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Another smooth debate in recent years in Community hiking/backpacking has been hiking boots vs. walking shoes. Some do not consider this amount of a debate, as many hikers and backpackers have made the switch exclusively for shoes, more commonly known as walking trail runners. Contrary to what some believe, not everyone uses shoes walk while walking. Hiking boots are still alive and there are outdated or obsolete, as some would have you believe. This article is not intended to discuss any viewpoint, just make some fundamental observations between the two types of footwear.

Here are some statements made by other hikers, backpackers or writers on the subject of hiking boots walking shoes vs.. these have been acquired from various other articles on the subject, as well as posts in blogs and forums.

Hiking boots are heavier than walking shoes.Hiking shoes, being lighter in weight, decrease the pressure on the feet and legs when hiking over several kilometers.Boots are restrictive.Boots normally last longer.Boots are wet over shoes. The best support that ankle boots give is a myth. Water enters more easily than shoes boots. Feet are cooler in shoes. Boots cost more than shoes. Boots require more time of tampering. Boots are more suitable for snowy conditions.

These are just 3 Quick instructions that I read here and there over the past few years. For many, it seems no matter what, shoes wins hands down. some people walk throughout the year in hiking shoes, which are fine. Again, I believe that this is a case of that matches better with the land that we are passing through.Hiking boots are more appropriate, I think, for some conditions. Hiking shoes, I also offer a great advantage over boots in other situations. here are some observations following from my point of view.

Hiking boots are heavier than the footwear. Accepted. Although there are different types of materials used in hiking boots, such as full grain leather, split leather, nubuck & synthetic boots are on average heavier than walking shoes.There are different types of boots for separate conditions, and this is what should be considered when deciding whether or not to go through boots or shoes.

Hiking shoes, because they are lighter, take voltage outside the feet, legs and back. Again, I agree.A study done for many years by the US Army Research Institute of environmental medicine found that 1 kg with foot used as much energy as exercise 6 lb in Backpack. If this is true, then it is obvious that the walking shoes, cause to be lighter, save wear and tear on the body.

Boots are restrictive. This is something that I think that is the subject completely individual every hiker. I use Lightweight hiking boots on most of my hiking. They are not restrictive at my feet.

Boots last longer. Part of me leans toward a Yes, but reluctantly.Depending on the style of baggage, a pair of boots can last more than one pair of shoes. heavy leather boots built to mountaineering will outlast two lighter weight boots and shoes hands down. This type of boot can be resoled more than once, proving that the single will wear long before initialization is itself. I saw people wear out faster than shoes have been wearing boots in the same amount of time.As a person walks does much to determine the life of a boot or shoe.

More Boots are wet.Again, this depends on the type of startup.Heavy leather boots will take too long to dry wet when severely.Lightweight Boots that are made with fabric and nubuck leather can dry at the same time as a pair of hiking shoes. the amount of materials at boot or shoe and materials if determine drying time.

Boots not give best ankle support.Depending on the type of startup, they actually give better support of larger boots ankle. can help cut ankle support and give more leverage in uneven trails or cross-country routes.

Water enters more easily than shoes boots.This statement makes no sense to me.If you’re wearing boots upper-cut or high cut, Hiking through a few inches of water, the startup will protect your feet more than a low cut shoe for me, that’s obvious.Along with a pair of gaiters, water will have a harder time getting the boot & getting your feet wet.

Feet are cooler in shoes.Another point I agree with the quantity and weight of the materials used in its construction, a shoe hiking is lighter and will be cooler to wear.If you’re walking in an area that is extremely dry and hot shoes may be a better choice for you.

Boots cost more than shoes.This happens in General.Average cost of boots is anywhere from $ 120-170. Shoes average anywhere from $ 30-120. However, in comparison with the lifetime of each type of footwear, you can spend less than a pair of boots than for 2-3 pair of shoes.

Boots take longer to break for heavy leather boots, the answer is definitely Yes. Even with the lightweight hiking boots on the market today, this feature is very comparable. However, I give the edge to shoes about this.

Boots are more suitable for snowy conditions. If there is a little accumulation, Yes, boots must chose this situation still have seen and known hikers who still wear hiking shoes with a few inches of snow on the ground if you’re just passing through a space like this, then it probably won’t prevent you too but for winter hiking in the snow-country known, I believe it’s foolish not to use some kind of hiking boots.

