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Joined: Oct 2000
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Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 30,257 |
These. Double as camp shoes. ![[Linked Image from i.postimg.cc]](https://i.postimg.cc/Y9Bgf9Zd/camp-shoes.jpg)
“Perfection is Achieved Not When There Is Nothing More to Add, But When There Is Nothing Left to Take Away” Antoine de Saint-Exupery
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Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 20,193
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 20,193 |
Are those some sort of hard(er) plastic like crocs or something? They look like they'd soak up a bunch of water, then be way heavier than 6.6 ounces. Without a back strap, do you have issues losing them in moving water, or do you just always face upstream when crossing?
I prefer my sourdough slippers, but do use cheap wading shoes in early season. I don't see camp much in the daylight so not having camp shoes is a non issue for me. It would also just seem cold to have open shoes on while hanging out at camp during most rifle seasons, whether they're dry or not.
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Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 24,072
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 24,072 |
I have a couple of spots that I don't think gets much hunting pressure due to the fact that accessing them would require a "wet" creek crossing. Both of these creeks are pretty small and shallow (probably 30-40 feet wide and no more than knee deep at the deepest part). The current in both of these streams is pretty tame and crossing would be relatively easy. Even though I have really good hunting boots with Gortex (Crispi Nevadas) the water is deep enough to go over the top of my boots.
I have racked my brain about this and come up with only two options:
- Some kind of really thick plastic bag that would come up over my knees that I could secure with a stout heavy rubber band.
- Take a lite pair of tennis shoes and take off my boots, socks, and pants and cross in just tennis shoes and bare legs (a rather cold option).
How do you guys do creek crossings??? Good gaiter like Kuiu for less than knee depth. I carry beach shoes for deeper water. Crocs are too dang slippery , uncomfortable in water. Take off my pants wade across in underwear with hiking poles of course. Done it down to high 20's. Cold but doable. If truck hunting I bring waist high breathable waders and stash them by the crossing. Much preferable choice. This used to work great 20 to 30 years ago before people started doing this to access hunting areas. Now with internet much more doing it. https://www.amazon.com/Barerun-Adul...a1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==
Last edited by ribka; 10/17/20.
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Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 956
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
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On our sheep hunts we have had to do some sketchy crossings and a secure shoe is really important for that. Some areas we sheep hunt also have multiple crossings in a row that is unavoidable. If you have to change from boots to shoes every time we’d never get anywhere. So a shoe that you can actually hike in for a couple hours at a time is important for me. Also have had to cross long swamp areas on sheep hunts where anything but a secure shoe would have been sucked off our feet by the mud.
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Joined: Jan 2009
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Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
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Don’t over think it. Sandals and a towel. At those temps it’s a no brainer
Tell me the odds of putting grease on the same pancake? I Know they are there, well ice and house slippers. -Kawi
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Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 69,249
Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 69,249 |
Are those some sort of hard(er) plastic like crocs or something? They look like they'd soak up a bunch of water, then be way heavier than 6.6 ounces. Without a back strap, do you have issues loosing them in moving water, or do you just always face upstream when crossing?
I prefer my sourdough slippers, but do use cheap wading shoes in early season. I don't see camp much in the daylight so not having camp shoes is a non issue for me. It would also just seem cold to have open shoes on while hanging out at camp during most rifle seasons, whether they're dry or not. Crocs don't soak up any water at all. They also make great camp shoes if you don't mind carrying them in.
“In a time of deceit telling the truth is a revolutionary act.”
― George Orwell
It's not over when you lose. It's over when you quit.
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Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 6,969
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 6,969 |
I'm not familiar with some of the products mentioned already but I've tried Crocks and they fill with sand and gravel. Might as well walk on the hard rocks with bare feet. OUCH
I like the KISS approach. You know it's not illegal to get your boots filled with water. Hiking boots are about the safest thing to wear when crossing a creek. Just stop on the far side, drain out the water and change socks. Then change them again and again. Requires several pairs of socks. But it's simple and it works.
