BROOKS GTX TRAIL SHOES REVIEW

After the demise of my truly excellent Reebok Trail Shoes that they sadly no longer make

Originally like this

After 18 months Hard Graft
and several hundred miles
(at least 700)

I had to find a NEW pair.

I like Innov 8's for comfort, but not so much for running daily off road, and especially as they have the life expectancy of 

a Butterfly in a Wind Tunnel.

I often use NEW Balance, but having wider feet it means I need an E fitting in that.

And being a cheapskate I was NOT going to pay full whack.

So eventually (having used them in the past for Road Running, I went for a pair of Brooks GTX

I got these from SportsShoes via Amazon

Out of the box they looked good.

They did come up slightly smaller in fit than my Reeboks, or the Innov 8's

I have broad feet (not quite Hobbit) so need a wide fitting

But as long as I was using thin socks this was no problem.

They did feel tight in my Sealskinz, but since they are GTX that should NOT be a problem

So, several months and a few hundred miles later, how are they doing?

Very little wear on heel cup or stitching.
Good Quality

Little sole wear

COMFORT

This is a totally subjective thing.

Never judge a review on comfort unless the person has YOUR FEET, YOUR BODY and YOUR BRAIN.

Meaning if it ain't you it probably is not mission critical.

I have found them reasonably comfortable with the correct socks.

As I say unlike the Brooks shoes I have had in the past, I thought they came up slightly smaller. Probably about a ½ size

But they were fine, and I am still using them.

WEAR & TEAR

These have lasted really well so far.

They have been used since about October, and the weather to say the least has been WET

They have been trough MUD HELL and back.

I would say on average they do about 25-30 miles a week minimum.

So, doing the Maths at say 4½ month = 18 weeks at 25 a week, that is at the very least 450 miles

I have done all my running & walking with them OFF ROAD.

Well, they are TRAIL SHOES.

There is very little sign of wear on the uppers or the sole as you can see.

And more importantly, there is NO wear on the stitching in the heel cup, which is brilliant.

Because apart from wear on the soles, and fraying, this is for me the biggest failing of the Innov 8's

So, wear and tear is very good for me.

WATERPROOF

There is NO SUCH THING as a WATERPROOF shoe

But these have been quite acceptable.

Easily as good as the Reebok's and my old New Balance, and the Roclite GTX's

The upper is mesh, and with some pace, they do not get breached.

Stand in a puddle with water over the mesh, then they DO leak.

Plunge your foot into a deep puddle and they fill with water, and that is it.

They have a Gortex lining and it WILL take time to dry.

BUT, having said that, they dry reasonably quickly.

You do need a stiff breeze, some time or a lot of Newspaper and a radiator.

GRIP & STABILITY

The Stability has been good.

On normal ground, the grip is also good, even in the wet.

Both walking and running and on various terrain.

The weakness appears to be in mud, where the sole is not quite up to the job.

I found in slippery mud, they slide about and you tend to lose most of the grip.

OK, they are NOT fell running shoes, and they are NOT Cross Country spikes, but they need more grip in mud.

Especially when you need that extra grip on the edges.

For me it just was not there and I slid too much.

OVERALL

So, would I consider another pair? YES, at the right price

Would I get a ½ size bigger? YES

Will my NEXT pair of Trail Shoes be Brooks? Probably NO

Should you buy them at the full asking price? NOT in my opinion

That's it really.

And No Music???

What is going on??

You can always click below ........................

Tina Dico - The Other Side 

HERE KITTY KITTY KIT LIST ......

So, just over a week to go.


Time for that final kit decision.


All is ready, parcels done and sent off, assorted gear checked out.
I had set myself a goal this year to get under 27lb
(that does not inc Poles and Shoes),

BUT, I may not achieve that, because that would involve things like writing big lists,
and worse than that, getting out scales and weighing stuff, and then cross referencing duplicate items
and decision making on what does not need to go, and that is all a bit
ANALLY retentive isn't it. (Is that 2 L's or just the 1?)

