desert/jungle boots

[iampmat]

Dear all,

since I travel very frequently to rural India (especially north east) I was looking into buying a jungle or desert boots. My budget is limited (i.e. I can't afford £130 for new LOWA desert elite) but I can afford used ones...My requirements is to stay dry and be durable. I checked in ebay and I am dubious among 3-4 options:

1) used (grade 2) lowa desert elite (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/170924537254?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649)

2) used (grade 2) meindl desert fox (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/330590608...eName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649) I read a thread in here about them

3) new US jungle boots (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/US-ARMY-C...76?pt=UK_Men_s_Shoes&var=&hash=item45fee11a84 or this http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/GENUINE-I...Collectables_Militaria_LE&hash=item4ab8ece6b2)

4) new UK jungle boots (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BRITISH-A...Collectables_Militaria_LE&hash=item35c0b034c5 it says they have holes for drainage but what if is very muddy that would just let mud in and not really drain it) or this http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/280991709177?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649

5) this boots which should be magnum boots http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/321000123305?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649



Any recommendations?



Cheers


P.

 

[Rabbitsmacker]

You mention keeping feet dry? Neither boots will do this as they use nylon panels to aid cooling and will let water in.

 

[iampmat]

I thought that at least lowa and meindl boots would be a bit better. I could do with a seal skin socks though. On the other hands I don't want also to be too hot and sweat.

Any suggestions?

 

[Bushwhacker]

I don't understand. Are you going to be in the jungle or are you going to be in the desert?

 

[Rabbitsmacker]

I wouldn't put the sealskins in them, you might as well be wearing a goretex boot then. You could try and find a full leather ankle boot, without any lining. All leather won't smell, keep out some moisture, and won't be as hot as a lined boot.

 

[iampmat]

I don't understand. Are you going to be in the jungle or are you going to be in the desert?

I'm going to either assam region (tropical forest) and southern india (kerala) so I would say both. but as pointed out by rabbitsmacker maybe what I need is full leather non lined boots to be dry but not too hot... I will search in that direction and perhaps ask further question. meantime if anyone has good experience with jungle boots it would be useful to the community to hear that.

 

[Bushwhacker]

Full leather isn't really the best thing to wear in the jungle.


You can pick up canvas ankled jungle boots cheap enough. I paid £10 for mine at a boot sale and they were fine.

 

[lostplanet]

I don't know anything about Jungle or desert travel on foot, buy if I were you I would be looking at a decent pair of dedicated desert and seperate jungle boots. You will be on your feet for the majority of the time so why scrimp on footwear and risk having a miserable time of it with chaffing, blisters, possibility of infections, being a burden on you colleagues and associated problems?

Research is key here if you are asking, there must be good reason why people use a jungle boot similar to the US canvas panel and leather deep tread sole boot that dries relatively quickly. Then the desert boot thats light, made of leather, canvas panels and suede with good high ankle support.

Trying to make one boot work for both of the more harsh environments of the world just seems stupid to me.

 

[iampmat]

thanks Lostplanet for the sensible suggestion. I will look into getting the best of the two types of boots

 

[lostplanet]

.What is your plan? will you be treking/camping through the jungle/desert or just visiting the outskirts for a day trip?

Assuming you will be hiking/treking from camp to camp, Another tip would be to work out your rucksack weight/load and "well" before you leave, wear both pairs of chosen boots/socks to break them in before the trek/walk/hike working up to the distances you expect to travel. Your feet will spread/rub/hotspot with the extra weight of the pack and the pack will gain weight in wet conditions.

Your also going to be clambering through allsorts of stuff and making the boot work at angles you wouldn't get just by bimbling down the road. might be worth considering that too.

 

[Rabbitsmacker]

I have to say the US jungle boots are one of the best boots I've ever used, they are region specific, though I've never been to the jungle and have still had many pairs and used them to destruction. If your trip is going to be to a specific location then get footwear that is specifically designed for the conditions you encounter if they are going to be an extreme. You need to ask what you want the footwear to do and where they are going to do it.
Full leather in the jungle I should imagine you are heading straight at trench foot. I only suggested them as the original message seemed to require the features of both boots but with the need to not get wet feet which neither will do.
Dunno, determine what u are going to do then kit up with the correct gear and not try to roughly guess.

 

[santaman2000]

Realize that by design, jungle boots are not and cannot be waterproof. The assumption is that you will eventually wade through water that is deeper than the top of the boots. Therefore they not only have canvas panels (at least the originals did; the modern ones have nylon panels) but they also have drainage vents near the bottom of the boots.

The earliest desert boots were nothing more than tan colored jungle boots with the vents removed to help keep out the dust and sand. Now almost all modern desert or jungle boots are a bit better designed than originally and have better materials BUT!! neither is designed to be waterproof even now.

 

[lostplanet]

Here's some easy watching info for jungle treks, apologies if you have seen all this already. I think Uncle Ray knows a bit about what he is doing by now, so enjoy....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9I2fISwZHeI

Here's the journey with Ewan McKenobi, virtually from start to finish,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kE1W7XwYGKk&feature=related

 

[iampmat]

yeah I saw so the video with Ewan, great stuff Ray's tips.

Will keep an eye on cheap US jungle boots and try to aim to some used Lowa

 

[santaman2000]

yeah I saw so the video with Ewan, great stuff Ray's tips.

Will keep an eye on cheap US jungle boots and try to aim to some used Lowa

Be careful with the US jungle boots. They are a good design but they've been around since the 1960s and there are loads of cheap copies out there.

 

[iampmat]

how about ye olde british ones? http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/230866040005?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649

 

[santaman2000]

how about ye olde british ones? http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/230866040005?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649

They're the same boot as the last generation US ones. The originals were green and didn't have those speed lacings and the most modern have a padded collar.

 

[Broomstickize]

+1 on the US jungle boots. I spent a period of 2 months in jungle with them and had no problems whatsoever. I've used them elsewhere but never in arid areas. As they are designed to shed water quickly and made with fabric panels they should deal with heat but they are heavier that desert specific boots.
As well as following the advice about copies, also bear in mind there are different width fittings as well so try more than one shoe size and width to get the right pair. You should find plenty as most troops time in the jungle is limited and so lots of boots in good nick find their way to the surplus market.

 

[steve75]

Take a look here. Both jungle and desert boots available.

http://www.britishmilitarysurplus.co.uk/ishop/1069/shopscr4.html

 

[Dano]

I spent some time in Kanartaka which I believe is similar to Kerala, I would just say regular boots would be fine rather than special jungle boots, I dont know about the other places but in the tropics here I still wear regular boots, Timberlands actually, the locals wear flipflops

if you get the chance to fish in India go for it, its the home of the mighty Mahseer but watch out for crocks when on the water