Walking Boots

Graeme Cogger said:

These are a bit more expensive, but Altberg do a range of high-
leg boots (in the Country Boots section at www.altberg.co.uk).

Ouch! Very nice looking, but not cheap. Those Northumberland boots
look the business.

Quoted message said:

Made in the UK, but you have to go to Richmond in Yorkshire to
try them :-(

For that price it's probably worth driving up there to try them on.

I'll file that in my "perhaps in the future" category.

Paul
--
http://www.wilderness-wales.co.uk
http://www.wildwales.fsnet.co.uk

In article <[email hidden]>, Paul Saunders
<[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

Dominic Sexton said:

Quoted message said:

The Elite Magnum Nylon doesn't look bad, full waterproof lining and
more sensibly priced at £80.

I have an old pair of Magnums and found that they are great for smooth
trails but sharp rocky bits are easily felt through the sole. I would
therefore be rather wary of buying them for the rough stuff.

Really?

Yes. No doubt the design has changed a bit over the last ten years or so
but they appeared to be targeted at police forces and urban soldiers.
Indeed some soldiers I know bought them specifically for their urban
work in NI where light and comfortable boots were the requirement.

Quoted message said:

The soles look pretty thick on the Elite. Take a look at this
page;
http://www.sofmilitary.co.uk/military/products.asp?pg=153

A lot of that apparent thickness is actually a rand round the edge of
the lower part of the boot upper. They do appear to be a bit chunkier
than mine but I would still be very wary of the thickness and stiffness
of the sole if I were you. I would be very sure to try them on before
buying them and try to test out how they would feel over rocky
protrusions.

--

Dominic Sexton
http://www.dscs.demon.co.uk/

Dominic Sexton said:

Yes. No doubt the design has changed a bit over the last ten years or
so but they appeared to be targeted at police forces and urban
soldiers. Indeed some soldiers I know bought them specifically for
their urban work in NI where light and comfortable boots were the
requirement.

Well I've developed a preference for light and comfortable over the last
few years, usually walking the hills in Hi-Tec trainers, and walking
over rocky stuff really doesn't bother me much.

Quoted message said:

A lot of that apparent thickness is actually a rand round the edge of
the lower part of the boot upper. They do appear to be a bit chunkier
than mine but I would still be very wary of the thickness and
stiffness of the sole if I were you. I would be very sure to try them
on before buying them and try to test out how they would feel over
rocky protrusions.

That's the problem with buying over the net though, isn't it? Most
other kinds of gear are okay, but boots are a bit of a problem without
trying them on, so I'm wary in that respect.

Paul
--
http://www.wilderness-wales.co.uk
http://www.wildwales.fsnet.co.uk

In article <[email hidden]>, Paul Saunders
<[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

Dominic Sexton said:

Yes. No doubt the design has changed a bit over the last ten years or
so but they appeared to be targeted at police forces and urban
soldiers. Indeed some soldiers I know bought them specifically for
their urban work in NI where light and comfortable boots were the
requirement.

Well I've developed a preference for light and comfortable over the last
few years, usually walking the hills in Hi-Tec trainers, and walking
over rocky stuff really doesn't bother me much.

I find my Magnums have more 'feel' through the sole than normal
trainers!

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

A lot of that apparent thickness is actually a rand round the edge of
the lower part of the boot upper. They do appear to be a bit chunkier
than mine but I would still be very wary of the thickness and
stiffness of the sole if I were you. I would be very sure to try them
on before buying them and try to test out how they would feel over
rocky protrusions.

That's the problem with buying over the net though, isn't it? Most
other kinds of gear are okay, but boots are a bit of a problem without
trying them on, so I'm wary in that respect.

I have not been looking for Magnums for a long time but they were quite
widely available so have a good look round all the outdoor / army
surplus shops in the area.

--

Dominic Sexton
http://www.dscs.demon.co.uk/

Dominic Sexton said:

I have not been looking for Magnums for a long time but they were
quite widely available so have a good look round all the outdoor /
army surplus shops in the area.

Most army surplus shops have disappeared around here, there's only two I
know of now, one in Swansea and one in Brecon, both of which I've
visited in the last week. Didn't ask about Magnums but I don't think
the Swansea shop had any.

