Decent outdoor gear
Discussion
The best ones for this region are the Saudi military issue boots. They are extremely lightweight and have a zipper on the inner ankle so they are dead easy to take off. The biggest bonus with these is the fact that the tongue is sewn all the way up to the top of the boot, so when to step into soft sand, your boot doesn't fill up!
Where to get these?
'Colonel' sells them (along with tonnes of other military style stuff) ... they are located at Interchange 1 on the SZR directly opposite the Dusit Hotel in the old building slightly set back from the road.
Where to get these?
'Colonel' sells them (along with tonnes of other military style stuff) ... they are located at Interchange 1 on the SZR directly opposite the Dusit Hotel in the old building slightly set back from the road.
6th Gear said:
Adventure HQ
Hands down the best shop in Dubai, I reckon. Very impressed. 
Whatever you do, make sure you try loads of different boots and get the right fit. I did the Wainwright coast-to-coast walk back the the UK last summer and spent half a day in Ambleside choosing boots. The best boot in the world will be awful if it's not the right fit for your feet. One salesman even sent me away from his shop to a competitor over the road because he didn't have quite the right size, even though I though the boot was comfy and would be fine.
Try to walk up and down a ramp a few times - under no circumstances should your toe contact the front of the boot and your heel should not lift up from the sole. This was a real eye opener for me - I ended up buying boots a full two UK sizes bigger than my normal shoe size and getting 'volume adjusters' (insoles to you and me) to take up some of the vertical space.
Coincidentally, I ended up with Salomon boots, which they stock a lot of at Adventure HQ. I put them on for the first time at the start of the walk (no chance to break them in here in Dubai) and did the full trip with not one blister.
Cheers Geoff - all good tips with which I agree. Spot on.
I have a bit of boot fitting XP thanks to having tabbed and skied the world courtesy of the Army and a brief stint fitting ski boots for Snow + Rock after I left.
Thanks for the info lads. Looking forward to spending some time, and possibly money, in the shops which I shall visit tomorrow.
I have a bit of boot fitting XP thanks to having tabbed and skied the world courtesy of the Army and a brief stint fitting ski boots for Snow + Rock after I left.
Thanks for the info lads. Looking forward to spending some time, and possibly money, in the shops which I shall visit tomorrow.
Chilli said:
Dusty964 said:
Wrangler.
Sandals.
Drive.
Best i can manage im afraid, if if cant be done in a pair of aigle wellies, im not interested.
Civic,Sandals.
Drive.
Best i can manage im afraid, if if cant be done in a pair of aigle wellies, im not interested.
Thong,
Flip-Flops,
2- Marlboro Lights.
Anything else is just excessive.
Chilli said:
Dusty964 said:
Why has this got me painting a (very grim) mental picture of some sort of modern, chain smoking spartacus???????
Hmmmm, let me help you out here..........think Matt Lucas with hair.I know, give's me the horn too.
Spartapoof?
Well that was another typical super frustrating Dubai experience.
Went to Colonel - had a look at the range which while large, most of it was so poor quality that it was instantly discounted. The only pairs of boots that were ok - no sizes, no stock, manufacturing defects - basically s
t.
Had recced Adventure HQ a few days ago and spotted a couple of pairs that seemed to fit the bill - however, they didn't fit me. No stock in any remotely normal sizes.
Absolutely useless. I want to buy stuff but no one can sell it to me.
The most frustrating thing is yet again, there are no other options. No other shops, can't drive to the next town and you can't even go through the mail order process - well you can but we're talking crazy expensive to arrange from the UK. I physically cannot buy something as simple as a pair of boots.
Any other ideas chaps?
Went to Colonel - had a look at the range which while large, most of it was so poor quality that it was instantly discounted. The only pairs of boots that were ok - no sizes, no stock, manufacturing defects - basically s
t.Had recced Adventure HQ a few days ago and spotted a couple of pairs that seemed to fit the bill - however, they didn't fit me. No stock in any remotely normal sizes.
Absolutely useless. I want to buy stuff but no one can sell it to me.
The most frustrating thing is yet again, there are no other options. No other shops, can't drive to the next town and you can't even go through the mail order process - well you can but we're talking crazy expensive to arrange from the UK. I physically cannot buy something as simple as a pair of boots.
Any other ideas chaps?
i had the same problem getting decent safety boots and ended up waiting until i went home. have got super comfy dewalt trainers now instead of of std. issue ones that melt in the sun.
i am going to europe next week, destination helsinki with a jolly weekend in either amsterdam, paris or london. i can pick up whatever you like whilst i'm there, but reckon you need to try before you buy really.
i am going to europe next week, destination helsinki with a jolly weekend in either amsterdam, paris or london. i can pick up whatever you like whilst i'm there, but reckon you need to try before you buy really.
shirt said:
i had the same problem getting decent safety boots and ended up waiting until i went home. have got super comfy dewalt trainers now instead of of std. issue ones that melt in the sun.
i am going to europe next week, destination helsinki with a jolly weekend in either amsterdam, paris or london. i can pick up whatever you like whilst i'm there, but reckon you need to try before you buy really.
Yeah, cheers - that's the issue, can't buy a pair of boots without trying them on.i am going to europe next week, destination helsinki with a jolly weekend in either amsterdam, paris or london. i can pick up whatever you like whilst i'm there, but reckon you need to try before you buy really.
Really pissed off - dunno why. I actually walked into Adventure HQ this morning and said out loud to myself, 'prepared to be disappointed'.
6th Gear said:
Thanks mate - sadly, I've been to all of those places before and it's the usual thing - very limited range and no sizes of what they do have.I don't understand the stocking policy - it seems they buy one of each size and that's it.
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