Don’t Slip and Break a Hip: Five Ten 'Camp Four GTX' Hiking and Approach Shoe and/or Winter Shoes Four You?
Get Five Ten Camp Four GTX @AMAZON at Amazon.com
See also Gear for the Mountains and ArcTeryx ACRU FL GTX Hiking Shoe.
I hike a lot of difficult terrain: granite slabs, boulder fields, loose dirt and rocks, class 3/4 climbing, wet and sometimes icy or snowy slopes, and so on. I almost always hike alone, so I take shoes and other gear very seriously—one slip from a shoe or boot and I could be spending my day photographing vultures at close range (see also the SPOT GPS Messenger). So I don’t mess around with my shoes; I get what minimizes risk of slippage for the conditions I expect.
I have worn the Five Ten Camp Four GTX hiking shoe on many of my trips. I’ve worn out the low-cut ones most of the way and am half way through the mid-ankle ones. I have been thrilled with the performance under some very demanding conditions:.
Five Ten 'Camp Four GTX' Super Grippy Waterproof Hiking Shoe
But, no shoe will stick well to lichens on rocks—be careful there.
Get the Camp Four GTX mid at Amazon @AMAZON.
iPhone 7 Plus + iPhone 7 Plus 4.0 mm f/1.8 @ 28mm equiv (4mm)
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iPhone 6s Plus + iPhone 6s Plus back camera 4.15mm f/2.2 @ 29mm equiv (4.2mm)
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Jonathon L writes:
Quick note to say thanks for the recommendation for the GTX boot. After nearly falling into the sea in Maine on slippery rocks, I picked up a pair. They served me well on equally slippery rocks in Iceland. Quite comfortable, waterproof, and durable. The soles are remarkable.
DIGLLOYD: they have saved me from injury a few times too. They might have value in many situations, even near home, or in winter; I’ve found they slip on ice like every other shoe, but also stick before slipping better than any other shoe.
David O writes:
Your blog post sure hit home, fractured my leg 2 weeks ago wearing Vibram soles slipping on dusty steep rocks, those f*cking shoes are in the garbage. Why aren't you wearing a mid top shoe from camp four?
DIGLLOYD: ouch.
While I would like the Camp Four GTX Mid hiking boot @AMAZON, I don’t need the ankle support of a boot, plus boots are bulkier and heavier and warmer. So good for spring conditions and late fall and whenever there is water and snow to deal with. But for much of the summer a boot is overkill for where I go.
Still, I liked these shoes so much I acquired the boot version as well, which were perfect for my November travels.
Izzy F writes about winter:
Cool, thanks for sending. I also fell a few times..
DIGLLOYD: one bad fall can change a life for a lifetime.
