Water Crossing foot wear ?

[jcramin]

My son and I will be doing a hike in the Arkansas Ozarks in the 2nd week of October. We will have several creek and river crossings. Getting wet will not be optional, from the pics I have seen some of the crossings are knee deep. Average temps will be low 60s so I am thinking temps will be in the 50 - 70 degree range, that is temps are average at that time.

My question is, what to wear when crossing water and getting wet ? I will be wearing trail runners and my son will be wearing boots. Should we wear what we are hiking in and just let them dry as we walk ? Should we wear water proof socks and our regular foot wear ? Should we change into crocks or water shoes for the crossings ?

Thanks,
J

[Summit]

Your first and last suggestions are the best choices. You will have to decide if you want to take the time and trouble to change into crocs/water shoes and back to trail runners, but that is generally what I do.

[modiyooch]

I am interested to see just how many people walk thru the river crossing without removing their footwear. I was too lazy to remove my boots on one occasion and suffered from very nasty blisters. I now carry the crocs. They are so lightweight, hang off the back of my pack, and give my feet a break at the end of the day. I will admit when I did the section in Maine thru Big Wilson, Little Wilson, Long Pond etc, it was very time consuming to take my boots off and on.

[Wise Old Owl]

I am a huge fan of these If your boots are impractical and you need a break these waterproof trail runners are awesome.

http://www.rei.com/product/763460

[modiyooch]

I am a huge fan of these If your boots are impractical and you need a break these waterproof trail runners are awesome.

http://www.rei.com/product/763460

Seriously, is it waterproof in knee deep water??

[Toolshed]

I would go with the Crocs, unless the water is raging, then you might want footwear that attaches more thoroughly to your feet, such as Teva style sandals. in the ADKS one spring, I changed to Tevas on the banks of a wide brook that was raging with melt (it takes a few minutes on each side, but is well worth the effort) and forded hip deep 40 degree water. You can't feel anytihng after a minute or two. Then it started to hurt, the water was sooo cold....I was very,very happy to get to the other side.

I also had to cross a beaver swamp in the ADKs one year - About 75 yards wide and knee deep. Too impatient to change footwear, and with only 5 miles to go for the day, I plunged in with my backpacking boots on and regretted it afterwards - Within 2 miles, I had blisters forming.
In Alaska, I had to make a similiar crossing but without alternate footwear, I took my socks off put my boots on and waded across. I put dry socks on afterward, after wiping the inside of my boots out my packtowel. Not a single blister that trip.
If you do stay with your hiking footwear, I would say remove your socks.

[modiyooch]

Seriously, is it waterproof in knee deep water??

I wasn't being smart. I really wanted to know. I've been wearing basically the same type of boot for decades, and was wondering about technology. I'm thinking that alot of people just plow thru the water and I'm trying to figure out how they get away with it. I can't afford the blisters.

[ChinMusic]

Since I have switched to trail runners, I just walk right through without a care. I don't even bother to rock-hop if there is much of a chance that it could lead to a fall. I'd rather get wet than risk something bad.

The temps you listed are certainly not a concern. But I would still just walk through at even much colder temps.

[Summit]

I wasn't being smart. I really wanted to know. I've been wearing basically the same type of boot for decades, and was wondering about technology. I'm thinking that alot of people just plow thru the water and I'm trying to figure out how they get away with it. I can't afford the blisters.

That's the beauty of trail runners . . . wet ones don't cause blisters like wet leather boots do.

[Spokes]

You can't go wrong with Crocs. They make great camp shoes too.

You'll avoid them getting ripped off your feet in a strong current or after sliding off a submerged rock by using a section of Velcro One Wrap material to secure the ankle strap around the top of your ankle.

my 2 cents.............

-Spokes

[SmokeHouse]

According to the weather, if it’s nice, I change from trail runners to Teva sandals. If its raining and my feet are already wet,,, take the plunge.

[Rambler]

Once, wearing crocs, while crossing a fast moving stream in Maine, I looked down and noticed water running right through the holes in the crocs. That probably eased off on pressure pushing a lifted foot downstream. Crocs stay on very well without tie-ons.
Walking on a rocky shore, however, I found that crocs can easily roll to one side while stepping on the top of a rock.

