mountainpenguin
14 years ago
I have been getting on very well with a pair of fell shoes and wet suit socks if the water is over wellie depth.
The fell shoes have fantastic grip and drain very quickly while the wetsuit socks keep you dry.
Tamarmole
14 years ago
Fire brigade wellies are pretty much bomb proof.
JonK
  • JonK
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14 years ago
Simon

Dr Marten steel toe cap work boots and wellies work for me unless you are in deep water for hours and here wellies are best.
Gary
  • Gary
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14 years ago
Usually wear an old pair of shoes, as I get fed up with carrying wellies
and / or walking around in wet boots. Towel and dry socks in the rucksack is a must for me!! 😉
combemartinminers.co.uk ??
simonrl
  • simonrl
  • 51% (Neutral)
  • Administration Topic Starter
14 years ago
"AR" wrote:

Simon, how come you didn't replace those wellies ages ago, the sitemasters Roy M mentioned can be got off fleabay pretty cheap. I've seen wellies in better condition abandoned in modern mines....



What can I say 😉 I'm a cheapskate... I've replaced them now and very comfy the new ones are too :lol:
my orders are to sit here and watch the world go by
Edd
  • Edd
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14 years ago
After the ammount of blisters i got from wellies the other day i am a strong believer in boots and just getting wet feet :lol:
'I started reading it with full intention to read it all and then got bored and went and got beer instead!'
Going Under
14 years ago
Tried both,wellies everytime 😉
derrickman
14 years ago
cheap work boots ( especially the fake-cordura sort ) and wet suit socks get my vote. Wellies are horrible.
''the stopes soared beyond the range of our caplamps' - David Bick...... How times change .... oh, I don't know, I've still got a lamp like that.
SRJ underwater mining
11 years ago
used to wear wellies when i was working underground but i've since changed over to steel toe cap work boots since most of the places im now working in are filled with water which is deeper than a pair of wellies so i may aswell wear whats more comfortable, plus when your digging a pile out while lying on your side wellies do tend to fill up with dirt abit too easily, to stop the same thing happening with boots i wear a pair of canvas gaiters over the top
iestyn999
11 years ago
Anyone who chooses boots over wellies is wearing the wrong wellies!!

Dunlop Purofort Thermo+

As used by just about every farmer in the country and on fishing trawlers

They may seem expensive at £70, but they're worth every penny and I guarantee you'll agree!

Brilliant grip, insulate to minus 40, and great ankle support.

I've got two pairs now (orange and green. only because I need a pair for working that aren't wet from the weekend's exploring!)

I've had the first pair for 6 years now, and other than where the dog has chewed the top of one of them, they're like new :)

royfellows
11 years ago
As daft as it sounds I am into neoprene thigh waders.

A lot of exploring can be done in these and they are kind to the knees as well. It started in 2010 when I had some problems which prevented me from wetsuiting up, I have always wore just the bottoms of a two piece as much as possible for comfort, plus the wetsocks and steel toe cap industrial boots. Breathable top clothing with a packaway waterproof top for raining stopes and if I got cold.
Wetsuit top reserved for where its needed.

Anyway, I was yearning to get back underground and the waders occured to me as a solution, and they worked out so well that the habit stuck.
My avatar is a poor likeness.
Tamarmole
11 years ago
Although I haven't tried them my self I have heard people speaking well of the neoprene "para boot" by hi tec. A friend of mine uses them and really rates them.
RJV
  • RJV
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11 years ago
"iestyn999" wrote:

Anyone who chooses boots over wellies is wearing the wrong wellies!!



They seem like overkill? Wetsocks & bog-standard steel toe cap boots or wellys are generally warm enough for extended spells in deep water.

They have a look of moon boots about them, what are they like for climbing? If they got wedged in a crevice or rift presume they'd be hard to remove given their inherent lack of flexibility?
iestyn999
11 years ago
"RJV" wrote:

"iestyn999" wrote:

Anyone who chooses boots over wellies is wearing the wrong wellies!!



They seem like overkill? Wetsocks & bog-standard steel toe cap boots or wellys are generally warm enough for extended spells in deep water.

They have a look of moon boots about them, what are they like for climbing? If they got wedged in a crevice or rift presume they'd be hard to remove given their inherent lack of flexibility?



The only problems I've ever had with them getting stuck is when on electron ladders, and occasionally my SRT foot loop gets stuck in the treads.

I've never really had any problems climbing in them

I've spent up to £250 on walking boots in the past, and if I'm honest, these wellies are much more comfortable. I can wear them all day and my feet never get tired.
They are heavy to hold, but when they're on your feet you don't notice 🙂
gNick
  • gNick
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11 years ago
I treated myself to some of the very nice but expensive Puroforts and then promptly stopped using them because doing lots of digging & didn't want to destroy them...
I'm currently trying some canyoning boots (from Starless River) which are very comfy, although don't keep much water out.
Don't look so embarrassed, it's a family trait...
Blober
  • Blober
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11 years ago
I have a pair of the hi tec paras, they are bloody good if you wear a pair of wetsocks with them. But the build quality is to be desired. The insides of mine are starting to get worn but nothing a new pair of insoles wont cure, only other issue is the sides tend to leak but you could also fix that with some of the shoe goo rubber stuff.

How are you getting on with the etche boots, gNick? I think the reason they don't keep water out is they are designed to drain quickly.

In any case I'll always use boots, I have visions of wellies flying off mid pitch or being sucked off my feet by the dreaded ochre.
FILTH - Think this is a playground? Think again...
pwhole
  • pwhole
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11 years ago
I always wear wellies - and with shinpads. They fill them up quite tightly, and given I'm always getting into 'tight scrapes with loose deads', I'm way more concerned about getting my legs out unbroken than ultimate comfort! Everyone laughs at the shinpads, but I don't care. For digging they're a dream.

That said, I have been thinking about those posh Purofort wellies - the ones that look like Judge Dredd's boots. I'm just concerned they'll end up getting trashed like all the others do - wear off the rubber over the steel toecap, and get splits in the soles. £20 wellies I can stand that with, but £70. Unless, with the £70 ones that doesn't happen? Six years and like new sounds pretty damn good.
gNick
  • gNick
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11 years ago
Etche boots pretty good, fill up and drain as well as my deep water wellies (have holes drilled in them) and are light and pretty grippy. Have laces so don't pull off in mud and a lovely red nylon tongue, what more could a mine explorer want?

Worth getting some insoles, even with the padding from wet-socks, I got some gel ones from Brantano and they make long walks much more agreeable.
Don't look so embarrassed, it's a family trait...
crickleymal
11 years ago
I'm currently using North Egoli Inyati Chemical Boots
http://www.thesafetysupplycompany.co.uk/p/457752/sb---north-egoli-inyati-chemical-boot---en-345-200-joules---also-for-wading-in-water---lh-cb4.html#.Uu07cLR9BK4 
and very good they are too. Apart from the eyelets being rubber the laces tend to saw through them.
Malc.
Rusted and ropey, Dog eared old copy
Vintage and classic or just plain Jurassic
All words to describe me.
Scatts
  • Scatts
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11 years ago
My £15 pair of festival wellies have served me well so I can't argue. Throw a couple pairs of dry socks in the car for once you're topside - job done 🙂
Mole
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