Barefoot Walking - Advice please

Dave Fawthrop said:

One is not always aware of ones body limits. When I wore flip flops for
most of the day, in Aden, I stubbed my great toes with monotonous
regularity.

One is certainly not aware of them if you are routinely dressed in a
manner that makes them impossible to register!

I bang my head climbing and caving in a helmet because I don't usually
wear a helmet, if I did I'd know how much space to account for, and
would be far more conservative about what I could get through without
ducking as a result.

Quoted message said:

The bald pate also suffers greatly.

Mine suffers when I hit it, certainly, but I don't make a regular habit
of that. If I did, I'd wear a helmet more often!

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net [email hidden] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

Jell said:

I'd welcome your collective advice and discussion.

Well I certainly got that! Leaving aside long trench warfare over whether
children can walk on barnacles better than adults (I can still here the
guns thudding in the distance as that battle rumbles on!)

I seem to be getting the following useful messages:

1. There is a need to address the responsibility/liability issues.
However, I am not doing anything else other than arranging the get
together - I am not there inthe role of professional instructor or ML
qualified expedition leader. We are just a bunch of friends out for a
weekend.

2. We know that there are some people that very happily walk in the
mountains barefoot, with no ill effect (and possibly with some advantages
in balance and agility). It is certainly not for everyone, but if you
spend the whole summer barefoot, then the effect of this on the feet will
mean that the likey problems are reduced considerably.

3. Possible dangers are cuts (my biggest worry), knocks and bashes, falls
and trips (though I am less convinced that this is a major problem) and
cold.

4. The fact that he is not an experienced hill walker adds to the risk,
and should be taken into account.

5. A test walk over the sort of terrain we might expect will allow him to
make a better decision about how he would get on on the tops and on a
longer walk.

6. Taking some spare footgear in case it is needed is a sensible
precaution.

I retain an open mind on the issue. Ultimately, this is his decision, but
he can't make that decision without understanding what he is letting
himself in for. We will give him the opportunity to try out suitable
terrain and help him with any questions.

Many thanks for all your help. I'll let you know how we get on!

Jell

Dewi said:

Using his knee as a support is bad practice (fig 3).
1, Can prevent the needle moving freely
2, Your other knee could get wet
3, you can't get a good line of sight to line up the bearing.

If you wish to demonstrate you've got a bad case of Bee In Bonnet, then
don't realise that Fig 3 is for using the compass with a map, so
anything the needle may or may not be doing is completely irrelevant, as
is line of sight.

<sigh>

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net [email hidden] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

Jell said:

2. We know that there are some people that very happily walk in the
mountains barefoot, with no ill effect (and possibly with some
advantages in balance and agility). It is certainly not for everyone,
but if you spend the whole summer barefoot, then the effect of this on
the feet will mean that the likey problems are reduced considerably.

If it's only the summer he spends barefoot then cold would be more of a
potential problem. It'll be about 3 degrees colder per 1000' up the
hill so you should be able to work out what will be expected, and if he
isn't used to those temperatures underfoot plus with wet feet for
sustained periods then a problem is more likely.

If he usually wanders round the streets in the rain in the autumn will
give a very different degree of cold resistance to wandering around on
nice days in the dry.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net [email hidden] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

On Fri, 30 Sep 2005 09:55:36 +0100, Peter Clinch

dropped their trousers and said:

If you wish to demonstrate you've got a bad case of Bee In Bonnet,

Kettle <> pot

Quoted message said:

don't realise that Fig 3 is for using the compass with a map, so
anything the needle may or may not be doing is completely irrelevant, as
is line of sight.

I missed the map on his knee, though he was taking the bearing to walk
on...

Quoted message said:

<sigh>

indeed.

Just to clarify, you think the best way to carry a compass is on the
lanyard, around the neck?

--
Dewi,

(no email)

On Fri, 30 Sep 2005 10:18:39 +0100, Dewi <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

If you wish to demonstrate you've got a bad case of Bee In Bonnet,

Kettle <> pot

Kettley thing?

Wet fishes,
--
,,
(**)PeeWiglet~~
/ \ / \ pee AT [guessthisbit].co.uk

"When I was coming up it was a dangerous world, and you knew exactly
who they were. It was us versus them, and it was clear who them was.
Today we are not so sure who the they are, but we know they're there."
g.w.AT [guessthisbit].com

Dewi said:

Just to clarify, you think the best way to carry a compass is on the
lanyard, around the neck?