Crossing water without crocs, I remove both socks and footbeds from the footwear. Putting them back on dry, they will absorb the moisture out of the shoe and soon become wet, too. But, I do it anyway. Since I wear low cuts, they dry out fairly quickly. Gortex footwear will take longer to dry. Although gortex keeps water out, it also keeps it in!

Wearing wet socks for extended periods, can soften the feet and cause blisters, so try to remove shoes and socks when you stoop to take a break. Powder you wet feet when you get to camp, put on dry socks. Change to camp shoes. (Crocs)

As for wearing water-proof socks, I found that they do not keep the feet dry, but they do keep them warmer. Wearing them while hiking on a rainy fall day along the AT (descending the north side of Lehigh Gap,PA) when my foot hit puddles, I did not feel the cold sting one usually gets. Next day, wet, they stunck to high heaven and and took a very long time to dry.

I just read in today's paper about a man who slipped on wet rocks near a NH waterfall.
He fell 20 feet, was knocked out, landing face down in the water. He was saved by his girlfriend, who revived him and carried him to safety. I have fallen into streams when rocks wiggled under foot, so take care in crossings especially when hiking alone. It may often be safer to wade rather than rock-hop.

[babbage]

I use my feet - the way god intended. Nothing better than a gentle water and river rock massage on the bottom of my feet every now and again. I have used Crocs from time to time (3 dollar dirtbaggers from Walmart). There are times that I have just walked thru the water with my hiking boots/shoes on - the rest of the day kinda sucks after that - and with boots the suck goes on for a day or two, since they do not dry very well, or fast. I would keep my hiking boots dry.
Not sure how old/strong your son is, but maybe you could get him to carry you across and then go back for your pack - that would be my first option.

[Summit]

These are my camp/stream crossing shoes:

http://www.kohls.com/upgrade/webstor...=1253571273764

I just never could warm to the idea of feet encased in plastic . . . sorry croc lovers!

[Blissful]

I just wore crocs for crossings. Dry quick and make good camp shoes.

[medicdude332]

I've a HUGE fan of these - the best of all the worlds!

http://www.vibramfivefingers.com/

[Tipi Walter]

I've done it all: barefoot crossings, keep-the-boots-on crossings, gazelle jump rock hopping(not so easy with a 70 pound pack), and finally took the "plunge" for Crocs and never looked back.

If you know the trail and how many crossings you'll have(like on Slickrock Creek in NC with its 12 crossings), just leave the Crocs on and backpack in them all the way. Who wants to change out boots every crossing?

The main consideration with creek crossings is in the winter. You don't want to saturate your hiking boots in the winter unless you have no choice, and so some type of wading shoe is vital. The beauty of the Crocs is that you can endure the ice cold water in them and then when you reach the other side the insulated rubber keeps your feet moderately warmth enough to survive to the next crossing, even when you're walking thru snow.

And you gotta have Crocs for camp, too, they make great camp shoes. Just take an extra set of black snaps cuz eventually you'll pull off a strap and the little things will get lost. They also make great sit pads in the winter when you take a break on the trail.

[faarside]

To avoid blisters and excessive dry times, I never traverse streams, etc. with by hiking boots. I always use a "water shoe", which is simply a slip-on, rubber-bottom, extremely light, well, shoe. Wal-Mart has em' REALLY CHEAP. They are so light that I simply hang em' off of my pack when not in use. I don't care about the time it takes to switch between boots/water shoes... It is time well spent and saved by not needing to wait for boots to dry sufficiently b4 putting them back on.

[chiefduffy]

These are my solution. Put old insoles in them if you expect rocks. Make great campshoes, too.

http://www.theunderwearguys.com/prod...roducts_id=218

- Duffy

[Wise Old Owl]

I wasn't being smart. I really wanted to know. I've been wearing basically the same type of boot for decades, and was wondering about technology. I'm thinking that alot of people just plow thru the water and I'm trying to figure out how they get away with it. I can't afford the blisters.

Solomon's are what I used for Canoeing & light hiking, the mesh allows water to pour both in and out. A high end sock such as smart wool will allow you to plow though streams and provided you have a pole or two you should not go down. 10-15 minutes later you are resonably dry ( no squishy's) and if you stop to wring out the socks and put them back on you should be good in half an hour. Feild tested by myself On the Conestoga trail. The Runner does not take on water.