Northern Ireland Outdoors Forum - Hiking, camping and more
Outdoor Activities => Northern Ireland Hiking, Walking, Running, Orienteering and Geocaching => Topic started by: LandyLiam on July 23, 2010
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my hiking boots got a good soaking last time out and i didn't dry them quick enough so they now smell like something has died in there, actually they smell worse than that :'( so i gave them a good hose out but they still pong although not quite so bad but still unbearable, i've been told to throw some baking soda in them, any other advice?
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Rinse the insides out with a *weak* Milton Fluid solution...followed by a rince out with fresh water (if they have removable insoles....take them out and do they separately). Biology lesson: it's the bacteria that smells...the Milton Fuid kills off the bacteria...baking soda would prob. do the same thing...I've read folks using it to clean out water bladders...
HTH
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Milton Fluid - of course! I'm going to try this on my trainers which are living outside on the window ledge :D
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due to a lack of milton fluid i threw a little baking soda in them and very impressed with the massive improvement, and slightly disappointed i've now lost my excuse for a new pair of boots :'(
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due to a lack of milton fluid i threw a little baking soda in them and very impressed with the massive improvement, and slightly disappointed i've now lost my excuse for a new pair of boots :'(
Out of interest - how much baking soda are we talking here? A teaspoon/spork? Tablespoon?
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.... and slightly disappointed i've now lost my excuse for a new pair of boots :'(
Unless they get a size bigger during really hot weather ;)
(ps. random Wikipedia possible fact about baking soda "Because it can be used to absorb odors, it is a tried-and-true method of used booksellers. The baking soda will absorb the musty smell, leaving the books less odorous." There you go now....)
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how much baking soda are we talking here? A teaspoon/spork? Tablespoon?
i only put about 2 tablespoons in each boot and gave them a good shake
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after another wet sock day (boots leak more than the titanic) i've decided to bite the bullet and hang up the old scarpas and get a new set of hiking boots
currently looking at the "Salomon Cosmic 4d GTX 2010" - they get good reviews but at that price they should
( http://www.surfmountain.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=36195 )
and Meindl Softline Men Ultra GTX (my daily shoes are meindl and i love them)
( http://www.craigdonmountainsports.com/meindl-softline-men-ultra-gtx-2010 )
both shoes cost about £125 with discounts which is about as much as i want to spend (i've bought cars for less ::) )
any others worth looking at?
may be buying as soon a tomorrow so don't dilly dally with ideas ;D
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I think the Salomon Cosmic 4d GTX 2010 are the way ahead, I am saving upfor apair myself. or might wait ;Dfor santa
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any others worth looking at?
Whatever fits man! Personally Mammut are the only thing that fit me (narrow heel - slightly wide front). Although a lot of people buy Salomon, so there is a higher probability they will fit you... can't know until you try them on. The Quest 4D is the one I'm thinking of about £145 everyone loves.
Scarpa Terra is a lovely light leather boot, or their fabric ZG65 is very stiff (both about £125 before discount). Mmm - there's maybe Zamberlans in that price range too. Tends to jump to £170ish for the real hardy 3-season boots.
Good luck. you'll know they're right when you put them on.
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meindl softline ultra gtx get my vote
(http://shop.packyourbags.com/acatalog/t_meindl_softline_ultra_gtx_anthracite_pistach.jpg)
I have had mine for nearly two years and they are still going strong, I really cant fault them
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damn i was hoping for a clear winner, i tried the meindl on today and very nice fit, maybe a bit stiff but suppose that'll soon loosen up) but the salomons are getting such good reviews, yet to try them on though, maybe that'll clinch the deal but need to try them on side by side so have to find a shop that sell both, maybe i'll take my time and shop around a bit, no big walks til next weekend and scarpas should be dry by then ;D
is there any webshops that give weights of boots? i like light ones of course
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I have the Salomon Quest 4D's and they are awesome. If they suit the fit of your feet then I'd give them a big thumbs up. The Ortholite insoles are very comfortable and the Gore lining has kept my feet dry in some truly wet conditions. I hate to sound like a broken record, but I bought mine from Surf Mountain :) They are £129 on their website, but they will match the price on the website in store so you can try them on and get the best price. They also stock the Cosmic's for £138, which were the boots I originally fancied, but having looked at them the Quest's are pretty much the same and cheaper to boot (whadda pun :D).
