[philmont] Camp Shoes/Crocs

Gang,

Great comments all around with this topic. My experiences on the Ranch have
led me to strongly suggest camp shoes of some sort for those hiking. Many
will disagree with me because of weight, bulk, and a list of other reasons.

As a worst case scenario, boots can fail on the trail and camp shoes may be
the only alternative. Both my ROCS instructor and I had this experience
last summer where our boots failed in the worst way causing irritation and
massive blisters. Since we were in the backcountry and had no way to
replace the footwear, we had to resort to our Crocs for hiking until
arrangements could be made.

With the exception of serious failure, boots can (and most likely will) get
wet inside from rain, streams, mud, or spilling a Nalgene bottle. A chance
for the feet to air out and dry in camp shoes at the end of a day of
moisture is a welcome relief that can prevent serious problems later in the
trek.

As another consideration, it is a great relief to get 3+ pounds of your feet
at the end of the day after a day of hard hiking while resting in camp.
True, some staff camps will require boots for the programs such as spar-pole
climbing, rock climbing, and horseback riding so be prepared to wear boots
for these activities.

It is also important to note that the use of camp shoes can help conserve
the land. When Philmont processes 20,000+ campers each year, each with a
heavy boot and sole designed to grip and provide traction, it has a massive
impact on the soil. This is obvious as the trails are, usually, clearly
defined and many campsites lack vegetation. Only using camp shoes will not
completely stop this erosion, with the amount of people processed it is
expected, but every bit does help.

Speaking to Crocs vs others, I can not say what works the "best" as anything
that you take will have advantages and drawbacks.

Personally, I carried/wore Crocs on my back to back Rayado and ROCS Treks
this summer and they did hold up very well. As has been said, they are
lightweight, comfortable, east to carabineer on the outside of a pack and
are a great way to dry the feet at the end of a day.

Tennis shoes are a good alternative; they provide a bit more support and can
be used for more of the programs the drawbacks of course are that they are a
bit heavier, take longer to dry, and are more bulky. If one takes sneakers,
make sure that they are an old pair because odds are that they will be
wrecked upon return.

A few other ideas to throw out are Tevas or Chacos sandals and moccasins.
Chacos Sandals have a cult like following among many of the Phil-staff and
have become my shoe of choice for normal wear in town, just remember always
with socks at PSR. Moccasins or boat shoes are light and handy but may be
to flimsy to handle a long trek and are not recommended for a boot
alternative.

That is my $0.02 on the matter of camp shoes and footwear.

Happy Trails,

Mike Bebeau

O.A.T.C. - 2005

Rayado - 2006

R.O.C.S. - 2006

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Received on Sat Feb 10 01:28:01 2007