The state of the ground.

[CaledonianGonzo]

Just now, Tuna said:

The problem is that practical shoes don't go with my fabulous outfits. Glitter problems.

Nor with my Saturday night Fever suit.

 

[CaledonianGonzo]

Plus - the drainage has improved since 2007 

[CaledonianGonzo]

Didn't wear gaiters, and had drier feet than all my mates who came out of their wellies in the mud.

[Dave_c]

This whole wellies vs walking boots is a bit long in the tooth. Wear whatever you feel is required, it's your choice at the end of the day. I have walking boots but I wear wellies when it gets really mucky because for me it just makes more sense. I can wade through everything with no worries, and they are so much easier to clean when I get home. All this walking boots with gaiters is all well and good but it's a bit of a faff. Wellies are just easier and better in my opinion when the ground is like it was last year. Decent wellies, of course, are essential.

[CaledonianGonzo]

3 minutes ago, Dave_c said:

This whole wellies vs walking boots is a bit long in the tooth. Wear whatever you feel is required, it's your choice at the end of the day.

Sorry Tim Farron, but it's not going to go away that easily.

There's been a deep schism in footwear circles ever since Martin Boother nailed his list of Welly Grievances onto the door of the Wittenberg branch of Millets.

Pick a side, or risk electoral obliteration.

 

[SwedgeAntilles]

Brought gaiters last year and didn't take them out my bag. Boots and only boots all the way

[squirrelarmy]

Can you paint Transformers symbols and add LED lights to walking boots and gaiters?

I say no so wellies win.

[Ollie9917]

but how much worse WAS the mud last year compared to other years? last year was my first year so I know no other truth but huge mud

 

as a result I thought all festivals were that muddy so bought wellies to boardmasters with NO mud 

[Fearless_Fish]

Walking through mud in waterproof hiking boots feels like your feet are being cuddled by beautiful warmth-giving angels.

Walking through mud in wellies feels like someone is taking an angle-grinder to your leg. Then you fall out.

If there are one or two deep bits, they can always be circumnavigated. If you bring a car, then leave your wellies within, and retrieve them only in the most diabolical of circumstances.

[Fearless_Fish]

1 minute ago, Ollie9917 said:

but how much worse WAS the mud last year compared to other years? last year was my first year so I know no other truth but huge mud

 

as a result I thought all festivals were that muddy so bought wellies to boardmasters with NO mud 

Last year was the worst mud since 2007, and boots held up splendidly.

[Untz]

Boots are better than wellies.

But I'm not buying boots just for Glastonbury.

[Ollie9917]

what happens if there is no rain and the ground is dry? Does it still get muddy somehow?

[frostypaw]

52 minutes ago, CaledonianGonzo said:

Love my walking sandals, but I wouldn't want to be in a crowd with people easily able to stamp on my tootsies.

I get a little mardy at the folk in sandals in the middle of crowds of drunk folk tutting and yelling at people who get their toes.

It's a pretty obvious problem, can't go blaming everyone else for it

[Fearless_Fish]

3 minutes ago, Ollie9917 said:

what happens if there is no rain and the ground is dry? Does it still get muddy somehow?

I feel that would be unlikely, but remember, it is Glastonbury.

[Untz]

3 minutes ago, Ollie9917 said:

what happens if there is no rain and the ground is dry? Does it still get muddy somehow?

It does near sinks/taps, if you're craving some mud.

[geoffboycott]

Took wellies once in 2011, never used them and haven't bothered bringing them since.. walking boots every time.

[6t6o6m]

51 minutes ago, CaledonianGonzo said:

Likewise - if it stays dry.

I can't see there being any deep mud at this point, so the trainers will handle a bit of sludge. 

[ghostdancer1]

43 minutes ago, Scruffylovemonster said:

I wore gaiters all weekend last year cos I just knew it'd be my luck to hit a deceptively deep puddle. Plus 90% of my group were telling me I was stupid and needed wellies so I thought it'd be sod's law. Anyway, I reckon that other than keeping my laces mud free for ease of removal I reckon they were superfluous and boots on their own would have sufficed. 

i wore boots with no gaiters for pretty much the whole weekend last year. apart from the odd spot I had to walk around where the mud was high and sloppy (around LEftfield IIRC), the boots on their own were absolutely fine.

[Keithy]

The wellies v boots thing is very straightforward. Welly wearers are idiots and walking boots people are just better.

You wouldn't go hiking or trekking across muddy fields for 5 days in wellies, so why do it at Glastonbury?!

[Havors]

1 hour ago, Trout Mask Replica said:

I have 2 pairs, regular ones and ruggedised hard terrain ones. 

I was also late to discover them but once I did, all fashion concerns faded away. 

That's the nice thing about being in my mid 40s, I appear to have stopped giving a fig for what anyone thinks of my fashion sense anymore. 

More power to You! I couldn't wear them no matter what people thought haha for my own sanity 

[Havors]

Wellies are much easier to get off when you fall into hour tent off your face at 5am 

So wellies for me haha 

[Sawdusty surfer]

On site last night. Dry as Ghandi's sandal.

If you are planning on using tent pegs made from potatoes I suggest you exchange them for pegs made from titanium.

 

[watsonjm]

32 minutes ago, Sawdusty Surfer said:

On site last night. Dry as Ghandi's sandal.

If you are planning on using tent pegs made from potatoes I suggest you exchange them for pegs made from titanium.

 

Pegs going in at all? or a mallet needed?

[gfest2009]

5 hours ago, Keithy said:

The wellies v boots thing is very straightforward. Welly wearers are idiots and walking boots people are just better.

You wouldn't go hiking or trekking across muddy fields for 5 days in wellies, so why do it at Glastonbury?!

I concur. We had boots last year for the first time and they were a *game-changer*!

[Porcelina]

Always take a mallet! I remember 2010/15 without would have been trying to hammer a nail with your hand.