Monday, November 9, 2009

Free Boots

I was lucky enough to get a free pair of Oneil off road boots in a slightly large size from a riding friend. I plan on wearing these this winter over some thick merino wool socks and/or some water proof socks. I chose some Seal Skinz from REI because of their fantastic return policy. A quick test for five minutes in a bucket of water and the insides were still dry, so that is a good sign. The Seal Skinz should be more than adequate for my needs.

As you can see below, they have had many adventures including the Copper Canyon in Mexico 4 or 5 times, Baja once, and through the High Sierra's once.

free boots before

Below is the after photo:

free boots after

I spent a lot of time with a rag, an old tooth brush, and saddle soap to get them cleaned up. A little leather glue and some black shoe polish and they look decent again. I bought some Dry Camp, a silicon sealant, and sprayed them liberally. The Dry Camp is supposed to make them water proof. I plan on using two coats. I need to use a bit more glue and maybe a little duct tape inside the boots (the tongues are both a bit torn), and then they'll be ready for winter.

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