LPC's: The Original Transportation

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LPC's: also known as Leather Personnel Carriers. This was a joke that my old Drill Instructor used to make to us on the long, hot georgia sun would be beating down on us, as the miles streched out in front. "Don't worry men, you'll always have first class transportation waiting for you!!!" He was a sadistic old b*stard, but it taugh me the value of a good, solid, well-worn-in and maintained pair of boots.

Unfortunately many of you out there have probably not realized the importance of a good pair of boots, and how they can make or break you in a survival situation. Just because you spent $200 dollars on a pair of Timberline thinsulate lined hikers doesn't mean that you are set for footgear. For one, How many miles have you put on them? Have you waterproofed them with neetsfoot oil? Are they already waterproof? Have your feet adjusted to wearing them, or will it be blister city the first time you wear them? Do you have a back-up if they get soaked? If you didn't drop mad money on a pair of timberlanes, did you go for a pair of the $26.99 jungles from US Cav? What kind of winter will you normally have in your area? These and many more questions are absolutely vital in being prepared for winter/Y2K.

Realize that the options you have are numerous in this day and age. From gore-tex bootie liners to battery powered heated wool socks, there are many options to choose from. Just remember, your feet are your life line. Any one else have some suggestions or links for some of the newbies?

-- Billy-Boy (Rakkasan@yahoo.com), November 21, 1999

Answers

This boot-fitting advice was given to me when I first began to hike... I have very wide feet, so finding a good-fitting boot was/is extremely difficult.

SOCKS: When looking for boots/shoes, wear the type of socks you expect to be wearing. Some people will wear 2 layers of socks (especially with heavy-duty hiking boots), such as polypropolene (sp?) as the first layer and wool as the 2nd, outer, layer. Try different combinations to see what works best for you. It is not unusual for a person to wear two socks on one foot and one on another, often one foot is slightly larger than the other.

Cotton socks are not highly recommended if you expect to do a lot of walking. Cotton wicks water close to the skin and is prone to causing blisters. Wool or synthetic fabrics are much more foot- friendly and last longer.

BOOTS: Go shopping later in the day, when your feet are swollen - this is a more true-to-size fitting. (Again, wear the socks you expect to normally wear.)

Loosen the shoestrings and put your foot all the way forward into the boot. Stand up and make sure your foot is all the way forward. Now look into the boot and see how far your heel is from the back of the boot - there should only be 1 - 1 1/2 finger space between the back your heel and the boot. If there's more space, then you're asking for blisters, if there's less space, then your feet could be "pinched" or you could cause tendon damage.

Next, tighten the shoelaces. Be creative with the lacing - if the traditional "x" style doesn't work, try lacing parallel [if you need more space] (never x'ing until up by the ankle, leaving the forefoot area free to expand more). If you need less space in the boot, try doing "double twists" with the laces (the usual "x" pattern, but wind the laces around one another at least twice). Stand up and walk around. Feel the forefoot, can you feel your toes bulge at the edges of the boots? If so, the boots may be too small, or need extreme breaking in (if they're all leather).

Now, if you're thinking about bugging out, put on a pack with an approximate amount of gear you expect to carry. Walk around for a while and see how your feet feel, keep an "eye" out for hot-spots, these are developing blisters. Also keep an eye out for where the crease hits down in the toebox area. If the crease isn't right, it will cross where your toes join the foot and it will cause NASTY blisters. (Some hiking boots are known for this, the shoelacing extends way down into the toebox, so please keep this in mind, especially if you have wide feet or high arches, like me.)

Another thing to keep in mind is that if you expect to do a lot of walking, your feet will grow in size. Many thru hikers (Appalachain Trail, CDT, and PDT) have had to order new boots 1/2 to 1 1/2 sizes LARGER because of the amount of exercise - their feet became more muscular.

Questions about what types of boots are the best? There is a lot of good advice at Backpacker Magazine's home page. Their homepage is: http://www.bpbasecamp.com

Hope this helps.

-- Deb M. (vmcclell@columbus.rr.com), November 21, 1999.


Agree strongly. Your work boots should have steel toes to protect your little piggies against being injured.

-- BigDog (BigDog@duffer.com), November 21, 1999.

Not always, BD. Many loggers and ranchers will tell you that when you work around something very heavy that may roll or step on you, steel toes can crush and sever toes. Good to have both kinds.

-- marsh (armstrng@snowcrest.net), November 21, 1999.

My neighbor is a shear operator at a manufacturing plant. A couple of weeks ago, a worker dropped a piece of steel (several hundred pounds) on his foot. The steel safety toe of his boot had to be surgically removed from what was left of his foot. I have heard from many people working with heavy stuff who say steel toes do more harm than good (in that sort of situation). They are a good idea, however, if you're using a chainsaw, brushcutter or other cutting tools that may impact your feet.

I am on my feet, walking, all day at work--concrete, gravel, rock, dirt, freshly plowwed ground--rain, snow, water, mud(lots and lots of mud!)--I have tried lots of different types of boots and whats works best for me is plain ol' leather work boots with rubber overshoes for wet conditions and gaiters for deep snow. The Georgia boots I bought in June of 98 ($60.00) finally blew out last week. Just bought a new pair today ($55.00). I usually go through 2-3 pairs of overshoes during the year. My gaiters (NorthFace) are 15 years old. I wear cotton socks during the summer, wool for winter with a polypropelene liner or those metallic liners (can't remember what they're called). The metallic socks work, but make my feet itch.

I've never been happy with Thinsulate duck boots (feet sweat too much), or pack boots or Sorels (too heavy and clumsy for much walking, plus the sweat factor). Uggs (sp?) are OK if its dry and you're not doing much walking. They are worthless if they get wet and they don't have enough ankle or arch support. I have an old pair I keep in the car with my winter kit for possible strandings. Most of the hunters I know opt for the work boot/overshoe combo.

I also carry several pairs of socks and change them often. Dry feet are warm feet.

-- Sam Mcgee (weissacre@gwtc.net), November 22, 1999.


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