By Bob Difley
Those who lead an active RV lifestyle are indeed fortunate, but it does require some adjustment to become truly efficient, a requirement that enables us to have fun and avoid the stresses of life both on and off the road. Unlike living in a house, one of the dilemmas we have all had to face is paring down what we carry around in our home-on-wheels.
One of the first lessons we learned is paying particular attention to choosing tools, equipment, kitchenware, and clothes that we can utilize for more than one use. The theory is, that by selecting an item that has multiple uses, we can eliminate another item/s that we don’t have to carry any longer – or to find a storage place for.
Think a screwdriver with multiple and exchangeable heads stored in the handle, pot-and-pan sets with a single easy off/on handle that fits the whole set, and layered easy-care clothes that can be removed individually as the day heats up. The fewer items we carry, the more livable/uncluttered our space becomes and the more time we have for recreation and sightseeing.
One of the best places to pare down is in the number of pairs of shoes we carry. Shoes are irregularly shaped and take up a lot of valuable storage space. And it’s not just women that have many pairs of shoes for varied occasions. Dress shoes, casual shoes, hiking boots, rainproof boots and more, awkwardly take up too much space in our too-small lockers.
Ridgemont Outfitters has come up with a boot that, because it serves several purposes, neatly fits the RV lifestyle. As stated on the Ridgemont website, “After struggling to find shoes that met not only our desire for ruggedness, water-resistancy, and traction but that also looked great, we decided that there must be other poor souls clomping around in needlessly bulky boots, yearning for something with a little more style.”
The design of this boot is such that you could wear it as a light and comfortable hiking boot for most on- or off-trail hikes and walks, a casual shoe for daytime use about town, or a stylish shoe you could wear to informal dinners. That alone likely replaces at least two other pairs of shoes/boots that are clogging up your closet.
But that’s not all. I laced up a sample pair of the Monty Hi sneakerboot hybrid boots for the first time and wore them all day and found them to be very comfortable first time out. Ridgemont calls them “the perfect versatility to be the outdoorsman’s everyday shoe.” They are not heavy like most hiking boots, yet are sturdy enough for serious trail hiking. And I especially liked the design. I’m not a fashion maven, but I did like the color combo (and that they didn’t look like big clunky hiking boots), yet I also wouldn’t feel self-conscious wearing them out to dinner either.
Other Features of the Monti Hi:
- 100% Hi-Density rubber lugged sole
- Ballistic nylon panels
- Bespoke heel stabilizer
- Bi-fit flexible lasting board
- Eva-Cush open cell anti-microbial insole
- Waterproof oiled suede
This and other designs come in both men’s and women’s styles. You can see the complete line on the Ridgemont Outfitters website and purchase on Amazon.
You can find Bob Difley’s RVing e-books on Amazon Kindle. Follow on Facebook and Twitter.
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The problem with this shoe is that it assumes that everybody has a medium width foot. I’m here to say it ain’t so Joe.