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PhantomOfTheCopier posted:I'll not the only PNW hiker in the thread, but it's mind blowing to me that anyone here would consider trail runners and call themselves a hiker, let alone a backpacker. I've done somewhat significant backpacking (albeit not PCT!) in mid-weight trail shoes. They just work for me. I'm of the mind that I want everything as light as possible, while still being comfortable, to reduce the load on my body, because my body isn't that light. Every step I take in a heavier boot is more load every time. There are definitely "trail runners" that seem to be ultra-light running shoes with a minor tread on the bottom. I personally use stuff like this: https://www.thenorthface.com/shop/shoes-mens/m-ultra-109-wp-nf0a48mf?variationId=NC4 which is more or less splitting the difference IMO.
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May 29, 2020 00:21
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Trail runners have been a thing for like 7 years or more not really a fad now
Levitate fucked around with this message at 00:27 on May 29, 2020 |
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May 29, 2020 00:23
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Considering more thru hikers on the AT wear trail runners over boots (Altras are everywhere), I don’t think you going to see this so called ‘fad’ go away anytime soon. If I’m not hiking in snow I’m not wearing boots, I’m wear trail runners. That does not make me not a hiker. They are just a 100 times better in most of the situations I face on the trails I hike.
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May 29, 2020 00:53
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I’ve been all over the US in snow, ice, mud, rain, desert and rock in my Moab 2’s and they’ve done the job better than any running, naked, or hybrid shoe I’ve used. That’s my personal use experience. Saying the types I don’t use are obsolete would be bad advice. My advice is to try on tons of styles and brands that fit your activity goals. I’d wait for brick and mortar stores open if they’re still closed. The things you put on your feet need to be way up on the list of stuff to be picky about. If you’re unfamiliar then work with a professional who likes their job and will talk shoes with you while you walk around in them. This is why I shill REI in these forums all the time.
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May 29, 2020 01:32
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Trail runners are great, but for anything remotely rocky a stiff sole matters more to me than anything else.
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May 29, 2020 01:58
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Most full on trail runners have a plate for rocks and stuff. I prefer those without them but I don't get on much gnarly terrain that would require them and don't like running in them.
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May 29, 2020 02:11
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https://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/hiking-boots-vs-trail-runners-the-great-debate.html REI definitely takes the conservative/legal-liability view that boots are still best for more rugged use, longer trips, and carrying more weight. The day they have a "trail runner" with the rock plate plus an extra firm midsole and a 3/8" insole, might be the day that I give them a try.
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May 29, 2020 02:52
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Saucony Peregrines might just have what you’re looking for. Also just take out the provided insole and throw in some superfeet greens and they’ll take all sorts of backpacking abuse. 3 pairs took me through the AT and I had zero trouble. Even the dreaded rocky wasteland of PA wasn’t a problem.
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May 29, 2020 03:03
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Shoe talk: I would recommend trying on any shoe you are thinking of buying to hike in. Walk around in them, REI, Danners etc have incline ramps, walk on those. This is not the time to order online if you've never worn that brand and style. Boots, trail runners and hiking sandals all have different pros and cons. Think about where you are hiking and when. I swear by my boots, except when summer backpacking in the Olympic Peninsula, then, it's hiking sandals with Wigwam socks all the way. A lot of shoe argument is personal preference and how your feet are built. My husband has never found boots that work for him, I hate backpacking in trail runners. Also, think about what type of maintenance you are willing to do. If you care for a pair of boots, they will last longer than trail runners, but it is work. Boots cost more upfront for that reason.
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May 29, 2020 03:34
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Yeah I don't think it's really a hill people need to die on. Wear what works for you. Try new stuff if you have the time/money but ultimately the decision is what works best for you.
