seal skins for Ultras

Anyone tried Seal Skins on long ultras with deep puddles?

Winter is almost upon us and races such as the Winter 100 and the spine will throw up the possibility of running for hours with wet feet.

Gortex shoes are only good for damp ground with no puddles over 1inch deep. The ones with built in gaiters could be a little better but once a Gortex shoe is swamped it won,t drain. The answer could be knee length seal skin sox but do they stay waterproof after hours of running in wet shoes?

Not a direct answer but I have a pair of Bridgedale socks, I think they are wool based. I did a 10hr run a few months ago in them when the Thames path was flooded, wet feet for all but the first 10 mins and no blisters in sight. I wore them tons early summer too when it was v wet, many 3-6 hour runs with wet feet from the off, again, no blisters.

Rather than keeping water out, perhaps try looking for something that works well when wet so at least you have a backup plan.

Whats in the back of my mind is wet and freezing conditions on the Spine. The longer that I can keep my feet dry, the longer I can put off trench foot and blisters.

Foot care has to be a priority. As far as shoe size is concerned then investing in larger shoes could be worth it if the seal skins work. 

I thought seal skins were supposed to breath and let damp sweat out? Once the sox are wet I guess breathability is reduced to zero. I have visions of the sole of the sox getting such a hammering after 15+ hrs that waterproofing is reduced to zero. 

I use sealskinz as if my feet get wet I inevitably get blisters.  I use a very thin coolmax liner which makes them more comfortable.  They will wear out after heavy use, but will last much longer than 15 + hours

Thanks guys . I shall get a pair and try them out on the RAB MM and the OMM if it is wet.

I'm looking into sealskinz - there is a waterproof model that doesn't allow water past the cuff.  Advice I've had is to wear thin, wicking liner socks - perhaps ToeToe/Injinji? - underneath.  The Sealskinz material is a bit scratchy.

btw I've found wearing Injinji socks on their own create just as many blisters as ordinary socks, only in different places (under the toes).

I've vaselined my feet before putting twin skins on, for Greater Manchester Marathon (pouring rain), NDW50 and various training runs in the 20+ mile bracket. Worked for me.

I find vaseline on feet is good - but if you are going to tape, do that first! lesson learnt on first ultra I did!!

The OMM is ALWAYS wet - guaranteed, never had dry feet in any of the ones I've done!!

I had great success with the basic Injinji socks on the SDW race this year, hadn't really trialled them before race.

I also have several pairs of Pete Bland £5 merino wool mix socks I wear for my winter running (winter running involves snowmelt puddles and bogs and occasional wading of rivers with snow melt). They are not perfect but are the best for keeping feet warm, even when wet ... and are sooooo cheap.

Merino wool sox do work but the problem on the Spine is that you are on the go for 7 days over 267miles in jan. What may work for a soaking  100miler over say 40 hrs (L100 2009) won,t work on the Spine. The damper your feet are , the sooner you get trench foot. On a race that long blisters can easly cause a DNF. I am one of the lucky ones who never seem to get blisters but then I have never run for that long. In order to finish preperation must be spot on. I plan to swap shoes and sox at the checkpoints but the checkpoints are 40 miles appart!

Besides sealskinz has anyone tried the gortex trail shoes with the built in gaiters? I think Salomon do one and also La Sportiva.

Ian - Your last response cut my sage wisdom off at the knees; just about to wax lyrical about Smart Wool merino socks in which I have yet to have a blister and always remain warm even when wet however reckon your right about the spine, awesome by the way, on longer outings I have ended up a little prune like.

If you try the La Sportva will you post back as I have been eyeing them for a while but as they are the opposite to my usual approach (quick draining shoes and merino wool sock combo) have yet to try them.

As an aside I did take a run with a chap who told me poor care and attention to hs toenail length had meant that he punctured his sealskinz after just a couple of outings and he found the hole allowed sweat etc to drain but didn't seem to let too much water in.

I've used Seal Skinz but only if the weather is proper miserable from the start with no end in sight.  That's kind of the same logic I use to decide whether to wear waterproofs as well.  If you've only got a short section where you're going to get your feet wet or if the weather looks like it'll clear I just wear my normal socks and they dry out as the day goes on.

So for warmth (rather than waterproofing) are merino wool socks the way to go?

My feet are starting to get cold on the bike already

I do find the merino wool socks help, I have such dreadful circulation anyway, and it seems to be getting worse, that nothing is a cure-all, especially the bits where I wade through fresh snowmelt!!! I started getting chillblains when running last winter and I think these have definitely helped. They seem to dry out pretty quickly so I am definitely a fan of the quick-draining shoes and quick-drying socks. Even on winters days I've managed to get my feet to dry out and warm up eventually.

mike_a wrote (see)

I've used Seal Skinz but only if the weather is proper miserable from the start with no end in sight...

You live in Britain, then?

I now have a pr of sealskinz. All I need now is really shit weather! The winter 100 should be a useful trial run, if they don,t work over 25 miles I can switch back at the central checkpoint.

Next problem the Backpack! What I would like is the newer style with plenty of storage in the front. Salomon seem to produce what I need but not in a 30L pack(min size for the spine). Just to be fussy It also needs to have a short back as my OMM 32L tends to rub as the waist belt is too low. Front clip on pouches make getting the pack on and off fiddly and slow. Any suggestions?

You're right, there's some nice bags/vests from Salomon, UltrAspire & Nathan for example which have lots of storage on the front.  As they're lightweight and more of a vest than a traditional rucksack, would they give you the same problems you've had with other rucksacks I'm wondering?