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Hiking Boot Recommendations Anyone?


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The problem with asking for boot suggestions is that people are going to suggest boots that they like and fit their feet. But boots that might be heaven on one person's feet, could be living hell on another's. Different boot manufacturers make boots on different "lasts", to fit different shaped feet. Some mfrs make boots that fit narrow feet, some wide feet, some high instep, etc....

 

There are many excellent boots out there, but not all will be a good fit for your feet. Some top notch boots that come to mind are made by Lowa, Rachlie, Salomon, Merrell, Scarpa, Montrail, Asolo, Vasque, Danner, Alcio, Technica, LL Bean and ECCO. The best way to determine which one is good for you is to find a reputable outdoors store, with experienced boot fitters.

Edited by briansnat
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The problem with asking for boot suggestions is that people are going to suggest boots that they like and fit their feet.  But boots that might be heaven on one person's feet, could be living hell on another's.  Different boot manufacturers make boots on different "lasts", to fit different shaped feet. Some mfrs make boots that fit narrow feet, some wide feet, some high instep, etc....

 

There are many excellent boots out there, but not all will be a good fit for your feet. Some top notch boots that come to mind are made by Lowa, Rachlie, Salomon, Merrell, Scarpa, Montrail, Asolo, Vasque, Danner, Alcio, Technica, LL Bean and ECCO. The best way to determine which one is good for you is to find a reputable outdoors store, with experienced boot fitters.

I agree with everthing but Ecco. these have no lateral support at all, they are at best a hiking "Style" but Ecco boots lack the support required for any real trail use. They are made to feel good when you try them on and that is what they will do.

Edited by JohnnyVegas
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Another thing. If you find a pair of boots that you really like. Buy a second pair and throw them in the closet. That way you have a backup when your first pair wears out. Too often, when you you go back to buy another pair, you find the model is discontinued, or changes have been made to the boot design and it is no longer a good fit.

Edited by briansnat
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Good advice in this thread. And it's true...every individual will find comfort in a variety of boots.

 

On the backpacking forums this topic is unending. Having hiked and chatted about hiking for many many years I think I can say with some degree of accuracy that VASQUE boots are the most popular. I have never owned a pair of them.

 

It took me 4 tries at well over $100 a pair before I found the perfect boots for me...and now the company is out of business so I hope the pair I own last a VERY long time. :)

 

The best, and really only, way to go about this is to visit the stores and try them on...the RIGHT WAY. IOW...wear the same socks you'll be wearing while trekking.....stand on an incline to insure toe space (probably nothing more important than this) and well as heel movement.

 

Just an 'opinion' but I think Gore-Tex is somewhat overrated but solid leather uppers is worth it for extended or heavy duty hiking. - JamesJM

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Good advice in this thread. And it's true...every individual will find comfort in a variety of boots.

 

On the backpacking forums this topic is unending. Having hiked and chatted about hiking for many many years I think I can say with some degree of accuracy that VASQUE boots are the most popular. I have never owned a pair of them.

 

It took me 4 tries at well over $100 a pair before I found the perfect boots for me...and now the company is out of business so I hope the pair I own last a VERY long time. :)

 

The best, and really only, way to go about this is to visit the stores and try them on...the RIGHT WAY. IOW...wear the same socks you'll be wearing while trekking.....stand on an incline to insure toe space (probably nothing more important than this) and well as heel movement.

 

Just an 'opinion' but I think Gore-Tex is somewhat overrated but solid leather uppers is worth it for extended or heavy duty hiking. - JamesJM

To be honest, I don't even have a clue what Gor Tex does! I just know I have it on my old boots and my feet are always warm and dry, not sweaty. I have tried tons of boots and to me the most important thing is to be dry! My feet sweat so much.....

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Good advice in this thread.  And it's true...every individual will find comfort in a variety of boots.

 

On the backpacking forums this topic is unending.  Having hiked and chatted about hiking for many many years I think I can say with some degree of accuracy that VASQUE boots are the most popular.  I have never owned a pair of them. 

 

It took me 4 tries at well over $100 a pair before I found the perfect boots for me...and now the company is out of business so I hope the pair I own last a VERY long time.  :)

 

The best, and really only, way to go about this is to visit the stores and try them on...the RIGHT WAY.  IOW...wear the same socks you'll be wearing while trekking.....stand on an incline to insure toe space (probably  nothing more important than this) and well as heel movement. 

 

Just an 'opinion' but I think Gore-Tex is somewhat overrated but solid leather uppers is worth it for extended or heavy duty hiking.  - JamesJM

To be honest, I don't even have a clue what Gor Tex does! I just know I have it on my old boots and my feet are always warm and dry, not sweaty. I have tried tons of boots and to me the most important thing is to be dry! My feet sweat so much.....

