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How to dry out leather boots?

Erbswurst

Erbswurst

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As I know, we have here a nice collection of very experienced bush crafters, hikers and former soldiers.

My questions to you are:

What are you doing with your leather boots and hiking shoes to avoid moisture, to reduce moisture, and to dry them out?

What are you doing with boots and socks on the walk, in intermissions at the walk, in the camp and during the night if you sleep in tent or bivvy bag?

How do you treat them at home?

And what are you doing with them if you walk a lot, but sleep in a heated house, for example on longer journeys, if you are travelling.

Until now I fortunately kept all my toes somehow. ;0)

But I am interested, about your tips and tricks. Because this theme stays a technical problem , for that the outdoor industry didn't really find a well working new solution, how they did it with Goretex for rain jackets and bivvy bags, so far I am informed.

In my opinion the traditional leather boots in combination with two pairs of woolen socks to change them are for the allround use still the best option, but with them we have the same technical problems like our ancestors.

Here recommendations of experienced people have a really high value for every beginner and perhaps we can learn something from each other.

So, what are you doing against moisture in your boots and socks?

Please write it, if you mean perhaps especially warm, normal, rainy or freezing conditions.
 
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At home/in barracks the best bet is to dry them slowly, stuffing them with newspaper drys them out and repeated applications of wax/polish.

For home use a pair of old tights (borrowed off your friendly marine) full of cat litter draws the moisture out and prevents smells developing.

As an infantryman i always found it impossible to keep boots dry, I concentrated on looking after my feet with fresh socks and foot powder, especially when sleeping. The boots themselves I usually removed as much mud as possible and applied polish to keep the leather supple as it dried (if they ever did!).

I generally found that leather boots would dry out overnight but lined goretex ones wouldn’t which is why I stuck with non lined leather lowa or scarpa boots.

That held true in Northern Europe and the balkans in winter.

In hot climates I wore rugged dessert boots which dried out better but also got wetter quicker, again brushing mud off (no polish this time) to help the boot dry (and make it lighter).

38
 
Cat litter???

How do you exactly use it in your tights of which material?

That's totally new to me!
Unknown in Germany I guess.
 
Erbswurst said:
As I know, we have here a nice collection of very experienced bush crafters, hikers and former soldiers.

My questions to you are:

What are you doing with your leather boots and hiking shoes to avoid moisture, to reduce moisture, and to dry them out?

What are you doing with boots and socks on the walk, in intermissions at the walk, in the camp and during the night if you sleep in tent or bivvy bag?

How do you treat them at home?

And what are you doing with them if you walk a lot, but sleep in a heated house, for example on longer journeys, if you are travelling.

Until now I fortunately kept all my toes somehow. ;0)

But I am interested, about your tips and tricks. Because this theme stays a technical problem , for that the outdoor industry didn't really find a well working new solution, how they did it with Goretex for rain jackets and bivvy bags, so far I am informed.

In my opinion the traditional leather boots in combination with two pairs of woolen socks to change them are for the allround use still the best option, but with them we have the same technical problems like our ancestors.

Here recommendations of experienced people have a really high value for every beginner and perhaps we can learn something from each other.

So, what are you doing against moisture in your boots and socks?

Please write it, if you mean perhaps especially warm, normal, rainy or freezing conditions.
Click to expand...

I would agree that leather boots are best and I've seen a review by John D Burns who has had leather Scarpa Delta GTX boots for a year and is still impressed after trying and failing with many Goretex boots, my walking mates all have leather boots as well. I'm really bad at looking after my boots, my usual choice is my Meindl Goretex boots, they aren't leather but reasonably watertight now, they were great for the first few outings, but now they're just OK. I usually start out in bamboo socks and with Tesco blister socks over the top with good gaiters if going bog-hopping (which in Scotland is usually the case). They usually get wet and then I resort to my Dexshell waterproof socks for the next day - these are the cause of my complacency as they work well until the bog is deeper than the top of the socks, then they fail too - good gaiters help to buy some time to escape before the water gets in.

