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Selecting Hiking Boots

If you have read my backpacks and sleeping bags pages you already know that hiking boots are what I consider one of three most important pieces of gear. Of these three, your boots are the most important. Think about it for a moment, your feet are your primary source of transportation. When backpacking you will be climbing and descending hills and hiking over sometimes rugged rocky terrain. Your feet need protected from blisters, general fatigue and the general roughness of the trail. What do I mean by roughness, well after hiking for hours in poor boots you will begin to feel every rock and root you step on and trust me, it does not feel good.


Weight and Support

In my opinion, a good hiking boot should also support your ankle. There are now many light weight footwear options, i.e. trail shoes, for backpackers that do not do this well. My opinion is that this type of footwear should be reserved for day hiking. My preference is to have the top of my boot over my ankle and stiff enough to support it if I should step funny on some uneven terrain. My boots have saved me from ankle sprains many times over the years.

At the same time you do want the lightest hiking boot that will provide the support and protection you need. Lightweight backpackers have a saying "a pound on the feet equals five in a pack" so pick your boots wisely. As with everything there is always a trade off, with boots it is support versus weight. I do not know the weight of my boots, but they are not much more than my athletic shoes and support my feet and ankles sufficiently with a normal load. If you have extremely heavy loads or are hiking in extremely rugged locations you may need the support of heavier boots.


Water Proofing

Waterproof hiking boots are a must and I typically use leather boots rather than more expensive Gore-tex® or other breathable membrane. Look for Sno-Proof to waterproof your leather boots. It is a paste that you coat your boots with that melts and absorbs into the leather when placed in a warm location or heated with a blow dryer. This is the best waterproofing material I have found but is sometimes hard to find amongst all the aerosol cans.


Getting the Proper Fit

Just like Backpacks, I recommend you purchase your boots from an outfitter who knows how to properly fit them. You will need to make sure your boots fit your feet snuggly but are not tight. If it is not a snug fit then your boots will end up rubbing on your feet resulting in blisters. This is for both the heels and toes. Also make sure that your feet do not slide forward so that your toes rub or smash into the toe box of the boot. You will be going down hills and you do not want this to happen on the trail, again it can cause blisters and sore feet. When trying on boots you will want to be wearing your boot socks to get the proper fit. Boot socks are typically much thicker than your everyday wear socks and made of wool or other synthetic material, I use wool. As with all your clothing, you will want to avoid cotton as it will not keep you warm when wet.

Before you hit the trail break in those new boots! If the first time you wear them is on a backpacking trip then you are asking for trouble. The amount of time needed to break in boots will vary with all the different types of boot construction materials available today. Some materials are naturally softer than others, but still, break in the softer materials. I would rather error on the side of caution than be 50 miles into the wilderness and not be able to walk because you have sore feet.

Finally, when out on your hike, take your boots and socks off when you take a break and rub your feet. It does not sound like much but it is really refreshing to your feet. It gives them a chance to air out a bit and relax outside the boot. Also, when hiking and backpacking, for maximum comfort do your best to keep your footwear dry. This means wearing sandals or some other shoe when fording deep streams or rivers.





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