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Need help with this: I hike with "Five Ten Camp Four" approach shoes. 3 to 5 days with 20kg backpack. I've had no problems with them. They really lite and easy to scramble up rocks. BUT they are low cut and are not water proof (i know you cannot get a true water proof boot . My problem is winter hikes with snow! Is this OK? I do not have experience with snow. What about rain? I'm worried

Thanks
Duncan

I'm not very experienced with winter hiking, but hiking in rain, mist and when there is dew on the ground are things I have done a fair amount of. There is no worse feeling than wet socks (especially when its cold). How un-waterproof are the shoes? Make sure you get a pair of gaiters, Trappers sell them for about R80 (everyone else is about R300). They stop water from going in by the shoe laces and at the top where your feet go in (they also stop your shoe laces from getting hooked on bushes, so you don't spend as much time redoing your shoe lace, its also stops debris from getting into your shoes). If they are very un-waterproof, it might be a big problem, you might have to take 8 pairs of socks per day!

When you say they are low cut, do you mean they don't support your ankle? If that is the case, you are taking a huge chance to go hiking in them, I have come very close to twisting my ankle so many times in the berg, but due to my hiking boots being tight around my ankle I was uninjured.

Yes they do not have ankle support. See link: fiveten.com/products/footwear-detail/40-camp-four.

I was thinking of getting high cut boots. Had a look at the forum posts, but most are out of date. I think like everyone I won't a water proof, light, good supported boot . Dam some of the boots are expensive. But I think I better make the investment.

Any suggestions?

The link isn't opening.

Personally I use Hi-Tec's bottom of the range waterproof shoes which require that waterproofing thing being applied to them every time they are going to be used, since I got gaiters to wear with them I have never had an issue. Most guys on this forum tell me that Hi-Tec's are useless, but as I say, combined with gaiters, your feet stay dry and confortable, thats all that matters in my opinion.

The best test of your shoes that I can think of (now being a good time due to the rain we just had) is to go and walk in those shoes in longish wet grass (only needs to be up to just above your ankles) for about 45 minutes, if your feet are still entirely dry after that time, then you're probably ok from a waterproof point of view. But personally I think its very risky to hike without proper ankle support (personally I have never hiked without hiking boots but I have hiked with many people who don't own hiking boots, and often its not an issue, but personally I wouldn't risk it).

Where is the best place to buy that waterproofing stuff and how do you apply it to a boot that has never had it on, is there a special way or just spray it on and leave it?

Sorry for hijacking the thread, thought it a good place to ask.

It only works on leather, most shops that sell hiking/camping equipment sell it. It costs about R25 for a tin. It looks like this:



You basically just rub it on your boots with your fingures (the heat makes it absorb it better). Basically it maintains the quality of the leather and makes the surface of the shoe hyrophobic, until it rubs off (which is why I always carry a container on a hike)...