bumped this old portage boot thread...

i sent back my second pair of NRS Storm boots. i really like these boots, but they simply will not hold together. the NRS guy that handles this account said they seem to be having QC problems on the manufacturing end and are not going to offer them again until it's corrected. too bad, this was by far the best wet footer portage boot out there. NRS stands by their gear warranty, and issued a full refund.

jdrocks wrote on Sep 25^th, 2008 at 8:31pm:



Geez, this has got to be a "hit or miss" thing.  I am notoriously rough on footwear & have put my NRS Storm Boots through horrors.  They've held up fine for 2-3 years.  One thing I've done that might be helping is treating them fairly regularly with ArmorAll & other protectants. 

I hope they get a handle on their manufacturing quality issues.  I really like the boots & they would be 1st choice in the future... unless I hear more of these reports!

Jimbo   

solotripper wrote on Mar 12^th, 2007 at 9:08pm:


st... I'd have to strongly disagree with you on this one.

Why do you think the Marines don't make a habit of wearing sneakers? Nor the Army, nor any Ranger I've met in the parks... while on a serious expedition.  Ankle support eh?... and I doubt they have weak ankles.  

I myself have been wearing chotta trekkers for several years.. and am now opting for something that does not self drain...and perhaps with more ankle support as it is just plain smart.

I also have come to the conclucsion that self draining boots low cut or with booties on may not always be wise as the draining action creates wet rocks which creates more slippage.



k

Kawishiway wrote on Sep 26^th, 2008 at 3:17am:


I think support isn't the same as "protection"?
Higher boots will protect you from abrasions/sharp objects etc, AND if you have "weak" ankles they'll help in that aspect as well. You can't really know if the Marines/Rangers have weak ankles unless you could see them wearing low cut shoes in the same conditions. Ever see all those National Geographic expeditions, other than the Arctic ones. The Native guides are carrying the majority of the load and most of the time there wearing some sandal type shoe or in warm areas, Bare feet??
 They can do that because from childhood they've conditioned those "ankle/tendons" to handle the stress and strain. Wearing boots wouldn't help them in the support aspect, protection is a separate issue.
 I never wear high boots/athletic sneakers and have never had a issue with my ankles.  My close friend who is a personal trainer and has his Masters in Exercise science went to a workshop for athletes taught by Chiropractors and Podiatrists. It was all about learning how to analyze an athletes gait and how feet and ankle alignment determined if you would have knee/hip/lower back problems. One of the things they discussed was so called "weak ankles". Barring injury, if your experiencing pain, its because your feet/ankle muscles/tendons are not "in shape" for whatever you may be doing. Remember the old school basketball shoes? They were all high tops, it was believed that they offed the best ankle support. Modern era players wear low cuts for the most part or maybe mid-height. Modern training methods/drills/machines allow them to build there ankle/foot strength and avoid problems from normal wear and tear.
My friend used to teach group exercise classes, aerobics/step/spinning.
I averaged 5 days a week for about 12 years and all that twisting, turning, jumping has really strengthen my ankles/tendons.
 Would I wear low shoes in all conditions? Probably not, if I was hiking/hunting in real rocky terrain, I would wear maybe a 6" boot for protection, but not for the support.
 Ever see those guy's in the gym wearing the big leather back support belts? I'm not talking about the big power lifters moving massive weights, just average guy's/gals trying to stay in shape.
 Assuming they don't have disk problems, wearing that belt can actually do more harm than good, believe it or not. Any Chiropractor/MD will tell you that the best way to help a bad back is to lose your gut and strengthen your abdominals. Wearing that belt, allows you to lift weights that your core muscles wouldn't normally be able to control. It gives you a false sense of security. You'll see a lot of guys with big guts wearing those belts, when they should be working on losing there belly's and building core strength which is the foundation for all athletics, especially strength based sports. These are the people who will tell you how much they can lift in the gym and then while doing a seemingly easy chore at home without the "girdle", blow there backs out and can't understand why?
 IF wearing high boots keeps you injury free, then by all means you should do that. If you have ankle weakness, you can do exercises to strength that area, just like any other one. If you've been injured and have damage/pins your probably not going to be able to gain muscle/tendon strength and the higher boots would be the way to go in that case.

OK I can't resist any longer!

Speaking from an over weight, 30 year construction battered roof and ladder beaten ankles I'll tell you, I have to have the high tops to make it through a trip.  
I have even had issues in the woods where it may take an hour before I can actually put weigh on my ankles without the pain or the feeling they might pop out of socket.  
My preferred boots are the Rocky Bear Claw.  I almost always wear the insulated boot year round.  
st
I can grasp the idea of training and getting this under control, especially working one into a better tone of physic.  You younger guys take his advise and get in shape    Myself I'm sticking to the big gut, bad ankles, and wise cracks.   Kinda like trying to teach an old dog a new trick.  Can it be done? Possibly!  But then I wouldn't be able to come home from a trip and get all that pampered attention I so desire from Mrs. qp  

I do however wonder about this conditioning issue.  Is it possible to go bare foot in the cold temps and condition my feet to say warm?    I get a lot of attention upon my return from the Q, but getting my stinky feet rubbed is NOT one of them.  

Further more in my Boot Garden, yes you are reading this correctly.  When the boots wear out it’s hard for me to part with all the memories I cherished trekking in the woods.  Filling the boots with dirt, you can grow a wide variety of flowers or vegetables.  Esp. the veggies dry them and eat them on your next trip in the woods.  It’s almost like taking 2 pairs of boots on a trip, less the weight of one pair.  The high top boots do remarkably well growing carrots. Hey, what can I say, I got good eye sight as long as I can find my glasses.  

qp