Jaakko
We had four river crossings on our hike, and this was my friend’s first time doing any. I missed filming the first one, but here he is crossing different bodies of water with varying difficulty and without even falling! 😅 These were not the hardest crossings, but still a real challenge for someone unaccustomed, and the cold water made it worse. To top it off, he lost one of his crossing boots, which added to the difficulty, since it’s easy to cut your feet without proper footwear and not even notice because of the numbing cold.

#rivercrossing #wilderness #hiking #nordics #finland #norway #longdistancehiking #trekkinglife #adventurehike #outdoorlife #backpackingjourney #hikinglife
Sep 8 at 8:20amWeb
Show threadLost in Ingermanland 🍄Sep 8
@JakeHikes I've used aqua-shoes for river crossings on the advice of friends.
Show threadJaakkoSep 8
I bought neoprene shoes for this hike, but previously I’ve used Crocs. Aqua shoes are full plastic or am I misunderstanding that? Neoprene shoes do have one downside: they get wet and stay wet for quite a while. On the other hand, they keep your feet warm and pack down very small.
Show threadLost in Ingermanland 🍄Sep 8
@JakeHikes I won't say exactly what material I have, but something like artificial rubber. My friends used a scheme of neoprene socks (in cold weather) + aquashoes. I wore them on bare feet because it was warm. You can walk along the straight path in aquashoes for some time, so don't need to change shoes.
Show threadTor LillqvistSep 8

@JakeHikes A couple of years ago, on just a short day hike from Abisko, we unexpectedly came across a place where we had to cross a wide stream. It was not deep, but we had no experience, and no separate fording shoes. So we did it barefoot. Luckily we found some suitable pieces of wood to use for support at least... Went well.

But yeah, later I have learnt that one should never do it barefoot.

Show threadJaakkoSep 8
@tml@mementomori.social Good to hear you didn’t get any cuts! River crossings are also one reason I always bring hiking poles (that, and now because my new tent needs them too). I guess you live and learn and if you do it without getting hurt the better 🤣