Camp Shoes - Yes or No?

[FeetFirst]

No need, my trail runners are light enough to serve as hiking shoes and camp shoes in one.

Same here. After a couple of years of going this route I realized that sometimes the shoes were still wet in the evening, so I started bringing plastic produce bags to slip on over my warm & dry pair of socks before putting them back in my wet shoes. Works great.

[SSSdave]

As a young poor twenty-something before most on this board were born, backpacked all the way in from Crabtree Camp past Woods Lake carrying a rectangular Coleman sleeping bag and an orange plastic tube tent. Twas peak mosquito season early July after a wet winter. Maybe 12 miles all wearing ordinary cheap floppy tennies of that day. Will always remember how agonizingly sore the soles of my little feet were. Fortunately my mind didn't linger long on that pain because the mosquitoes were more an issue. Sit down on a rock then just a minute later dozens could quickly be seen on my Levi 501s trying to poke through then moving on to the next spot. In the sky were clouds of swirling blood sukkas.

And no I couldn't let my mind linger on the mosquitoes either because I could see lots of big rainbow trout sucking down and splashing over much of that lake. Yes out came the box of dry flies and clear float. I endured and was happy. Well until retiring in the evening, after a big frying pan over coals trout feast, after carefully surrounding my head in the tube tent with a modest rectangular sheet of bug netting I'd brought along (days before I knew what a headnet was), whence my sore sore sore feet again tortured me while trying to sleep.

Hence after the trip bought real heavy duty log and rock blasting boots and to this day that is all I bring. At 2am when awakened, notice a certain natural need calling. The cold damp boots are positioned just outside the UL1 door. Grab my headlamp, unzip the door, kneel up, put first foot then second foot into clammy boots, stand up, walk a few feet........ It works. Cross streams. Well if it can't be hopped or log walked across, out come the 8 ounce Wiggy's Waders. So don't need no camp shoes.

[cslaght]

I may be alone on this, but the last couple of times I've brought my Old Navy (NOT an endorsement ) that were like $3 and weigh pretty much nothing. They equate to about a 1/4" think plastic and they work well to get the boots off and put my feet in some water if needed. Haven't really needed them to cross as I usually just keep my waterproof boots on.

[maverick]

I usually just keep my waterproof boots on.

What are those.

[Bluewater]

I use my trail runners (non waterproof!) for hiking, water crossings and around camp. Triple use. Hobbes already pointed out some of the many benefits of wearing lightweight breathable trail runners. Altra's are amazing!

In the snow I bring homemade down booties with nylon/dyneema shells to stay warm around camp and for late night breaks.


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[freestone]

Last week I hike several miles in the rain at the end of the day in light weight trail runners. They were not dry when I made camp and were still wet the next morning because of the ambient conditions even though they were stowed under my tarp. Under ideal Sierra conditions they would be dry, and two days later I did such conditions, but these shoes will not dry if conditions do not allow them to and if you fish in the evenings and make the wrong step resulting in a wet shoe, it will probably remain wet until the next day.

[cslaght]

What are those.

Maverick, you know, those mystical wrappings around your feet that keep them magically dry! Well, at least less muddy to make it tolerable

[alc101ma]

Even though they're heavy and bulky, I still take my Tevas.

X2 they are comfortable, don't slip on wet rocks, and I have proven that I can hike in them should my boots go toes up.

x3. they are one of the comforts that i allow myself out on the trail. i don't think i could hike in mine, though... that would be a disaster waiting to happen.

[Wandering Daisy]

I used to always use Crocks (actually cheap knockoffs which are actually lighter). I am trying to break my habit of needing camp shoes. I now just wade streams with my hiking shoes (take out superfeet insoles) and then just put up with wet feet. Wet feet do not give me blisters. The discomfort is mainly cold feet in the evening. I take an extra set of light insoles that I can put inside the shoes at night so I can dry the super feet insoles. I also am experimenting with some nylon "slippers" to use with the extra insoles (all about 3 oz.). Camp shoes or wading shoes are a luxury "nice to have" item. Wading in your hiking shoes is more stable. My hiking shoes are quite comfortable so I do not have the need to get into something else at night. In the Sierra, I can usually dry my shoes in the evening so do not have to start with wet feet next morning. On the Lost Coast this was not the case and I had constant wet feet. In the Rockies, where I may have to cross 2-5 creeks a day, and it is too cold to dry shoes at night, I still bring crocks.

[Chris B]

Cloudlesssky,

If you boots or shoes fit properly you shouldn't need them. The only time I used take them was when I knew there are going to be water crossings. I used to be the tough bear foot guy but after cutting my feet on rocks a couple of times and getting older...... I tend to carry them more often than not now.

I used to take my Kayaking Tevas but having recently been using Keen CNX sandals which are about the same weight as Crocs but are much more comfortable and offer better grip on those slippery rocks. Like other people have mentioned there have been days when I have put them on to cross a creek then just left them on all day.

Other people I know just take the cheapest, lightest flip flops they can find, these are fine for the midnight pee and around camp but aren't great for crossing rocky creeks.

Chris