I find if I change into dry socks say at a lunch stop and give my feet a bit of attention this stops my feet getting soft and prone to blistering..
If I'm on a trip mostly above the bushline on open tops with infrequent river crossings then I'll use another pair of LOWA boots I have Mountain GTX's with a Yeti Gaiter it's a very good combination for moorland / above bushline conditions but if the boot gets swamped then the lining takes a long time to dry out as the Yeti's are not really designed for LOWA boots the seal around the boot rand is not 100% water tight as it used to be on the old Scarpa sole units so you get water penetrating into the gaiter if you use them for wading etc...
I did wear some of those ultra light desert pattern Magnum boots last yea, and after they get wet it take an hour or so before they dry out which is no time at all. They are light and comfy and I think they are a modern moccasin for use on paths and concrete! I reckon they're good boots!
Johnboy, I think the easy come easy go attitude to dry feet that you mention of porous but quick-drying boots is the idea behind the US jungle boots - no way that your feet would keep dry in the jungle so they put holes in the bottom to let it all drain out. Not had a pair myself, although you do see people using them for summer use here, but they seem to be thought of highly.
Does this really work with the des boots you and Phil are using tho? I'm thinking even with the pumping effect of walking, suede is going to hold the water much longer than leather, rubber and nylon duck with grommets in the boot ever would... Don't you find your new pair of socks just get soaked through by the wet suede straight away?
I'm hearing you on the Lowa gtx mountains taking an age to dry out, they're great whilst they are dry but after the first 'GET IN THE RIVER!' of the day they are soaked for the rest of the day and even the rest of the week - cold times for your feet when you stop moving!
I've also seen people very attached to their junglies who mod them for wet weather/winter use by just wearing a GTX boot liner under them over their socks. Normally I keep these for when my boots are soaked through so I dont get a new pair of socks wet again straight away, but they will just wear them all the time - hey presto, a lightweight but waterproof boot, far cheaper to buy a set of boot liners than a new pair of goretex boots. Might that work with your des boots also?
I must say I tend to stay away from Magnums. As a sprog I bought a pair of Magnum Classics for a cycle of FIBUA training thinking they were some sort of light and nimble urban assault/patrols boot or something, but they fell apart on me so fast! I think getting their faux leather burnt with a smoke grenade wasnt the greatest for their life expectancy but even so the rest of them were coming apart after a comparatively short time, soles falling off, fake leather peeling away, padding in the tongue migrating unevely. Also they soaked up the water like sponges walking across only damp grass! And didnt dry out v fast... That said I know one lad who had a pair of Magnum Elites, the waterproof ones, for occasional use and they lasted a few years and he loved them, I also know people who wear the black Magnum Amazons for in-camp use only and seem to like them over CAB, but personally I would have reservations about ever going near Hi-Tec again...
Does this really work with the des boots you and Phil are using tho? I'm thinking even with the pumping effect of walking, suede is going to hold the water much longer than leather, rubber and nylon duck with grommets in the boot ever would... Don't you find your new pair of socks just get soaked through by the wet suede straight away?
I'm hearing you on the Lowa gtx mountains taking an age to dry out, they're great whilst they are dry but after the first 'GET IN THE RIVER!' of the day they are soaked for the rest of the day and even the rest of the week - cold times for your feet when you stop moving!
I've also seen people very attached to their junglies who mod them for wet weather/winter use by just wearing a GTX boot liner under them over their socks. Normally I keep these for when my boots are soaked through so I dont get a new pair of socks wet again straight away, but they will just wear them all the time - hey presto, a lightweight but waterproof boot, far cheaper to buy a set of boot liners than a new pair of goretex boots. Might that work with your des boots also?
I must say I tend to stay away from Magnums. As a sprog I bought a pair of Magnum Classics for a cycle of FIBUA training thinking they were some sort of light and nimble urban assault/patrols boot or something, but they fell apart on me so fast! I think getting their faux leather burnt with a smoke grenade wasnt the greatest for their life expectancy but even so the rest of them were coming apart after a comparatively short time, soles falling off, fake leather peeling away, padding in the tongue migrating unevely. Also they soaked up the water like sponges walking across only damp grass! And didnt dry out v fast... That said I know one lad who had a pair of Magnum Elites, the waterproof ones, for occasional use and they lasted a few years and he loved them, I also know people who wear the black Magnum Amazons for in-camp use only and seem to like them over CAB, but personally I would have reservations about ever going near Hi-Tec again...
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I've got a pair of the original magnums, and they're still going strong.
Had them for over 10 years.
the only thing I've replaced is the laces.
Had them for over 10 years.
the only thing I've replaced is the laces.
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