Are you using both liners AND hiking socks? It's a must for me.

 

Any perspirations should be handled easily with liners and good socks...the Gore-Tex will do nothing about that, it's for keeping water OUT.

 

I'm not saying Gore-Tex isn't a good thing, BTW. It works, to a degree. It's just that in my opinion it works no better than well prepared leathers...(waterproofed). I have had Gore-Tex boots get as wet as any boot. - JamesJM

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Good advice in this thread.  And it's true...every individual will find comfort in a variety of boots.

 

On the backpacking forums this topic is unending.  Having hiked and chatted about hiking for many many years I think I can say with some degree of accuracy that VASQUE boots are the most popular.  I have never owned a pair of them. 

 

It took me 4 tries at well over $100 a pair before I found the perfect boots for me...and now the company is out of business so I hope the pair I own last a VERY long time.  :)

 

The best, and really only, way to go about this is to visit the stores and try them on...the RIGHT WAY.  IOW...wear the same socks you'll be wearing while trekking.....stand on an incline to insure toe space (probably  nothing more important than this) and well as heel movement. 

 

Just an 'opinion' but I think Gore-Tex is somewhat overrated but solid leather uppers is worth it for extended or heavy duty hiking.  - JamesJM

To be honest, I don't even have a clue what Gor Tex does! I just know I have it on my old boots and my feet are always warm and dry, not sweaty. I have tried tons of boots and to me the most important thing is to be dry! My feet sweat so much.....

Are you using both liners AND hiking socks? It's a must for me.

 

Any perspirations should be handled easily with liners and good socks...the Gore-Tex will do nothing about that, it's for keeping water OUT.

 

I'm not saying Gore-Tex isn't a good thing, BTW. It works, to a degree. It's just that in my opinion it works no better than well prepared leathers...(waterproofed). I have had Gore-Tex boots get as wet as any boot. - JamesJM

At the risk of soudning dumb, what are hiking socks and liners? I just use nylon socks with a heavier sock and stick em in the boot....

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Insp Gadget -

 

Any store that sells quality hiking boots will carry a full line of hiking socks and liners. I like the merino wool but that's a personal choice.

 

You should look into it....liners with good socks are specifically designed for perspiration...well, and blisters as well, and warmth, hehe, and lots of other reasons.

 

Obvsiouly there is a point of dimishing returns, :) , when I'm on extended backpacking trips I'll change socks at LEAST twice a day and sometimes three times. I'll wash out the dirty pair and hang them on my backpack to dry. - JamesJM

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T-Shirts...I know Patagonia sells some very good stuff. In fact, for briefs and T-Shirts Patagonia is all I have at this moment.

 

For shirts I like Ex-Officio. I can wash them and they're dry in what seems minutes, nearly after I wring them out...ummm, depending on the weather of course.

 

stay away from cotton as perspiration is a big problem. It's comfortable but TERRIBLE for drying and keeping you dry. And I grow cotton so I'm killing myself telling you this. :) - JamesJM

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Thanks for the info. I('m going to the hiking store to have a look at those socks right now! Any recommendations on a tshirt? I sweat so much with the one I had one that I could squeeze out the moisture!

My favorite by far have been "Smartwool" socks. Great stuff!

 

:)

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Gortex is a waterproof breathable membrane that allows vapor out, but will not let water in. It is made of strecth teflon that has millions of micro scopic holes in it. The holes are not large enought to let water pass through them, but will let vapor pass through. As far as sox, I like at least 30% wool. Wool is a great fiber to wick moisure away from your feet, There are a number of sythetics that will also work. Just avoid cotton sox, cotton will retain moisture and keep your feet damp. This may equal blisters. Sock liners will also help keep your feet happy and healthy. Yor best bet, go to an outdoor specialty shop like REI etc. No Big 5, sports mart Kmart Wall mart are not specialt shops.

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Just an 'opinion' but I think Gore-Tex is somewhat overrated but solid leather uppers is worth it for extended or heavy duty hiking.  - JamesJM

To be honest, I don't even have a clue what Gor Tex does! I just know I have it on my old boots and my feet are always warm and dry, not sweaty. I have tried tons of boots and to me the most important thing is to be dry! My feet sweat so much.....

Are you using both liners AND hiking socks? It's a must for me.

 

Any perspirations should be handled easily with liners and good socks...the Gore-Tex will do nothing about that, it's for keeping water OUT.

