Vapor Barrier Liners Indispensible For Boots

Sun., June 7, 1998

Q. Re your comments to a previous writer: One major advantage of vapor liners, which is why I always use them in double boots when I’m out for an extended stay, is that they prevent the liners from getting wet from perspiration/condensation. They also unquestionably add warmth. By the way, Brooks Rangers are overboots, not supergaiters, but I’m sure you knew that.

Ken Brown

Gear Guy: Very good points, Ken. I tend to focus on the fact that vapor barrier liner socks can make your regular socks and feet damp, prompting one to carry a spare pair or two of socks and pay careful attention to drying out the feet each night. But they also keep your boot liners dry, reducing they chance they’ll freeze. And as you say, VBL socks usually are credited with adding 10-15 degrees to a boot’s comfort range.

Q. I really enjoy your advice to people, and was wondering if you could give me some advice? This summer I am going to Outward Bound and I need a good Gore-Tex jacket and pants for the trek through the coastal mountains of British Columbia. Could you suggest some quality gear, I really can’t afford North Face.

Joe McRae

Gear Guy: I would make a beeline for an L.L. Bean catalog and order their Stowaway Jacket and Rain pant combination. The jacket goes for $136 in women’s sizes; the pant for $120 less for the two than many Gore-Tex parkas alone. A worthwhile upgrade would be Bean’s Mountain Shell Parka ($199), which has 3-ply Gore-Tex (a material I prefer), a little more rugged construction, and better fit and detailing. But the Stowaway will do just fine and my guess is that you’ll make good use of it.

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