Author Topic: Patching wellies  (Read 3078 times)

citoyen

  • Occasionally rides a bike
Patching wellies
« on: 20 December, 2020, 10:16:34 am »
Discovered* a split in my wellies the other day, near the toe. The situation being what it is, I don’t want to go out welly shopping so I’m thinking of attempting a repair with a bicycle puncture kit. What do we reckon, will it work? Has anyone else done this?



*the hard way... ugh!
"The future's all yours, you lousy bicycles."

Re: Patching wellies
« Reply #1 on: 20 December, 2020, 10:50:56 am »
Discovered* a split in my wellies the other day, near the toe. The situation being what it is, I don’t want to go out welly shopping so I’m thinking of attempting a repair with a bicycle puncture kit. What do we reckon, will it work? Has anyone else done this?



*the hard way... ugh!

I've done this many times with Bison Liquid Rubber.

https://www.bison.net/en/product.2823

citoyen

  • Occasionally rides a bike
Patching wellies
« Reply #2 on: 20 December, 2020, 01:24:10 pm »
That stuff looks good, thanks for the tip!

Although a tube of Bison costs more than the wellies did in the first place. But presumably I could get several repairs from a tube, so probably worth it.
"The future's all yours, you lousy bicycles."

ian

Re: Patching wellies
« Reply #3 on: 20 December, 2020, 06:13:57 pm »
I tried a puncture kit on my last pair (which had a neat hole in the toe from an errant hawthorn). It doesn't work, without the pressure of the tyre, the patch quickly comes off especially if the underlying rubber is flexing.

There are entire sites online dedicated to wellies, it's like stumbling into an entire new subculture, sort of more practical plushy cosplay for farmers.

The liquid rubber looks a lot better, but I needed new wellies anyway, the old ones had developed an interesting olfactory personality, the sort that punches you in the face when you take them off. Plus they were cheapo ones that were about comfortable as walking on nails. I now have luxury wellies which considering the amount of mud I've been stomping through lately, were a good purchase.

citoyen

  • Occasionally rides a bike
Re: Patching wellies
« Reply #4 on: 20 December, 2020, 08:06:32 pm »
I tried a puncture kit on my last pair (which had a neat hole in the toe from an errant hawthorn). It doesn't work, without the pressure of the tyre, the patch quickly comes off especially if the underlying rubber is flexing.

OK, that's good to know, thanks.

Quote
I now have luxury wellies which considering the amount of mud I've been stomping through lately, were a good purchase.

Mine were £10 from Go Outdoors. Given the frequency of long, wet, muddy walks I do over winter, it would probably be worth investing in a better pair - mainly for the avoidance of blisters.

Where I currently work is next door to the London office of Hunter. My colleague picked up a pair of their wellies for the same price as my Dunlops at one of their sample sales. Unfortunately, I missed the last one, and gawd knows when there will be another - they completely shut down their office in March and don't look like opening again soon. Arses.
"The future's all yours, you lousy bicycles."

Re: Patching wellies
« Reply #5 on: 20 December, 2020, 08:21:05 pm »
A bit of silicon sealant you might use in the bathroom?

robgul

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Re: Patching wellies
« Reply #6 on: 20 December, 2020, 08:21:19 pm »
Ditto on puncture repair patch experience - it doesn't work.

My wife's "allotment wellies" are a pair of 30 year-old Hunters that have been repaired with gaffer tape - needs re-doing now and again  (she also has a pair of red Hunters "for best")

If you want basic cheap wellies go to a building supplies shop.

citoyen

  • Occasionally rides a bike
Re: Patching wellies
« Reply #7 on: 20 December, 2020, 08:44:34 pm »
If you want basic cheap wellies go to a building supplies shop.

I could get hold of new wellies easily enough from any number of local places if I wanted to. Thing is, I'm in tier 4, so I really want to avoid going shopping if I can help it. That's the main reason I was considering trying the puncture patch method.

Also I'm loath to chuck out something that might be repairable, so I'll probably order some of that Bison stuff online.
"The future's all yours, you lousy bicycles."

citoyen

  • Occasionally rides a bike
Re: Patching wellies
« Reply #8 on: 20 December, 2020, 08:46:08 pm »
A bit of silicon sealant you might use in the bathroom?

Hmmm, might be worth a try. I certainly have plenty of that stuff knocking about.

I recently refurbished the felt roof of our conservatory with some Black Jack waterproof paint. That would also be worth a go, if only I had some left.
"The future's all yours, you lousy bicycles."

