I've had Chaco, Keen and Teva "adventure sandals"over the years.
Keen (whichever was the first sandal they came out with years ago, dunno the model), with its rubber toe bumper and tension closure, are really the most protective & stable IME.
I've had Chaco, Keen and Teva "adventure sandals"
Keen (whichever was the first sandal they came out with years ago, dunno the model), with its rubber toe bumper and tension closure, are really the most protective & stable IME.
"Therefore, since the world has still... Much good, but much less good than ill,
And while the sun and moon endure, Luck's a chance, but trouble's sure,
I'd face it as a wise man would, And train for ill and not for good." -- A.E. Housman
I'm seeing a lot of people here at Zion NP (southwest Utah) hiking in sandals; they seem to be popular with the bearded folks parking Subarus.
I've never used them much on the trail; always thought open toe shoe not such a good idea around fire in camp and what not. I usually have a pair of Crocs for when I take off my boots.
There was a guy on our 68 mile hike in NM who basically did the whole thing in a pair of those 'five-finger' shoes. He was a little unconventional, though. We'd be going down a ridgeline of vertical shale and I'd barely be able to walk it safely with a pair of trekking poles. He had no issues, for some reason.
Have you considered lightweight trail runners? A lot of ultralight hikers that do 20+ miles a day are mostly using lightweight trail runners with mesh so they dry decently fast if they get wet. I would give he Innov8 rocklite 295 a look. If you are not interested in this rout disregard my post. If you would like any more info, just let me know!
I have those and love them for extreme mountain work. Very light, but very effective. For anything else, it is either Quest 4D's or XA Pro's.Originally Posted by Skold
I've spent a lot of time in jungle in Thailand and on beaches in Hawaii. They're completely different environments. Tevas are great for the beach. I like the drainage and I wear them when I swim in the ocean, since there's all kinds of stuff that can damage your feet as you get in and out of the water. But I hate how sand gets in there even walking around in a parking lot.
The jungle is the jungle, and the sooner you learn to respect it, the better. I'd want a good lightweight, high-top hiking boot for that, and Nyeti's duct tape idea makes a lot of sense. I've seen plenty of Thais do just fine wearing flipflops in the jungle, but then again, I've also seen a Thai woman breast-feeding a piglet. Not sure that either one is such a good idea unless circumstances are pretty dire.
Okie John
“The reliability of the 30-06 on most of the world’s non-dangerous game is so well established as to be beyond intelligent dispute.” Finn Aagaard
"Don't fuck with it" seems to prevent the vast majority of reported issues." BehindBlueI's
You really might not want to wear sandals in that jungle. There trees that have fiberglass type needles on them. If you fall down a hillside DO NOT REACH for anything. If those get embedded in your hands or legs you are screwed. I believe we called them a Black Pine.
Watch out for the Ferdelance snake, very poisonous.
Don't touch the pretty frogs.
And don't swim in the mouth the Chagres River.
I miss that jungle.
A light hiker that dries fast, would be better footwear for that place.
Last edited by Arbninftry; 05-06-2016 at 09:14 AM.
Lots of good info, thanks. looks like I will have to run a pair of sandals and light weight runners. I don't think the mountain region I am going to has quite as much funky stuff as the lower land jungles do.... but why take the chance.
"People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf." George Orwell
http://www.jrcholsters.com
Totally agree with the above. I love Panama, and will likely end up retired there at some point. My mom was born there and her ashes were actually dumped in the Chagres River where it empties into the Canal. The nature there is nothing short of amazing. Along with the amazing...is you better respect it. You are an invader into the environment everywhere....jungles, mountains, or Panama City. You will see reptiles and insects of a size and coloring you could not imagine. It is also the only place I have had what appeared to be a heavily diseased leper stick his head in the car while stuck in traffic begging. Crazy, amazing wonderful place.....with enough scary that requires you to always be on your toes a bit.
The craziest fricking toad I have ever laid eyes on was in the interior mountains.....nothing in my mind is a sandals hiking place other than the beach in Panama.......and I am a guy who literally hates shoes. Trust me....you will thank us later if you are wearing a Lightwieght enclosed boot there that protect your feet. The thing I got under my watch was likely from one of those needles described by Arbninftry. Getting one or some in my foot.....oh lord, I don't even want to imagine it.
Just a Hairy Special Snowflake supply clerk with no field experience, shooting an Asymetric carbine as a Try Hard
"If I had a grandpa, he would look like Delbert Belton".
This. Jungle boots were invented for a reason, and USGI jungle boots remain pretty good ones.
Yep. Especially the ones with "Panama soles".
Okie John
“The reliability of the 30-06 on most of the world’s non-dangerous game is so well established as to be beyond intelligent dispute.” Finn Aagaard
"Don't fuck with it" seems to prevent the vast majority of reported issues." BehindBlueI's
Reply With Quote