View Full Version : tracking boot design.
Hi all,
I've done a bit of searching on this thread about tracking boots but wondered if anyone had done a tutorial or posted some designs of how to make them.
There is probably something on the site but I cant find it. Anyone know or got any ideas. :)
cheers Moko
here is my design:
http://img1.yoxio.com/img/240499.jpg (http://img1.yoxio.com/view/240499.htm)
Great,what a design. What are like in the snow? :lmao:
moko here's some info on tracking boots I won, a couple of pics too which may be of help.
http://www.bushcraftuk.com/community/showthread.php?t=10832&highlight=tracking+boots
fred gordon
26-05-2006, 21:40
Fantastic. Bare feet must be really rewarding when the droppings squeeze up between your toes! :eek:
There great looking boots scott. Well done. I saw them earlier when I did my oridginal search but thanks anyway. Ive noted down the design and will hopefully get around to giving it a go at making a pair. At the moment I am part way through so many projects I guess it wont matter if I add just one more to my list!
I wonder,have you used them for tracking yet and what are they like in the rain.
Cheers, Moko
I would suggest that moccasins would probably make the ideal tracking boot, but the problem that you would find with them is that they cannot be used on concrete or asphalt or any of the manmade surfaces unless you coat the soles.
It is something I have been thinking about for a while, how to make a set of woodland type moccasins that you wouldn't worry about in a built up situation, the only way that I have come up with yet is to coat the soles, the other option is to use something other than hide for the soles themselves.
Leon. Do you mean because they would wear out too quickly? or something else?
longshot
23-06-2006, 03:29
just a thought but if you had mocs for in the bush and some sort of sanddels for in the more built up areas and for walking down the road if you pop out some distance from where you left the car. you could just put the sandles on over the mocs in town and put them back in your pack when you step into the bush.
dean
I hear that some people use ChuckTaylors for tracking
http://www.justconverse.co.uk/
Rob
Leon. Do you mean because they would wear out too quickly? or something else?
Sorry Marts I have been a little busy and hadn't picked up on this, a bit remiss sorry.
Yep you are correct, the soles on Woodland moccs are soft leather and would get shredded in a reasonably short space of time, the ones I have just finished have soles nearly 20mm thick and are constructed from four layers, they would be a bit more robust.
I have a plains moccasin pattern and will be working on them, but once I have them made I will see how they stand upto wear and tear, but it could be a while.
I also have a few ideas on another design (by me) that could well be a lot more robust that would stand upto plains, woods and town. We will see, it depends on the materials I use and what I can come up with.:)
I hear that some people use ChuckTaylors for tracking
http://www.justconverse.co.uk/
Rob
You're right, they make excellent tracking shoes because they are robust and the soles are thin enough to feel the ground through. I often wear mine in the woods although I must get some in a dark colour (mine are pink!!! :eek: )
Many reckon that the earliest *British* shoe is what Scots call a courran. It's basically a flat piece of leather cut into finger shapes to cover the front of the foot and laced through holes near the tips.
I wear these frequently but Leon is right, on concrete, tarmac or paving slabs they're just not good :( So we line them with felted wool and an inner soft leather sole.They are surprisingly comfortable and if you raise the collar they make excellent little boots too :D The only sewing needed is to neaten up the heel, but if you use very fine leather then they can just be folded and laced through there too.
I can't find an on-line photo but Jim Smith makes and sells a heavier version of them (no gain, just someone whose work I can wholeheartedly recommend)
http://www.caledoniancreations.co.uk/Brogues/Scottish-Brogues.htm
Cheers,
Toddy
What about a sealskin sock, waterproof and thin? Never tried it but I had thought of using a pair and a pair of sandals around camp.
What about a sealskin sock, waterproof and thin? Never tried it but I had thought of using a pair and a pair of sandals around camp.
Not a bad idea and in a lot of country's you will see people wearing sandles for tracking, but sandals tend to have quite a thick sole, they are heavy and don't allow you to feel through them in the same way as a pair off moccasins would.
Vibram have a new activity shoe (http://www.vibramfivefingers.com/) coming out called five fingers, it is effectively a neoprene sock with a thin sole on it designed for people doing water sports, apart from the garish colours in a lot of ways these would be ideal.
Buckshot
25-07-2006, 13:40
What about a sealskin sock, waterproof and thin? Never tried it but I had thought of using a pair and a pair of sandals around camp.
The main problem with socks is if they're not fixed in position (usually by wearing a shoe over the top) they will move around, become uncomfortable and even slip off.
