The best adventure travel boots.
- Thread starter datoy
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mortonm
Expedition Leader
Pics?
Jakes01234
Explorer
I have a pair of those timberlands. They did a great job for a month of constant abuse then they started feeling like an old pair of cruddy boots then eventually went to complete hell at the end of month 2. The soles have flattened out and lost alot of support along with the support gone from the sides. There is also no tread whatsoever left. I still have them and use them for cutting grass and randomly slip them on to take out the dog but that's about it. If they lasted another two months I would have been okay with it. I usually massacre shoes and boots fairly quick.
I bought a pair of rugged shoes for the summer and I'm thinking of ordering up some Danner's for the late fall and winter.
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I bought a pair of rugged shoes for the summer and I'm thinking of ordering up some Danner's for the late fall and winter.
Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
This question is far too loaded. It completely depends on your walking time vs driving time. Sand/fine gravel, jungle/swamp/marsh, heavy pack in the mountains, etc.
Think about ankle articulation for driving vs how much support you really need for walking. First look at your activities and see how much ankle support you really need. You may need two sets of shoes: a driving set, and a foot travel set. From there proceed to look at the environment you will encounter when on foot to determine what is the best suited.
Think about the environment. If you are in sand a lot something with a wide platform that sticks out past the actual shoe width is good for flotation, also high close fitting uppers to keep sand out to an extent. For this I prefer the good Danner combat boots. These offer great ankle articulation. Tall enough to keep most everything out and are very breathable for hot climate.
If you are regularly encountering high water goretex is probably not the best choice; here you want a fast drying boot with drain holes. Think combat style jungle boots, also I remember one company that made short jungle style boots allowing quick drying and drain holes when the high upper wasn't required. Gore tex not only holds water out but it also holds it in... Alternatively if you don't need the ankle support and won't be smashing against trees and rocks a lot the sandals are a great choice.
Cold weather and a lot of lifting carrying combined with driving is the toughest boot to make. Good mountaineering boots offer great warmth and ankle support but don't give you the ankle articulation for driving (you and up driving high your heal and moving it back and forth. It is too cold or the ground is wet/snow to change between driving and working boots outside so you have to inside. Light boots like some of the sorrels offer good driving but aren't as snug fitting or offer support for heavy chores/loads, etc. A good compromise between the two are some of the more flexible ice climbing boots.
Hot climate boots for heavy load carrying across rocky terrain are probably the hardest as well. Options are limited so again you have to compromise somewhere. I generally find these combinations rare though. When 115F outside you can't run around with heavy loads for long because you end up finding yourself carrying more water than anything else...
If you are doing a lot of scrambling/light rock climbing climbing approach shoes offer a very sticky sole (look at Lasportive, Fiveten, etc.). But these aren't tall enough to keep stuff out so you may need to look into gaiters (alternatively you can look at other boots and any good climbing shoe resole shop will be able to grind down the current hard rubber on your boots and put a layer of the sticking small lugs approach rubber on the bottom).
If encountering rain and shallow water goretex is a great choice.
Think about if the area has a lot of tree thorns, etc. These will go right through all but spike resistant hard soles... Similarly sandals aren't the greatest choice if there are cactus thorns around, even you are careful and don't bump into them needles can lay in the sand and gravel and still get you.
Also, do you sleep in your shoes. I often do. Lightweight is good for this so you can move around easily when sleeping but still be ready to jump fast to chase off wildlife like racoons, coyotes, jackals, hyenas, etc. getting into camp.
So it is getting the right boot fit for your intended purpose. The same 10 shoes can be both the best and worst depending on use and environment...
Think about ankle articulation for driving vs how much support you really need for walking. First look at your activities and see how much ankle support you really need. You may need two sets of shoes: a driving set, and a foot travel set. From there proceed to look at the environment you will encounter when on foot to determine what is the best suited.
Think about the environment. If you are in sand a lot something with a wide platform that sticks out past the actual shoe width is good for flotation, also high close fitting uppers to keep sand out to an extent. For this I prefer the good Danner combat boots. These offer great ankle articulation. Tall enough to keep most everything out and are very breathable for hot climate.
If you are regularly encountering high water goretex is probably not the best choice; here you want a fast drying boot with drain holes. Think combat style jungle boots, also I remember one company that made short jungle style boots allowing quick drying and drain holes when the high upper wasn't required. Gore tex not only holds water out but it also holds it in... Alternatively if you don't need the ankle support and won't be smashing against trees and rocks a lot the sandals are a great choice.
