Tag: gear
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When I started hiking as a child everyone knew you should wear hiking boots, ideally made in Italy with Vibram soles and leather.uppers. Only stupid people wore tennis shoes while hiking, though often they were brought for river crossings and for relaxing around camp. This is still a common view in the general public. When…
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There are a number of people who have found using sandals or water shoes to be highly effective. They provide excellent ventilation for your feet, and are ideal when you are in wet conditions because they don’t hold water against your feet. The downsides of using sandals or water shoes are that your feet get…
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Historically people wore heavy weight boots for backpacking, trekking, etc. Your feet need to be protected, and what could do a better job that a heavy boot which will help prevent sprained ankles and give excellent support? Actually, most boots don’t give good “ankle support”. The sides of the boot are flexible. Only extremely stiff…
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Appropriate socks help keep your feet at a comfortable temperature and play a large part in preventing blisters. Blisters come from the combination of friction, moisture, and temperature. You want socks which wick moisture away from you feet and minimize the amount of friction between the sock and your foot which is often best accomplished…
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For most conditions provided you are carrying less than approximately 40 lb, I would strongly recommend trying trail running shoes because they can be quite comfortable and will be lighter than the more traditional hiking shoes or boots. I have heard people express concerns about hiking in trail runners. I will observe that if your…
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In colder weather, people often struggle with their feet getting cold. There are a number of reasons for this Feet are the furthest point from your core which is generating heat. Feet are subjected to conductive cooling through the soles of your shoes/boots. Feet sweat a lot. Many people’s shoes hold in all the moisture. …
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One of my footwear posts. In general you want to keep your feet dry. There are a variety of ways you feet can get wet. The most dramatic are river crossings, followed by rain, snow, and slush. The final issue is sweat from your own feet (feet can dissipate up to 2 cups of water…
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Thought it would be interesting to see how my primary items have changed over time: I am ignoring items that were used briefly or for testing purpose. For a while I was regularly purchasing new gear and trying it our. When I found something that was “better” than what I was using, I would potentially…
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Every year I help organize several backpacking trips for the communities I participate in. Typically we will have several first time backpackers. I often get the question “What should I buy?” Everyone expects the first thing I will suggest is a good pair of boots which isn’t the case. I typically ask people if they…
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If you want to cook food, you need something that holds the water and/or food as you heat it up. They best cookware will vary depending on the size of a group and the type of cooking. My Choice When I am traveling solo I use a MLD 850ml titanium Pot/Mug. I use an Evernew…