Whoo Hoo....new gear!

“I quite using sock liners about 12 years ago. I found that for me, I actually had more movement in my boot with the liners then without. I do most of my hiking in Chacos now, but I do wear boots on occasion and I have 3 pair of Tele boots. I use Smartwool or Head socks and the same Superfeet you are using. I second Tangos recomendation on the heel cushions, they are worth a try.

What kind of boots are ya wearing? Have you tried hiking in trail shoes?”

“Thr Truth Is Out.... Cottonsocks Jr.! LMAO!

I wore the the poly liners and wool socks for years, but the Thorlos wick just fine all by themselves. I tried wearing the liners with them at first, but they drove me crazy sliding all around!

For extra cushion, I like the Sorbothane Ultrasoles... nice and squishy -- Great on the downhills.

I've got the same situation Gem: a little wide (D/E) with that high instep. The only thing that keeps my toes from hitting the front of the boot is to really crank down on the laces... but that puts more pressure on the arch. I think I can continue to lace the foot tightly if I can get more support under the arch.... hmmmmmmm...

I tried the SuperFeet, but those suckers are like concrete (see the bit about the Sorbothanes).

Maybe I need to get EVEN LONGER boots next time, LOL... More width and less toe jamming(?)


I haven't had any heel blisters in a while. Maybe it's these La Sportiva TRKs. They're not real 'roomy' in the heel. They also have the gizmo like a lateral clam cleat (in sailing parlance) on the sides near the ankle bone, that you wedge the laces into so the ankle can be laced tighter than the foot (or vice versa). I've seen this feature on some Vasques also.

I do still get blisters on the ball of my foot if I'm not careful.


P.S. Try not to get baklava stuck in your hair, Scorchy!


P.P.S. I finally broke down and bought the Weasel that Monty Python stuffed Rabbit with Pointy Teeth and she's dragging it all over the house ---”

“Rabbit with.......WTF?

Junior my ass!
I've earned my grey hair, sonny!”

“Okay... The Rabbit.... Again! LOL




And if you're truly the Original Cottonsocks, why didn't you speak up to claim your rightful title months ago?? <G>”

“great deal on goretex asolo $27, only a couple sizes left.

about my problem: Well, I will try everything suggested. Hope I'll find a solution.”

“Gem-those Lowa boots you are wishing for have a skate-style ankle guard. have you worn skates or inlines with that before? not the most comfy thing, even with extra padding.”

“If your heel is slipping and the rest of the boot fits well, you can snug up the boot to avoid the heel 'slippage' by 'double looping' the upper most quick loops. Learned that years ago, and the guy at REI was showing my wife how do to the same while I was testing out new boots.

"It's a 'sinch!'"”

“helinka...that's what they reminded me off, skates. Okay then... I guess I can mark them off. :) thanks.

yupp, when I purchased the last boot they showed me how to tie them. Felt really uncomfortable though because of my high arches. I will still try, just not as tight as the REI guy did it.”

“ingenius is a hiking sock with the "liner" sewn in. Awesome sock! I also just placed an order for my ula p-2 ...the wait begins”

“i got those socks. I think I bought 3 or 4 pair back then. It is a great sock.”

“Better the boot is alittle big than too small. If you're just getting blisters on your heels and your boots are alittle loose then try a thicker sock combination, like MarkO said, your feet will feel abit tight in your boots at first but the socks will quickly conform and hopefully that will fill in your heel gap. Chicago's suggestion is a good one to, check your lacing so it's nice and supportive, not too tight, it should be just right!

Free your feet and your @ss will follow!!!”

“I luv talking about Gaby's feet!!!

8~]”

“Even though my thick sock combination feels a bit tight when I first hit the trail, the socks DO compress and I even re-tighten my laces down the trail.

For me its all about insulation.
That is, the thick socks insulate my feet from friction....the friction between the feet and the inside of the boot.

I never worry about my feet being hotter in warm weather.
The feet are going to sweat anyway.

Thirty years with few blisters, eh?”

“I didn't read all (don't you HATE people like that?? lol)

I use Superfeet and like them. Also, I have gotten an odd blister on the outside of my heel, toward the bottom of my foot. I started using moleskin... sometimes I think I used two small pieces of moleskin on each side of the blister area, which worked well.

Gem, let me ask you this... what about shoes you wear otherwise? In the summer I wear cheap#&%!$ sandals that build up callouses along the outside of my foot, back around the heel.

I don't necessarily think that's your problem, but maybe the shoes you're wearing at times other than backpacking are not good, supportive shoes and add to the problem?

Just an idea........”

“i need new boots”

“Does a new computer keyboard count as new gear? I can use it for posting trip reports.

Last night I spilled some water on the keyboard and zapped it. Behind the computer I have a replacement A/C. It has some non-removable brackets which prevent it from sliding all the way into the old window box. So I placed a large pan under it to collect the dripping water, which does not go outside. The pan got too full yesterday, and hence it got splashed in the computer area. All the many scraps of paper that were around the computer are still drying out.

The new keyboard is working great.”

“EMS hooked me up last night. I got a pair of there zip-off pants for the price of there shorts.

EMS Adventure Zip-Off Pant, Men's ”

“I'm so happy!!
It's not new gear, but I found my headlamp after 3 months. It was hiding from me under my passenger seat in my car. :)”

“I bought a Kelty Vallhala 5 for my new one-man FYAO tent.”

“Yam- all this time you thought I stole it from you...

I'm glad you found it:)”

“Just kiddin'.....

I would need a sled to haul that big dome tent.

Its for beach and other car camping.”

“And I thought the tent you had last year was big and heavy.”

