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Camp Shoes/boots for New Boy Scout


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OK, I tried to search for boots and shoes and got nothing very useful. I am the former Webelos leader who's son is ate up with the Scouts and going to Camp this summer. As I had a good year last year we plan to allow him to go to two camps this year. One close and one further away. Camp Naish I have been to with him in Webelos but never to Bartle. My quandry is what type of shoes/footwear should he have for camp. I remember having huge blisters when I went back in the 80's so I hope to eliminate this joy for him. Anyone have recommendations? I know I will be buying myself a good pair but my feet are not growing.

Thanks in advance.

 

New Purple Chicken Dad

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A good pair of sturdy tennis shoes should be OK. No need to buy expensive hiking boots especially since he will quickly grow out of them. Blisters? Could be from damp sweaty socks. Make sure he has plenty of extras and changes them during the day. Definitely remind him that he must wear socks all the time. Sockless in tennis shoes can quickly cause blisters. Gold Bond powder on the feet is a big help too.

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For Webs/New Scouts, I like the Hi-Tec hiking boots in the $40-60 range - good fit, waterproof, 3-season boot, light terrain usage. Merrell and New Balance also offer walking/light hiking shoes in this price range. Try a pair of Smartwool hiking socks too.

 

Check out campmor.com

 

My $0.02

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There's a difference between camp footwear and hiking footwear. I have hiking boots (double socks, extra pairs, Gold Bond, etc.) and I have a pair of slip-on canvas shoes for camp. This way I get rid of the double socks, change into dry socks and let my feet relax while in camp. The only thing I worry about in recommending camp shoes is to make sure they have sufficient soles to protect the foot in case one steps on something, ember, stake, sharp rock, etc.

 

The extra weight of a second pair of camp shoes is worth it to me. On a 12 day Philmont trek, I and another boy were the only two that did not get any blisters. The other boy somehow mananaged without the second pair of shoes.

 

Stosh

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Consider what other activities his troop will do in the (relatively short) life of these shoes/boots. If they do a lot of hiking then I would lean toward light hikers instead of sneakers. We just had a brand new crossover do a 5 mile backpacking trip with us, his first campout with the troop. We would not have allowed him to go if he was only wearing sneakers.

 

What about mud? I've seen sneaks that have been totally submerged in mud, not a pretty sight especially if it is the only pair of shoes the scout has for a week at camp. Frankly, I would recommend a pair of boots AND a pair of sneakers for a week at camp.

 

As others have stated, socks are really important. Smartwool is great as it wicks and dries faster. I use liners at scout camp.

 

I would not recommend buying shoes/boots on-line as fit and comfort are important. Sizes vary widely between different manufacturer's. In our community we have a locally owned, family run outfitter that most scouts use. Their sales staff know exactly what a scout needs for first time at camp, for troop backpacking or for Philmont. Many of their staff have been scouts, they know the local camping programs and conditions and some have been to Philmont . If you have access to a store like that take advantage of it; you might pay more than online but the expert advice is worth it.

 

Best wishes to your son as he stands at this new trailhead.

Hal

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My girls are a big fan of the Land's End trekker shoes for camp (http://www.landsend.com/pp/TrekkerShoes~193446_253.html?bcc=y&action=order_more&sku_0=::GUG&CM_MERCH=IDX_00009__0000000920&origin=index). They breath, are closed-toe, have good treads, and can take a dip in a creek on a hike. From a parent's POV, they are reasonably priced and hold up well over mulitple summer camps (zip lining, hiking, camping focused).

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Many waterfronts require closed toe footwear, thus I would suggest an extra pair of el cheapo's for wet shoes.

I also don't see the need for traditional hiking boots, most overnighters can be done in high top tennis shoes which will keep the debri out, unless you're hiking desert terrain where protection is needed from cactus

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A scout can get by with sneaks for hiking at many summer camps, but often these problems follow:

- the sneaks were not the cheap Keds of yesteryear, but $$$ top of line NBA with blinking lights that are now ruined. Heh, the soles melted next to the fire?