Paul
--
http://www.wilderness-wales.co.uk
http://www.wildwales.fsnet.co.uk

Paul Saunders said:

Phil Cook said:

Quoted message said:

It's sometimes desirable for me to stand in a river when taking some
of my waterfall pics, so I really would like a high waterproof boot.

Wellies. Or if you want to be extreme, waders.
:-)

I wasn't thinking of those kinds of rivers! The Ystradfellte falls have
pretty shallow rivers on the whole, and even though there are very deep
bits, there are plenty of very shallow bits too. Sometimes it's
necessary to step out from the riverbank to get a better view and
composition of a fall, and it's often desirable to compose a pic with
water in the foreground.

I know. I've done it myself a few times. For this one I was standing
in about 3 inches
http://www.p-t-cook.freeserve.co.uk/temp/bluefalls.htm

If I knew I was going to be standing in deep water I'd take the Pete
Clinch option and take my Tevas.
--
Phil Cook looking north over the park to the "Westminster Gasworks"

Phil Cook said:

I know. I've done it myself a few times. For this one I was standing
in about 3 inches
http://www.p-t-cook.freeserve.co.uk/temp/bluefalls.htm

That would be .jpg rather than .htm. Very nice Phil. They don't look
particularly blue, but still very nice.

Quoted message said:

If I knew I was going to be standing in deep water I'd take the Pete
Clinch option and take my Tevas.

Fine in summer, but I wouldn't fancy that in the dark half of the year.
I once waded up a river in February to recover my rucksack (which fell
off a cliff) and I lost all feeling in my legs. That was an interesting
experience, but not one which I'm keen to repeat any time soon.

Paul
--
http://www.wilderness-wales.co.uk
http://www.wildwales.fsnet.co.uk

Paul Saunders said:

Phil Cook said:

I know. I've done it myself a few times. For this one I was standing
in about 3 inches
http://www.p-t-cook.freeserve.co.uk/temp/bluefalls.htm

That would be .jpg rather than .htm. Very nice Phil. They don't look
particularly blue, but still very nice.

Rats! How did that htm get there? I thought I'd checked that URL. :-|

They are the Upper Wentworth Falls in the Blue Mountains NSW Australia
--
Phil Cook looking north over the park to the "Westminster Gasworks"

Paul Saunders said:

Quoted message said:

They do the combat boot for ?145.

Jeez! I've always associated army gear with the word "cheap". Now
we're back to normal walking gear prices!

Anchor have some cheaper ones : http://www.camo.co.uk/

-adrian

Phil Cook said:

They are the Upper Wentworth Falls in the Blue Mountains NSW Australia

Really? I couldn't tell.

Paul
--
http://www.wilderness-wales.co.uk
http://www.wildwales.fsnet.co.uk

Paul Saunders said:

Phil Cook said:

They are the Upper Wentworth Falls in the Blue Mountains NSW Australia

Really? I couldn't tell.

Were you expecting kangaroos? You might be able to tell the shrubs on
the full size scan - if you knew what to look for - but otherwise
there's not much to go on.
--
Phil Cook looking north over the park to the "Westminster Gasworks"

Phil Cook said:

Were you expecting kangaroos?

No, just desert, and a large red rock, and maybe some aborigines...

Paul
--
http://www.wilderness-wales.co.uk
http://www.wildwales.fsnet.co.uk

"Paul Saunders" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Most army surplus shops have disappeared around here, there's only two I
know of now, one in Swansea and one in Brecon, both of which I've
visited in the last week. Didn't ask about Magnums but I don't think
the Swansea shop had any.

There are two in Brecon (or at least there were a couple of months back when
I last looked): One in Watton and the other in Free Street.

Also, there used to be one in Llandovery, but I haven't been there for some
time.

Have fun,
Paul

Paul Saunders said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I have had Brasher boots for 5 years or so, and like them, but fancy
something different.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Why? If you tell us that you might get some more sensible answers. I
mean don't you like the colour, or aren't the heels high enough, or
what?

