Camping and woodcraft - Scoutmastercg.com

CLOTHIiNG 153making: the shoe cool and easy to dry out. Thereare no hooks to catch in grass and bend out of shape.A pair of these shoes weighs only 2 to 2_^ pounds,according to size. This is a proper weight formarching on ordinary roads, but is too light, ofcourse, for rough service, such as a sportsman'sshoes often are put to. For the hardscrabble ofmountaineering, or going anywhere over sharp rocksor among thorns and saw-briers, the leather is toothin ; when it gets wet it goes to pieces.When buying shoes go to a maker who has made,and kept, a reputation for using none but goodleather. There is no severer test of leather thanhard usage during frequent wettings and dryings;so, when you find a firm of shoemakers that lumberjacksswear by, trust it to turn you out a goodarticle.Waterproofed Shoes.— The army board de'^ided positively against using any waterproofing compoundon shoe leather, because waterproofed shoessteam the feet in perspiration, congest them, andmake them tender, if worn for any considerable time,especially in warm weather.However, it is one thing to march on ordinaryroads and another thing to follow wilderness trailsor go where there are none at all. And sportsmenoften are out in cold slush or wet snow. It is truethat no harm comes from wet feet so long as onekeeps moving; but if a man has much standingaround to do with his feet cold and wet he willsuffer discomfort and quite likely catch a cold. Besides,no matter how good the quality of leather maybe, when it gets soggy it wears badly. Consequently,although the army shoe is just right forwarm weather and marching on roads, it is neitherstrong enough nor dry enough for continuous wildernessuse.My advice is to get shoes made over the Munsonlast, of weight suitable for the service in view, andhave them viscolized or otherwise waterproofed if