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The Toninator isnt 25 anymore

BurlyShirley

Rex Grossman Will Rise Again
Jul 4, 2002
19,180
17
TN
merell.

i dont use "boots" much, but regular trail shoes or low-cut boots. i wear merells almost everyday, and they kick so much ass. so good, am in the 3rd pair of the very same shoe by now.
the fit is amazing.
Agreed. I have a pair for hiking and another for just daily use. Work great for me and last.
 

Westy

the teste
Nov 22, 2002
54,232
20,016
Sleazattle
Agreed. I have a pair for hiking and another for just daily use. Work great for me and last.
I use sneaker like hiking shoes for day hikes but when backpacking I need the ankle support. I like to move quickly and would rather look at what is around me than have to carefully pick my footfall. With a good supporting boot I can be somewhat reckless and keep my head in the clouds. Not to mention with a heavy pack I need a really stiff sole that isn't possible in a low shoe. It is a personal thing but for backpacking I can't see a light shoe being a good alternative. I have seen complete weight weenies do it but they are carrying 35lb packs. I like to bring stuff like cheese wheels and 6 packs of beer so a light pack isn't much of a choice.
 

BurlyShirley

Rex Grossman Will Rise Again
Jul 4, 2002
19,180
17
TN
Well, I meant that I have a pair of big hiking boots and also a pair of tennis shoe-style merrell's that I use from day to day. Although I do really only do dayhikes, I would rather not wreck my ankles even with a pretty light pack.
 

JRogers

talks too much
Mar 19, 2002
3,785
1
Claremont, CA
If you look around, there's a lot of differing opinions on how much a higher boot actually protects your ankles. In my experience, the fit of the boot and height of the foot from the ground make just as much difference as the ankle height. I have to do some more experimenting, but I have not experienced any ill effects from using lower, lighter shoes. I am skeptical of using shoes for heavy weights, but, then again, I never turned an ankle or felt unstable when wearing my sandals with a full pack (and that was on an extremely rough trail).

Do you really carry an actual wheel of cheese hiking? Damn dude... That's OG style there.

I don't consider 35 lbs to qualify one for "weight weenie" status.
 

The Toninator

Muffin
Jul 6, 2001
5,436
17
High(ts) Htown
I use sneaker like hiking shoes for day hikes but when backpacking I need the ankle support. I like to move quickly and would rather look at what is around me than have to carefully pick my footfall. With a good supporting boot I can be somewhat reckless and keep my head in the clouds. Not to mention with a heavy pack I need a really stiff sole that isn't possible in a low shoe. It is a personal thing but for backpacking I can't see a light shoe being a good alternative. I have seen complete weight weenies do it but they are carrying 35lb packs. I like to bring stuff like cheese wheels and 6 packs of beer so a light pack isn't much of a choice.
i'm forgoing the 6packs of beer for whisky but i'm going to bring a little extra food this time. I've done really well getting the pack weight down due to the gear i bought for a multi-day biking trip i wasnt able to take. I’m also going to use trekking poles for the first time.
I would like to know if there are any alternatives to camp shoe's. I dont want to pack the tiva's

Jrogers 35lbs can be super light depending on the length of the trip and terrain. Theres a guy that claims a 27lb pack for I think 5 days, that’s pretty light.
 

Westy

the teste
Nov 22, 2002
54,232
20,016
Sleazattle
If you look around, there's a lot of differing opinions on how much a higher boot actually protects your ankles. In my experience, the fit of the boot and height of the foot from the ground make just as much difference as the ankle height. I have to do some more experimenting, but I have not experienced any ill effects from using lower, lighter shoes. I am skeptical of using shoes for heavy weights, but, then again, I never turned an ankle or felt unstable when wearing my sandals with a full pack (and that was on an extremely rough trail).

Do you really carry an actual wheel of cheese hiking? Damn dude... That's OG style there.

I don't consider 35 lbs to qualify one for "weight weenie" status.
I don't quite carry a wheel of cheese but I don't just take crappy dehydrated food. Last trip I did take a couple pounds of cheese and chocolate, have to carry less TP that way too.
 

JRogers

talks too much
Mar 19, 2002
3,785
1
Claremont, CA
i'm forgoing the 6packs of beer for whisky but i'm going to bring a little extra food this time. I've done really well getting the pack weight down due to the gear i bought for a multi-day biking trip i wasnt able to take. I’m also going to use trekking poles for the first time.
I would like to know if there are any alternatives to camp shoe's. I dont want to pack the tiva's

Jrogers 35lbs can be super light depending on the length of the trip and terrain. Theres a guy that claims a 27lb pack for I think 5 days, that’s pretty light.
Yeah, 27 lbs for 5 days is light for sure. But for 3 season stuff on most terrain for time less than a week, I don't think 35lbs is that unreasonable if you're trying to be light. I haven't weighed it all out, but I'd guess I'm around 30 lbs for 5-6 days or so. That's probably lighter than most, but it's not like I'm spending huge $$$ or cutting the tags off my clothes to get there.

edit: I had not considered the cheese, chocolate/tp weight savings angle. I'll have to look into that.
 

Turd

Chimp
May 25, 2006
8
0
Big Sky Country
I just got a pair of Asolo Fugitive GTX and I love them!!

I replaced a pair of Asolo FSN 95 (Killer Boots for my foot) with that same pair. The Fugative's started falling apart on the first trip. I ripped a lace hook out and the stitching came apart. I returned them, and got another pair and had the same problems. Those boots are made like crap. I love Asolo, but those fugatives are junk. When you have that much stitching your going to have problems. If you are looking for a pair of boots that will last, look elsewhere.

There are lots of good suggestions in this thread, fit being the most important deciding factor. Not how "cool" the boot looks.

-Turd
 

DNA

The human raccoon
Jan 31, 2003
1,443
0
NH
I’m also going to use trekking poles for the first time.
I would like to know if there are any alternatives to camp shoe's. I dont want to pack the tiva's
I tried trekking poles on the last trip my wife and I went on. They definitely helped with a heavy pack (my wife likes to hike but hates to carry stuff, so she gets a 20lb pack and I get the rest).

I usually go with a $3 pair of flip-flops - light and easy to pack.