DEcided to take half a day off and use a computer for a bit of leisure. The weather on my start day at Kirk Yetholme was dreadful, high winds and heavy rain most of the day, was made even worse because the boots that I bought a few months ago (WATERPROOF Keen Targee 2's) leaked like a SIEVE!!!
I hiked to the Byrness Hostel in one day, my feet were truly a mess with blisters on the balls of my feet and heels and they looked very crinkly and sickly! The people in charge of the hostel put my boots and socks in their dryer. The next day my socks were dry but the boots were still damp, but at least it was no longer raining. I hiked on but as soon as I walked on soggy moorland my feet became wet through again. By the time I got to Hadrians Wall (hobbling!) I was not a happy bunny at all!
Whilst walking through Wark Forest I met two blokes who I chatted to. One started talking about the Spine Race so I said do you know Slogger? Know him said one, he's one of my mates! So if you read this Slogger he and friend seemed to be doing fine, Sorry, forgot their names! I also met a couple who had walked the Stevenson Trail in France. First time I've met people who, like me have done this, we spent ages talking about our love of the route and the experiences we had.
My wet boots problem has dominated me my thinking and my mood, I get like that sometimes. In the end I managed to buy some Nicwax leather waterproofing spay and just poured the liquid contents equally into each boot and waited until the liquid started dribbling through to the outside. Each boot had about 5 different exit points so this annoyed me even further! I then poured the liquid back into the container and just left them to dry (more or less) in the sunshine of that day.
I emailed Keen's (not a word so far) and the online shop I bought them from, again not a word to date. Maybe I was sold a pair of seconds?
My waterproofing idea seems to have paid off. At the moment my feet are dry and seem to be healing as well. I have had to walk though some boggy bits and so far water has not got in again. It hasn't rained so that's been helpful.
I've discovered I am now nervous of cows. Since my experience on the GR10 in France last year when one charged and biffed me in the chest, I found that on one day I completely lost my nerve to walked through a herd, so did it the hard way by walking around their field.
Apart from that I've enjoyed good beer and good food. Its so cheap 'up North' I have paid £2.60 a pint, £3.75 where I live in Portsmouth! If I go to a seafront pub I can be charged £4.50 a pint!
My Exos 48 has performed very well, my load has carried very well. I also have had no problems with harness slippage. Once tightened thats where it stays.