What ultimately comes down to is your personal preference. There is really no right or wrong answer that it is better to walk in, boots or shoes. depends on you. Nobody can say that feels better on your feet, which is more comfortable, or even that will last longer; These are subject to his personality of hiking, the way you walk. go into your local outfitter and experience in several pairs of boots and shoes, then decide. Once you have decided to go out and put these things to work! even if you buy something you are not completely satisfied with, while they don’t cause you pain, just use them until this moment for a new pair.

Steve h. is a lover of nature & be involved in outdoor activities. If it be Hiking, biking, kayaking or some other form of search of adventure, he likes the world around him, as well as looking for ways to help preserve the environment. it maintains the blog, http://www.crudeanalysiz.blogspot.com, chronicling their hiking & outdoor adventures, including reviews & book arts.

I was surprised to discover that most people will walk in the United States than playing golf! hikers 31 million means a lot of hiking Boots! So if you were to pick up hiking and were looking to buy a new pair of boots, what you need to consider when buying the best hiking boots for your needs, while you could just walk into the store and select the first pair that catches your eye, but it could cost you much more than the actual price paid once you’re out on the trail!

Here are some important factors to consider when looking to buy good hiking boots:

Comfort is key!There’s nothing like a bubble unpleasant to activate your favorite hike in a painful struggle … good lightweight hiking boots made of breathable fabrics such as gore tex are often more comfortable in the first known that leather boots, which take time to dress up-in fact, these are my personal favorites, they are almost like wearing runners! in the past 15 years of hiking and trekking in the Andes, United Kingdom and the Himalayas I just bought my third pair of boots! they are so durable, functional and comfortable above all!

Distance is a factor for long walks and hikes that you may want to consider a stiffer soled boot with good ankle support, for day hiking on trails and trails, light hiking shoes or even hiking sandals will usually be much more appropriate.

The ground-if you’re walking on rocks, snow and scree you will definitely need sturdy hiking boots with good sola serrated and good ankle support, for really extreme treks leather boots could be your best option. If you’re going to be wading through streams and rivers, then Waterproofing will become a factor, albeit with good sealing, leather boots will keep your feet dry perfectly since they get wet remain wet for too long, whereas the Hi tec fabric boots can dry out much faster.

Time of year-if you walk the walk so lightweight boots or shoes made of breathable gore tex or similar materials or even open hiking toed shoes may be an option. If you’re walking in winter definitely go to initialize a good walk impervious

Weight-on long rides a day or more consider the extra energy needed to raise hiking boots, heavy leather.Did you know that the average walking shoe weighs about 1 3/4 pounds compared to average hiking boots 3 3/4 pounds of weight!

Size-when I try your pair of boots for the first time, make sure that you take the socks that you’ll be wearing for your typical walk, you may find that you have to buy a pair of boots a size or two larger than the regular shoe size!

Price-obviously you have to consider how much you want to spend, and boots in each bracket for prices ranging from about $ 60 up to $ 500!What is best for you? my advice is to go to the more expensive pair you can afford. why? why you will be rewarded with high manufacturing quality, better Waterproofing, better comfort and more importantly durability. As I mentioned earlier on in 15 years of walking just had to buy my third pair of boots-my poor 2 pair party now has lived in all day every day, around the world and on top of the world with me.

These are probably the most important factors to consider when buying a pair of hiking boots-hit this bit and you’ll find a pair of boots that will last for years and keep your feet warm, dry, comfortable and blister free where and when you go hiking. happy Trails!

Sarah is an avid hiker and trekker and likes to be struggling outdoors around hills and mountains. She certainly knows the value of keeping their feet in the comfort of a good pair of hiking boots!

http://www.hikingbootreview.net/

http://www.hikingbootreview.net/best-hiking-boots/hiking-boots-what-is-important-in-a-hiking-boot-3

When shopping for a pair of hiking boots, it is important to know how they are made. No, you don’t need to know how to make your own, but you have to understand what goes into them and how it affects the comfort and durability – the overall quality – of the hiking boots. In this article I will describe the parts of a hiking boot, what they are made of, and how they come together to form the ideal hiking boot for you.

Like any shoe, a hiking boot consists of an upper and a sole joined together by a welt and with an inlet at the front covered by a tongue, and the whole is lined with various pads and cushions. I will discuss each of those parts in detail, in terms of what they are made of and what to look for in various types of hiking boots.