I have a pair of Sealskin socks for my moccs and I find if I wear a pair of thin cotton socks with these over the top and then my moccs I have warm dry feet in any conditions I go stalking in. However, if I'm wearing them in the house, before or after I go out, I can feel the sock gripping the floor well but my foot moves inside the sock negating the benefit ! This happens regardless of if I'm wearing the cotton socks or not.
Mark
Klenchblaize
26-07-2006, 10:06
Hope to track down a pair of Danner "Jackal" stalking boots at this Friday's Game Fair:
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d46/klenchblaize/danner.jpg
They can also be purchased from www.red-deer.co.uk
Cheers
Vibram have a new activity shoe (http://www.vibramfivefingers.com/) coming out called five fingers, it is effectively a neoprene sock with a thin sole on it designed for people doing water sports, apart from the garish colours in a lot of ways these would be ideal.
They look interesting, and the black ones with the yellow lining wouldn't be too bad.
Just seen how much they cost....Maybe not.
The boot I wear most of the time is the Magnum Amazon desert boot. I find that they are comfortable, lightweight and not as military in appearance as some boots.
bothyman
28-07-2006, 16:59
Hope to track down a pair of Danner "Jackal" stalking boots at this Friday's Game Fair:
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d46/klenchblaize/danner.jpg
They can also be purchased from www.red-deer.co.uk
Cheers
They look interesting but the link does not seem to work???????????
MickT
harlequin
28-07-2006, 18:07
Thomas J Elpel, hasn't anyone heard of him?
It is so obvious, a modular shoe system, who'd have thought it!
Get you're best hand made mocs, use them where they should be used, and where they shouldn't be used use your tyre sandals.
Man, the simplest is always the best.
bothyman
28-07-2006, 18:17
Thomas J Elpel, hasn't anyone heard of him?
It is so obvious, a modular shoe system, who'd have thought it!
Get you're best hand made mocs, use them where they should be used, and where they shouldn't be used use your tyre sandals.
Man, the simplest is always the best.
Do you mean these ones ??
>> http://www.hollowtop.com/sandals.htm
MickT
Klenchblaize
31-07-2006, 09:49
They look interesting but the link does not seem to work???????????
MickT
Just tried it and it works for me. There is though just the one page at the moment as “site is still under construction” I believe. If you want to read more about them here is something sent to me describing the boots:
"The Jackal was designed by the Danner Hunting Dept. specifically for American ‘Bow-hunters’ Because of the reduced effective range of a bow, compared to a deer-legal rifle for instance, ‘bow-hunters’ need to be able to stalk in considerably closer to enable them a chance at a fair shot. What-ever your thoughts on hunting with bow and arrow, the result was a boot based essentially on the native Red-Indian moccasin principle which, by allowing you to ‘feel’ the ground beneath you feet, enables you to make less noise.
Danner themselves say:
Danner's first stalking hunting boot, the Jackal GTX, is perfect for hunters looking to be stealthy and quiet in the woods. This moccasin-style stalking platform combines a super-thin mid-sole and outsole with a thick, cushioning insole. The result is that the hunter, although walking on a padded surface, has better "ground feel" through the boot. It allows the hunter to avoid stepping on twigs and branches that may alert his game. This boot has a waterproof GORE-TEX liner, Mossy Oak Obsession camo, and full-grain pigskin leather.”
In practice in this country we’ve had some excellent feed-back from those, like myself, who do a lot of wood-land deer stalking. We have sold a number of pairs to professional deer managers who also highly recommend them to their clients. To give you an entirely even-handed view however, there has been one very slight criticism of the boots from one (albeit particularly picky) deer manager in Hampshire – because of the design, there is very little tread on the boot (obviously) – this can make them a little bit slippy on very wet (i.e early morning dewy) grass. This is not a problem if you are mindful, but only fair to relay all the feed back we’ve had and not just the good stuff.
Overall though, the reception has been great.
The boots are warranted against shoddy workmanship or defective materials for a year, they clean up easily and, because they are 8” high, they give terrific support.
If you’ve been in the armed forces, then Danner need no introduction. I bought my first pair of Danner’s in America 22 years ago – I still wear them every year in the Highlands. The next step up from the Jackals is the ‘Pronghorn’ – perhaps not as ‘quiet’ at the Jackal, but a more sturdy yet still lightweight, 4 season boot; we’ll also be getting heavier-weight Danner’s in for the winter months/hill stalkers & shooters."
Cheers