Jump to content

who else caches/hikes barefoot!


Recommended Posts

:unsure:

 

did my first multi- of the season completely barefoot the other day. OW!!

 

Very rocky old cartroad, and quite a bit of bushwacking involved too. I got into barefoot hiking some years back after jokingly saying i wanted to start a barefoot hikers club, and finding out there was one already in the north quabbin area i was living in. (full of crunchies!!)

 

So anyone else geocache barefoot? And crazy stories about such?

 

Check out this video- Mt. Whitney Summit-- BAREFOOT! double owwey!!

 

 

No thats not me, just some other crazy hikers intune with nature.

 

(~)}]

Link to comment

NudeCacher does, but I'm not gonna be the one to post his picture here. :unsure: If you're curious, that is his cacher name and you can search for his profile.

 

(actually, I don't think that he actually goes barefoot, come to think of it. Anyone care to peruse his gallery carefully enough to let us all know for sure? I think I'll pass on that job)

Edited by knowschad
Link to comment

NudeCacher does, but I'm not gonna be the one to post his picture here. :unsure: If you're curious, that is his cacher name and you can search for his profile.

 

(actually, I don't think that he actually goes barefoot, come to think of it. Anyone care to peruse his gallery carefully enough to let us all know for sure? I think I'll pass on that job)

 

Um, no!

Link to comment

Ever try these out?

 

Vibram Five Fingers

 

I bought a pair of those a few weeks ago and have been geocaching in some areas with them. (Though I don't intend to use them when I cache in sloughs or swamps or snake-infested areas.) They work great and feel wonderful on the loamy, leaf-strewn ground and in grassy parks. I've discovered new muscles in my feet, which I assume will stop aching once they've built up a bit more.

 

I'm honestly too frightened of thorns, broken glass, and sharp rocks to cache barefoot. The Vibram FiveFingers are a close approximation that are much safer for my delicate tootsies. :unsure:

 

Carolyn

Link to comment

NudeCacher does, but I'm not gonna be the one to post his picture here. :ph34r: If you're curious, that is his cacher name and you can search for his profile.

 

(actually, I don't think that he actually goes barefoot, come to think of it. Anyone care to peruse his gallery carefully enough to let us all know for sure? I think I'll pass on that job)

 

:unsure: I have actually browsed through his gallery, I seem to remember seeing footwear....maybe I'll have to go back for another lookyloo :blink:

Link to comment

NudeCacher does, but I'm not gonna be the one to post his picture here. :( If you're curious, that is his cacher name and you can search for his profile.

 

(actually, I don't think that he actually goes barefoot, come to think of it. Anyone care to peruse his gallery carefully enough to let us all know for sure? I think I'll pass on that job)

 

:unsure: I have actually browsed through his gallery, I seem to remember seeing footwear....maybe I'll have to go back for another lookyloo :blink:

 

Ok, I couldn't help myself. I went in for the research....sometimes barefoot, sometimes sandals and even.....sometimes shoes WITH socks! :ph34r:

Link to comment

HA HA HA... Barefoot!! I do everything else barefoot. Why should caching be any different?

 

I did a couple that way with a friend (rather than ruin my flip flops on some steep terrain). I have noticed that, in the urban forests, there tends to be broken glass here and there so haven't thought it wise since.

 

I've also barefoot cached in a dress, when tree climbing has been necessary and when fjording a river.

 

BTW, I'd HATE to run into NudeCacher at an event... eek!

Edited by meralgia
Link to comment

I do some barefoot hiking/running, but the terrain here in southern AZ calls for some level of protection for even the toughest feet. If the Tarahumara wear sandals sometimes, I guess there's no disgrace in it. There's pretty much no hike or climb I can't do in minimal sandals, though I do like the Vibram Five Fingers for rock scrambling.

 

The Hiking and Backpacking thread "Hiking in the Heat" evolved into a discussion of hiking in sandals, Vibrams and bare feet. You might want to check it out.

Link to comment

NudeCacher does, but I'm not gonna be the one to post his picture here. :D If you're curious, that is his cacher name and you can search for his profile.

