Reviews > Footwear > Overshoes > N.E.O.S. Trekker Overshoes > James E. Triplett > Field Report

Field Test Report:

NEOS Trekker Overshoes

New England Overshoe Company, Inc.

Personal Biographical Information:

Backpacking Background:

I grew up car camping all through my childhood.  I later managed to continuously hike the lower 1/3 of the Appalachian Trail, with an external frame Kelty Tioga (loaded to over 50 lb / 23 kg) and some rather massive Vasque boots.  Currently, I spend many weekends backpacking and camping and am out on a daily basis on shorter hikes.  I try and take at least one one-week backpacking trip each year, in addition to several one to three-night weekend trips.

My style can best be described as lightweight, but not at the cost of giving up too much comfort.  I am continually looking at lighter replacement items for gear I own, which is generally not that hard, since a lot of my equipment is rather dated.  I prefer a tent over a tarp, but have not yet tried a hammock.

Manufacturer Information:

Product Information:

Additional Product information:

• High toe box accommodates light hiking boots
• 160 denier pack cloth upper
• NEOS “Perma” sole
• Duraflex quick-release buckle
• Light and packable
• Boot height 20 inches (0.5 m)

Fit and Comfort:

Since my Initial Report, I have settled into testing the NEOS Trekkers primarily with my New Balance 806 trail shoes.  The 806s are basically heavy "tennis shoes", and work well with the Trekkers.  I have also worn these overshoes with my Dunham Waffle Stomper hiking boots (click here for those reports), but it has occurred to me that it is overkill to wear waterproof overshoes over waterproof hiking boots.  I have found the Trekker overshoes to fit and work well with both of these types of footwear.




Initially (I discovered later) I was over tightening the draw-string around the upper cuff on the Trekkers in an effort to keep them secured above my calves.  This caused a digging and scratching sensation which was far from comfortable.  Simply loosing the draw-string a bit provided much more comfort, and somewhat to my surprise, the Trekkers still stayed in the desired position.  If there is any source of discomfort though, I still would point to the upper cuff and draw-string as mentioned here.


General Usage Notes:

The NEOS Trekker Overshoes open extremely wide and are easy to put on and take off.  As with any boot, when they are gummed up with mud they are slightly more difficult to unbuckle, but the Trekkers have only one buckle on each boot to contend with, and I believe these buckles performs quite adequately.  The procedure I go through to don the boots is simple; open them wide, slip my foot in, secure the Velcro at the top, secure the buckle around my ankle, and finally, pull the draw-string at the rear of the top cuff to the proper tension.  To remove the boots, the procedure can be reversed, although it isn't necessary to loosen the draw-string as releasing the Velcro provides ample space for foot removal.  This is possible because the draw-string doesn't go all the way around the boot, allowing for the wide opening in front where the Velcro closure folds over.  The Trekkers do not cling to my inner footwear, and I have never been left sock-footed when removing the overshoes.


Trail Use:

As mentioned above, I have used the Trekkers in a variety of conditions.  The two areas of concern for me were waterproofness when submerged, and water tightness from wet brush or rain. 




As pictured above, I have had the occasion to ford some streams in these overshoes with water approaching the tops of the boots.  The result of this water exposure was no noticeable leakage or water inside the overshoes whatsoever.  Also it should be noted, that while on the rock stream bed, the cool water rushing around my ankles, my footing was quite stable and I didn't feel at all in jeopardy of slipping.  On the subject of footing, the traction in the NEOS Trekkers has been quite good in mud and on wet foliage.  That's not to say I haven't slid down a muddy slope in them, I have, but it is to say that the treads grip reasonably well and I am pleased with the stability they provide.  As far as water tightness goes, I am satisfied there as well.  I have gone off-trail through tall and wet foliage, to the point where my shorts were rather soaked, and the Trekkers have kept out all but the slightest hint of moisture.  This was actually more significant than rain exposure as the wet leaves were contacting my legs right above the cuffs of the overshoes.  In the rain, with my legs slightly shielded by a rain jacket and other clothing, my legs and feet remained dry as well.


Issues:

I have two issues to report on so far in this test series.  The first is that being made of waterproof fabric, the NEOS Trekker overshoes do not breathe.  Not that this is unexpected, but the lack of airflow to my lower legs has caused perspiration to accumulate under the overshoes even in mild conditions.  The second item is more of an annoyance than an issue, and that is that the Trekker fabric is rather noisy when clipping along the trail.  This is not an issue in a stream, and not an issue when bushwhacking and generally making lots of noise anyway.  But it was a surprise to me simply because it was something I hadn't even thought of.





Other Notes:

The NEOS website still does not list the Trekker in its product listing.  Also, the Trekker is not available in the drop-down list on the product registration page, making it not yet possible to register the overshoes.

 
Test Plan:

My test plan remains largely unchanged from my initial report.  I will continue using the NEOS Trekker overshoes in a variety of wet and sloppy conditions, stream crossings, and in the rain.  I will also evaluate the durability of the fabric while on off-trail hikes.

 
Summary:

I have nothing but praise for these overshoes after two months of testing.  The Trekkers are light, easy to use, and provide the expected service of keeping my legs and feet dry when exposed to a variety of conditions.



Respectfully submitted,

-James T.

Reviews > Footwear > Overshoes > N.E.O.S. Trekker Overshoes > James E. Triplett > Field Report