Cold weather and a lot of lifting carrying combined with driving is the toughest boot to make. Good mountaineering boots offer great warmth and ankle support but don't give you the ankle articulation for driving (you and up driving high your heal and moving it back and forth. It is too cold or the ground is wet/snow to change between driving and working boots outside so you have to inside. Light boots like some of the sorrels offer good driving but aren't as snug fitting or offer support for heavy chores/loads, etc. A good compromise between the two are some of the more flexible ice climbing boots.
Hot climate boots for heavy load carrying across rocky terrain are probably the hardest as well. Options are limited so again you have to compromise somewhere. I generally find these combinations rare though. When 115F outside you can't run around with heavy loads for long because you end up finding yourself carrying more water than anything else...
If you are doing a lot of scrambling/light rock climbing climbing approach shoes offer a very sticky sole (look at Lasportive, Fiveten, etc.). But these aren't tall enough to keep stuff out so you may need to look into gaiters (alternatively you can look at other boots and any good climbing shoe resole shop will be able to grind down the current hard rubber on your boots and put a layer of the sticking small lugs approach rubber on the bottom).
If encountering rain and shallow water goretex is a great choice.
Think about if the area has a lot of tree thorns, etc. These will go right through all but spike resistant hard soles... Similarly sandals aren't the greatest choice if there are cactus thorns around, even you are careful and don't bump into them needles can lay in the sand and gravel and still get you.
Also, do you sleep in your shoes. I often do. Lightweight is good for this so you can move around easily when sleeping but still be ready to jump fast to chase off wildlife like racoons, coyotes, jackals, hyenas, etc. getting into camp.
So it is getting the right boot fit for your intended purpose. The same 10 shoes can be both the best and worst depending on use and environment...
Hilldweller
SE Expedition Society
I guess you do love them....
....your review reads like a romance novel....
They don't seem to come in adult sizes though.
I've tried Timberlands before too. Never had a pair last more than a month when I could find a pair to fit. Notoriously narrow boots; almost as bad as Justin.
Great post. I'll only add that they gotta fit.
So here's what I've got:
If it's cold out, don't have to drive much, and am mostly in camp, the Ugg Hannen: http://www.uggaustralia.com/men-boots/hannen/1003623.html?dwvar_1003623_color=GRZ
Cool to cold out, driving more, walking more, mucky conditions, the Irish Setter Vaprtrek: http://hunt.irishsetterboots.com/ir...2863-irish-setter-hunt-mens-8-inch-boot-stone
Not so cold out, walking/hiking a bunch, driving quite a bit, the Merell Proterra Mid. Good luck finding them; weren't popular. They offer a Goretex version but the lining makes them too narrow for me.
Hot out, lots of driving, easy trail walking: New Balance Minimus 10v1
Hilldweller
SE Expedition Society
They run short and they're wide; just so you're aware.
And are completely flexible with zero artificial support. Like a layer of bedliner beneath your feet. You feel every grain of sand.
I wear them to work almost every day ---- best shoe in the world for driving, even better than my Simpson race shoes...
SlinginIron
New member
I am really tough on boots, even though I clean and "oil" them regularly. After having about 4 pairs of the White's Smoke Jumpers (I only get a year before a full rebuild). I looked into a lower heel waterproof boot like a Danner (not the Channer's) I know a lot of guys from OR that really like them. While searching for the Danner boot I did find some of the Whites Outdoorsman style of boot and I did get to try them on against the American made Danner, the White's boot was an easy choice even for $40 dollars more. They are lighter than the smoke jumpers, did not require a break-in, and I don't walk the heels over like I did with the taller heel. I have worn them through two six month seasons so far and I am sure I will get at least one or two more seasons out of them before a rebuild. They are still waterproof, and warm. I am planning to get a pair of the uninsulated boots for next summer.
Well, an update on my timberlands. After a lot of time in the bush, on our Ranger side x side, up to our converted bus, hiking over rocks and trees taking photos with my gear. Cutting trees, etc. They are still holding up great. They are super comfortable and wearing great!
I must be lucky because I have a pair of NorthFace boots that got the most horrible reviews I've read on boots and yet, I've been rocking them for about 3 years now. They are light, warm, and offer moderate ankle support. I make due without the "thick" boots because if i'm outside of my vehicle, I'm either moving around or I have my feet on a rock around a fire. I've actually burned the shoues a couple of times. Maybe that helped them hold up so long... lol.