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May 29, 2020 06:05
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just to complicate poo poo, feet aren't all the same either. i have pretty extreme supination (rolling outside), especially in my right foot, and most boots AND shoes are designed to counter pronation (rolling inside), so my options are limited and a lot of popular options are straight out
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May 29, 2020 06:19
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Of course trail runners are not for everyone, just like wearing zero drop shoes are not for everyone (I wish my legs liked Altras). I just don't like the phrasing from previous poster that it blows their mind that "anyone here would consider trail runners and call themselves a hiker' or even the poster that said boots are 'relics of the past'. I will just point out on the 2019 AT thru hiker survey that over 71.8% of hikers started out wearing trail runners, and that number increased to 77.6% by the finish. The fact it increased should tell you something. I am not using this to say you should wear trail runners, and I am using that to say you can be a real hardcore hiker and wear trail runners for 2,000+ miles. Myself I have seen everything from sandals to regular running shoes. I am cool with whatever works for you. Just don't be wearing denim, because I will roll my eyes hard. A negative about trail runners is they wear out faster, but I do put miles on them a lot faster than boots. This is due to I also trail run 4 times a week, and if I am doing anything remotely outdoorsy I will be wearing them. Another negative is I currently have 4 pairs of just trail runners in my rotation. Different shoes for different terrain (also I wear more cushion shoes if my body is sore from a previous work out). I have a shoe addiction (I am to the point I can recite stack height, drop, and how stiff a shoe is), so this might not be the case for everyone. I overthink my shoes. Chard posted:just to complicate poo poo, feet aren't all the same either. i have pretty extreme supination (rolling outside), especially in my right foot, and most boots AND shoes are designed to counter pronation (rolling inside), so my options are limited and a lot of popular options are straight out I roll an ankle outside at least once on almost every long hike I do (even in boots). Also I trail run, and at least once a month I roll my ankle. I do find the more stable the shoe, the less chance of this happening. I use to be scared of the higher stack height of some trail runners, but I am 47 and my knees love it when I wear something like the Hoka Speedgoat. They are really stable despite their stack height, and I don't roll my ankle anymore than I do on a lower stack height shoe. Matter of fact the only time I sprained my ankle was in a pair of low stack height trail runners (Nike Terra Kiger). One thing that I have found that helps me to prevent rolling my ankle outwards when on downhill or very rocky terrain is walking/running with my toes pointed slightly outward. I have never rolled an ankle if I am doing this, but the problem is I forget to do it as I get more tired. George H.W. oval office posted:Saucony Peregrines might just have what you’re looking for. Also just take out the provided insole and throw in some superfeet greens and they’ll take all sorts of backpacking abuse. 3 pairs took me through the AT and I had zero trouble. Even the dreaded rocky wasteland of PA wasn’t a problem. My first trail runners were the Saucony Peregrines 7, and I loved them. Great for running and hiking. I wasn't a fan of 8 or the ISO version, but from what I understand the new version, 10, is their best pair yet.
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May 29, 2020 13:48
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Yeah I have done inov 8 roclite 290s that are due to be retired and am looking at the peregrine 10s Inov 8’s stuff is hard to find sometimes for some reason son
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May 29, 2020 14:45
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nate fisher posted:Of course trail runners are not for everyone, just like wearing zero drop shoes are not for everyone (I wish my legs liked Altras). I just don't like the phrasing from previous poster that it blows their mind that "anyone here would consider trail runners and call themselves a hiker' or even the poster that said boots are 'relics of the past'. I hear you, and totally agree. I think a lot of people get boots because your "supposed" to. And then end up unhappy since nothing kills a trip like foot pain. That being said, I love my boots, and you would be hard pressed to find me in anything else on the trail I do love that decent trail runners are cheaper, so easier for some folks to get started with.
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May 29, 2020 15:03
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When I do cross-country, steep mountainous terrain or just in general a really tough hike I wear my Salomon Quest 4Ds (boots). I've always felt them to be a good middleground because they are not the typical heavy boots yet still provide a lot of support. Otherwise I wear approach shoes. I'm not prone to foot issues usually though, so I haven't fixated on it as much as others who need to.
