DavidARayJaxNC

What do you do when it rains and your shoes get soaked during touring when you use stealth camping.

Bacciagalupe

I don't know about stealth campers, but: One option is to shove a bunch of newspaper inside the shoes. It'll soak up the moisture.

NoReg

I don't see this being a particular stealth issue, unless your shoes really stench. Obviously it's a motel vs tent issue. I ride in the Lake sandal, When they get wet they really don't hold any water. I wear plastic backs over wool socks, and so my feet either don't get wet, or in extreme situations if they do get wet, they stay warm. There isn't much to dry out.

tomg

get SHOE COVERS
just got my second (un-insulated) pair from campmor.com, $15.00. they work! you also can get them from eBay for alittle more $.
- don't let your shoes get wet in the first place.
i also like to tour with 2 pair shoes, 1 pr to ride with, 1 pr for camp/walk around (plan B)!

Rowan

Just suck it up. Wet shoes aren't particularly pleasant to put on in the morning, but if you are really squeamish, use plastic bags over the socks, and providing you are touring in warmish weather, they will eventually dry out.

If you haven't got shoe covers, having those plastic shopping bags stashed in panniers to put on when rain starts will help keep the rain at bay, although if you sweat a lot in the feet, you will find the shoes will become damp irrespective of the outer coverings.

lubers

I also carry a extra pair of shoes for that problem. I hate riding with wet shoes. Never had to use them on a tour but I have them just in case. The times it did rain I stopped and put my shoes covers on, I don't leave home with out them if the weatherman is predicting rain.

Cave

When commuting in winter I use lightweight waterproof hiking boots in the rain. Water can easily get in at the ankle, so I also use a pair of short gaiters. Water resistant pants go over the top of the gaiters, gaiters go over the top of the boots.

This works really well for shortish rides (my longest commute has been 24km each way, now down to 6km).

On longer rides, day after day, perspiration from your feet will wet out the boots from the inside. This really sucks if it is cold. A plastic bag INSIDE your socks keeps both socks and boots much drier, especially at the toes. Feels a bit clammy, though. I haven't tried this on the bike, just when walking.

Rowan

Oh yes, one other thing, don't force the issue with a campfire. I have seen the soles of more than one pair of walking boots start to melt on and off the owner's feet because they were too close to the fire. And I think, but I might be wrong, that force drying with radiated heat doesn't do leather or synthetics any good.

Roughstuff

The real key is to make sure they are light and DRY OUT quickly when the rain stops and the road dries out. Tyr to get them with as much nylon/whatever instead of fabric, and with as little thick padded spots which soak up water and take forever to dry.

In periods of sustained rainfall....make sure you dry your feet out in your tent by leaving them out before ya stick 'em in your sleeping bag at night. Oherwise ya risk getting foot rot and serious sores. This happened to me during hurricane Mitch in central america...my feet were wet for days and days on end. I could barely walk on them.

roughstuff

aroundoz

I would be leary of waterproof breathable liners. They can work well but will give you a bad case of stinky feet. Eventually the get dirty and less breathable making things worse. I have also used sandals and they are a great way to go (if it's fairly warm).

aphatrider

in warm/hot weather conditions do you wear socks w/your sandals?

FlowerBlossom

Plastic bags work, in a pinch. And, they are cheap and lightweight, useable for other tasks, like holding food (preferably before using them in shoes!).

aroundoz

I did not. I was on a year long tour in Australia, hence the handle, and for the first 8000-9000 miles I wore shoes and socks. I then picked up some Lizard sandals w/ suede footbeds, like Birkenstocks, and I was in heaven. There was a little break in period for my feet but after that, it was great. I now have Shimano SPD sandals and interested to see how those work out.

savage24

My plan for my pacific coast tour this summer:
I will have campus pedals on the bike. I will have one pair of cycling shoes and one pair of these:
https://www.crocs.com/home.jsp
If it rains, I will switch to the Crocs and try to keep my cycling shoes dry. If I do get the cycling shoes wet, I can ride in the Crocs while the shoes dry out. Added bonus - the Crocs are very light weight.

DavidARayJaxNC

what are so great about those croc shoes, I know people that, that is all they wear. One guy has been wearing them all winter. I know they are snadals, but are unconventional. do you think they can keep your feet warm while cycling in the winter?

Rancid

I cannot emphasize how important this is. I got jungle rot when I was in the navy and it was so severe that it tore my feet up for weeks and nearly knocked me off my feet a couple of times. Forrest Gump had it right with the constant changing of socks...keep those feet as dry as possible or it will ruin your trip quick

savage24

I just got mine so I can't really tell you how great they are. I bought the Crocs strictly for summer bike touring - as a walking around town, relaxing in camp, going to the shower shoe.
They do seem quite comfortable and more likely to keep my toes warm on a cool evening than sandals. They seemed like a good compromise between carrying relatively heavy walking shoes or light weight sandals on tour. I don't see how they would keep your feet warm in winter, since the heal is open. I've seen people wearing Crocs everyday also, but I don't think I'll be joining them, not my style. I wear steel-toed work boots 85 percent of the time. In the summer I'll wear Nike cross trainers for casual wear.

paul2

+1

Robert_in_ca

Wool socks and these things.

www.dryzoneusa.com



I think they are filled with the oxygen absorbing silicone like those little packets new shoes and jackets come with.

cycleaddict

do the dryzone inserts dry lorica as effectively as cloth sneaker material? this would be my only concern about getting these. if they work (claim overnight drying of shoes) they are worth twice the price.