- the sneaks were the cheap variety and offered no ankle, foot sole support or toe protection and an injury resulted.

- 'Why can't (I, my son) wear sneaks on the (troop campout, backpack, hike)? (I, he) did at summer camp'!

 

Now my oldest son has taken sneaks to camp for the past two summer as a ploy to get a new pair. When those sneaks come back after a week at camp, uggh, not even the dog wants them

 

Your mileage may vary.

 

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A lot depends on the camp and how much walking he will be doing. Most summer camps in this area are allowing boys to bring bikes to be their main method of transportation. This is helpful with 10 minutes and a mile between MB sessions. Normal foot gear suitable for school & after school activity should be sufficient. Two pairs better in case one gets wet. A pair of dedicated water shoes if doing aquatics and/or waterfront activities.

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Thanks for all the posts. I know that as a first year camper I had whatever was on sale at K-mart. We could not afford the high dollar Keds. I might have had Jeds... My boy is an agressive hiker. Likes to take the hard way everywhere so I just wanted suggestions for what types. I think we will get him one of each as our troop camps at least once a month in addition to camps. Plus maybe it will make me get out more once it is a bit warmer. One last question. How do you get the boys to change their socks? At our first Webelos camp, which I know was only 3 days, I saw a boy packing to go home. His mom told me she packed 5 pair of clean socks and she took home 5 pair of clean socks... It was 96-99 degrees all three days. I know he rinsed before swimming but by Wednesday I stayed away from that boy. Without parents how does this happen?

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One tip is to keep the feet dry. A common scene at camp is that after an aquatics badge, instead of changing into dry clothes immediately, they rush to get to their next badge (or campsite), still wearing a wet bathing suit, dripping into their shoes, usually with no socks. The shoes stay wet all week and they wonder why they get foot-rot.

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Unless he'll be hiking with a heavy backpack in very hilly or rocky territory, regular shoes will do just fine as long as he keeps them in good condition and takes care of his feet.

 

How to get them to change their socks? Foot inspections by the PL. Get a senior Scout to talk about a bad blister experience and why dry feet are so important. (Share photos, if you have 'em!)

 

But the most important thing is to have boots or shoes that are well broken-in. Not broken, but broken in! Scouts who take a brand-new pair of boots to summer camp are going to get blisters, no matter how expensive the boots are.

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Firedog:

Getting the boy to change his socks, or any of his clothes is the real challenge. We advise scouts to pack five days worth of clothes in five separate zip lock bags. That way, when they come home they can put four clean sets of clothes back in their drawers ;-)

 

Truth is the scout might change clothes/socks when they become miserable. Maybe, just maybe he will know better the next time or maybe the time after that...

 

The soldiers that landed on D-Day wore the same clothes (impregnated with something impermeable to protect from gas) for 3 or 4 weeks. I guess the scouts can survive a week at camp.

 

Hal

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  • 2 months later...

In all my years working summer camp staff, I have noticed that the vast majority of kids will wear a pair of tennis shoes, cross trainers, etc... Usually an older pair that they do not mind getting dirty.

 

Unless they are taking hiking, wilderness survival, etc... the terain that they will be covering at a lot of camps will not require boots.

 

I rotated in and out of the health lodge since I had EMTB cert. and I probably saw more kids with blisters that wore hiking boots than tennis shoes. A lot of these kids would get new hiking boots a week before camp and they would eat their feet alive. If you get your kid boots, make sure they break them in before heading off to camp. Also, get advice from the camping store on how to lace up the boots. I know there are several different methods based on where the boot may be a tad bit too big. Correct lacing will reduce blisters.

 

Like others have mentioned, the boating merit badges will usually require footware. Thus send an extra really old pair of tennis shoes, or get some aqua socks.

 

Now as a staff member who would easily cover 40 miles on foot in a week, I wore boots. I have always been a huge fan of the Vasque Sundowners. I would never buy them for a kid with growing feet though, they are not inexpensive by any means.

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