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May 29, 2020 17:53
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Mokelumne Trekka posted:When I do cross-country, steep mountainous terrain or just in general a really tough hike I wear my Salomon Quest 4Ds (boots). I've always felt them to be a good middleground because they are not the typical heavy boots yet still provide a lot of support. I'll 2nd the Salomon Quest 4D's for a good compromise. I used to use Scarpas and Zamberlans and big old leather but I didn't see much benefit after switching to the Salomons. Same performance, less weight. I was worried about durability but I haven't really seen any difference in lifespan. My last trip to Isle Royale was in a pair of trail runners without a rockshield or thick sole and my feet paid the price. By the end of each days hike I was quite tender. Now I reserve my trail runners for softer terrain.
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May 29, 2020 18:16
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Boots don't protect you from rolled ankles -- strong support muscles do.
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May 29, 2020 18:53
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Speaking of which, Jackrabbit has the Salomon Speedcross 5s on clearance for $70 https://www.jackrabbit.com/brands/salomon/speedcross-5.html
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May 29, 2020 19:29
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I honestly love trail runners for lots of hikes. My saucony peregrines make me into a goat. It's annoying when my feet get wet just looking at a puddle, but that's the trade off. I haven't had good luck with them backpacking. My sturdy leather zamberlains never get wet and are incredibly comfortable at all times. The trade-off is agility, traction, and I am assuming some leg soreness lifting 2lbs of boots across the mountain (honestly soreness has never been an issue for me, but I am assuming I would notice it eventually on a long backpacking trip.) I guess I should keep trying to find a trail runner that works for me backpacking.
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May 29, 2020 19:29
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Anyone ever do any backpacking in Lassen National Park?
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May 30, 2020 01:44
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Pinus Porcus posted:Shoe talk: I would recommend trying on any shoe you are thinking of buying to hike in. Walk around in them, REI, Danners etc have incline ramps, walk on those. This is not the time to order online if you've never worn that brand and style. I'm living for all the shoe talk ITT. I tried on a bunch of stuff at REI not too long ago, but nothing really stood out (as in... everything seemed fine and I didn't take any notes so gently caress me). I really hate how much I care about the way the shoes look... Moabs seem to get great reviews, but they're hideous. My goal is to go on my first backpacking trip this year, so I think I'm gonna stick with boots. With free deliver and returns... I'll take my chances with online shopping. I'm going with Danner's Mountain 600s.
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May 30, 2020 05:54
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On shoe talk, I've got pretty big feet and the one thing that has saved my rear end over and over is buying more than one pair. I'll find a boot I like at rei, wear it for a.months worth of hiking, then buy another one or two pairs. Fits/models change all the time and if you find something you really gel with, drop the extra cash so next year you're not doing the same thing again.
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May 30, 2020 06:01
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Spanish Inquisition posted:I'm living for all the shoe talk ITT. Are you not near a Danners outlet? They are great to test stuff at. I used to just wander around the store in various boots. And I have never liked REI selection, but they are good to get an idea of height, treads, etc and how it all feels. I threw it out since it's a place lots of people know Just make sure you break them in before backpacking if they are leather. I swear Danners are some of the stiffest leather I have ever put my foot in! Yay, first backpack, that's super awesome, I hope it goes well! Bring extra socks, like seriously. Nothing is better on a long trip than fresh socks at lunch. No joke. Helps with shoe sins too.
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May 30, 2020 06:08
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Fresh pairs of dry wool socks go a long way to keep you comfortable. If you get to camp and the weather is nice and sunny, wash your dirty socks and let them dry so that you have clean socks for the whole trip instead of having to bring a clean pair for every day. I like a separate pair of camp shoes (something stupid and light like Crocs or flop flops) just to get out of your shoes you've been in all day. First trips are fun and a little scary. You learn a lot and you'll improve after. You'll usually bring too much and figure out what you didn't use and what you might want to change out or get for next time. More importantly, have fun.
