Been there. Sometimes the fix costs more than the thing was ever worth.

Six liters? Damn, that's basically a full pack of water plus gear. I get the logic of being prepared out there, but 40 miles is wild for boots to just give up like that. I've seen cheap boots last longer than that with way worse abuse. Honestly, the glue and stitching probably wasn't great from the start, but that much extra weight every step is a serious test. That $140 loss stings extra hard too, especially when you think you're doing the smart thing for your hike.

Well now, that's a pretty big claim for a gutter size change. I'd be curious if the real fix was cleaning out the gutters or fixing a grading issue at the same time. Gutter width matters, sure, but nine hundred bucks is a lot to pin on one measurement without knowing the whole picture.