3 ms·

Might be true for jackets, but my anecdata hiking with friends in the Scandinavian mountains where it rains constantly and there are lots of rivers to ford is t

Might be true for jackets, but my anecdata hiking with friends in the Scandinavian mountains where it rains constantly and there are lots of rivers to ford is that wax is not good enough for boots. Time and time again the waxers hit leaks in my groups, and the GoreTexers stay bone dry. GoreTex of course isn’t a perfect material for boots. I think the main downside I see with the GoreTex is that it’s stiffer, harder to break in, and subsequently produces more blisters. That is fine for me though. I can control how many blister pads I apply and when, and ultimately whether the blister comes. I can’t control water ingress when fording a stream. For jackets, rather than invest in super pricey thousand dollar jackets, I usually bring two sets of Frogg Toggs and don’t expect them to survive the trek. It feels like the pick two for jackets is “cheap”, “light”, and “durable”. Maybe add “breathable” in there as well. Frogg Toggs definitely checks all the boxes except for durable, they will disintegrate if you simply fart the wrong ways. For an intermediate adventurer like myself who only treks once or twice a year for not longer than 10 days at a time that is totally fine

johnnykree 3y ago
Yes wax has its downsides, too. You have to constantly reapply it because it will just wear off. Leather boots won't soak up the wax, it is just on the surface and the more you go and use it, the more you have to reapply it. This is why I prefer leather grease for shoes. It will keep the leather smooth and water repellant, and this will be as good as Goretex. The only downside: When they are wet, they will stay wet for days. Goretex shoes dry within a night. So if I would hike for days and I expect constant rain or muddy terrain I would prefer membrane shoes, too.

3 ms·

Might be true for jackets, but my anecdata hiking with friends in the Scandinavian mountains where it rains constantly and there are lots of rivers to ford is t

by SOLAR_FIELDS 3y ago

johnnykree 3y ago
Yes wax has its downsides, too. You have to constantly reapply it because it will just wear off. Leather boots won't soak up the wax, it is just on the surface and the more you go and use it, the more you have to reapply it. This is why I prefer leather grease for shoes. It will keep the leather smooth and water repellant, and this will be as good as Goretex. The only downside: When they are wet, they will stay wet for days. Goretex shoes dry within a night. So if I would hike for days and I expect constant rain or muddy terrain I would prefer membrane shoes, too.