New gear

 So I've been quiet again lately.  I don't have much to say at the moment.

I do again now though.  I have new kit since my original kit lists.
I've overhauled some of my electronics kit, I have new footwear, and I have lighter dry bags.

Let's start with that last one.  Before I had some old exped drybags that weighed I don't know how much and carried I don't know how much.  Now I have two osprey 'ultralight' drybags that are 6L and 12L.  They fit my clothes and my quilts.  I can also shove my electronics in the clothes bag.

Speaking of which.  Gone is my heavy anker powerpack, now I have a Zendure X6 and a 60W charger.  It holds about as much charge, but has more USB ports and can charge quicker.  As in it can be charged faster and it can charge other things faster, in part thanks to the 60W plug.

Now for the most important thing. Shoes!

I've let myself be convinced in trail runners, after my boots went a bit wrong a while ago. After an ordeal at Cotswold where, despite their valiant efforts and nearly a dozen different types of shoes, we decided they didn't have any that would fit.
However!

The Cotswold Man, whose name shan't be revealed, told me of.. another place.

In a place hidden in fields and woods..

      .....there is a village...

                                           ....a village untouched by modern road design or town planning....

And in that village is an outdoors shop.
And there I met another man.  A man whose name shall also not be revealed.
And his wife whose name I did not learn for it was not spoken in words.

It was there that we sat, and pondered.

We thought...
               ........and debated.......
                                                         ....and discussed...

Until at last, these wise sages of many an outdoor activity suggested a shoe unlike others.

A shoe little seen in these lands, and imported from a far off place, from across the shining sea.
These shoes were light, soft and flexible but also broad of toe.

They were a running shoe, named the Altra Lonepeak 4.0, and into them we place my feet.

And then we placed special insoles, like but unlike superfeet.
 They supported my arch like the legendary superfoot, however they were softer and more malleable elsewhere unlike the superfoot.


But we were not finished, for then they clad me in garments most strange and unnatural.
For instead of my sock and liner sock, they had me strip bare my foot and placed upon it..

                                                      ...injini..

These socks are as like you have never seen before, I wager; for they are to other socks as gloves are to mittens.  Now each toe was free to wiggle and probe, isolated and yet together - separated into little toe socks.



It felt fucking weird.


Many thanks to TrekHireUK for helping me find what is the best fitting shoes I've had in a while.
Also, here's a link to my lighterpack where I can worry about how heavy my gear is.

Boots vs trail runners

A common debate amongst hiker nowadays is what type of footwear to take.  The traditional boot still has a lot of support, but there are growing factions championing lighter options.   The main competition for the trusty boot are trail runners.  These are much lighter, less durable, and More breathable but often not waterproof.  They also have less ankle support, although that varies from boot to boot as well.  Some people go even further and argue for less sturdy shoes or even barefoot(!), but I've no experience with that so I won't talk about it.

The main arguments for trail runners are generally about weight.  They are much, much lighter than boots.  And there's the saying that a pound on your feet is worth two on your back.  The argument goes that  these lighter shoes are thus easier to hike in because of the weight but also how breathable they are.  There's a far smaller chance of one's feet over heating.  The lack of support and low durability are also sometimes presented as advantages.  They don't need to be broken in as much as boots, if at all, and help develop strong ankles.  I'm a little sceptical about that last part, but not needing to be broken in is definitely a plus - especially as they're likely to be replaced more often.  Trail runners will be replaced maybe twice as often as boots.  As to how waterproof they aren't, people often say that the feet are going to get wet anyway - especially if rivers needed to be waded.  I'm not entirely convinced by that, especially here in Britain.  I've found every pair I've owned to be very comfortable, with no downside for short hikes.  But I wouldn't want to take them for more than a couple of days.

Boots are the traditional mainstay of hikers.  Sometimes big and clunky, sometimes less so, they provide excellent grip and support, with waterproof options and will last a while.  I love mine, and I think they're very comfortable as is.  I'm sure everyone already knows the benefits of boots, and I personally don't see a need to swap them for something else.