For river crossings, I have lightweight wetsuit shoes to put on if I need to be sensible, but sometimes I just crash through them anyway if I'm heading somewhere where a fire is planned and a chance of drying them. Beware also of putting boots too close to a fire as I had a pair of boots start to unglue themselves when they were too close and I had to hold them together until they cooled - That was a close one! I have also resorted to wearing plastic bags over my last pair of dry socks in my wet boots at night to preserve them for the morning. I must admit that my trips usually involve a stay at a bothy at least one night so there is a chance to dry things. As for weather, it's usually wet in Scotland, cold and wet is the danger (obviously), I don't mind warm wet and light boots that dry easily are best then. Once it gets icy and snowy, then it actually gets less of a problem with gaiters on as long as the rivers are covered and the bogs are hard. I heard a story of a lady that lost her entire boot in a bog in a snowy in Glen Nevis, luckily they were in striking distance of a bothy otherwise it would have been a big problem. The wetsuit shoes are my insurance if that ever happens!
 
Plus one for the waterproof socks (sealskinz). They feel as if they should be uncomfortable but no issues when they're on your feet. Like Smurph I take a pair of scuba boots as 'bothy baffies' if I need to dry my boots.

I don't know any magic way to dry boots out other than warming them either with or without newspaper. I've never tried the cat litter but it makes sense.
 
I usually have 2 or 3 pairs of boots on the go at any one time, they're so deeply impregnated with dubbin, wax or polish that they don't get wet from the outside very often. If they're caked in mud I'll usually hose them off in the yard while still wearing then then stamp my feet a couple of times to shake off the beaded surface water. They can then dry on my feet. I always wear woollen socks to stop my feet getting sweaty and making the boots damp from inside. The rest of the time I'm barefoot...it toughens you up.
 
Erbswurst said:
Cat litter???

How do you exactly use it in your tights of which material?

That's totally new to me!
Unknown in Germany I guess.
Click to expand...

Cat litter absorbs liquids and odours; to use it make make a sausage shape using a pair of tights/stockings and place inside the boot; it draws out the moisture from within the leather, I learnt it from a Motorbike magazine and used them to dry out my moto- cross boots.

The cat litter sausage can be left in the sun to dry or make a new one as a 10kg bag of cat litter costs about £2 in Aldi.

The issue as a soldier isn’t necessarily the boots not being waterproof but the number of times water comes in over the top of them; to avoid getting seen and then shot we choose low ground; water makes the same choice!!

38
 
Cat Litter Sausages:

From which material are the stockings?
Plastics? Cotton?
Same size like the shoes?

Is it needed, that the stockings come tight to the boot like with newspapers or may be there a distance?

Do you fill them before you put them in the shoes?

How do you avoid to get the clay they are made from in the boot itself?

I am afraid, that sand comes trough the fabric and clay is the last I want inside my boots.
So, a mistake here wouldn't be so nice.
 
Once your boots are wet they pretty much stay wet if you are out for a day or two or longer extended hikes/ periods.

Top of My list would be making sure I take a minimum of 3 pairs of woolen socks with me.......one pair on...... One pair drying next to my body....... One pair kept exclusively for use in the sleeping bag.
Priority keeping the feet clean and well powdered between changes and before sleep.

In snow or freezing conditions keep the boots inside the tent and cover them with a jacket to avoid frozen boots.

No tent....... keep them in the bivvy bag/sleeping bag with you...... Or clean... dry and powder your feet and wear the boots loosely in the bag (Bag Liner preferred)

In warmer climes as already said to place them upside down on a couple of stakes in the ground.

At home take out the laces and give the boots a good scrub under a running tap to remove all the crud and dirt then stuff loosely with newspaper or kitchen towel........change it every day until the boots dry naturally......then apply a few thin coats of your chosen protector.
Obviously, if you are out and about a lot.....more than the one pair of boots would be better....wear a pair......rest a pair.

We all have different ideas and methods.......the above waffle works for me:D
 
I've also found that anything *tex lined is near impossible to dry out unless you're in a proper cabin and dry out the boots by a stove.
Of course on a nice warm sunny day they dry nicely over time but we're not in those conditions here are we? ;)

Heated rocks or handwarmers inside the boots helps to dry them out faster but then again you need to constantly swap them for new ones, this also works best with plain leather boots or rubber boots, not so much with *tex.
I've found that by far the best boots for cold+wet/snowy conditions are plain rubber boots (our go-to footwear in the defence forces 🤣). They keep the water out and the only moisture you get is from your own sweat. Not maybe as fancy but rubber is better than leather also in that if they're wet, and leave them out on a freezing night, leather boots freeze solid and in some cases need to be thawed before you can put them on your feet again.