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May 30, 2020 06:32
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I really like the mountain 600s. They're incredibly comfortable out of the box and pretty darn light to boot. Hiked all over the Rockies, Patagonia, and lots of places in mine. Plus they look nice enough to wear to work in inclement weather.
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May 30, 2020 14:24
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nate fisher posted:I will just point out on the 2019 AT thru hiker survey that over 71.8% of hikers started out wearing trail runners, and that number increased to 77.6% by the finish. The fact it increased should tell you something. I'm not disagreeing with the body of this post, but as someone who lives in an area the AT passes through and has to deal with thru-hikers on a regular basis, this stat means almost nothing. Hiking the AT means you have time on your hands, it's not an indicator of anything else.
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May 30, 2020 15:00
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Oh well. I just ordered some futurelight trail runners for light excursions let’s see how this goes.
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May 30, 2020 15:25
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Verman posted:Fresh pairs of dry wool socks go a long way to keep you comfortable. If you get to camp and the weather is nice and sunny, wash your dirty socks and let them dry so that you have clean socks for the whole trip instead of having to bring a clean pair for every day. I like a separate pair of camp shoes (something stupid and light like Crocs or flop flops) just to get out of your shoes you've been in all day. I love my Sanuks for camping shoes. They take up as much space as flip flops and they keep my feet a little cleaner with fewer bug bites. If your feet like to sweat it might not be a good pick though.
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May 30, 2020 15:29
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talktapes posted:I'm not disagreeing with the body of this post, but as someone who lives in an area the AT passes through and has to deal with thru-hikers on a regular basis, this stat means almost nothing. Hiking the AT means you have time on your hands, it's not an indicator of anything else. What? The point is that people hike thousands of miles through varied and rough (and wet) terrain using trail runners and do just fine with them. If trail runners were objectively terrible for that use then you wouldn't see so many people using them. People hike the JMT in trail runners like I did, people hike the PCT in trail runners. I did parts of the Sierra High Route in trail runners. Thousands of people use trail runners on all kinds of terrain. The ultimate point is that they're more than capable over a wide variety of situations and if they work for you then great and if they don't then that's great too
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May 30, 2020 17:15
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Trail runners work for most conditions, but not all. Specifically, I would go for boots when you are on snow/ice or in conditions when you need deeper treads on your footwear. I hiked to Camp Muir on Rainier in trail runners and they were very inappropriate. Likewise, any hike with scree or lots of loose pebbles make trail runners a liability. However barring that, lighter waterproof shoes are pretty much the standard for me now. Another anecdotal warning though: I had trail runners delaminate in the middle of a hike into Yellowstone. That was unfun. I guess it could have also happened with boots, though. Cheesemaster200 fucked around with this message at 04:09 on Jun 1, 2020 |
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Jun 1, 2020 04:06
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Levitate posted:What? I only ever use trail runners edit: Hammock lyfe  
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Jun 1, 2020 04:27
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Was there nowhere more open to hang than in that bush? That would drive me insane all night.
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Jun 1, 2020 05:34
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Not to keep the footwear derail running but folks should maybe just wear what keeps their feet happy and not claim one is superior to the other?  I love my Asolo boots, trekked twice in Nepal with them, backpacked and hiked probably over a 1,000 miles in them in the 5 years I've owned them, they are still the most comfortable hiking shoe I've ever had. My wife can't hike in boots and loves approach shoes, I like them as well and will wear them on shorter hikes. It is all relative to what your feet want and what you feel comfortable in because at the end of the day who cares as long as you're happy.
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Jun 2, 2020 04:08
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raggedphoto posted:Not to keep the footwear derail running but folks should maybe just wear what keeps their feet happy and not claim one is superior to the other? Agreed, the fit for your feet is way more important than the style of boot.
