The Boot Bag

[Smashtorrent]

Hi all, it's been a busy weekend with the thread injection machine. After I made a new set of snake skins for my new tarp, I made what I call a boot bag with the leftover no-see-um netting. Being a converted ground dweller, the one thing I missed most about my tent was the ability to keep the bugs out of my boots by keeping them in the tent with me. So with this rectangle bottom no-see-um stuff sack that weighs about 1 oz I can now sleep well with my boots outside

[RePete]

Nice idea. Light weight solution. Very cool.

[rjcress]

Cool idea, but why mesh?
Won't dirt and dust from your boots transit the mesh and into yor hammock?

[Bat]

Sounds like he is leaving the boots outside the hammock. Neat solution.

[RePete]

Cool idea, but why mesh?
Won't dirt and dust from your boots transit the mesh and into yor hammock?

I dont think Smashtorrent intends to sleep with his boots in his hammock. Could just leave them on the ground in the bag or hang them from your suspension under the tarp to keep dry or where ever you would want to hang them. Maybe even next to the bear bag. After all are you not supposed to hang all items with smells? lol The point is only to keep the bugs out of the boots. I think.

[jackleberry]

Not to steal your thunder, but I've lived in brown recluse spider country long enough to learn that there's an easy and fool proof way to keep bugs out of your boots, even when stored on the ground, outside of your tent or whatever...

When your foot is half-way removed from the boot, take the opening of your sock and invert it over the outside of the boot making sure it goes down far enough to cover any open area around the laces. Then continue to remove your foot from the sock and boot. Unless your socks are full of holes, this will keep the creepy-crawlies out. In the morning, remove the sock, shake it out (inside out now for easy inspection), and put it back on your foot right-side out.

Other spider tips include:

Shake everything out before you put it on!

Make sure you remove your belt or other sharp/hard object from your pants before shaking them out! Belt buckels can hurt!

Don't move around in your sleep. Spiders can crawl over your face all night and as long as you don't press against them or swat at them, they won't bite you.

Recluse spiders like a little warmth and moisture, so be sure to shake out that hand towel before using it! Two of the several times I've been bitten by brown recluses, they were hiding in moist towels!

Wear a hat or a bandana in the woods, even if its hot or you otherwise don't feel like it... When a spider falls on your head, you'll be glad that you can just take off the bandana and shake it rather than trying to tease the critter out of your hair.

[ChrisH]

What if I wanna wear my socks? No, I don't have a spare pair! I love this idea and I don't think you stole his thunder at all.

[angrysparrow]

My technique for this depends on if the shoes are wet/muddy or not.

If dry, I just tie the laces together and hang them from the ridgeline of my hammock. If wet, I just put them in a garbage bag I carry as a spare pack liner and twist the top closed.

I like the mesh bag idea for dry climate use.

[Smashtorrent]

Thanks everyone!

[canoebie]

One of the things that motivated me to hang was being bitten by a black widow inside my tent. I keep everything closed or bagged now. This is a great idea for shoes. I also almost always wear a hat or buff because when paddling big wolf spiders, though harmless like to fall in my canoe when I go under trees.

Hallucinating from a spider bite and missing 5 days of work causes one to view the eight legged world a little differently.