Sole and Welt

Let’s start at the bottom. The soul of the hiking boot is the sole.

Soles are usually made of synthetic rubber in varying degrees of hardness. A harder sole will last longer, but generally will have poorer traction on hard surfaces (such as bare rock) and will provide less cushioning. A softer sole gives you the cushioning you need for long hikes and the traction you need on rough ground, but it will wear out faster.

Manufacturers have made their trade-offs in choosing the materials to make their boots out of. The final choice is up to you when you choose which boot to buy. If you expect to do most of your hiking on soft surfaces, such as desert sand or bare soil, you might lean more toward harder soles. But most of us hike on fairly rugged trails with a good deal of bare rock, and we need the traction of a softer sole.

Inside the sole is a shank. It is a stiffening structure, either fiberglass or steel, that prevents the sole of the boot from twisting and that provides arch support. Shanks may be only three-quarter or half-length. Hiking shoes generally have no shank at all, deriving all their stiffness from the molded rubber sole. Good day-hiking boots may have a full-length fiberglass shank. High-quality backpacking boots will give you the choice of fiberglass or steel. It will depend on how strong you need your hiking boots to be, and how heavy.

Look for deep, knobby tread. Deep cuts in the sole allow water and mud to flow out so you can get traction. “Fake” hiking boots, designed to look like hiking boots but not to perform like them, may have thinner soles and shallow tread. Working boots also may have shallow tread, and they generally have harder soles than hiking boots have.

The welt is the connection between the sole and the upper. Virtually all hiking boots these days are glued together rather than sewn. If you are buying a very expensive pair of backpacking boots, give preference to a sewn welt. Boots with a sewn welt will be easier to resole when the original sole wears out. For hiking shoes or day-hiking boots, when the sole wears out, the upper is not worth salvaging, either, so a glued welt is just fine.

Upper

The upper of the hiking boot provides warmth, protects the sides of your feet from rocks and brush, and repels water. It must also allow your feet to “breathe,” so that moisture from perspiration will not build up inside the boots and cause blisters.

Uppers of hiking boots are usually at least partially made of leather. High-quality backpacking boots are often made of full-grain leather (leather that has not been split). Lighter boots may be made of split-grain leather (leather that has been split or sueded on one side), or a combination of split-grain leather with various fabrics.

Fabrics that are combined with leather are usually some type of nylon. Heavy nylon wears nearly as well as leather, and it is much lighter and cheaper than leather.

In any hiking boot, especially those made of combinations of leather and fabric, there will be seams. Seams are bad. Seams are points of failure. Seams are points of wear, as one panel of the boot rubs against another. Seams are penetrations that are difficult to waterproof.

The uppers of backpacking boots are sometimes made of a single piece of full-grain leather with only one seam at the back. This is good, for all the reasons that seams are bad, but it is expensive.

You’re going to have to deal with seams. But as you shop for hiking boots, look for customer reviews that mention failure or undue wearing of the seams, and avoid those brands.

Inlet and Tongue

There are two things to look for in the inlet and the tongue:

1. How the laces are attached and adjusted

2. How the tongue is attached to the sides of the inlet

The inlet may be provided with eyelets, D-rings, hooks, and webbing, alone or in combination. They each have these advantages and disadvantages:

* Eyelets: Simplest and most durable way to lace a boot. Not so easily adjusted.

* D-rings: Easier to adjust than eyelets, more durable than hooks. More failure-prone than eyelets. (They can break, and they can tear out of the leather.)

* Hooks: Easiest to adjust of all lace attachments. Subject to getting hooked on brush, or bent or broken in impacts with boulders, main cause of breakage of laces.

* Webbing: Cause less chafing of laces, slightly easier to adjust than eyelets, slightly more durable than D-rings. More failure-prone than eyelets.

The most common lace attachment of any hiking boot is eyelets below ankle-level and hooks above. You may see eyelets all the way up, as in classic military-style combat boots, or a combination of either D-rings or webbing with hooks.

The attachment of the tongue is a critical factor in how waterproof the hiking boots are. Provided the leather and/or fabric and seams of the upper are waterproof, water will not get into the boots until it gets higher than the attachment point of the tongue.

Most hiking shoes and day-hiking boots have the tongue attached all the way to the top. If the tongue is not fully attached, consider carefully whether you will need that extra inch or two of waterproofing.

