Hiking Boot Woes!

[Rick]

There is probably no piece of gear failure worse than a problem with your hiking boots. Sore feet are a pain in the ..... foot. Sometimes, though it's not the boots fault but how you tied the laces. I posted some time ago on how to lace up your boots for downhill hiking. Just lace your boots up to and through the first set of speed lacers, tie an overhand knot, then through the next set of speed lacers and tie your bow. (If you have more speed lacers continue tying overhand knots after each set of speed lacers until you reach the last one.) This will keep your foot pushed back against the boot heel so your toes aren't scrunched against the front of your boot and you wind up with black toes.

There are a couple of others things you want to do as well. For downhill hiking tighten the front couple of cross laces. It will help keep your foot from slipping inside the boot. Also remember that your feet swell after an hour or so of hiking so it's a good idea to readjust the laces on your boots after an hour.

If you are hiking uphill then you want to loosen those first couple of cross laces to give your foot some room.

If you are doing a lot of uphill hiking it's also a good idea to face downhill when you stop to rest. This streches the shin muscles and relaxes the calf muslces that you have been using on the uphill climb. When hiking downhill a long distance do just the opposite. Face uphill during a rest to give your muscles a breather.

Finally, don't forget the duct tape and mole skin. My personal preference is duct tape. If your foot moves inside your boot it will be duct tape sliding on boot instead of your skin sliding on boot. Pressure spots can disappear with a little duct tape applied.

[crashdive123]

Good stuff. Thanks. Hiking boots is the one thing I try not to scrimp on too much.

[Rick]

Me neither. You can get by cheap on a lot of things but boots are either great or miserable. It doesn't seem like there is an in between. Once you find a brand/model that works for your foot it's best to stick with it even if it is expensive. You'll be a lot happier and probably spend less money in the long run because you won't be buying multiple boots in the other brands trying to find a cheap one that fits well.

[crashdive123]

I found a pair of Timberlands that just love my feet a while back. The good thing was I found them on sale at a place that is normally fairly cheap to begin with. They were on sale for about $45 - I bought 5 pair. Wear em every day. Before them I was wearing Kastingers - my wallet definitely appreciates the Timberlands.

[Catfish]

Good tips Rick. I wasn't aware of the whole "lace tying strategy" thing, but I'm a big fan of duct tape to cover the sore bits.

Another good lesson I learned the hard way, is that at the first sign of a hot spot, take the time to stop and apply the tape. Don't wait 'till lunch time, or until you make the top of this hill, or until the view is better, do it now.

You get no points for bravely marching on while the soles of your feet shred like cheese on a grater. It just makes the rest of the hike miserable.

[DOGMAN]

In the mushing community we have a saying "No foot, No Dog". This means that if you mess your dogs feet up than you ain't going nowhere. Basically you just fried your motor!

The same thing applies in Backpacking, except your the motor! When I worked as an Outward Bound Instructor we had to be militant about the foot care of the young people we led around the mountains for weeks. One thing i learned about foot care was clean socks.

The second you get off the trail for the day- sit down take off your boots and socks and let your feet completly dry out/off. wear a pair of river sandals or something similar around camp to let your feet air out. Then if you are the type of fella that likes to sleep in socks, have a specific pair of dry clean sleep socks to snooze in. Every day after hiking wash the socks you wore that day in a stream, then let them air dry all night, then tie them to the exterior of your pack the next day and continue to let them dry. Doing this you only need three pair of socks for an extended trip. But, the dry feet are key, your feet are much tougher if properly dried than if they are never allowed to fully dry. Moist feet really seem to get blisters. Also- do not hike the next day in the socks you just slept in...your feet sweat some while in the sleeping bag, so your just setting yourself up for problems.

Lastly, the Danner Mountain Light, I feel, is the best hiking boot there is. I have owned lots and lots of different pairs of hikers (Even custom made for me Limmers) and I think the Mountain Light is the best boot there is. FOr heavier duty off trail hiking with a super heavy pack I prefer the support of the Vasque Montana- they take about a year to break in- but once you do- you have a bomber piece of gear for years to come.

[sgtdraino]

Finally, don't forget the duct tape and mole skin. My personal preference is duct tape. If your foot moves inside your boot it will be duct tape sliding on boot instead of your skin sliding on boot. Pressure spots can disappear with a little duct tape applied.

Am I correct in thinking you apply the duct tape directly to your foot, and not to the outside of the sock?

[DOGMAN]

i've always applied duct tape directly to the foot. I once had a pair of heavy duty 3 pin x/c ski boots that gave me such bad blisters, so quickly that I'd tape my feet up before I left the house. unfortunatly it was the only pair of ski boots that I had, and I had to ski about a mile in and out of my house everyday to go to work. I finally traded those boots to a friend for an old pair he had that he didn't use anymore and they never gave me problems. The brand of the original pair was ALICO they were well made beatiful boots, but dang they killed my feet. He never ended up using them much because he got a new pair of skis that had a different binding system. I guess the boots are just sitting in his closet now. Good! because they don't belong on anyones feet

[crashdive123]

Am I correct in thinking you apply the duct tape directly to your foot, and not to the outside of the sock?

Yep. As Jason said, directly on the skin.

[Rick]

You guys toss out some good stuff!! I also apply tape directly to the skin. Wrap toes, across the bottom of the heel. Where ever those "hot" spots start to develop. I try to take an hour for lunch and I'll remove my boots and socks and remove the tape just to let my feet breath. Then everything goes back on after lunch.

I generally throw up a clothesline of paracord in the evening and hang my socks and shirt that I wore that day up to dry. I wear Smart Wool socks in Gortex boots so my socks are seldom "wet" from sweat but they are damp. They are generally dry by the next morning. I put on the spare pair that I carry then alternate each day allowing that day's pair to air dry overnight. It does wonders for the shirt as well.

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