 

(actually, I don't think that he actually goes barefoot, come to think of it. Anyone care to peruse his gallery carefully enough to let us all know for sure? I think I'll pass on that job)

 

:ph34r: I have actually browsed through his gallery, I seem to remember seeing footwear....maybe I'll have to go back for another lookyloo :o

 

Ok, I couldn't help myself. I went in for the research....sometimes barefoot, sometimes sandals and even.....sometimes shoes WITH socks! :)

 

Oh oh... Nudecacher has been exposed! :laughing:

Oh... wait....

Link to comment

I've never hiked in the woods barefoot, but I've heard there are health benefits to walking around barefoot and having the ground massage your feet.

 

Here's an online book from the author's website with tons of great info about hiking barefoot:

http://www.bhthom.org/hikertxt.htm

 

Here area a couple other sites with info about hiking barefoot too:

http://www.bhthom.org/rfrazine.htm

http://www.unshod.org/ebbfhike/

Edited by Skippermark
Link to comment

LOL

 

alrighty then, didnt go exactly as i thought it might. Nudecacher hijacked my thread without trying!

 

lol ... must fight the urge to view profile......

 

funny stuff thanks for the laughs.

 

And of course i dont go barefoot to everycache, but you better believe if its a decent area, they are coming off!

 

:ph34r:

Link to comment

LOL

 

alrighty then, didnt go exactly as i thought it might. Nudecacher hijacked my thread without trying!

 

lol ... must fight the urge to view profile......

 

funny stuff thanks for the laughs.

 

And of course i dont go barefoot to everycache, but you better believe if its a decent area, they are coming off!

 

:o

There are barefooters in the nudist community too. They are thought of as being somewhat strange, even there. :ph34r:

 

I agree with you on the coming off part. I'm real fast. "Warning, clothes may fly off at any moment."

 

Nudecacher

Link to comment

On the trail: poison oak/ivy, fire ants, glass, roots, snakes, and hookworms.

 

No thanks. But as soon as I hit the front door the shoes fly off.

 

Cholla cactus (and other spiny plants), scorpions, Gila Monsters, Black Widows, Velvet Ants...I might take the clothes off, but I'm keeping SOMETHING on my feet!

Link to comment

as a diabetic i would never be able to cache barefoot but i would love to!

 

i went barefoot all during my younger years and now my feet look really bad because i have scars from ringworm, yuck. i do have many wonderful memories of the bottoms being purple from the mulberry trees that surround my house, lol.

they used to be tough as nails but no longer.

Link to comment

 

Cholla cactus (and other spiny plants), scorpions, Gila Monsters, Black Widows, Velvet Ants...I might take the clothes off, but I'm keeping SOMETHING on my feet!

 

ya here in phoenix with the for mentioned animals including one of the most poisonous breeds of arachnids in the world in our desert I would have to call shoeless hiking stupid. have you ever had a jumping cacti in your foot

Link to comment

Knowing what it feels like treading in a cold cat hairball in the middle of the night....and my luck....I think I will pass. I would probably tread in crapola (have done so in the hiking boots).....but that's another thread!

 

too funny! i usually get up before my husband and always do a quick scan....he's not as fond of the cat as i am :ph34r:

Link to comment

Someone finally brought up one of my favorite topics - barefoot hiking! And what better way to get out there and tromp around the woods sans shoes than to combine it with geocaching. During the warmer months I typically toss my shoes the second I get home, and while on vacation I'll generally go barefoot 99.5% of the time. So many people dismiss the idea because it sounds too hard, or they've drank the Nike Kool-Aid and think you HAVE to wear shoes, or maybe it just never occured to them to give it a try. But of course there are questions:

 

Why? At its core, barefoot hiking takes you back to the carefree days of youth, and it's that innocent fun I enjoy most. Once you allow the notion into your head that it might be fun, there are other reasons as well, foremost is that going barefoot is healthy for your feet. People may ask what you use for arch support - the answer is your ARCHES! Your feet will strengthen and toughen in no time and you can stop worrying about the ills that come with wearing shoes: odor, bunions, fallen arches, blisters...