So, instead I am just going to make a list of what I reckon I need and will take.
I am not going to make a complete item by item list, (well I might)
because things like washing kit,
and medical supplies (non alcoholic), are all rather personal aren't they?
I mean, my boss Mr Sloman, has a list of medication that fills half his rucksack.

Anyway, here is my list (PROBABLY)!

Now, having looked at that kit, there may be some Ultralight fanatics that will say.

"Well, you don't need that"
"And why have 2 of those?"

And my answer to you would be

NO.....YOU don't need that!

BUT...YOU are not carrying it, so it is indeed irrelevant.

You are of course entitled to your opinion even if you are wrong!

CLOTHING

Shoes Innov8 Roclites

Lightweight Gelert GAITERS

Berghaus Men's Temperance II GORE-TEX Pro Shell Jacket (yes I know Al, we'll look like bloody twins darling)

Paclite waterproof Trousers

Montane Windproof (32g)

PHD Minimus 400 Down Jacket

Smartwool Top

Smartwool 3/4 bottoms

Merino T Shirt

Paramo Short Sleeve Shirt

Montane Terra Pants

Montane Hat

Merino Buff

Fleece Balaclava

X socks trekking 3 pairs

Sealskinz Trekking

Down Socks (bloody marvellous)

Smartwool Boxers

Katmandu merino Boxers

Midge Hat

Buffalo Mitts

Gortex Over Mitts

Thin Outdoor gear gloves

Crocs (just for Humph :)

GEAR (inc Electrical etc)

Tent (Trailstar)

Pegs - 1 x Blizzard, 2 x 9", 7 x 7" Titanium (2 spare)

Oooknest

SilNylon Groundsheet (homemade)

Microfibre Flannel for condensation and Tent Cleaning

Marmot Sleeping Bag

Silk Liner

MLD Ultralight Bivy Bag (200g)

Neo Air (Full Length)

Inflatible Pillow (20g)

Thermarest Sit Mat

Exos Rucksack (46L) +Pod Rain Cover

Rucksack Dry Liner

Pacer Poles

Higear Blaze Titanium Stove (48g) Not sure where I got 32g from?

Primus Gas 250g

Primus wind shield

Lighter

Titanium Mug + Scourer

TGO Plastic Mug

Spork

Delios Filter

Platypus 2L

Leatherman Lightweight tool

Petzl eLight Torch

Mini Maglite

Spare Torch batteries

Samsung Galaxy S2 Mobile + Spare battery

Phone Charger (also charges MP3)

Pentax Optio WG1 Camera and Spare Battery

Lowpro Camera case

Sansa Clip MP3 player and headphones

X mini speaker (it is well light)

Notebook

Biro

Duck Tape

Spare Boot Lace

Tenacious Tent Repair Tape (trust me)

Cash and 1 Credit/Debit Card

Rail Tickets

Reading Glasses (I forget them once - buggered)

Harmonica in A or G (Maybe?)

NAVIGATION

Printed Maps (some posted in parcels)

Satmap GPS

Set of spare GPS Batteries (3 x AA)

Compass + Mini Compass & Thermometer

Ortleib A5 Map case

Creams etc are usually in small 30ml travel pots

WASHING KIT

Toothbrush & Tootpaste (mini tube)

Cut Down Microfibre Towel

Gel Soap

Microfibre Flannel

Toilet Paper + Lighter

Wet Wipes in a plastic zip bag

FIRST AID

Blister Plasters + New Skin

Plasters

Steri Strips

Gauze Pad

Painkillers

Small Pot with Foot Talc in

Gehwol Foot Cream (small tube)

Vaseline Tin

Nail Scissors

Roll of 2½ " Micropore

Physio Tape (I broke my leg once it was bloody useful)

Sun Cream (ski size tube) includes a lipsalve

Zovirax

Insect Repellent (A Vogel)

20ml pot Avon Skin So Soft Oil

Tick Puller

Immodium (Oh Yes)

FOOD (This is subjective and also route specific)

3 x Outdoors Grub Meals (per night camping) Some in parcels - 5 needed for Spean Bridge to Braemar

Jelly Babies (must have)

Lucozade Energy Sweets (pkt)

Chocolate Bars (unknown no, minimum 2)

Energy Drink Powder

300ml Single Malt

400ml Sloe Gin or Port

Instant Soup 3 pkts

Instant Chocolate or Coffee Drink 4 pkts

The rest varies but might at any time include

Rolls

Cheese or Cheese spread

Bottle Lucozade

Meusli

Beer

Nuts and Raisins

Well, that is about it.
I have probably forgotten something.
I will add it when I pack.

