UKH

This is probably wishful thinking but suggestions would be appreciated. I'm going to Nepal later this year, followed by South East Asia. I'll be doing some high level trekking up to around 5000m in Nepal (not carrying too much stuff) and also some jungle hiking in Borneo after.

SO - what I really want is a pair of boots which can do both.

I know they are wildly differing climates and it's going to be a compromise. I was thinking I would avoid insulation and waterproof membrane linings (I can wear decent socks in Nepal) and a vibram sole. Though it's REALLY hard to find boots without gore-tex nowadays. Maybe something like the Magnum Mach II 8.0 - http://www.magnumboots.com/uk/mach-ii-boot-sage.html

Any thoughts/suggestions? Especially if you've done jungle hiking before, which I haven't.

Cheers

In reply to steve7734:

on borneo i went native and bought a pair of rubber pumps, no socks with studs on the bottom for a few quid !

In reply to steve7734:

Just a pair of walking boots should do. I don't recommend magnums though, they are far too flexy and soft for a pair of boots. Depending how off the trail you get in the jungle, a stiff edge to the boot is good. I would have recommended a pair of Leather Brashers, but it seems they are now Berghaus and all goretex...

In reply to steve7734:

Any durable boot/medium sock combo should work. Well fitting (ie not too tight) boots will be warm enough when your blood is flowing, and if you have enough room for a good sock then you shouldn't have any issues. Knowing how to keep your body/feet warm before they go in the boot can be important too (ie nutrition, hydration, movement), as your feet will have a hard time warming up if your core is borderline hypothermic.

Also realistically you're never going to have a durable walking boot that will be breathable enough to give you completely dry feet in a jungle environment, so rather than boot choice it will be moisture management that will make the difference.

In reply to steve7734:
I've used Lowa Desert Elite boots in the past, which are versatile given they are unlined/non-GTX. I've taken them up to 5200m (maybe to -10C) and up to 45C in dry Kazakh steppe heat. Very versatile boot. They come with a Vibram sole and hard toe cap and quite stiff as well (which I find is pretty useful if you're in the jungle for extended periods on rough/uneven ground when carrying loads or on really dense over grown terrain). You can find a lower top version called the Lowa Zephyr Mid I believe which has similar characteristics. I'll probably be taking my Desert Elites (or maybe a new pair of Zephyrs) to the Russian taiga for a few months this summer - specifically due to the fact they seem to cope well in many fields, but also they'll dry a lot faster when in/around rivers I'll be paddling. Meindl also have their own range of non-GTX desert type boots which cross over well for many environments/climates as well.

In reply to steve7734:

BTW I just looked at the Magnum boots. I think they'd do the job well. Good price too.

In reply to lithos:

Well that would be the cheapest option!

In reply to steve7734:

Don't get Magnums, terrible boots for anything expect pottering around on tarmac or easy trails.

In reply to mlt:

Thanks for this, the desert elites look good to me. Definitely more stiffness than the Magnums. It seems military-style boots are the way forward here. The Zephyr Mid has a gore-tex lining though, so I would count that one out.

Do you know any UK retailers who sell Lowa boots though? To try on instore I mean. I couldn't find one through a quick google there

In reply to JayPee630:

Why, are they too soft and trainer-like?

In reply to steve7734:

Yeah, exactly, and IME if they get wet they tend to stay wet as they have lots of padding.

In reply to steve7734:

it's what id do again ! seriously spend your money on the other part.

my partner wore her hanwag boorts for everything and they were good, all leather
no gore-tex etc

In reply to steve7734:

Hey, there is an unlined/non-GTX Zephyr Mid Check out their website.

Your best bet would be to go to a military/army supply and surplus store, which I'm sure there'd be one in Glasgow. Silverman's in London do the Desert Elites I know that for sure.

In reply to steve7734:

Also, I believe the new Desert Elites at least in the UK might just be called 'Elites' now and they're in a dark brown (not tan) - it's something to do with (from what some army peeps I know have said) the British army phasing out the old tan ones for the darker ones as the new colour is supposedly more of a versatile camo. Could be a rumour though...

In reply to steve7734:
I had similar requirements (boggy tracks in NZ [Dusky track if you want to see how boggy it gets], and some mountains around the 2km mark) and went for Alt-berg jungle microlites. I found these to be great boots (stiff sole, so can edge with them), tough front to allow for comfort when accidentally kicking rocks - apart from these minor problems:
- Drainage holes were not efficient - took a drawing pin and enlarged all the holes (only the centre 5 would enlarge) and then it drained like a charm - every step it will squirt water out of the holes until there's almost nothing left.
- Eyelets are shitty steel and rusted - trying to find how to swap them for brass now. Only genuine complaint.
- Laces were just average joe bootlaces, broke after about 10 days on the trail. Replaced with paracord and very happy with them now.
- Possibly just due to the nature of the scree in NZ the leather has many little abrasions at the front, investigating a method of filling them in atm using McNett's shoe repair glue. (probably any leather boots would've got shredded from the scree, so not specific to this pair).

Altogether I probably walked about 200km with them over 15 days and went up a number of peaks.