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Jun 2, 2020 13:28
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Hey all, sorry if this isn't really the right place for this but its camping related and I'm really not sure where to go. I need some help with a really dumb/basic question. I want to buy a big tarp and set it up outdoors, like a pavilion/fly. I've seen some basic youtube video of how to do this and my question isn't really about the how, it's about the materials. Specifically, what kind of wooden poles should I be using and where can I buy them? I've been browsing local home improvement stores online and I can't find anything that looks appropriate. I'm also not really sure how thick or long the poles should be? I think I'll be lashing two poles together so five or six feet each should be plenty? So, can anyone recommend how thick the poles should be, and should I be able to find them at a place like Lowe's or Home Depot? Edit: this is the kind of thing I'm talking about : https://youtu.be/m-xSaYvIV7A Edit2: maybe this is what I need? I found 3" x 6' wooden fence posts for ~$6 each at Lowe's? Edit3: I see now that "scout poles" are only 1 1/8" dia, so there are a lot of places I can find something like that, lowes has hardwood dowels that go up to 1 1/4". Jack B Nimble fucked around with this message at 18:58 on Jun 2, 2020 |
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Jun 2, 2020 18:31
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incogneato posted:We're starting some loose planning for a Glacier National Park trip later this year. Goal is to avoid crowds as much as possible, but also try to sneak in before too much snow. Ideally we'd do long day hikes, seeing the sites while getting away from the parking lots and viewing platforms. Some short backpacking is possible, as is snowshoeing. I tried to get advanced permits and they got cancelled due to Covid. Are you going to just show up at the ranger station and hope for the best or are you just doing day hikes? I'm not sure what our move is. Delta wont refund the tickets we already bought to fly into Bozeman. We may go to Bob Marshall for a week instead.
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Jun 2, 2020 19:04
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Jack B Nimble posted:Hey all, sorry if this isn't really the right place for this but its camping related and I'm really not sure where to go. Try stair rails or closet rods. We had a shitload of posts when I was in scouts, almost all were peeled cedar or spruce. 8 foot length is going to be plenty for the center rods, as long as there's not big loads or high winds you'll be fine. $20 will get you an 8 foot fir or pine railing.
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Jun 2, 2020 19:12
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BaseballPCHiker posted:I tried to get advanced permits and they got cancelled due to Covid. We're just thinking day hikes. We're open to a short backpacking trip in there, but it's not really our intent. I would like to do dispersed camping, or at least camping away from busy, built-up campgrounds. I haven't researched that aspect at all yet, though. Appreciate the heads up regarding permits, though. I hadn't really given any thought to that.
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Jun 2, 2020 20:04
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Jack B Nimble posted:I want to buy a big tarp and set it up outdoors, like a pavilion/fly. I've seen some basic youtube video of how to do this and my question isn't really about the how, it's about the materials. Specifically, what kind of wooden poles should I be using and where can I buy them? I've been browsing local home improvement stores online and I can't find anything that looks appropriate. I'm also not really sure how thick or long the poles should be? I think I'll be lashing two poles together so five or six feet each should be plenty? I use a couple of adjustable poles like these: https://www.cabelas.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId=745910 https://www.cabelas.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId=2957605 They are heavy and a little more expensive, so depending on your use it may or may not be a good option, but they work well and the adjustability is nice.
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Jun 2, 2020 20:08
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BaseballPCHiker posted:I tried to get advanced permits and they got cancelled due to Covid. I can't recommend the bob highly enough, comparable scenery to glacier and all you have to do is drive up, get out of the car, and start hiking. Sun Canyon is a great base if you want some amenities (like a shower) or Swift Reservoir if you really want to be on your own. Try to find a copy of "Discover the Rocky Mountain Front" by Tom Kotynski. Most of the trails in there are sold as day hikes but the real value to it is detailing the access roads.
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Jun 2, 2020 20:18
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