Fixing my el cheapo rubber boots.

First the obvious question. Why would I bother fixing such a shitty pair of boots? The answer is as obvious as the question. Because I can.

I got these boots from Fred Meyer on sale for $20 dollars (originally $30) a year and a half ago. I got them because I needed some rubber boots for taking my mutt to the dog park to play. I used them about a dozen times for that before I abused the shit out of them on a Blacktail hunt in 2016. I was in a pretty wet environment, but a waterproof pair of hiking boots would have worked fine. I put about 18 miles on them all together (over 3 days). Needless to say, I obviously didn’t know shit about what boots to wear for that kind of hunting. My feet felt raw and cold by the end of each day and I vowed never to wear them for that much walking again… shortly after that I wore them for waterfowl hunting with a pair of waders I borrowed from a friend. I put about the same number of miles on them over 3 weekends and by the time I was done they were leaky, dirty, and essentially useless for my purposes.  After the second weekend I tried to fix the leaks with some Shoe glue, but that just didn’t work too well. Now here we are with a leaky useless pair of el cheapo boots that need to be thrown away and replaced… so let’s fix them.

11)    First things first. I had to clean the mud and duck shit off.

I just used some soap and water with a nail brush and a kitchen scrubber. It worked really well to get the grime off. I did this inside the bathtub to reduce the mess and clean up. I gave the boots a quick dry with a hand towel to prepare for the next step.

2) I used my wife’s nail polish remover to remove any dirt residue that was left and to help remove the shoe glue.

2 3) I spend about 15-25 minutes picking off the loose pieces of shoe glue that were stuck to the edges of the boot.

3 

the boots got pretty clean. You can still see some residue from the shoe glue but that doesn’t really matter.

44)   I used this leak sealer left over from a different project to seal any leaks and add a layer of durability to the boots.

 I on two coats and both took about 20 minutes to dry. I know what you’re thinking! ‘how the hell are you gonna’ use bright white boots for hunting?’ I’m not. See next step.

55)  

I used some cheap ass black spray paint to return the boots to the original color. I have NO idea if the paint will stay or not, but we’ll see I guess. For now, they look like boots again.

In addition to the repairs I’ve made here, I’ll probably be putting in some cheap insoles for cushion and maybe use a wool liner.

The Average Outdoorsman: about the blog and blogger

Growing up I was always outside. I loved to play, fish, camp, hike, you name it. I was an avid boy scout (eagle scout) and had a keen interest in outdoor survival and bush craft. I grew up mostly around southern Utah. It was an outdoor paradise. The diverse landscape made outdoorsmanship easy and it was an integral part of the culture. I spent hours learning how to make a fire with flint and steel, tie the perfect bowline, or hit a squirrel sized target with my wrist rocket from 50 yards away. I did everything from day hikes to 50 mile canoe trips where I spend the night in a lean-to shelter. My enthusiasm spread beyond the boy scouts. I was determined to learn everything there was about being a "mountain man." I build snares out of shoelaces and dead fall traps out of bricks and twigs, I learned how to flintknap, throw tomahawks, and brain tan buck hides. Those are my best memories. 

 Like so many people, somewhere along the way I stopped. It was a combination of family circumstances, moving across the country and wanting to fit in with the culture that caused me to lose both interest and proficiency in my outdoorsmanship. It was no longer cool to be a rugged outdoorsman like it was where I had previously lived. I conformed to the hippy culture of the great Northwest (Seattle, the epicenter of American hippieism). Inside I continued to long for the wilderness. I would participate in cushy camping trips and day hikes periodically, but stopped perusing high adventure activities. I became bored, depressed, directionless, even neurotic from neglecting my need for adventure in the wilderness.

Seattle, WA

       Recently I have regained this passion and have started practicing the things I love. 

 The suddenness of this revival is for several reasons. The first being I have stopped caring

 about what the hippies think. I no longer care about the dagger stares I get when the hipster next to 

me overhears a conversation I’m having with a friend about hunting bear. I have allowed myself to 

become myself  again.

Greenlake. Seattle, WA

The second reason is I have finally realized that the evergreen state can be just as much of an outdoor paradise as Utah (greater in many ways). The gap in my outdoor adventures has left me feeling like an empty shell. I hope to heal my heart by doing what I love again.

Mt. Pilchuck, WA

Thirdly and finally, outdoor sports are becoming more and more popular again as people begin to realize how oppressive city living can be. Still, only a short list of outdoor sports that are socially acceptable in the hippy capital of the northwest. Hunting and shooting sports are not on that list. However, I'll take what I can get. The increased interest in outdoor sports has provided a great opportunity for affordable used gear which makes reentering the world of outdoor adventure a bit easier.

Used REI backpack I purchased for 15 dollars at goodwill

            After hiking in jeans and sneakers, I decided that I really needed to get on the ball. with gear. The gap in outdoor activities has left me with virtually no gear or outdoor clothing. I’m a student so I’m also Poor AF. This blog will really just be about getting back into adventuring and the cheapskate ways I’m trying to get it done. I don’t have tons of money for equipment, but I don’t want to buy cheap and repeat every year so I'm looking to strike a balance. You as the reader get to learn through my experiences about what is affordable and functional versus what is CHEAP without having to spend your own cash and in a fraction of the time it would take for you to experience it yourself.  You will learn this through before and after reviews on gear, clothing, and more. Additionally, I’ll be writing 'how to' blogs on restoring, repairing, maintaining, and creating gear. I don’t claim to be an expert. I want you all to leave input and respectfully discuss the topics presented in this blog. The goal is that we can all learn from each other here. I’m not gonna’ sit here and preach. I’m just an average outdoorsman.

Fort Casey. Whidbey Island, WA