Waiting for my flight at LAX.
Last month I took a trip to Utah with my brother. We planned to take part in the 4th annual Back of Beyond standup paddleboard race down a seven mile stretch of the Colorado River near Moab and spend some time exploring Arches National Park. For me, it was a two-part journey. First, I hopped on a convenient Southwest Airlines flight from Los Angeles to Denver. My brother promptly picked me up at DIA upon my arrival and we immediately set a course west along I-70 for Utah.
It is an approximately five-hour road trip to the canyon just north of Moab were Back of Beyond was staged. We planned to spend three nights camping at one of the BLM campgrounds dotting the region and hopped to find a spot at Hittle Bottom where the finish and after party for Back of Beyond was staged.
I like to travel light and this trip was no different. Our itinerary for the long weekend essentially revolved around two activities: standup paddling and light hiking. The weather forecast indicated there was zero chance of precipitation during our stay. Daytime highs would be in the mid 80s and nighttime lows in the upper 50s. Considering the forecast and our planned activities, I was confident I could pull off the weekend by taking just one pair of shoes – a pair of All-Out Blaze Sieve Convertible sandals from Merrell.
I’m a longtime fan of Merrell footwear and apparel and was stoked to pick up a pair of rugged sandals that I could wear in the water and use for light hiking.
The stretch of the Colorado we planned to paddle didn’t contain any white water, so it wasn’t necessary to wear a full shoe that covered my toes. With toe protection in mind, however, one nice feature on the All-Out Blaze Sieve Convertible sandals which I have not seen on similar models from other brands is the raised toe and heel protector. Essentially a small lip, the molded section of the sole protects your toes and heel from unexpected impacts. Kind of like a little insurance policy against stubbed toes. I found the small lip also helped keep my feet nice and secure in sandals when walking over wet river rocks or moving around on my SUP.
Free your feet!
If you are heading out on a multi-faceted trip and want one piece of footwear that does it all, a pair of Merrell All-Out Blaze Sieve Convertible sandals just might work for you as well as they did for me. They provide all day comfort in a stylish and functional sandal which worked fantastic in the warm desert environment.
When hitting the trails I recommend one of Merrell’s Torrent Tech Tees. I wore one throughout the weekend and greatly appreciated its lightweight, stretch mesh construction. Perfect for hiking in the desert. To keep warm once the sun goes down, I recommend packing one of Merrell’s Geotex Hybrid Half Zip fleeces in your bag. The fleece is lightweight and comes in a great athletic fit that won’t slow you down. Perfect for a desert evening by the campfire.
To learn more visit, www.merrell.com
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