High-rise backpacking boots have the tongue attached only partway up, but that still reaches higher than most day-hiking boots. It’s difficult to get the boot on and off if the tongue is attached very high.

Linings and Pads

There are many pieces that go into the lining and padding of a hiking boot, but two in particular you need to pay attention to:

1. The sole lining

2. The scree collar

The sole lining must be appropriately cushioned. You want a firm, durable surface in immediate contact with your socks, but enough cushioning below that to absorb impact.

The scree collar is a cushion around the top of most hiking boots. It enables you to pull the boots tight enough to keep out loose rocks (“scree”) but without chafing against your ankle and Achilles tendon. This is the thickest and softest cushion in the whole hiking boot. It must be soft enough to conform to your ankle and Achilles tendon as they move, and still keep close enough contact with your leg to keep the rocks out.

Very high hiking boots, such as military-style combat boots, may have no scree collar at all. The height of the boot is what keeps the rocks out.

Throughout, the lining and padding of the hiking boots must be thick enough to provide warmth, durable enough to last, and smooth enough that it will not cause chafing and blisters.

Conclusion

So, these are the things you need to pay attention to when choosing a pair of hiking boots. Be prepared to compromise, and pay attention to which features are really important to the style of hiking you intend to do.

Chuck Bonner is a lifelong hiker and amateur naturalist, and webmaster of http://www.HikingWithChuck.com. For more information about hiking boots and other hiking equipment based on many years on the trail, visit [http://www.hikingwithchuck.com/Gear/HikingGear.htm].

There are so many types of hiking boots as there are hikers. Specific things to consider when choosing your hiking boots will depend on the types of tours that you intend to do. In this article, I’ll sort hiking boots (or hiking shoes) in four main types, corresponding to four major types of walk.

The four types of hiking boots that we will discuss are:

1. Hiking shoes and sandals.For short hiking outdoors, to hit back at camp and easy to use during interludes on an otherwise serious journey.

2. Day-hiking boots For hiking. moderate, as walking or hiking day in the country very rough short.

3. Backpack boots. to walk more serious, as multi-day backpacking trips.

4. Mountaineering boots. for most serious hiking, mountain climbing and ice climbing.

There is some overlap, course and a good deal of mixes.

Most people that use anything besides hiking shoes also use something in one of the categories below. for example, when I’ll camp ing, I bring both my day hiking boots for hiking throughout the day and my shoes walk walking less severe with the grandchildren.As another example, I often see ice climbers arrive Arethusa Falls wearing boots hike of the day and then switch to hiking boots for the real ascent.

For the most part, it will be good to buy a boot hiking more serious than necessary. one exception is that if you don’t really need mountaineering boots, you’ll probably uncomfortably heavy perceive them in a small walk day. don’t go very far upscale. even the additional cost of buying “off more than you need” can actually work to be a long-term savings, because better quality startup will probably last longer.

Now, let’s talk about the general concerns and considerations that go into choosing a pair of hiking boots.

Keep in mind that the purpose of footwear is to protect the feet; this is equivalent to four specific objectives:

1. Heat, season

2. Protection of rough surfaces and sharp objects

3. Traction

4. keep your feet dry

That’s about it.

Most of what you read about “support” is overblown.If you give your feet and ankles a bunch of “support”, the natural support system becomes weak under-utilization.Unless you have some particular weakness in your ankles, if innate or an injury, you don’t necessarily need ankle support. let the muscles and ligaments of his feet and ankles do what they were designed to do, and you will have all the “support” you need.

On the other hand, you need to support arc. why?As your feet are designed to walk in a natural, producing surface that conforms to the shape of your feet.When you strap on a stiff, shoe unyielding exclusive to the bottom of your foot, their bows are unduly stressed.You need to boot background to conform to the shape of the bottom of your foot and to stay that way as you walk. What is the support/Arch.

What about men versus women’s hiking boots?The only real difference is in proportions.For a given length of foot, the foot of a woman is generally narrower than a man’s and has larger arcs.Women hiking Boots are designed accordingly.If you are a man with narrow legs and/or high arches, don’t be afraid to look for hiking boots “female”, or if you are a woman with arcs low and/or feet wide, the cops caminhados won’t give him a ticket for wearing hiking boots “male”.Get the hiking boots that fit your feet.