 

Where? You would be shocked at the terrain I've tackled barefoot. Well worn paths in the woods are easy but with a little patience you can navigate uncut growth in the middle of a forest. I've walked miles and miles of rocky portions of the Appalachian Trail, scrambled up rock faces, trudged through mud. And if you can ignore societal pressure to conform, urban areas are easy as well.

 

How? Take your shoes off! (that was easy, right?) If you're a true tenderfoot start slow on grass, build up to well groomed paths, and then add difficult terrain as you become more comfortable. Your feet will likely be sore - work through the pain but don't overdo it. Know your limits though, you don't want to be in a situation where you need shoes and don't have them. Shoes are essentially tools in much the same way gloves are. I couldn't function if I had to wear gloves all the time but they come in handy when catching a baseball or pulling thorny weeds.

 

Check out some of my profile pics and you will find several of me out there caching barefoot. Give it a try - you WON'T regret it! But please let me hear about your experience and your success!

Link to comment

Someone finally brought up one of my favorite topics - barefoot hiking! And what better way to get out there and tromp around the woods sans shoes than to combine it with geocaching. During the warmer months I typically toss my shoes the second I get home, and while on vacation I'll generally go barefoot 99.5% of the time. So many people dismiss the idea because it sounds too hard, or they've drank the Nike Kool-Aid and think you HAVE to wear shoes, or maybe it just never occured to them to give it a try. But of course there are questions:

 

What do you do about ticks, chiggers, and mosquitoes? Do you use bug repellent on your feet? Just the tops of your feet? And what about snakes? I admit that is my greatest fear. I'm afraid that I'll be hiking and suddenly a snake (or swarm of snakes in my nightmares) will suddenly emerge and bite my feet.

 

Carolyn

Link to comment

I did! Just this sunday! It was amazing!

And I saw Llamas!

And contemplated putting the flip flops back on...but I saw no "Llamas bombas"...so I continued to bare my sole(s) to the path.

 

I figured my feet had been in shoes far too long, and were getting 'tender'.

 

Caching is a great time to toughen up!

buttercup.

 

:P

Link to comment

What do you do about ticks, chiggers, and mosquitoes? Do you use bug repellent on your feet? Just the tops of your feet? And what about snakes? I admit that is my greatest fear. I'm afraid that I'll be hiking and suddenly a snake (or swarm of snakes in my nightmares) will suddenly emerge and bite my feet.

 

Carolyn

 

Mosquitos will bite any exposed skin so go ahead and spray repellent as required (spraying the bottoms of your feet is pretty pointless though). For chiggers, the spray should take care of them as well. Ticks are interesting... would you believe I "feel" them crawling on my feet way before they have a chance to bite so I have an early warning and will dispatch them to the afterlife post haste! Afraid of snakes, eh? Here's some comforting personal information... My son spent three days in the hospital after being bitten by a water moccasin in Florida. Where did it bite him, you may ask? About half way up his calf! Shoes would have made no difference. I can't help assuage your fear of snakes but you should always watch your step if you're wearing shoes or not.

 

For those in the south there's another critter to think about... FIRE ANTS! I have stepped on their mounds while wearing shoes and while barefoot - shod is worse. Why? When barefoot I can usually feel the texture of the sandy mound underfoot and recognize it for what it is before they even have a chance to bite. If you're wearing shoes those little buggers will swarm all the way up your leg before you know it and then you're dancing around trying to pull off your shoes and socks but it will be too late.

 

Hope that helps. Feel free to PM me if you would like more information or encouragement.

Link to comment

I am a barefoot cacher. As a matter of fact, I go barefoot anywhere I can. All my shoes are flip flops. I do own a pair of really cute rubber boots that go with us just in case. I have cached in swamps, woods, and streets and usually barefoot. I hate shoes!

Everybody likes to get a picture of me barefoot. most of the pics I have posted on cache logs are of me barefoot.

I walked around GW VII barefoot the whole day. And I guess that's how I ended up with a Geo Sasquatch coin that night at the event. I walked in with shoes on but as soon as I sat down they were off and stayed under the table till my hubby picked them up when we left!

Link to comment

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...