Something about water crossings keeps getting overlooked

I've been hiking the Appalachian Trail off and on for about 8 years now, and there's one thing I keep seeing people mess up. When you come to a stream crossing, most folks stop to take off their boots and put on sandals or water shoes. But that's actually the slowest way to do it if the water is under knee deep. I learned from a guy in Virginia that you're better off just walking straight through with your boots on and letting them dry out later. The time you save adds up fast over a 15 mile day. Has anyone else tried this method or do you still swap shoes for every stream?

3 comments

3 Comments

taylor9576d ago

most folks stop to take off their boots and put on sandals" - yeah, that's the common move, but here's a detail people skip. If your boots are leather or have a gore-tex liner, walking through water can wreck them over time. The waterproof layer traps water inside and takes forever to dry. I switched to trail runners a few years back and now I just wade through anything under the knee, they drain and dry in like an hour. That's the real secret, ditch the heavy boots completely if you're dealing with lots of stream crossings.

morgan.jason6d ago

I had a buddy who swore by those neoprene socks under sandals for stream crossings. He looked ridiculous but his feet were always dry while the rest of us were squishing around for miles.

the_oliver5d ago

Wait, you're telling me neoprene sock+ sandal combos actually work and aren't just a joke? I always figured that was one of those things people say to mess with new hikers, like sending them to find a left-handed flashlights or something. But honestly, after dealing with wet feet on a multi-day trip last summer, I'm starting to see the appeal. If it keeps your feet dry and you're not trying to win a fashion award, who cares how goofy it looks? I might have to give it a shot, my squishy shoes can't keep up with you guys anymore.