“anybody else feel kinda sad when you get new stuff, and you have to "retire" your old equipment?

like how woody felt when buzz came along?


i got a jetboil.

it's pretty awesome.

originally, i figured the jetboil would be for the winter, or trips when the fuel savings would add up.

but after using it a couple times, i don't think i'll be using my pepsi stove much anymore at all.”

“Hey lumberzac, thanks again for being the sled dog!”

“Any time MarkO. Maybe next time we'll actually use the tent.”

“Sacco, I don't feel too sad when I replace gear, because generally when it gets replaced it is pretty much on life support. I like to think that the old gear is off to a better place. Maybe I should do some kind of memorial service in the back yard or something.”

“zac, i hear ya when the gear get's worn, but in this case...

my poor pepsi stove still had alot miles left in her, i know it.

it's a very sad thing to retire a good piece of equip - just because something newer and better comes along.

[sniff, sniff]”

“just got a gregory forester pack.... hopefully it'll be a lot more comfortable than my stupid kelty! can't wait to try it out.”

“I just retired an old (I mean old--circa 1972, approx. 2500 cu. in.) backpack that mom passed down to me. Finally, finally, FINALLY I saved enough to get a new pack.

It's just an REI, but after that old tiny external frame, it's like wearing heaven on my back! ;)”

“I just switched from ext to internal frames too. Love it! fits better and my gear packs better too - and the new pack is smaller! Must be something about the way the bag is designed.”

“it's a very sad thing to retire a good piece of equip - just because something newer and better comes along.

[sniff, sniff]"
sacco
03:01:15 PM

I know exactly what you mean. I have a 1960's vintage Optimus 8R stove that works like it just came out of the box. Now it just sits on my shelf collecting dust.”

“Two of my tents bit the dust last summer......both rain flies ripped....too much sun.....gone brittle.

The Eureka was so old it was made in U.S.A.”

“Damn, that is old.”

“"It's not new gear, but I found my headlamp after 3 months. It was hiding from me under my passenger seat in my car."

It's always cool when ya find lost gear. I'm hoping I find my digital camera soon. :(

I had a chance to use my $16 Old Navy polyester mock zip shirt. It was great. Not too hot and not too thin. I still think it's going to smell like perpetual prison ass once it's broken in though.”

“What did you do with your headlamp, Nigal to make it that afeared of you?

OK, who else loves that magazine ad that shows the guy with a mountain of gear strapped to his back. I think the ad is for a car, but I have it cut up and on my fridge. I laugh out loud, EVERY DAY!”

“I once had a zipka...the damn thing was so small I never could find it...it's been lost for a couple of years now.”

“twigeater,

If it's in your yard.....forget it!”

“"What did you do with your headlamp, Nigal to make it that afeared of you?"

I was quoting Yam's post. I lost my camera and she lost her headlamp. BTW- What's the statute of limitations after losing a piece of gear before you can buy a replacemnt guilt free? Is there a mathmatical formula based on the retail price and number of days it's been lost? I'm tired of not having a camera.”

“(# days used * Cost / 1000) - # days lost”

“My Vacation did lead to some new gear. I went to a great gear store in burlington, VT.
Outdoor Gear Exchange, the sell new and used gear. Big store with lots of cool gear. Everything from kayaks to skis in stock.

Anyway I picked up a walrus mesh insert for my walrus trekker tarp. Been looking for on for a while. The MSR one doesn't fit.
I also got a Black Diamond Winter Bivy. It s made out of Epic fabric like my lightsabre bivy but only weighs 9 ozs. I got it to use when sleeping in leantos. or in a tent in the winter.”

“Just bought a Z-Rest. Needed some extra padding, my Thermarest Ultralight 3/4 wasn't perfect on frozen and/or hard ground. Now I'll use both at the same time!

Also got a new Platypus bladder. Needed one that was squarish, my 3-year old Platypus is long and narrow and doesn't pack into the top of my pack all that well.”

“I got a new sleeping bag from those Gear Exchange. Reg price $249, I got it for $169.
They have great deals and are on the web. www.gearx.com”

“I am think about replacing my therma rest with a z-rest.”

“Ultralight 3/4 has the same weight as a full-length Z. So no weight gain and you get a full-length pad to boot. Many people say the Z is pretty comfortable, guess I'll find out my first night out.

I won't enjoy having the Z hanging off the outside (my air pad fits inside easily), but I gotta enjoy the 1/3 of the day I'm laying down, you know?”

“i use a 3/4 z-rest lite for my pack frame (a granite gear virga)

and now i use the new thermorest 4 season ultralite short also.[1 1/2" thick inflated, packs up smaller than a nalgene]

together, they still weigh less than most decent self inlflating pads - but man, it's like sleeping in a normal bed.”

“I have been considering retiring my bulky blue thingy and going with a z-rest....how think are they???/”

“Got a 2 day 2 night 23 miler comming up next weekend. I couldn't go hiking without buying at least one piece of new gear. With gear selection I'm shooting for a 17lb pack with food and water and ditching my old TNF trail runners for these.

”

“Congratulations. DeoreDX let us know how you like them!”

“They are shoes and I'm halfway Metrosexual. The actual shoe is not as important as the shopping and buying of the shoe! This makes my third pair of shoes in less then a week. A pair of Cole Hanns, a pair of Kenneth Coles, and now these. I think this puts me close to thirty in the pairs of shoe department ;)”

“DDX, take product for your hair on your trip and you will be a full fledged metrosexual. LOL!

Nice shoes. I finally bought a pair of the fabled NB 605s (?). They run my pinky toe raw. Damn!”