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: Patching wellies
« Reply #9 on: 20 December, 2020, 09:11:17 pm »
(she also has a pair of red Hunters "for best")
And it used to be that green wellies were posh!  :o

I now have luxury wellies which considering the amount of mud I've been stomping through lately, were a good purchase.
Mine were £10 from Go Outdoors. Given the frequency of long, wet, muddy walks I do over winter, it would probably be worth investing in a better pair - mainly for the avoidance of blisters.
I'm always surprised at people using wellies to go for walks in, as opposed to sploshing round an allotment or fields. I've just never found them practical for locomotion. It's not blisters or sweatiness, they're just the wrong shape; too big in places and too small in others. Unless you're intending to ford rivers, there seem to be other types of footwear better suited to walking. Mind you, I've never tried Hunters (or other posh wellies).
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

fuaran

  • rothair gasta
Re: Patching wellies
« Reply #10 on: 20 December, 2020, 09:14:45 pm »
Hunters are just a fashion brand nowadays. Plenty of better and cheaper options.

I'd go for something with neoprene uppers, they are a lot more comfy, and warmer. I like Grubs Boots. Or Muck Boots are a similar sort of thing. Fine for walking all day, up and down hills, and through peat bogs etc.

hellymedic

  • Just do it!
Re: Patching wellies
« Reply #11 on: 20 December, 2020, 09:31:03 pm »
I'm no welly expert but methinks plastic boots won't be patchable though rubber boots might be.

Many plastics are effectively glue-proof.

citoyen

  • Occasionally rides a bike
Re: Patching wellies
« Reply #12 on: 20 December, 2020, 09:35:55 pm »
Unless you're intending to ford rivers, there seem to be other types of footwear better suited to walking.

Not rivers but lots of very boggy ground and occasional deep puddles.

I'd go for something with neoprene uppers

Yes, been looking at a few like this. They do look like a sensible option.
"The future's all yours, you lousy bicycles."

Re: Patching wellies
« Reply #13 on: 20 December, 2020, 09:57:03 pm »
Waterproof socks?
Move Faster and Bake Things

Jaded

  • The Codfather
  • Formerly known as Jaded
Re: Patching wellies
« Reply #14 on: 21 December, 2020, 12:17:55 am »
Just walk on tarmac and dry paths?
It is simpler than it looks.

Mr Larrington

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Re: Patching wellies
« Reply #15 on: 21 December, 2020, 08:31:37 am »
Just walk on tarmac and dry paths?

What kind of defeatist talk is that?

Also, Citoyen lives in Kent, where such things will shortly cease to exist because Brexit.
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Re: Patching wellies
« Reply #16 on: 21 December, 2020, 09:17:38 am »
Citoyen  I recommend you get a pair of  Dunlop green price master wellies and stop buggering about . £ 17.20 for non safety & £ 20.00 for safety . Available in big sizes and small, from Arco work wear and other outlets .I work on the building sites & can end up wearing them 5 days a week for months on end in the winter . I have never found any thing better . A part from the rubber insulated rigger boots , but they are banned from a lot of sites  they recon the straps get caught on steps . bollocks !!! 
Its More Fun With Three .

citoyen

  • Occasionally rides a bike
Re: Patching wellies
« Reply #17 on: 21 December, 2020, 09:33:04 am »
Also, Citoyen lives in Kent, where such things will shortly cease to exist because Brexit.

Walking might be ok, but it looks like I won't be driving anywhere this Christmas whether I'm locked down or not.

Citoyen  I recommend you get a pair of  Dunlop green price master wellies and stop buggering about . £ 17.20 for non safety & £ 20.00 for safety

I've ordered some of the Bison stuff online, will see how I get on with that first.
"The future's all yours, you lousy bicycles."

ian

Re: Patching wellies
« Reply #18 on: 21 December, 2020, 09:47:14 am »
(she also has a pair of red Hunters "for best")
And it used to be that green wellies were posh!  :o

I now have luxury wellies which considering the amount of mud I've been stomping through lately, were a good purchase.
Mine were £10 from Go Outdoors. Given the frequency of long, wet, muddy walks I do over winter, it would probably be worth investing in a better pair - mainly for the avoidance of blisters.
I'm always surprised at people using wellies to go for walks in, as opposed to sploshing round an allotment or fields. I've just never found them practical for locomotion. It's not blisters or sweatiness, they're just the wrong shape; too big in places and too small in others. Unless you're intending to ford rivers, there seem to be other types of footwear better suited to walking. Mind you, I've never tried Hunters (or other posh wellies).

We got fed up of coming back with soaked boots and feet that were essentially clods of muddy earth. Which was every walk. As we hike and walk a lot, more so in the times of COVID, there sometimes isn't even time to dry them out after scraping off all the mud. I have two good pairs but basically it means a kitchen filled with the airs of mouldering boots. In places at the moment, there's unavoidable mud up to mid-calf height. Entire fields of it. And the sort of puddles you might be advised to boat across.

I had a cheaper pair of Decathlon boots that probably cost a tenner which were ok for the occasional stomp and the day we get a centimetre of snow, but not comfortable for extended use, plus after a few soakings, were getting somewhat aromatic (this mostly the fault of me for forgetting them damp in the cold porch – after the porch incident washing them only briefly ameliorated the smell, and as I say, errant hawthorn had already holed them below the waterline).