I might NOT need it all, but I am certainly going to take it all. (Probably)

NOW, IF you should spot some essential bit of kit I have forgotten, please let me know in a comment.

It might be life saving, or life changing :)



A bit annoyed that Lucy or someone appears to have given me a bit of a snuffle.
Need to get rid of it by next Wed that is for sure, or I will be adding cold cure tables to my list

Oceansize - Track Rinsed - Album Effloresce

Four Chaps and a Trailstar (The Langdale Daunder 2012)

Well, here it is, at long last, I actually went out in the Trailstar.
Plus a lot of other TGO gear, so how did it all go.


Read on Sir, read on ........................................


I had packed all my gear the night before, so by the time that Phil arrived at 9.45 on Thu, I was ready to go.


Now, we just needed to collect Alan and Dave at Nuneaton, and then get to the Langdale campsite, via a brief shop in Ambleside.


The stop in Ambleside did involve beer.

Since I have seen the posting of the incredibly unflattering picture of me on Alan's blog, I have decided that the beer was not a good idea.
In fact, a better diet and more exercise are a definite must do.


It is not fitness, I can still run a goodly distance and also bike and walk, 
BUT, and here is the point.


I definitely need to lose some weight.


To my mind, about 10kg at least, and maybe a bit more.
A couple of stone (old money), would certainly do no harm at all.


It is a long way to Langdale from Cambridge, but by about 5.30, we were at the site and setting up tents.


I had decided to take the Trailstar, with the Oooknest.
I had only put this up once in the Garden to do the seam sealing, so this was it's first outing, and my first proper go at getting it all set up ok.


I was using 6 x 9" Alpkit Y pegs and 4 x 6" titanium ones.
More on the Alpkit ones later.


The fact that I had cleaned and oiled the Pacer Poles last week, did not help.


DO NOT USE WD40 on your Pacel poles.


Liberal is what you want, or none as the case might be.
I had overdone it BIG TIME with the spray, and they would not lock at all.
This is not good when you need them to hold the bloody thing up, so after a lot of cleaning, I did finally manage to get them locked.
We will come back to the pole theme, because they are about to get a major overhaul here again to get them sorted.
If not, I will be taking my old Leki Poles on the challenge.

First attempt at putting it up

No groundsheet of any sort this time, just an old space blanket.
It works fine as a barrier between damp grass and kit.
You can see the huge amount of available room, even with the Oookstar.
OK, yellow does attract the odd bug, but the colour is good for me, and since we had a few midges around, the nest was brilliant.

After a bit of a pole faf, I got the tent up just fine.


Is it a TENT, a TARP or a SHELTER?


With the Oookstar it is to my mind a shelter, and a bloody enormous one as well.
I though Wendy was big but this is huge, and weighs in rather less.


I did not get a Cuben Oookstar, the SilNylon one with the mesh front is just fine, and the difference in weight is not an issue to me.
I mean, looking at a couple of photo's I am carrying at least an extra 20lb on my middle.


Well with the thing up and covered in more than a few copulating insects, we headed off to the ODG for some food.


Yep, I am going to be going for smaller portions on that lot for the next few months as well.

And I will be laying off the beer as well as the poor diet.

As you can see, Al is off the no beer diet.
By the end of the evening, quite a long way off.


It was a bit chilly this side of the pub.
We finished by standing around the nice fire on the other side.
BUT.. eventually it was time for sleep.


Tomorrow was to be a 9.30 start (and that is a definite maybe).


It rained in the night, but by the next morning, all was pretty clear, and so it was time to go.


OK, we missed the 9.30 and started off at about 10.00.