Wind in my hair, Sun on my face, I gazed at the wide open spaces, And I was at home.
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Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 69,249
Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
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Posts: 69,249 |
What Temps are we talking here? October Deer Season - Morning temps around 35-40 Nov Elk Season - Morning temps around 25-35 The creeks I am referring to are in Oregon. Temps can be a little more mild than the Rockies. That's warm. Some of the Nov temps here would turn you blue up to your crotch.
“In a time of deceit telling the truth is a revolutionary act.”
― George Orwell
It's not over when you lose. It's over when you quit.
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Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 7,164
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
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I carry a pair of running shoes for stream crossings. Of course, after the first crossing, the shoes are wet for the rest of the trip but my boots and socks are dry. I have crossed streams which were so cold (snow on the banks) that it about made me whimper all the way across. I would hate to think of spending the rest of the day with wet, cold, feet. GD
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Joined: May 2020
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Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
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If I had to do it with my current string of equipment, I would just pack along a pair of my wetsuit booties, or my water rescue booties, not a lot of extra weight and keep my boots and socks dry!
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Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 69,249
Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 69,249 |
Think about the mountain men standing in thigh deep water in January setting traps.
“In a time of deceit telling the truth is a revolutionary act.”
― George Orwell
It's not over when you lose. It's over when you quit.
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Joined: Sep 2018
Posts: 371
Campfire Member
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Campfire Member
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Crocs and microfibre cloth to dry off quick. Cheap and super light. No worrying about leaks. Once your feet are dry and boots are on, they’ll warm up quick. These are another option: https://www.wiggys.com/clothing-outerwear/lightweight-waders/
Pitter Patter!
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Joined: Mar 2007
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
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You wear those all day long in your boots or do you carry them and a separate pair of regular hiking boots, which you put on only when crossing streams? Being that rocks and what not won't tear a hole in those if you're wearing them with boots on, I am not seeing the difference between those and a regular trash bag. I am not quite following you on this...
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Joined: Mar 2018
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Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
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We don't encounter many "mountain men"...we do see more mountain women these days. Some have very nice thighs, but never think of them in thigh deep water in January!
Don't ask me about my military service or heroic acts...most of it is untrue.
Pronoun: Yes, SIR !
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Joined: Mar 2014
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Campfire Regular
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They are coated nylon. I wear mine all day moose hunting but not waking more than a few miles. A lot of sheep and goat hunters I know take them off after getting above tree line or after they cross the bigger creeks. Wet feet are part of hunting at some level but wading glacial rivers is damn cold!!!
Eat moose, burn spruce
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Joined: Mar 2003
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
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Micro towel and Crocks work great. I wear the crocks around camp. This is me as well.
Randy
NRA
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Campfire Regular
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One of the areas we hunt has the same issue, we use lightweight waders. Change them to cross, then back again. I have an aversion to cold wet feet.
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Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 32,027
Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 32,027 |
I used to have a pair of lightweight rain pants. Coated nylon or some such. LLBean, I think, I used these several times in multiple years crossing a mid-thigh-high, fast and cold stream to access caribou hunting. My hiking boots were well waterproofed (I had extra socks along anyway), I tied the legs of the rain pants tightly around and below the tops of the boots, to make waders of sort.
Neither feet nor legs got wet. The rain pants and parachute cord were along anyway...
Also - for this kind of operation, you should have a staff or trekking pole to cross the stream, whether rocks or mud bottom.
Last edited by las; 12/06/20.
The only true cost of having a dog is its death.
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Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
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I think it would be easiest just to haul a pair of trail runners with- under a pound and you have pretty solid footing fording. A little overkill for a camp shoe, but they are comfy and definitely better for crossing.
If the creek isn't too deep, gortex boots and waterproof gaiters usually don't have a problem.
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