For insulation then, there's gonna be multiple layers again depending on the temperatures. It's also easier to dry out socks and felt than any type of boot.
Thin socks (wool or poly) - thick wool socks - felt - rubber boots. That combo should get you through the coldest of conditions.

Personally, I rock with *tex leather work boots (have had for years and can't afford new ones 🤣) all year round and deal with the moisture. I don't mind as long as my feet are warm. I just polish them before I head out to the woods.
Then I dry my socks by a fire. Or on warmer days leave my socks dangling on my backpack to dry as I walk.

I've been thinking about getting some sort of spare shoes to wear at a campsite tho, kinda like crocs but they should pack small. I hate the weight+space extra boots take up in my pack.
 
Hi Baz.

Tent/camp shoes are a welcome item after a long day hiking....or for when you just want to kick back and relax in camp.👍
Don't know if these would suit your needs mate? I use a pair similar the these and they are very comfy and warm.....recommend them.........like having a Thai wench giving you a foot massage 🤣


www.exxpozed.co.uk

Buy Nordisk MOS DOWN SHOES, Red Orange online now - www.exxpozed.co.uk

Whenever you have cold feet, Mos Down Shoes by NORDISK will keep you warm. Based on a durable shell filled with soft duck down, and a sole made of very strong fabric, Mos by NORDISK will protect your freezing feet and provide a nice, cosy and warm feeling – in t...
www.exxpozed.co.uk www.exxpozed.co.uk

Very light and take up little space in the pack.....just a thought mate 👍

Edit to say: There are rubber soled varieties as well.
 
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Baz said:
I've also found that anything *tex lined is near impossible to dry out unless you're in a proper cabin and dry out the boots by a stove.
Of course on a nice warm sunny day they dry nicely over time but we're not in those conditions here are we? ;)

Heated rocks or handwarmers inside the boots helps to dry them out faster but then again you need to constantly swap them for new ones, this also works best with plain leather boots or rubber boots, not so much with *tex.
I've found that by far the best boots for cold+wet/snowy conditions are plain rubber boots (our go-to footwear in the defence forces 🤣). They keep the water out and the only moisture you get is from your own sweat. Not maybe as fancy but rubber is better than leather also in that if they're wet, and leave them out on a freezing night, leather boots freeze solid and in some cases need to be thawed before you can put them on your feet again.

For insulation then, there's gonna be multiple layers again depending on the temperatures. It's also easier to dry out socks and felt than any type of boot.
Thin socks (wool or poly) - thick wool socks - felt - rubber boots. That combo should get you through the coldest of conditions.

Personally, I rock with *tex leather work boots (have had for years and can't afford new ones 🤣) all year round and deal with the moisture. I don't mind as long as my feet are warm. I just polish them before I head out to the woods.
Then I dry my socks by a fire. Or on warmer days leave my socks dangling on my backpack to dry as I walk.

I've been thinking about getting some sort of spare shoes to wear at a campsite tho, kinda like crocs but they should pack small. I hate the weight+space extra boots take up in my pack.
Click to expand...

I use a pair of these and you can get 'shoe' ones too.

Osprey Neoprene OSX Aqua Wetsuit Boots-Black: Amazon.co.uk: Sports & Outdoors
 
I have the impression, that toilet paper sucks the moisture better out of the boots than the traditional newspaper.

Am I right in your opinion?
 
Erbswurst said:
What's the weight of that shoes in which size?
@Bam
Click to expand...

Sorry mate, no idea. They're not light, you can get lighter alternatives but for me they are robust enough to be able to cut about without hurting your feet. I've worn them on stony beaches etc and they're fine, I'd guess they're about 0.75K but that is a guess.

A quick look on Amazon shows these.....

FEPITO Men Women Quick Dry Water Sport Shoes Unisex Barefoot Skin Shoes for Swim Yoga Sandy Beach Running Snorkeling Swimming Scuba Diving Beach Volleyball Walking Drift (Size：L, Green): Amazon.co.uk: Shoes & Bags

They look a lot lighter but not as substantial as mine.
 
Nothing fancy with me lol my boots ether stay in the shed or at the back door drying . If needed I fire the misses hair dryer in them for a few minutes and bobs yir uncle..... no boots needed at home inside or out as I like the barefoot approach :D
 
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