 

I'm not saying Gore-Tex isn't a good thing, BTW. It works, to a degree. It's just that in my opinion it works no better than well prepared leathers...(waterproofed). I have had Gore-Tex boots get as wet as any boot. - JamesJM

I'm not sure what kind of boots you have that are Gore-Tex and your feet still get wet, but I wear Wolverine boots, and my feet never get wet. I have walked through muddy swamps, 6 inches of standing water, through creeks, and never had a problem. To be honest, sometimes when i see a creek, i go right through it just to see if my feet will get wet. They never have!

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NO ONE knows more about boots than the U.S. Army. The WWII days of ill fitting, inadequate boots are gone. They have everything from Jungle/Swamp to Arctic styles.

 

Try an Army-Navy Surplus store or a similar catalog outfit. You might find what you like. (or like what you find).

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NO ONE knows more about boots than the U.S. Army. The WWII days of ill fitting, inadequate boots are gone. They have everything from Jungle/Swamp to Arctic styles.

 

Try an Army-Navy Surplus store or a similar catalog outfit. You might find what you like. (or like what you find).

You got that right. They aren't shareful of their findings either. Was at the military med school some years ago, saw a paper discussing the design of boots in the Vietnam era that was classified top secret till released into the library, where it was still classified so that the identities of all readers were recorded. Neat paper, amazing biomechanical modeling for the time.

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Thanks for the info. I('m going to the hiking store to have a look at those socks right now! Any recommendations on a tshirt? I sweat so much with the one I had one that I could squeeze out the moisture!

CoolMax. Check www.sierratradingpost.com for real good prices on CoolMax t-shirts.

Edited by briansnat
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Two of the best places for hiking boots are http://www.sirmailorder.ca/ and http://www.lebaron.ca/ One of the best brands on the market is Irish setter's. These oulets are in canada and they have a large selection of boots. Hope this helps.Gor-tex is breathable waterproof material that works realy well. The last couple of years they have been bringing out breathable waterproof boots,that are not called Gor-tex but do the same job and come with the same warrentee. :)

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Thanks for the info. I('m going to the hiking store to have a look at those socks right now! Any recommendations on a tshirt? I sweat so much with the one I had one that I could squeeze out the moisture!

Great question re t-shirts, Norh Face, Mt. Hardware and some other outdoor gear companies offer a selection of T-shirts that will wick moisture away and keep you dry. You can even use some of the better thermals, just avoid cotton.

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Good advice in this thread.  And it's true...every individual will find comfort in a variety of boots.

 

On the backpacking forums this topic is unending.  Having hiked and chatted about hiking for many many years I think I can say with some degree of accuracy that VASQUE boots are the most popular.  I have never owned a pair of them. 

 

It took me 4 tries at well over $100 a pair before I found the perfect boots for me...and now the company is out of business so I hope the pair I own last a VERY long time.  :)

 

The best, and really only, way to go about this is to visit the stores and try them on...the RIGHT WAY.  IOW...wear the same socks you'll be wearing while trekking.....stand on an incline to insure toe space (probably  nothing more important than this) and well as heel movement. 

 

Just an 'opinion' but I think Gore-Tex is somewhat overrated but solid leather uppers is worth it for extended or heavy duty hiking.  - JamesJM

To be honest, I don't even have a clue what Gor Tex does! I just know I have it on my old boots and my feet are always warm and dry, not sweaty. I have tried tons of boots and to me the most important thing is to be dry! My feet sweat so much.....

Are you using both liners AND hiking socks? It's a must for me.

 

Any perspirations should be handled easily with liners and good socks...the Gore-Tex will do nothing about that, it's for keeping water OUT.

 

I'm not saying Gore-Tex isn't a good thing, BTW. It works, to a degree. It's just that in my opinion it works no better than well prepared leathers...(waterproofed). I have had Gore-Tex boots get as wet as any boot. - JamesJM

Gortex is a very thin membrane that you can not see in the boots, it will be between the outer layer and the inner layer of the boot. What it does is make a boot or any garmet breathable and waterproof, the key here is Breathable. There is no way you can treat a full leather boot to be waterproof and BREATHABLE, I have a pair of Full Leather Sportiva boots with the gortex membrane, They are 100% waterproof and they BREATH. I have had them for several years and have never had a problem with them keeping my feet dry. Also, gortex is not intended to keep the outer layer of the boot or any garmet dry. The outer layer should be treated with a DWR (Durable Water Repelancy) this may be a spray like techtron, these will not waterproof the outer layer but will make it repel water. If you waterproof the outer layer of a boot, you lose the breatablity which is what helps to keep your feet dry. Of course you must also have good sox as part of the system, this means leave your cotton sox at home. I like at least 30% wool.