I'm telling ya, with all this advertising for Surf Mountain I'm expecting to be the clear winner of this Leatherman :P :D
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I'm having this boot dilemma myself and have gone crazy trying everything I thought would fit and be comfortable and I have more or less decided to go back for another pair of Scarpa ZG65 !
I really can't fault them as they have served me well and been through a lot in all seasons and weather (probably the reason they are starting to fall apart) and were unbelievably comfortable straight from the box.
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so what shops are good at fitting then, hopefully someone will measure my feet and steer me in the right direction
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so what shops are good at fitting then, hopefully someone will measure my feet and steer me in the right direction
As it happens, Kat bought new boots recently. We went to a few shops. Blacks were useless, I don't even think they have any equipment for fitting. Tiso weren't much better, we didnt get any help with fitting and the shop assistant kept disappearing so you had to go and fetch her to get another size. Cotswold at Boucher were superb. The guy there asked the right questions, measured the feet and then made suggestions based on that. He was able to advise on how a correctly fitted boot should feel and took the time to lace and tie them. They also have a ramp for trying them out on. Blacks or Tiso didnt even come close to this level of service, but I guess it depends who serves you. Hats off to the guy in Cotswold though, thats where we ended up buying.
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Sorry you had a bad experience in Tiso... they take boot fitting quite seriously. I've been trained for measuring and all manner of tips and tricks and will spend as long as the customer is willing to get the best boot. If it's very busy I might need to pop away to help other customers (or tidy relegated boots away) as you try a pair on, but you won't be forgotten.
If you need help with insoles or such, the floor manager is very good. There are people know what they are doing so if you feel you want more advice or help than you are getting it's worth asking.
I'm the fussiest man in the world for my own shoes fitting right - it's how I expect most customers to be too :D
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so what shops are good at fitting then, hopefully someone will measure my feet and steer me in the right direction
As it happens, Kat bought new boots recently. We went to a few shops. Blacks were useless, I don't even think they have any equipment for fitting. Tiso weren't much better, we didnt get any help with fitting and the shop assistant kept disappearing so you had to go and fetch her to get another size. Cotswold at Boucher were superb. The guy there asked the right questions, measured the feet and then made suggestions based on that. He was able to advise on how a correctly fitted boot should feel and took the time to lace and tie them. They also have a ramp for trying them out on. Blacks or Tiso didnt even come close to this level of service, but I guess it depends who serves you. Hats off to the guy in Cotswold though, thats where we ended up buying.
How much did Chris pay you to say that? ;D
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Sorry you had a bad experience in Tiso... they take boot fitting quite seriously.
I guess its the same everywhere, it just depends who serves you. After all, as much as a company can take boot fitting seriously, its all down to the person serving you on the day. Will know who to ask for next time I need boots fitted though Craig ;)
How much did Chris pay you to say that? ;D
If it was Chris then he has certainly aged since the last time I saw him ;D Besides, if it was Chris then we probably would have left the shop with a pair of Inov-8 instead :)
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Inov-8 ?? have i got another shoe to add to the list then ;D
here's my old scarpas, 8 years old, (only £50 from Raw Outdoors in the half price sale, i miss Raw Outdoors :'( ) i could probably spend some time reproofing them but they are about a half size too big and i'm suffering on the steep downhills >:(
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well i was in Cotswolds in Belfast (excellent staff, very helpful and they know their stuff) today to try a few on
Salomon Cosmic - very very comfy and quite flexible, but didn't feel like they would be a long lasting boot, i could be wrong though
Meindl Softline - very comfy and had a good long lasting durable feel about them
Scarpa ZG65 - a decent boot, felt light and reasonably comfy but no comparison to the above 2 (about £20 cheaper though)
I tried a couple other but can't quite remember which ones but the above 3 were the best
so i am still torn between the Meindl and Salomon :-\
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after all this time (9months!) i still haven't bought a new boot yet, do most of my hiking in an old pair of trainers anyway ;D , but i popped into Hilltrekker in Newcastle at the weekend and tried on a pair of Inov8 Roclite 400 GTX - the worlds lightest leather goretex boot, (http://www.inov-8.com/Products-Detail.asp?PG=PG1&L=26&P=5050973129) VERY NICE, if they had my size i think it would have been an impulse buy
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I was in Tisos a few weeks ago and got brilliant service on both days. Also got a few handy tips.