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I've had serious problems walking on such wet, slightly rotten(*) wood this weekend. It was extremely slippery even though I was wearing my hiking boots.

Wet rotten wood

As soon I applied pressure onto the food standing on these battens, it slipped away.

Is there something one can do about it? Maybe a special tread on the shoes or walking technique?

*) As Aravona pointed out in the comments, this surface might not be rotten but "have a mildew, moss, type organism growing on top of it (common on decking in your garden too, it comes off with a pressure wash)."

OddDeer
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3 Answers3

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I would treat this exactly like walking on ice: use the penguin technique, i.e. always keep your center of mass above your feet and take small slow steps.

Also see What's the best way to avoid slipping on ice?

Community
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fgysin
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Fishermen use felt soled wading boots for wading through creeks and rivers on the slippery rocks, they give you the friction you need without damaging the surface you're walking on. They would work just as well on a slippery dock. You can buy them at any fishing store.

enter image description here

ShemSeger
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3

The special tread for walking on slippery wood is called caulk boots or cork boots. They have spikes that give good traction on wet wood.

enter image description here

James Jenkins
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