Blue skies ahead at the camp site, but for how long

The weather was looking good, but the forecast was pretty horrid

A gentle stroll round via the ODG, or it would have been had I not left my map and compass on top of Phil's car. So I had to run back and get these and that added another 7½ min.
See, I have started the fitness thing already.


I am not going to do a massive description of the route, because that is already done on Al and Phil's blogs

Heading along Mickledon Beck

The start is nice and gentle, although as we got to the footbridge, the heavens opened for about 10 minutes. So at the point where the climb up to Langdale Coombe begins we had to have the most clothing on, making it hot work.
By the time we got to the top, the rain had gone away.

Looking back toward the Stake Gill

Dave waiting at the top for Alan and Phil

The next bit, was a mixture of easy underfoot, with a few rather boggy bits.

It's all a bit much for Al.
He's a grandad you know!

Looking towards Pike of Stickle from Martcrag Moor

Small Tarn near the lunch stop.

Phil attempts to cook his maps

Pike of Stickle from the Tarn.
This was to be our next stop after a rather boggy bit to get back to the path.

Dave near the bottom.
It was bloody windy here

Me on top of Pike of Stickle.
See, I am losing weight already, and I did not have to
use Phil's holding the arms up trick.

So, we dropped our packs, and with just Poles in hand (which I did not need), we went for the top.
Being a bit impatient, I decided for the direct route rather than just use the path.
Back in my climbing day this would have been a simple scramble, but excess baggage and fear of death, made it less so.
Still, it was a lot more fun than going up the path.

Al points the way to Dave.
We are lucky with the weather, because looking out to High Steet it looked pretty bloody awful.

I came down the path!


Having collected gear, we headed off round to Harrison's Stickle and then Sergeant Man,
via a path that in some places was decidedly moist.
The views from the top of Sergeant Man down to Stickle tarn were jolly fine indeed.

View down to the Tarn

THREE of the four Amigo's at the top before descending down to the camp.
After Al's far from flattering images of me (I am glad I was not in the picture).
Although that image was enlightening, because it has given me a massive kick up the arse to shed some weight and get
back to the shape I ought to be

After this we descended down to Codale Tarn via the direct route.
Much much nicer that then the path.
Having said that Dave went for several interesting slides on the rather wet and slippery descent.
I also managed a rather fine 4m glissade followed by another shorter one after which I landed on my arse in wetness. Luckily, it was the bottom of the rucksack that took the biggest force and that saved me from breaking my backside.
I did however overstretch my hamstring a bit.
Luckily, it was just a minor twinge and all is fine.
That would have been an utter bugger for the Challenge.


A beautiful little spot for a Camp, I proceeded to put up Treeza the Trailstar.
Al gave her that name on his blog, so I will stick with it.
She's a feisty little number, but I have to say very taut, and that is how they should be.

Treeza! I am getting the hang of this Trailstar thing!

My only error, was starting the attach the Oooknest ties to the wrong side.
Not a big issue, but it means a bit of a Faff to move it round.
Indeed, that aspect is my only reservation regarding Scotland and the Challenge.


NOT because I am concerned about the robustness of the Traistar, nor how warm it will be if it is cold.


BUT... To attach the Oooknest, and tension it to the outside pegs which it shares with the main Tarp, you do have to squirm about a bit on the ground to reach through and get the elastic ties.


It is not the damp that concerns me, it is TICKS.


That being said, I am pretty convinced now that it is TREEZA and not Wendy that will be accompanying me this year.
Only been out in it twice, but as a shelter I love it.


Mind you, if I don't get my Poles sorted out, she may not be going!

Codale Tarn

Treeza again

Camp view from the Tarn

During the night, there was a very brief sleet shower, but that was all gone by the morning.
It was a bit chilly, but only if outside of the sleeping bag.
The only other noise was Phil's sleeping mat.
Well, something in Phil's tent anyway, and best to leave it at that.

We decided to set off by 9, and amazingly, we actually set off at


9


Yep, on time, even with Phil's strap faff.







