Ultralight Backpacking Footwear System for Cold Wet Weather - Rain, Snow, and River Crossings
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- Опубліковано 9 вер 2024
- Some of the gear I use:
ULA Equipment Catalyst Backpack - 48 oz / 1360 g ula-equipment....
Simond Down Mountaineering Parka - 23.1 oz / 655 g decathlon-cana...
Eddie Bauer Sandstone Backbone Grid Hoodie Softshell - 16.9 oz / 480 g
Mammut Alugator Light Shovel - 16.6 oz / 475 g
MSR Front Range Pyramid Tent - 28.7 oz / 814 g
Thermarest NeoAir XTherm MAX ground pad - 25.8 oz / 731 g
Marmot Lithium -18C Sleeping bag - 47 oz / 1333 g
MSR Whisperlite International Stove - 13.7 oz / 388 g
MSR Titan 2L Kettle - 6.8 oz / 193 g
Fenix HM50R Headlamp - 2.7 oz / 77 g
Garmin inReach Mini Satellite Communicator - 3.4 oz / 96g
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This is the footwear system that I have been testing this fall in cold and wet conditions in the Canadian Rocky mountains.
Backpacking boots are a challenge when the temperatures drop, when there is snow, and especially if you need to cross rivers and streams.
Check out the video of the backpacking trip that made switch my ultralight footwear system for inclement weather:
• Video
Check out my video on what solo winter camping is really like:
• Video
The system was originally described by Dave Chenault, check out his website at:
bedrockandpara...
Check out my sub 20 pound late season/early winter ultralight gear list:
• Early Winter Ultraligh...
Connect on Instagram: / kane_does_outdoors
#backpacking #hiking #wildcamping #ultralightbackpacking #winter #snow #gear
![How to Survive INSANELY WET weather [Mistakes Were Made]](/img/n.gif)
I would wear a darn tough sock over my whole body if I could. Excellent socks.
I ended up sending mine back because i was disappointed with the comfort level/feel. I got 4 pairs of 80% merino wool socks on Amazon for £35 instead which I find to be considerably more warm and comfortable.
Several thoughts: winter in Canada, Alaska 1) if you have to cross streams, waterproof socks or vapour barrier socks rather than neoprene; 2) overnight put those socks and boots in a dry sack and put in bottom of sleeping bag (along with water bottles with hot water) - in the morning they will be wet but not frozen - often same for wet clothes; 3) wet wool socks - put on your stomach under clothes for you body to dry out by morning. On multi-week glacier trips, nothing ever dries except what your body heat can dry (unless you get a crazy sunny day - a few times skied in underwear with other clothes drying on top of pulka). Clothes - if your base layers get damp, put rain gear or vapour barrier over (don't want to drive moisture into insulation) and then a good amount of insulation - let body heat dry out those inner layers - release moisture through neck and underarm zips. A lot of UK areas are miles of swamp/marsh until really cold.
I think I can contribute to that. Having tested many different setups in Arctic Scandinavia I too have settled with trailrunners. This late September I did the following A/B tests during a 8-day trip in the first snow (including river crossings and swamp wading). One foot in 3mm NRS neoprenesocks and the other in sealskins. The next day I did the same with Injini toesocks underneath. As a control on one day I only wore the toesocks. Conditions: Around 0°C (32 f) during day and 5° less at night. Not that cold, but very wet.
Conclusions: All 4 set ups did well (similar outcomes to description in video). 3 mm NRS and toesock was overkill in these conditions. My favorite was toesock under sealskin, because it actually managed to be pretty warm and even dry at some points. Control was surprisingly okay too, so maybe it's just me...
Next time I run the same test, I want to use full synthetic toesocks. And now I want to go 1.5 mm too...
But I want to add, that for now I wouldn't want to do that in proper Winter.
@Kane: What temperatures did it have?
@alexispbm this my setup is for shoulder season with temps hovering around freezing. Basically when you are planning to wear trail runners but there is some uncertainty. The pair of thin nrs socks weigh 98 g on my scale and add a huge safety margin in case things get cold and wet.
thank you! so we have more or less the same usecase- good to know. I did the move because my NRS weigh 308 (!) gr when dry and I needed something lighter. Don't have the weight of my sealskins on top of my head, but must be around 150 gr. So 1.5 mm NRS could be the perfect solution!
It will do for me my great friend! Lot of love and respect from a solo mountain hiker from the Lower Chitral District of Pakistan.
Another option - The Maine hunting boot created by LL Bean is good in a lot of conditions. Rubber Botton, waterproofed leather upper, felt removable liner. Good until the water is deeper. It works ok in snowshoes. Some version can be fine for dog sledding. On the heavy side. Maybe you can keep micro-spikes on it (?), but really can't use crampons, so not good on more technical situations. Add to the previous post - you can dry glove liners on your body also. And the boot liners can be in your sleeping bag - don't need to put the whole boot in. Having been in your sleeping bag - Warm socks, warm boot liners, warm clothes, warm water for coffee - makes getting up in the morning so much nicer...
I use this system with Jerrell chop rocks for early spring/late fall canoe trips with portages, works amazing.
Excellent video! Great tips here. New follower to your channel. Well done. Crow
Thanks - I hope it’s useful!
Interesting system! I use waterproof boots that are light weight and do not take up water when crossing rivers or when it's raining. They have a rubber lower part and single layer leather uppers. Lundhags makes a few different models with that style. They will not get cold bc they take up no water.
Hi Paul, there are definitely many ways to approach this problem. It will depend on your particular situation and preferences. In my opinion the advantage of this system is that it is a 3 oz (~100g) weight penalty that I can bring when I’m unsure of the conditions. My feet are generally hot, so using waterproof boots accumulate moisture from sweat and dry slowly in warmer conditions. Also, if you have to cross a river that is deep enough to go above the top of your boot, they will get flooded. After that it’s a real problem getting them dry again.
