Bacteria causes the stink. Socks keep the bacteria off the boots and a dash of Chlorox kills bacteria.
Depending on where I paddle, there must be bacteria in the water because even things that don’t touch my feet or any other part of my body begin to stink if I don’t attend to them.
@string said:
Bacteria causes the stink. Socks keep the bacteria off the boots and a dash of Chlorox kills bacteria.
Fresh water is far more of a problem than salt water. The bacteria in the water is the reason for equipment stink and it also causes sinus infections if you roll around and get it up your nose (probably not the same germs). There’s probably a lot more variability in the bacterial and chemical content of fresh water, especially in smaller water bodies.
I love salt no brain eating amoeba
Yeah, i sometimes paddle in the Chattahoochee as its relatively close. Fresh water and downstream from a horse riding place immediately across from the put in. I actually got some sort of rash that the dermatologist intuited might be due to a bacteria-encrustef PFD rubbing against my neck, without even knowing i was a paddler.>
@bnystrom said:
Fresh water is far more of a problem than salt water. The bacteria in the water is the reason for equipment stink and it also causes sinus infections if you roll around and get it up your nose (probably not the same germs). There’s probably a lot more variability in the bacterial and chemical content of fresh water, especially in smaller water bodies.
@magooch said:
All you need is a Peets boot drier. I just empty the water out of them and stick them on the drier. No rinsing, washing etc., etc. required. Been doing this for years and there is no odor after they dry. You should be able to find a single pair drier for around $29.95.
Peets for the win,. I also get stink because of all the algae and living stuff in some places I paddle, so I use Mirazyme a couple times a year in a 5 gallon bucket: https://www.gearaid.com/products/mirazyme?variant=28044145425. You can get it on Amazon and a bottle for $9 will last several seasons. It’s the only thing that ever worked on my NRS shoes after paddling in Martha’s Vineyard where I always get a funk after drying.
@Monkeyhead said:
Depending on where I paddle, there must be bacteria in the water because even things that don’t touch my feet or any other part of my body begin to stink if I don’t attend to them.@string said:
Bacteria causes the stink. Socks keep the bacteria off the boots and a dash of Chlorox kills bacteria.
Bacteria exist everywhere, but some water is worse for causing stink than others, for sure. I have paddled places where a few days of not washing booties did not result in stinks. Other places, even a single outing without “the works” treatment that I described above left the booties reeking badly.