Don’t forget socks. you will need warm socks, more than a couple in the winter, so make sure your hiking boots give room for them.When you go shopping for hiking boots, bring the kind of socks that you want to wear in hiking, so you can check the tuning of boots with socks.

Look for in good quality and expect to pay for it if you are looking for fashion and the latest trends, you’ll pay a premium for this too. what I seek is usually good quality of last year, so I get the quality they desire without paying for the style that I don’t care.

Here is a quick guide to set their expectations about costs: expect to pay more for your hiking boots of your backpack. boots that are appropriate for a given type of walk probably will cost 1.5 for two times more than the proper backpack. If you are planning to go hiking for just one day with a backpack forty dollars, you will be well served hiking boots look day sixty dollars. but if you’re planning to hike the Appalachian Trail through, you’ll want at least a backpacking expedition of hundred dollars and you should be looking seriously to pay $ 150 or more of your hiking boots.

There are complex engineering trade-offs in hiking boots. light weight is good. Resistant is good time wearing properties are good Traction and exciting power is good. Cheap is good but sturdy boots are heavy. Walking boots with good traction quickly wear and four properties-light weight, robustness, very tiring and good traction-only light comes cheap. for all hiking boots represent compromises between these four qualities.

Here’s the big picture with hiking boots. Choosing the right type of initialization for the type of walk you will be making, pick the desired balance between weight and robustness and choose fit right then hit the trail!

Chuck Bonner is a hiker and amateur naturalist and webmaster of http://www.hikingwithchuck.com for more information about hiking boots and other hiking equipment based on many years on the trail, visit [http://www.hikingwithchuck.com/gear/hikinggear.htm]

Good quality hiking boots are an investment that can be expected to last a long time, but only if you take care of them. This article will tell you how to take proper care of your hiking boots, from breaking them in to having them resoled, so you will get the most value for your investment.

In this article, I will discuss five main points of proper care and maintenance of your hiking boots:

1. Breaking them in.

2. Waterproofing.

3. Cleaning and general maintenance.

4. Resoling.

5. Knowing when they’ve had it.

Breaking In your Hiking Boots

The purpose of breaking in your hiking boots is to soften them so they will not hurt your feet. They must be made flexible at exactly the places where your feet and ankles bend. The best way to do this is to walk in them. The goal of breaking in your hiking boots is to do it in short walks, so you don’t find yourself in the middle of the wilderness with blisters and an inflexible pair of hiking boots.

Hiking shoes or day-hiking boots might not need any break-in, but try it just to be sure. Very heavy hiking boots might not actually break in, but wearing them will make your feet grow tougher in the places where the boots refuse to bend.

In either case, what you want to do is to wear your new hiking boots for short periods of time. Wear them around the house, on your morning walk, on your way to work and back (or wear them at work, if your job does not require a lot of walking and if dress codes permit). Wear them on short hikes.

Once the boots are properly broken in, they will feel comfortable as you walk. Then you’re ready to take them on a serious hike.

You may have heard of leaving your new hiking boots out in the weather, or soaking them and wearing them as they dry out, or other drastic and exotic techniques for breaking them in. If it seems like a bad idea, that’s because it is. Break them in gently, and they will last much longer.

Waterproofing your Hiking Boots

Most hiking boots are already waterproof when you buy them, but you still have to do some additional waterproofing. Check the manufacturer’s recommendation, either in documentation that came with the boots or on their Web site.

Different materials require different kinds of waterproofing. Leather, whether full grain or split, requires a wax-based waterproofing compound (which is exactly what shoe polish is). Fabric, especially nylon blends, requires silicone-based waterproofing spray.

Since most hiking boots are made of a combination of leather and fabric, you will have to use both types of waterproofing. And be careful, because the silicone-based sprays can be harmful to the glued seams of leather hiking boots. The best approach for such dual-material hiking boots is to spray the silicone-based waterproofing on the fabric panels while shielding the leather, then spray the wax-based waterproofing on the leather panels and the seams.

If you have full grain leather hiking boots, you can either use a wax-based waterproofing spray or old-fashioned shoe polish. Shoe polish works best on the seams, as you can put it on extra thick and work it into the seams and stitching.

Before you first use them, and after each major hike, clean your boots thoroughly and give them a full waterproofing treatment. Hiking shoes, worn infrequently, might need the waterproofing treatment just once a year or so, but use your judgment. If you see new scuff or wear marks after a hike, reapply the waterproofing.

