Before you start comparing the many brands and styles of hiking boot, consider the type of terrain and your style of hiking. Do you take extended treks through the mountains or just stroll through the local park or greenbelt? Select a boot based on the most difficult terrain you will encounter. Do you carry a heavy pack? The heavier the pack the sturdier boot you will need. Are you an all-weather hiker? Do you need a lightweight breathable fabric or a heaver waterproof material?

Modern hiking boots do not weigh as much as older styles. Lightweight high-tech materials have replaced the metal shanks used in older boots and modern fabrics offer many advantages. A lightweight boot can still offer plenty of support and be a lot easier on the feet over less rugged trails. Many of today’s top quality lightweight hiking boots offer a Gore-Tex® liner that helps keep water out while still allowing your feet to breath. All-leather boots provide more support than the leather and fabric styles and they are easier to waterproof. They lend themselves to rocky terrain but they are heaver and less flexible. In my experience, leather boots will outlast the lighter styles, partly due to the heavier construction but also due to the fact that they have less seams which are always the weak point in any boot.

Have your feet properly measured and wear the type and thickness of sock you will be wearing on the trail when trying on boots. Boots should fit snugly but not too tightly. Remember they will become more comfortable with wear. Make sure they fit and provide support around your ankle and instep. You will need good ankle support, especially when carrying a pack. Hiking boots will never feel as comfortable as that old favorite pair of sneakers, but if you develop blisters or have pressure points, then you need a different boot. Look for boots with foam padding around the ankle and tongue for comfort. Removable inserts will help to fine-tune for a perfect fit.

Once you’ve found the perfect pair of hiking boots, be sure to break them in slowly. Start with short walks around the neighborhood and progress to 3 or 4 hour hikes before that weeklong hiking vacation.

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Where in day hiking you may be able to get away with wearing light-weight boots or shoes, in remote mountain hiking it’s a good idea to wear heavier supportive boots to protect your ankles and feet. Walking with a sprained ankle on a day hike is inconvenient compared to trying to limp out of the back-country mountains with the same problem and a heavy pack. Thinking ahead and being prepared with the right mountain gear, guides, and information can literally mean the difference between a minor mishap and at times death. Take your safety seriously.

As elevation increases the atmospheric pressure decreases (amount of oxygen doesn’t actually drop until over 50,000 feet) which means there’s less pressure to ‘push’ the air into and fill your lungs. Because there is less air going into your lungs you’ll fatigue more quickly. How much does the pressure really change? According to an academiclibrary.com article (that can be applied to mountain hiking) the barometric pressure can drop by 40% between sea level (average 760 millimeters of mercury) and 12,000 feet (483 millimeters of mercury). Obviously having 40% less oxygen available to your body (because of the pressure drop) will impact you.

Now if you had a 40% decrease in your ability to deliver oxygen to your body during an average day wouldn’t you be concerned? Add in the fact you’re asking more of your body in terms of keeping you warm in a cooler/cold environment, you are constantly losing water from your system, your reactions are slowed, and your not around the corner from the nearest hospital. Your mountain hiking equipment becomes a more important consideration the higher the altitude and the more remote your location.

Depending on how cold the temperatures you might encounter are you’ll probably want some good insulated hiking boots (depending on the altitude and temperature you may need mountaineering boots), hiking clothes, sleeping bags, camping tents, and other equipment used for hiking rated for lower temperature than what you think you’ll actually experience. This will give you an extra margin of safety. Also keep in mind that mildly uncomfortable mountain hiking gear will become a bigger problem…

If you’d like more information about mountain hiking click here for the rest of the article. You may also want to take a look at a couple of related articles on how to pick the best hiking footwear.

Author: Marc Wiltse

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