Ashery wrote:Besides weight, what do high end bags like Western Mountaineering have going for them?
WM are
committed to ethically sourced down.
They also have amazing service. The zipper on my bag had an issue and I just took the bag to their San Jose headquarters (I had the option of mailing it) and with no questions they had someone come over and fix it on the spot. I love that bag.
Ashery wrote:What are some good wide-ish shoe recommendations?
I feel your pain. I have (as my wife calls them), Hobbit feet. One foot is 4E, the other 3E, one is a half size longer than the other. I don't know if you have ever been to "Dave's" in Tahoe, they have a number of stores in the area that rent skiing/snowboarding equipment. Some years ago I was trying to rent some snowboarding boots and the guy helping me could not fit me. He told me, "Don't worry, Dave is here. He can fit anybody". Dave came over and 20 minutes later told me he was sorry but he couldn't help me. That's pretty much been my experience my whole life. It wasn't until I had some custom made shoes in my 30's that I knew what it felt like to walk in shoes that fit.
Having said that, I do have some off-the-shelf boots and trailrunners that I use. My hiking boots are Lowa Renegades in the 2E. I have to buy them in a size larger than I normally wear. These work fine on trails and some offtrail, but for things like sidehilling they tend to rotate around my foot and create blisters.
I also have a pair of New Balance MT510 trailrunners in a 4E. They fit better than any off-the-shelf shoe I have ever worn. They are great on trail and are lighter than my Lowa's, but the soles are not stiff enough for going over talus (hurts the hell out of my feet) and the tread is terrible, I don't feel comfortable going down even a moderately steep well graded dusty trail with them. Also, they don't have a gusseted tongue and the amount of grime that collects on my foot/toes after hiking is crazy.
I just bought but have not worn a pair of 4E New Balance Leadville v3's. They have a very thick cushy sole which I hope will address offtrail use, and a gusseted tongue. Fingers crossed, I hope these can replace my Lowa's.
Regarding blister prevention, due to having hiked in poorly fitting shoes for a long time, I have tried a bunch of remedies. The "Bible" for preventing and treating sports related blisters is "
Fixing Your Feet: Prevention and Treatments for Athletes. I use a method described in that book that really does help in preventing the tape from peeling off. I first apply Compound Tincture of Benzoin (available on Amazon) to the area where the tape will go. This helps the tape to adhere. Let it dry for 1-2 minutes. Then apply Leukotape. Then just around the edges of the tape apply the Benzoin again and let it dry for a couple of minutes. I will typically do this the night before I will be hiking and after applying the tape I will put on a loose pair of socks. The next day it won't be a problem to put on your hiking socks without peeling off the tape. The tape will stay on for days, even if it gets wet.
This has worked really well for me. I do pay attention to my feet while hiking though. I carry a spare pair of socks in the lid of my pack and will swap them out after a few hours of hiking. If I feel a hot spot I will stop and apply a layer of
Skin Glide over the tape/hotspot area.
I've tried both the Ventilator's and the Altra shoes. The Altra's are a "zero drop" shoe, where the heel is at the same height as the ball of the foot. The New Balance are, for comparisons sake, about 8-9 mm if I remember correctly. Zero drop shoes really cause my Achilles problems. This may have been what you were feeling when you tried them on.