Quoted message said:

Because he "fancies" something different. It's just boredom and the
need to spend money unnecessarily! :-)

Well in that case, I'm an expert!

Here, OP: try Meindl, Scarpa and Raichle for a starter. I also like
Gronell.

While you're at it, check out the custom fit Superfeet footbeds: see
http://www.anatom.co.uk/dealers_page.html for a list of dealers across
the country.

Also consider, though, that you might do just as well in something
much lighter (I'm not talking about walking in snowy conditions, of
course). A fair number of people do well in something like a trail
shoe in places where traditionally people have tended to wear heavy
leather boots with ankle support.

It's worth checking the Google archives and places like
www.outdoorsmagic.com for old discussions.

Kit - yum! :-) Enjoy :-)

Best wishes,
--
,,
(**)PeeWiglet~~
/ \ / \

In article <[email hidden]>,
[email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

Paul Saunders said:

Quoted message said:

> I have had Brasher boots for 5 years or so, and like them, but fancy
> something different.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Why? If you tell us that you might get some more sensible answers. I
mean don't you like the colour, or aren't the heels high enough, or
what?

Quoted message said:

Because he "fancies" something different. It's just boredom and the
need to spend money unnecessarily! :-)

Well in that case, I'm an expert!

Here, OP: try Meindl, Scarpa and Raichle for a starter. I also like
Gronell.

Did you stick with the Raichles in the end? ISTR you were considering
swapping them?

--
Darren

In article <[email hidden]>, Paul Saunders
<[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

It's sometimes desirable for me to stand in a river when taking some of
my waterfall pics, so I really would like a high waterproof boot.

For something as specific as this I would suggest wellies. No, I'm not
being facecious, wellies with tungsten studs in the soles - vital to
stop ending up on your back in the river. those pebbles/rocks can be
very slipery.

I wore my thigh boots the other day to cross the Tawe at Cerrig Duon to
photograph Mae Mawr - no probs at all.

By the way, leather is waterproof, it's the seams that let in water
usually. You wax the leather to keep it supple and to stop it cracking.

The tongue you referred to isn't it called a bellows tongue?
--
Bill Grey
http://www.billboy.co.uk

W. D. Grey said:

Quoted message said:

It's sometimes desirable for me to stand in a river when taking some
of my waterfall pics, so I really would like a high waterproof boot.

For something as specific as this I would suggest wellies. No, I'm not
being facecious, wellies with tungsten studs in the soles - vital to
stop ending up on your back in the river. those pebbles/rocks can be
very slipery.

I wore my thigh boots the other day to cross the Tawe at Cerrig Duon
to photograph Mae Mawr - no probs at all.

Yeah, but then I'd have to carry them, and there's the hassle of
changing them. Wellies are not really suitable for walking are they?

Quoted message said:

By the way, leather is waterproof, it's the seams that let in water
usually.

Yep, I know. That Nikwax Conditioner for Leather they sold me in Blacks
was rubbish! Stupid milky fluid that didn't seem to penetrate the
leather and didn't do any good at all. Leaked through the seams
(underneath the laces) on all my water encounters so far.

Went to Millets today to buy some proper wax. I'll try to saturate the
seams with it.

Paul
--
http://www.wilderness-wales.co.uk
http://www.wildwales.fsnet.co.uk

In article <[email hidden]>, Paul Saunders
<[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

W. D. Grey said:

I wore my thigh boots the other day to cross the Tawe at Cerrig Duon
to photograph Mae Mawr - no probs at all.

Yeah, but then I'd have to carry them, and there's the hassle of
changing them. Wellies are not really suitable for walking are they?

Definitely not, but I was referring to a specific case, and for the
inconvenience of wearing them for an hour or so the benefits could be
really good.

Quoted message said:

Went to Millets today to buy some proper wax. I'll try to saturate the
seams with it.

They do say not to use too much.

I use Granger's G Wax. I warm the leather first using a hair dryer. Then
I apply the was using a bit of sponge, spreading the wax and heating it
with the hair dryer at the same time. The wax liquefies and really gets
into the seams - and the leather.

The wax is much easier to spread when it is warmed this way.

--
Bill Grey
http://www.billboy.co.uk