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JohnnyVegas....

 

They have several waterproofing products these days that allow breathability with leathers. I know Campmor sells it, probably REI.

 

BTW...have you noticed lately that REI's prices seem to be getting a bit high? I always do price checks and while I used to find REI cheaper or as cheaper than others these days they are almost constantly higher. - JamesJM

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O.K. I'll play the curmudgeonly old-timer and say Buffalo Smoke Jumpers. They're probably the heaviest thing you'll ever put on your feet short of a pair of skis or a snowboard and they have no cushioning, but they support the ankle like a cast. They're not for hiking at all. They are for working off trail (read bushwhacking). Seriously, I'll replace them when I find a light weight high top hiking boot with good ankle support.

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I went to my local hiking store last night and tried on what seemed to be a thousand pairs of boots. Walked around the store, shuffled my feet along the rug and hit the wall, crouched, moved etc. I finally settled on a pair of Vasque. They seem to be very well made and have excellent ankle support! Thanks for all your recommendations! Now I just have to break these $300 suckers in!!!!

 

BTW, hiking socks are SUPER expensive! They had some that were $30 a pair!!!! For 2 socks people!!!

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I agree about Lowa. I've had a pair a couple years now and they are the most comfortable boots I've ever owned...

 

I have the Lowa Renegades GTX. Most comfortable boot I've ever owned as well. Unfortunately they provide no support and are falling apart after less than a year.

My thoughts about them are at epinions.com...and they aren't good. I'm about to send them back to REI and hopefully I'll get some sort of refund.

Edited by briansnat
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JohnnyVegas....

 

They have several waterproofing products these days that allow breathability with leathers. I know Campmor sells it, probably REI.

 

BTW...have you noticed lately that REI's prices seem to be getting a bit high? I always do price checks and while I used to find REI cheaper or as cheaper than others these days they are almost constantly higher. - JamesJM

the disadvantage to non gortex methods is that they do not last. My choice of these are the NikWax products. I use Nikwax on my non gortex non leather boots that I tend to use more from late spring into early fall.

 

As far as REI and prices, they have forced most of the local shops out of bussiness. now that they have no competion in most areas they can jack the prices up. I am in the San Francisco area, most of the local shops here have gone out of bussiness over the past three years. Just after REI moved into the smaller citys with small REI stores. Of course these small REI shops do not have the selection of some large stores, so now we as consumers are not going to have the selection of merchandise we once had. Another thing REI does is pay minumum wage regeardless of experiance, so they can not get many experianced preople in the out doorindustry.

 

There are 2 or 3 local stores left in San Francisco, but by the time I pay the $5.00 bridge fair, then pay for parking, then pay for the Gas and then the higher sale tax rate in San rancosco. It is just not worh all the trouble to try save maybe 15.00 on a pair of boots. Next time I will try them on at REI then order online from some and online dealer.

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Any store that sells quality hiking boots will carry a full line of hiking socks and liners. I like the merino wool but that's a personal choice.

 

You should look into it....liners with good socks are specifically designed for perspiration...well, and blisters as well, and warmth, hehe, and lots of other reasons.

 

Another question about socks. How much wool in a sock should I be looking for? I saw the actual hiking socks and they cost $30 for a pair!!! I have seen some at Wal Mart with 40%wool, is this good enough?

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i have a hard-to fit foot, so my advice may not be worth squat....

 

i like asolo boots very much. full leather uppers (properly treated) and gore-tex inner. superfeet footbed to replace factory insole. smartwool hiking sock a must.

 

second choice in boots is a sportiva, but asolo are like crush-proof bedroom slippers. very tough, and very comfortable. under heavy use they'll only last you four or five years, though.

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Any store that sells quality hiking boots will carry a full line of hiking socks and liners.  I like the merino wool but that's a personal choice. 

 

You should look into it....liners with good socks are specifically designed for perspiration...well, and blisters as well, and warmth, hehe, and lots of other reasons.

 

Another question about socks. How much wool in a sock should I be looking for? I saw the actual hiking socks and they cost $30 for a pair!!! I have seen some at Wal Mart with 40%wool, is this good enough?

$30 is too high. Oh I'm sure 100% would can cost that much but the blends are as good and much cheaper. Here are some listed at campmor. 65% wook at about $12 a pair. $9 - $15 is about average.

 

Socks

 

One more thing about boots...as you can see in this thread there are many favorites. <smile> I have worn Asolo, One Sport, Merrel's, and at least a dozen other brands. It's not just the brand but which model.