I go walking in the UK across saturated moorland and think this is exactly what I need. Thanks for the advice.
Give it a shot! It’s not a huge investment. The thin neoprene is also a great option to put on on top of plastic bags after changing into dry socks at camp. It’s surprising how warm they are.
Excellent advice. A lot of folks have leaned into the goretex boot / shoe system which just won't work in real wet conditions.
They can work if you’re able to keep them dry, but if you soak them, good luck! At the end of the day knowing how to handle wet feet is critical.
That’s what beeswax is for. I hike & snowshoe in my Lowa Camino GTX down to around 15F/-10C, the heavy coat of beeswax keeps the leather from wetting out and freezing. 😅
@philsmith2444 This is for that time of year when you can’t stop water from going in the top of your boots. Winter and snowshoeing is a different story.
I so wish I could get with the bread bag method….I am still toting my down camp shoes and I love them- guiltily.
Probably depends on the overall goal of your trip - what's important to you and what you enjoy. Is it covering more ground and being on the move for 12 or 14 + hours per day, or more time in camp? If I'm planning to spend a significant amount of time in camp some of those comfort items can be nice.
Hey Kane! Thanks for another super informative video :) Just wanted to get your thoughts on neoprene socks vs WP/B socks like Sealskinz?
Yeah I've heard using waterproof socks like sealskins is a decent option, I'm guessing they’re very similar to the neoprene socks you're using
Not really, this isn’t waterproof at all! The idea here is to be able to stay warm even if you’re completely soaked - I was in water past my knee this weekend!
I winter hike in my Altra Lone Peaks with the cold weather mid-length Sealskinz and never get wet or cold feet. They do make knee-high ones also. The all-weather ones are terrible though.
I quit taking camp shoes a few years ago, so I do the plastic bags at camp as well. I’m thinking this winter of putting hand warmers in my shoes just before I climb into my hammock for the night so maybe by morning they will be drier and warm when I put them back on
@@toesockoutdoors3627 It’s definitely surprising what can work well so long as you address those underlying challenges including moisture etc. That being said, “winter” varies at lot from place to place. For where I am in Canada, that means temperatures generally around -10C in that day and easily dropping below -20C at night, with enough snow that either skis or snowshoes are necessary. Those are completely different conditions from what I discussed here and need a more robust system that includes more insulation and ideally a vapour barrier.
@@KaneDoesOutdoors agreed. Conditions are more extreme in Canada compared to where I am in Pennsylvania
@@toesockoutdoors3627 why are the all weather ones terrible?
Watched all of it
I hope you found some useful information 🤘
Really interesting, gonna try it out - thanks for sharing! In the mornings, do you pack up everything in that camp sock/bread bag/frozen shoe combination or how do you manage to wait with putting on the frozen shoes until you start walking?
I normally try to remember to loosen my laces up at lot at night so I can get my feet in my shoes even if they are frozen and while wearing the neoprene socks. That way my feet stay warm while I'm packing up and wearing cold shoes. I also try and keep my wet hiking socks from freezing by putting them in the plastic bag and in my sleeping bag. Worst case warm water bottles in the morning can thaw frozen socks and shoes.
These days I try save the neoprene socks for camp and only wear them to hike if I absolutely have to. They really help once you stop moving, and I rarely get cold while hiking. In camp I take off my wet shoes & socks, put on dry socks, then the plastic bag and finally neoprene on top of it all, with my shoes on really loose.
The pair of 1.5 mm NRS socks are around 100 g - a great piece of gear.
@@KaneDoesOutdoors that makes sense, thanks for all the info! I just picked some up (although the 0.5mm version - might have to upgrade once it gets colder) and will experiment a bit with wearing them during and after the hiking. I'm in the same boat with rarely having cold feet while moving, but have sometimes stuggled with staying warm after stopping with shoes all wet. This might be the solution - thanks again, really learning a lot, please keep up the great content!
Why don't you use rubber walking boots? If it's not too warm, they really aren't that sweaty.
This is a system that empathizes adaptability when you’re covering big distances over variable and technical terrain. I’m typically looking at 30+km per day in mountains. I couldn’t imagine doing that in rubber boots no matter what the conditions. This way ~100 g allows you to handle conditions if they get wet and cold, while maximizing the advantages of trail shoes.
@@KaneDoesOutdoors I do 25 k in rugged terrain. Real - rubber boots walk like sneakers. They are heavier and are of little use crossing deeper streams, but I can't image walking without them through the marshlands of Scandinavia or Alaska. However it's never too late to try out another system ;-)
So this system is for daytime above 0 celsius ? I live in the tropics and haven't seen snow in nearly two decades. Trying to do some proper preparation. Not sure what to get for really cold.
Where are you going and what are the conditions you expect? This system is what I use in temperatures right around freezing when i need to cross many cold rivers, with night temperatures potentially close to or below 0C.
I understand your feet stay warm, but don't you squelch as you walk? Apart from the temperature, that squishy feeling is pretty gross.
After a few minutes the water gets pushed out of your shoes and the squish stops.
This system is for the conditions where you will invariably get wet and/or stopping to try and cross rivers barefoot is either dangerous or impractical. It's definitely not for everyone.
@@KaneDoesOutdoors a different method im currently eyeballing is just getting a really lightweight shoe like Arcteryx Norvan SL or even something ligther in form of a barefoot shoe that will protect your feet from the rocks and stuff in the river. So you don't have to Sacrifice your main Boots.
and ooh boy open the shoes up before they freeze or you're gonna be mandolining skin layers right off
They’re all good
or what if you carry ultralight waders that resemble stockings that you put on just for the stream crossings?