r/CampingandHiking

Gear shake down for 3 nights in the sierras with my wife and some co workers. Tell me what I’m missing and or what I could potentially leave behind! My pack is currently right at 30lbs without food and water with everything listed below (the camera equipment & batteries get me every time) but I love being able to capture these trips.

Shelter
- Nemo Tent & Stakes
- Guy lines & Cordage
- Groundsheet

Sleep
- Thermarest Neo Air
- NEMO Disco 15°
- NEMO pillow
- NEMO foam pad

Clothing
- Smartwool baselayer top/bottom
- Smartwool Beanie
- Patagonia R1 fleece
- North Face down puffer  
- REI rain jacket
- REI rain pants
- Fjallraven Hiking pants
- Hiking socks + Extra Socks
- Under Armour underwear
1 OR Gloves
- Hiking boots

Water
- 48 oz Nalgene
- Katadyn filter 

Cooking
- MSR PocketRocket Deluxe
- Fuel
- Toaks pot
- Toaks spoon
- Lighter 
- Ferro Rod

Navigation / Emergency
- Garmin inReach Mini
- Phone & Maps/ Trail Downloaded
- GPS ( CalTopo)
- Trekking poles
- Headlamp x2
- First-aid kit
- Repair kit / Sewing Kit
- Emergency shelter/bivy
- Anker Power bank
- Charging cables
- Ziplock bags 
- Multitool 
- Matches & backup lighter / ferro rod 
- Compass
- Bear Spray

Hygiene
- Toilet kit/ Wet Wipes
- Sunscreen
- Bandana
- Toothbrush/toothpaste
- Hand sanitizer
- Lip Balm 

Food & Storage
- Bear canister
- Trash bag

Camera Equipment
- DJI Osmo 5 Pro
- Tripod
- Batteries 
- SD Card 
- Mini Mic

I'm no woodworker or handyman so I'm happy with how it turned out!

Brand new coffee cup (Titanium), 18yo backpack, 18yo tent, 18yo sleeping bag, 18yo sleeping pad...all still worked as good as it could have hoped.

Hi,

my first post here. Apologies in advance for any mistakes. Feel free to let me know if I should improve my message or something.
All sizes are Euro sizes

I bought Banks SF Extra LL 42. And I am in doubts .
Width is fine; length concerns me due to tiny heel slippage feeling about 3 milimetres.
I may return exchange them for a Banks SF Extra GTX 41.5.
I have tried them only inside the house.

1. FEET MEASUREMENTS

- Length: ~25.7-26 cm with medium merino socks (lazy day, 2 h gym).
- Width: 10 cm (left) / 10.5 cm (right) with medium merino socks.
- After long hikes: length reaches ~26.1 cm or more; width exceeds 10.5 cm (up to 10.4 cm one foot, 10.7 cm the other); insteps rise significantly.
- Shape: very straight feet; average to slightly narrow heel, but not narrow.

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2. BANKS SF EXTRA LL - Size 42 - FITTING OBSERVATIONS

WIDTH: Snug and fine with medium merino socks. With thicker medium socks, snugger. Boot does not feel empty anywhere except maybe a bit on the heel. Comfortable out of the box without pinky toe or big toe pressure. Not used to that.

LENGTH CONCERNS:
- Heels are not super snug like my stiffer boots eg Meindl Island normal width Goretex in 42.5 euro size.. I feel 2-3 mm heel slippage up/down, especially on torsional moves. Not on stairs going up or down backwards etc. It feels like a tiny emptiness. With thicker socks and in the evening the heel slippage almost disappears. All on a lazy day without swollen feet. I experimented with heel-lock lacing techniques.
- With laces fully undone, the boot does not hold my heel tightly. The foot escapes after two steps. Heel feels like a very soft glove left/right, but loose when undone. Not swimming. My more aggressive technical boots held the heel tighter with fully undone laces.
- With laces fully undone and feet moved to slightly touch the front: 1.5 index fingers fit easily at the centre back of the heel. More difficult to fit one finger left/right of the heel, meaning no void left/right. (I think.)

STEPPING ON INSOLES:
With insoles removed and stepping correctly: ~1.5-1.8 cm one foot and ~1.7-1.9 cm gap from longest toe to insole edge (my long toe sometimes curls but often opens up).
- Insole total length edge to edge: 28 cm.

These three elements (1.5 fingers at heel; the insole toe gap; the slight slippage) worry me, though the boot feels overall okay for this insole length (28 cm). Reminder: I tried them without swollen feet.

LENGTH-WISE (??):
I wonder if I need 41.5, as the Hanwag size chart indicates? (Seems odd because in non-wide B/C boots I often use 42.5.) The Hanwag instructions has calculated extra space inside; I assume this is in the curves/contours at front and back?. Repeating my measurements without swollen feet:
- Length: ~25.7-26 cm with medium merino socks (lazy day, no backpack, minimal walking at home and 2h gym).
- Width: 10 cm (left) / 10.5 cm (right) with medium merino socks (same lazy day)

QUESTIONS:
Does anyone kow anyting about the Hanwag SD Extra?
- Will my heels or entire foot experience increased slippage once leather and soles break in?
- Or can the heel slippage disappear after break-in? It is strange because the boot walks perfectly with me except this slippage on torsional moves. Note it does not feel dramatic slippage but there is some.
- Should this model feel very snug from day one, or will it feel snugger later once leather softens and sole breaks in?
- Maybe a heel wedge-lifter or tongue volume filler will do the trick?

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3. BANKS SF EXTRA GTX 41.5 - ALTERNATIVE

- My pre-walk length (25.7-26 cm) and width (10 / 10.5 cm) suggest EU 41.5 per your size chart.
- My feet can reach ~26.1 cm or more after heavy/long walking, with increased width and insteps.
- The 41.5 insole measures 27.5 cm edge to edge (0.5 cm shorter than the 42).
- I wonder if I should return the Hanwag SF Extra LL in Euro size 42 and get a Hanwag SF Extra GTX in Euro size 41.5. It is shorter, presumably wide enough, and the heel may be tighter. I suppose the width will conform after break-in. Regarding length, maybe it is okay considering the leather curves at rear and front.

CONTEXT: I am used to leather boots that start very snug at the heel and everywhere, then break in after weeks or months or long milage (I have always had asymmetric tough boots). Maybe the Banks SF Extra All Leather becomes snugger later. It is a lottery because I cannot try and return a 41.5 as I could not try the 42. I live in Portugal and we must always order try and return. Disturbing and costly.

Attaching some photos.