It was a stiff old climb up to the top again.
Dave had rushed ahead, but the rest of us stopped quite a lot to admire the view and also for general banter.

Nothing like a bit of banter eh...

Memoriesa bit vague.
Looking down to Stickle Tarn I think

We headed on round, and eventually down to the Tarn.
Here, it started to rain for only the second time.
So on with all the rain gear, which pretty much guaranteed that it would stop.


Which it did about 10 minutes later.


So, off with the rain gear, and down to Langdale.


As we looked down, there was an enormous convoy (snake) of people all starting the Ascent up.
No wonder there is so much erosion on some of the paths in the Lakes.

And this was only a few of them

We finally did the last bit back to the ODG via the Cumbrian Way path.


By the time we got back, both my Poles and Phil's had jammed.


Dave and I had a cup of Coffee, and Al and Phil had beer and Shandy.
We did discuss sandwiches, but then decided after a good rest that we would head back to
Ambleside to the chippy, and to see if I could get any better pegs.


Did I mention pegs?


Yes, ALPKIT 9" aluminium Y stakes.


I thought that they would be the DOGS bollocks, but they turned out to be testicles.
The ground was really not hard, and in all honesty, a 9" peg should not bend.


BUT these do

I have some Alpkit titanium 6" that are excellent. As is their Titanium Cup
Also some 6" Aluminium pegs from Clamcleats that equally excellent.
So, I was a bit disappointed with these overall.


So, that is it.


I am now going with a larger MSR blizzard stake at the back.
A couple of 9" Y pegs, 
and the remainder 7" Clamcleats Titanium mixed with the Alpkit Titanium


More on final gear list in a blog next week.


IF, I can make my mind up that is.


So it was all over, and we headed back courtesy of Phil, who did all the driving.
What a lovely chap.


We dropped Dave off back in Nuneaton ,and then Al at Huntingdon Station.
Finally Phil dropped me off at home.


It had been a short trip, but excellent weather, and a good laugh, in the best of company.


Cheers fella's!


SO, just the Challenge next then ...................

This is Stephen Wilson et alia, also of Porcupine Tree

WANT & NEED, the Gear Dilemma

I wasn't going to write anything until next week, but I had been out for a run with the dog, done all my little chores 
(let's be honest, there was no way I was going to tackle any of the big chores), 
and while I was sorting out music players for next week, and a few other bits, 
like compasses, and reading about STUFF, I got a bit bored, and well here we are.


So, the point is, I really have too much stuff,
but today I was/am severely tempted by the door for the Trailstar.




Just to keep that extra bit of wind out, and also because it only weighs in at 35g.




But here is the BIG question.


Do I NEED this or do I just WANT this.


I know the answer. 
And you know the answer.

and since I have made NO decision yet about my Challenge Tent, then......


But, and here is the question, What's a man to do?


Well, it is the Daunder next week and I have decided to bite the bullet,
and go with a Trailstar rather than Wendy.


Wendy may still get the Challenge job, but I have to find out.
I do not need to take her for testing, I know she is fine.
She survived last year, and other places as well.


OK, admittedly she did not do so well on the Ingelborough trip, but I know she will be fine.
She has a sturdy supports to the tune of 3 new guy ropes for her tail end so all is good.


So, next week, there will be some happy snaps of happy chaps in T'North.


In the mean time, the Fens seem to be attracting April Showers.


I know I know, I ought to be working to earn money for all the bloody gear I don't really need.


BUT.......................................


I have been working all hours since January, and I am having a couple of days off.
And a couple next week I know.
And the whole of May (almost).


That's the thing about being self employed.
You can take time off whenever you like.
But you don't get paid.
Nor when you are on holiday,
nor when you are ill, or have to do something because someone else is ill.


It's fine, I have got used to it now.

So, Fen weather

I took this a couple of weeks ago whilst out running with Harriet.
The rest were taken today.
I like clouds

And a couple more just added

Some wag wrote this on the new signs.
It was done in chalk

Now, that's a bog!

On the music front, I have recently been listening to some stuff from Porcupine Tree.
Who had slipped under my radar until recently