Swamp Monster

Feb 17, 2011

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Our boots were handmade in Yorkshire by a company called Altberg and based on the old military jungle boot. It’s impossible to keep your feet dry if you’re wading up to your chest in swamp, so they’re built with valves in the instep that drain water as you walk.

Spring Footwear for 2011

My foot-care system is for the jungle: petroleum jelly in the mornings and medicated talc at night to get ready for the next day’s punishment.

I wore Crocs around the campfire to allow my feet to breathe. They’re perfect zero-maintenance, light-as-a-feather second shoes; unfortunately, they’re not the height of fashion in jungle towns and attract a bit of pointing and laughing, but hey ho!

I wouldn’t jump straight into another long journey—it was bloody miserable at times—but it’s not killed my passion for walking. There’s nothing better than walking in wild places. It recharges my soul.