Cleaning and General Maintenance of your Hiking Boots

Clean off the mud and dust from your hiking boots after each day of hiking. Each time you stop for a major break on a hike, check your boots and remove any excess mud or dust. To clean your boots while hiking or camping, just kick against a rock, bang your boots together, or scrape with a stick if necessary.

If you let the mud dry on your boots, it will both leach out the waterproofing and soak into the boot. This slowly destroys leather, and it’s not good for nylon, either.

Once you get home, or at least every few days on a protracted backpacking trek, wipe your boots with a damp cloth. Be sure to get off all the foreign matter, so there is nothing to interfere with the waterproofing chemicals, and so you can inspect them for damage.

If a seam is coming undone, cut off any dangling threads. If the dangling thread catches on something, the seam will simply come undone that much faster. Depending on the extent of the damage and the cost of the boots, you might want to bring them to a cobbler for repairs, or simply apply extra shoe polish to hold the loose ends in place and to ensure that the seam is waterproof.

If your boots have gotten soaked, dry them out slowly. Rapid drying will make the leather parts shrink and pull away from the fabric parts and from the rubber sole. Pack the damp boots full of wadded newspapers, and replace the newspapers every few hours until the boots are dry.

In between hikes, a pair of shoe trees will help your boots to hold their shape. And this will be very important to your comfort on your next hike.

Resoling your Hiking Boots

If you have a good pair of backpacking boots, you can have the soles replaced when they wear out. This will cost anywhere from $40.00 to $80.00.

Hiking shoes or day-hiking boots are not worth resoling. Generally, the uppers will wear out as fast as the soles, but even if the uppers appear to be in good shape, the cost just doesn’t make sense.

Look for an experienced cobbler in your town to resole your boots. There are services on the Web that will do this, too, but the shipping costs add considerably to the overall cost. The main benefit is that all such services guarantee their work. If you don’t know a cobbler you can trust with your precious hiking boots, search for “boot resole” on the Web.

After your hiking boots have been resoled, they will be like a new pair. That means you must break them in again.

Knowing When your Hiking Boots are Worn Out

Inspect your hiking boots for wear, and recognize when it’s time to replace them or, if they are worth it, to invest in major repairs.

The most obvious wear point is the tread. Sometimes the tread will be visibly worn, such that the cracks between the knobs of the tread are not deep enough to provide traction. On some hiking boots, you will discover that there are two layers within the sole, and after the softer portion wears through, you are walking on a harder inner portion that does not provide good traction on hard rock.

Another common wear point is the inside of the scree collar (the padding around the top that keeps pebbles out without chafing your Achilles tendon). If the lining has worn through and the foam padding has been exposed, your hiking boots must be repaired or replaced promptly.

Check the lining of the sole of your hiking boots. Very often, you will find a hole wearing through under your heel or toe. (Removable insoles can prevent this, but be sure to replace the insoles regularly.) Such a hole will soon begin causing blisters.

In some hiking boots, the uppers will begin to wear at the seams. You may find that the seams are coming apart very rapidly, as friction between the panels makes the fabric weaker, allowing even more movement and more friction.

Hiking shoes and day-hiking boots may fail by the sole separating from the uppers. If this happens before the shoes have begun showing other serious signs of wear, take it as a lesson: Avoid that brand in the future. If it happens in conjunction with other failures, well, it’s just time for a new pair of hiking boots.

If your hiking boots contain both leather and fabric, you may find that the leather has slowly stretched from the constant tension of the laces. The fabric will begin to wrinkle as the leather stretches away from it. Once this begins, seam failure will soon follow.

Another problem with stretching leather is that your hiking boots may reach a point where you can no longer tighten them! I have only seen this once, on a pair of split leather day-hiking boots. (Hated to see them go.)

Full-grain leather, properly cared for, is almost indestructible. If not properly cared for, it will crack. There’s not much you can do but replace the boots, and try to take better care of the next pair.

Conclusion

Take care of your hiking boots, and they’ll take care of you. Keep them clean, waterproof them with the manufacturer’s recommended waterproofing compound, and they will serve you for thousands of miles on the trail.

Chuck Bonner is a lifelong hiker and amateur naturalist, and webmaster of http://www.HikingWithChuck.com For more information about hiking boots and other hiking equipment based on many years on the trail, visit [http://www.hikingwithchuck.com/Gear/HikingGear.htm]