I punted for a pair of Muckboots (the ones with the neoprene tops). I now look one Ranger Rover short of proper posh farmer – Surrey props! I may get a little horse. My wife got some Aigles for continental points. We could probably pass as minor royalty.

Pretty comfy for walking, we do 15km or so. They're waterproof boots so there's always going to some condensation on the insides, but they're toasty and mostly dry and I can jump into deep puddles with impunity. Grip ain't great on that slippy-slidey mud that tends to coat fields, but that adds to the fun. It's better than the last pair were: the other week I slipped over, cracked my head, and then slid down a giant hill into the world's least-bothered sheep which graded my performance by pissing on my left boot and wandering off to tell its friends. That's the one with the hole in it.

Not sure how long they'll last, repeatedly flexed rubber will probably crack eventually, but I wouldn't have wanted to do this weekend's walks in hiking boots.

citoyen

  • Occasionally rides a bike
Re: Patching wellies
« Reply #19 on: 21 December, 2020, 10:22:53 am »
In places at the moment, there's unavoidable mud up to mid-calf height. Entire fields of it. And the sort of puddles you might be advised to boat across.

Pretty much the same experience for me. You can't even get 20 metres into the woods behind my house without having to traipse through patches of thick mud.

I've done a few 15km or so walks in my £10 Dunlop wellies. They're far from ideal for the purpose but yes, it's better than a) wet feet, and b) having to spend ages cleaning my nice walking boots when I get home.

Muck are the ones I was looking at the other day - I've got a John Lewis voucher coming my way shortly and they stock them... Tempting.
"The future's all yours, you lousy bicycles."

ian

Re: Patching wellies
« Reply #20 on: 21 December, 2020, 10:46:21 am »
The Edgewater ones I got were about £75, which is a lot, I think, for wellies (though cheaper than a decent pair of hiking boots). I think my wife paid for her Frenchy pair, but she's all mud and glitz. Only had them a couple of weeks, but we've had some long weekends owing to accrued holidays which we've used to stomp around the wilds of Surrey and Kent, so they've got a good workout. I reckon I could walk a lot further in them without comfort issues. My only real gripe is the grip, but even hiking boots would struggle in the really slippy mud, and it's the compromise of having the mud fall off at the end of a traipse across a field (which is nice, rather than feeling like you're wearing concrete moonboots for the next three km).

My only real gripe is that I took away the impression (probably my fault, but they do say Muck Boot UK everywhere) that they were made in the UK – mostly I think from the price – they're made in China, no issue with that, but I try to pay for things made locally).

Re: Patching wellies
« Reply #21 on: 21 December, 2020, 10:52:35 am »
Few things of note with the muck boots

They come up or at least did a little large. I'm on my second pair but must be 6 years old at least but I used to sell them and most people went down a size so worth trying

Secondly they advertised heavily on Facebook a while back and had some pretty bad reviews for customer service but think this was direct so be worth buying somewhere reputable rather then online I'd say.

I love mine. Have spent days out in the fields in them and been absolutely comfortable and warm. With both pairs the sole has started to come off but the boots are pretty heavily worn so on need of replacement anyway

ian

Re: Patching wellies
« Reply #22 on: 21 December, 2020, 12:07:15 pm »
I bought eights for my size eight feet and they are indeed roomy even with hiking socks, so I'm glad I didn't size up. The neoprene tops ensure they don't easily come off if the mud slurps hungrily at your ankles but equally mean you get them off at the end of a walk without having to do the car park comedy dance routine (an act always inspired by my previous boots, which would hang onto my feet for dear life).

They do get a bit damp inside from the condensation during a long walk, but leaving them in the vicinity of a radiator overnight seems to dry out the lining fine.

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: Patching wellies
« Reply #23 on: 21 December, 2020, 12:12:24 pm »
We got fed up of coming back with soaked boots and feet that were essentially clods of muddy earth. Which was every walk. As we hike and walk a lot, more so in the times of COVID, there sometimes isn't even time to dry them out after scraping off all the mud. I have two good pairs but basically it means a kitchen filled with the airs of mouldering boots. In places at the moment, there's unavoidable mud up to mid-calf height. Entire fields of it. And the sort of puddles you might be advised to boat across.
Oh dear. This is almost as if you're confessing to not owning an Aga. Where's your Surrey-ness, ian?
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

fuaran

  • rothair gasta
Re: Patching wellies
« Reply #24 on: 21 December, 2020, 12:14:53 pm »
My only real gripe is that I took away the impression (probably my fault, but they do say Muck Boot UK everywhere) that they were made in the UK – mostly I think from the price – they're made in China, no issue with that, but I try to pay for things made locally).
They are a US based company, it's just a UK distributor. Though, yes all made in a China anyway. I think Grubs Boots are UK based (but still made in China).

For grip, I think that's one thing Grubs are better at. They have a few different types of soles, some are Vibram, pretty good in mud etc.