Not particularly. What I've been saying all along is that if you /do/
choose to put it, or anything else like a whistle or a GPS or a good
luck charm, on a lanyard round your neck then you aren't in
significantly greater danger than if you don't, so if it works for any
individual then why not?

Getting hanged accidentally isn't worth getting hung up on, in other
words, for the very simple reason that there's no compelling evidence
it's a problem.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net [email hidden] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

"Bob Mannix" <[email hidden]> schreef in bericht
news:[email hidden]...

snip

Quoted message said:

I did climb Brendan mountain in Ireland a long time ago and met a Dutchman
in wooden clogs also climbing. His feet were bleeding by the time we got
down and I had to give him a lift to his campsite - I can't help feeling
he wouldn't have been any worse off in bare feet!

He must have used *tourist*clogs. If you wear clogs regularly they will fit
properly and won't harm your feet while mountainwalking. They won't be comfy
though.
BTW wooden clogs are NOT the national footwear in Holland :-)

--
Theo (who has clogs himself)
www.theosphotos.fotopic.net

Dewi said:

On Fri, 30 Sep 2005 09:55:36 +0100, Peter Clinch
<[email hidden]> dropped their trousers and said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

If you wish to demonstrate you've got a bad case of Bee In Bonnet,

Kettle <> pot

Quoted message said:

don't realise that Fig 3 is for using the compass with a map...

Quoted message said:

I missed the map on his knee, though he was taking the bearing to walk
on...

In mittigation it /is/ a small map and is almost hidden by those
dachstien mitts.

Quoted message said:

Just to clarify, you think the best way to carry a compass is on the
lanyard, around the neck?

I think the best way to carry my compass is with the lanyard threaded
through the zip puller of my jacket's map pocket. Failing that I
thread the lanyard around my belt. In each case the compass lives in
the relevant pocket when not in use.

--
Phil Cook looking north over the park to the "Westminster Gasworks"

"theo" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Bob Mannix" <[email hidden]> schreef in bericht
news:[email hidden]...

snip

Quoted message said:

I did climb Brendan mountain in Ireland a long time ago and met a
Dutchman in wooden clogs also climbing. His feet were bleeding by the
time we got down and I had to give him a lift to his campsite - I can't
help feeling he wouldn't have been any worse off in bare feet!

He must have used *tourist*clogs. If you wear clogs regularly they will
fit properly and won't harm your feet while mountainwalking. They won't be
comfy though.
BTW wooden clogs are NOT the national footwear in Holland :-)

It is a very rocky path (or was) - something to do with pilgrimages having
to hurt, I suspect. He was also as mad as a bag of frogs.

--
Bob Mannix
(anti-spam is as easy as 1-2-3 - not)

Peter Clinch said:

gives a lever to turn them over more effectively. [censored] sapiens have
only had shoes for a few thousand years, and their feet have been
evolving for millions. The basic design isn't prone to disaster in the
absence of shoes.

I'm sure you're right there, but on the other hand they must have had
a good incentive to start tying bits of boar skin to their ankles and toes
a long time ago. It's hardly just been a fashion accessory. Peewiglet's
points about heat loss and injury may well have played a role!
--
Rudi Winter, Aberystwyth, Wales

On Thu, 29 Sep 2005 10:32:51 +0100, Peewiglet burbled:

Quoted message said:

Jell said:

I'd welcome your collective advice and discussion.

I am organising a trip to North Wales in a few weeks, ten of us, mainly
experienced walkers, climbers and leaders but with one or two fit but
inexperienced walkers. We aim to do some walking in the Carneddau and
maybe the Glyders/au.

It turns out that one of the new walkers habitually goes about barefoot,
and would like to do that on the mountains.

I don't have a problem with his lifestyle choice, but I'm worried about
the consequences.

Has anybody got any experience of this?

Here you go.

http://www.spservices.co.uk/index.php/cPath/91

Have a great time!

LOL!
May all your blisters be tiny ones.

(Love the web site PW. :-) )
--
Mick
(no M$ software on here... :-) )
Web: http://www.nascom.info
Web: http://projectedsound.tk

On Fri, 30 Sep 2005 11:53:59 +0100, Phil Cook

dropped their trousers and said:

Quoted message said:

Just to clarify, you think the best way to carry a compass is on the
lanyard, around the neck?

