Registered: 07/31/08
Posts: 94
Loc: Michigan, just N of detroit
I know it must have been asked before, I want the lightest camp footware for walking around camp, I don't want to make something though just want to know if there are any favorites out there.
I know alot of you don't use them and I don't most of the time but I go a few places where the ground sucks bare foot and I like to get out of my boots.
We use crocs, and love them. Less than a pound in weight, and they serve as camp shoes, water shoes for wading a creek...and we even wear them in the car on the way home.
Registered: 02/05/03
Posts: 3293
Loc: Portland, OR
I bought a pair of pac-boot felt liners for $2 at a factory outlet near my house. Then I cut them down to ankle-top height, and I put a pair of old insoles in them. The pair weighs 7.5 oz. They work ok. Biggest weakness is having rather thin soles.
If I take camp shoes, the brand is Waldies - another Crocs clone. Most of the time, I don't take camp shoes; my trail shoes are pretty comfortable, and I don't feel the need for separate shoes. I tend to take them mostly if I know I'll need something for wading; the use in camp is just a bonus.
I don't normally carry a camp shoe - I do if I'm expecting a lot of beaches and a desire to do a lot of wading. Then I carry a pair of six dollar wal-mart croc clones.
the crocs are good for beach/wading stuff. if I just wanted a flip flop, (not for wading) there may be lighter options out there.
The problem I have with the Quarks and Flaps are the open sides than allow sand and pebbles in under my foot, ouch ! When I take camp shoes I take cheap canvas deck shoes or elastic topped water shoes like reef walkers or speedos. These offer decent sole protection and prevent the pebbles getting between my foot and the shoes sole.
I know you asked about camp shoes, but if you also want a serious lace-up camp shoe that will double for very secure wading and also work to actually walk out if your shoes get lost or fall apart, I have a pair of the lightest available running shoes. These are the specialized racing shoes (look on the internet on special running sites). My shoes (men's size 7) weigh 6.5 oz each shoe - or 13 oz. They were expensive (got them at Fleet Foot for about $70 years ago). If I take out the foot liner they weigh 12 oz. total - I hike in super-feet inserts, so use these when I wear them around camp. They actually have very roomy toe box. If you use them for wading you need to replace the cotton laces with laces that do not absorb water. I think some of these high-end shoes are even lighter now than when I bought mine about 6 years ago. I also have crocks, but take the running shoes if I anticipate really serious crossings. My crocks really are not comfortable enough to walk 10 miles.
Quarks also have an enclosed front shoe, it's a little heavier. I got the ones that have 3 openings on each side of the shoe, I thought I would just duct tape them if needed. I wore them in Alaska with socks and they were pretty warm.
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Life is either a daring adventure or nothing. Helen Keller
I have been taking my Waldies with me for yrs. Waldies are the original shoes before they became Crocs and the heel strap was added. They are perfect for wading creeks and will float if they come off. They sure beat my old pair of Teva sandals I had.
Registered: 03/17/03
Posts: 501
Loc: Puget Sound, Washington
OM, I tried the mesh shoes and they were terrible for me. Extremely flimsy and may be good around a flat pool area but the soles are so thin that every rock and pebble can be felt through the soles while camping. Also, the mesh allowed alot of dirt to get through.
Registered: 02/03/06
Posts: 6800
Loc: Gateway to Columbia Gorge
Since I switched to trail runners for hiking, I wasn't going to take any camp shoes since the trail runners are so comfortable. Then I discovered that when I was crawling in and out of my tent at night, my trail runners really tore up the ground in front of my tent. I took the Sprint Aquatics to prevent that. I basically wore them only for the middle-of-the-night exits and entrances. If your hiking shoes are comfortable enough, you don't need camp shoes!
Now that I have switched to the Goose Feet, I'll be using the Sprint Aquatics shoes only in warm weather.
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May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view--E. Abbey
They may not be the lightest, but the Teva Mush flip-flops weigh only 4oz and they are very comfortable with a snug fitting toe retainer and quite comfy foam base. They last well too, for the $25 pricetag.
Registered: 12/26/08
Posts: 382
Loc: Maine/New Jersey
I have to agree with the Teva's. Lightweight and very comfortable. I have the Khavi's I believe they are called. But my old pair I bought for 20 bucks and lasted me for 4 years with a brutal beating. Both pairs comfortable and lightweight. Granted, I do not have a scale to weigh them out, I do know they are lighter than shoes and even my slippers.
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"To me, hammocking is relaxing, laying, swaying. A steady slow morphine drip without the risk of renal failure." - Dale Gribbel
I think the Sprint Shoes you mentioned are the lightest of those mentioned so far. I just weighed my pair (size 13) and they weigh 1.8 ounces on my scale.
That's 1.8 ounces for the pair (i.e. less than 1 ounce per shoe).
I'll have to throw in another vote for Crocs as a camp shoe. They are versatile enough for hanging around camp, crossing streams, etc. But the thing I like best is the durability and the weight. I just strap mine on the outside of my pack and I don't even realize they are there.
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“If you can find a path with no obstacles, it probably doesn’t lead anywhere.” -- Frank A. Clark
I always take my Vibram FiveFingers. They may not be as cheap (120 euro for KSO) as Crocs and such, but they do keep all the branches and such out (KSO-version (KeepStuffOut, doh :P)) and are lovely to wear.
They do weigh about 300 grams, but I wouldn't want to wear anything else (You can even use them on smaller and less rough tramping tracks, and there are people actually quite some who always use them for hiking, but I prefer more stability...) I wear them at home whole the time, when I'm not barefoot
If you want something lighter you could check out ultralight running shoes, they come in from around 100 grams.
I have a pair of soccer slides by Hurley that have a big ole ugly silver H in the middle of the vamp which I cut out. They weighed 8.2 oz for a pair of mens 11, 8.1 after I cut out the H . If you live in the south I found them at Academy for about $25 I think. Not near as comfortable as Crocs though.
Re the sprint aquatics mesh shoes: my experience is that they are pretty good wading shoes - good traction on the rocks ans just enough foot protection to get me across the creek - but as camp shoes, not so good. The fit is such that I couldn't get them on with any socks on my feet ( and I have very low-volume, flat feet) and the mesh lets in any and all dust, dirt and sand.
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