 

Ain't no getting around it...ya gotta try them on and test them out. - JamesJM

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Another question about socks. How much wool in a sock should I be looking for? I saw the actual hiking socks and they cost $30 for a pair!!! I have seen some at Wal Mart with 40%wool, is this good enough?

 

Forget $30, you can get good hiking socks from LL Bean for $14, or Sierra Trading Post for half that. You want a mostly wool sock, but a wool/Thermax blend is fine too. Merino wool is excellent because it doesn't itch. Some good socks are Smartwool (the best IMHO), Bridgedale, Rhoner, Thorlo (which tend to be overkill IMHO) and Dahlgren.

If you spend more that $15 for socks, you're crazy and you can usually find them for half that at STP.

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I agree about Lowa. I've had a pair a couple years now and they are the most comfortable boots I've ever owned...

 

I have the Lowa Renegades GTX. Most comfortable boot I've ever owned as well. Unfortunately they provide no support and are falling apart after less than a year.

My thoughts about them are at epinions.com...and they aren't good. I'm about to send them back to REI and hopefully I'll get some sort of refund.

If they give you a refund, or an exchange that to me is the sign of a good company trying to do whats right to keep its customers happy. Would you go back with LOWA, If they tried to do the right thing, or would you let them do the right thing and go to another brand? If someone is good to me I will always go back to them for future products or service. You may have just gotten a bad pair?

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If they give you a refund, or an exchange that to me is the sign of a good company trying to do whats right to keep its customers happy. Would you go back with LOWA, If they tried to do the right thing, or would you let them do the right thing and go to another brand? If someone is good to me I will always go back to them for future products or service. You may have just gotten a bad pair?

 

If REI gave me a refund or exchange, I'd definitely go back. The lifetime guarantee is one of the reasons I've been loyal to LL Bean for so many years. I can't blame REI for the failure of a product made by someone else, but I do expect them to test their products before they sell them and back them up. As far as the Lowa boots, I would't rule out Lowa in the future...these just may be part of a bad batch. These particular boots were a disappointment from the beginning because of their lack of support. Were they comfortable? Yeah, almost like sneakers. But they seemed to sacrifice support for comfort and in serious hiking boots, I look for support. I'm sure that isn't indicative of all Lowa boots...just this model. Lowa has a great rep and probably for a good reason. Besides, they fit well, so its safe to assume that most other Lowa models will have similar fitc characteristics.

Edited by briansnat
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I thought I'd throw this in just to confuse matters :o

 

The growing trend in backpacking are lightweight shoes and I mean light...like trail sandals. There are even groups of barefoot hikers. Barefoot is for me an impossibility because I have baby bottom feet. I can't even walk across a carpet barefoot....but I do not require that much support from a hiking boot.

 

the thing about support is that if you need it, like Brian, then it's an absolute must; and if you don't then rugged boots in lieu of comfort is foolish. - JamesJM

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Another thing. If you find a pair of boots that you really like. Buy a second pair and throw them in the closet. That way you have a backup when your first pair wears out. Too often, when you you go back to buy another pair, you find the model is discontinued, or changes have been made to the boot design and it is no longer a good fit.

yes, that's what I'm going to do I think. Great idea! I love Zamberlains, but they keep changing the models on me. Fortunately the two pairs I've owned have been great. After 5 years or so I need to get new boots...soles get worned down. One thing I don't like about Zamberlains...soles aren't stitched.

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The growing trend in backpacking are lightweight shoes and I mean light...like trail sandals. There are even groups of barefoot hikers.

 

There is a small, but obsessive group of Ray Jardine followers who espouse sneakers on he trail and a daypack for a week in the woods. Personally, when I hike, I like the support that good hiking boots provide. I don't care to feel every pebble and stone through the soles of my shoe. And when I backpack, I want my Thermarest, and tent, and hammock and liter of red wine and a few cans of beer....and cigars...and other luxuries. They add to the trip...both weight and pleasure-wise. &*^% Ray Jardine!

Edited by briansnat
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The growing trend in backpacking are lightweight shoes and I mean light...like trail sandals. There are even groups of barefoot hikers.

 

There is a small, but obsessive group of Ray Jardine followers who espouse sneakers on he trail and a daypack for a week in the woods. Personally, when I hike, I like the support that good hiking boots provide. I don't care to feel every pebble and stone through the soles of my shoe. And when I backpack, I want my Thermarest, and tent, and hammock and liter of red wine and a few cans of beer....and cigars...and other luxuries. They add to the trip...both weight and pleasure-wise. &*^% Ray Jardine!

:o Yeah, I take along a few creature comforts myself...even with the added weight. I'm don't drink alcohol but I have celebrated many a negotiated mountain pass with a fine cigar. - JamesJM

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