I think the best way to carry my compass is with the lanyard threaded
through the zip puller of my jacket's map pocket. Failing that I
thread the lanyard around my belt. In each case the compass lives in
the relevant pocket when not in use.

I suspect most people do, I know I do.

--
Dewi,

(no email)

Rudi Winter said:

I'm sure you're right there, but on the other hand they must have had
a good incentive to start tying bits of boar skin to their ankles and toes
a long time ago. It's hardly just been a fashion accessory. Peewiglet's
points about heat loss and injury may well have played a role!

I'm sure they did, but the hominid(s) that invented shoes would have had
rather different perspectives on life to someone going out for a
recreational wander in the 21st Century. Such as if s/he wasn't as
efficient as hunter gatherer as possible 365 days a year, come rain,
shine, hail or snow, then the family would starve.

I'm certainly not going to try and argue that barefoot will make you
quicker over rough terrain or give you warmer feet because it won't, but
if you want to see a hillside as efficiently, safely and comfortably as
possible you should be watching a nature documentary on TV rather than
being out walking on it!

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net [email hidden] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

Dewi said:

I suspect most people do, I know I do.

And I suspect that too, I'm not trying to suggest otherwise. Simply
that your /very/ negative reaction to having anything round a neck on a
walk is a bit over the top in terms of actual risks posed.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net [email hidden] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

Peter Clinch said:

If you are still reading then I'd say you've missed the point. The
point of /any/ walking is because you enjoy it. If you want to walk
barefoot, bare body ... then that's your choice.

Liable to get you arrested though :-(

S.

--
Oppose ID cards and the database state - sign the pledge at
http://www.pledgebank.com/refuse

mick said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Has anybody got any experience of this?

Here you go.

http://www.spservices.co.uk/index.php/cPath/91

Have a great time!

LOL!
May all your blisters be tiny ones.

(Love the web site PW. :-) )

Thanks, Mick :-)

Wet fishes,
--
,,
(**)PeeWiglet~~
/ \ / \ pee AT [guessthisbit].co.uk

"Is our children learning?"
g.w.AT [guessthisbit].com
This signature was made by SigChanger.
You can find SigChanger at: http://www.phranc.nl/

On Fri, 30 Sep 2005 19:37:34 +0100, Simon Caldwell burbled:

Quoted message said:

On Fri, 30 Sep 2005 08:59:00 +0100, Peter Clinch <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

If you are still reading then I'd say you've missed the point. The point
of /any/ walking is because you enjoy it. If you want to walk barefoot,
bare body ... then that's your choice.

Liable to get you arrested though :-(

"Boots-only" is fun in the right surroundings and warm weather though... :-)

--
Mick
(no M$ software on here... :-) )
Web: http://www.nascom.info
Web: http://projectedsound.tk

"Simon Caldwell" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Peter Clinch said:

If you are still reading then I'd say you've missed the point. The
point of /any/ walking is because you enjoy it. If you want to walk
barefoot, bare body ... then that's your choice.

Liable to get you arrested though :-(

S.

Indeed it is - http://news.scotsman.com/uk.cfm?id=1916662005

--
Sid B
Spamtrap in operation : ALL incoming mail to address shown autodeletes
unseen on receipt. To beat the trap, cut the [censored]!

On Sat, 01 Oct 2005 00:30:16 +0100, Sid B burbled:

Quoted message said:

"Simon Caldwell" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Peter Clinch said:

If you are still reading then I'd say you've missed the point. The
point of /any/ walking is because you enjoy it. If you want to walk
barefoot, bare body ... then that's your choice.

Liable to get you arrested though :-(

S.

Indeed it is - http://news.scotsman.com/uk.cfm?id=1916662005

Especially if you choose to walk naked, like Mr Gough, through a town via
a major A road. Not exactly "rambling" was he - in spite of carrying a
rucksack and the "naked rambler" tag? He definitely approached that walk
with the intention of getting publicity, but I'm not at all sure that the
concept of "any publicity is good publicity" has fully worked in this case.

--
Mick
(no M$ software on here... :-) )
Web: http://www.nascom.info
Web: http://projectedsound.tk