Backpacking Hiking Boots

Series Summary

Backpacking combines hiking and camping in a single trip. A backpacker hikes into the back-country to spend one or more nights there, and carries supplies and equipment to satisfy sleeping and eating needs. A backpacker packs all of his or her gear into a backpack. This gear must include food, water, and shelter, or the means to obtain them, but very little else, and often in a more compact and simpler form than one would use for stationary camping. Most backpackers' food criteria are roughly the same, including high energy content, particularly protein, with long shelf life and low mass and volume. There are many variables to consider when choosing what clothes to bring on a backpacking trip. Of course, there's only so much one can fit into a backpack, so getting used to wearing dirty clothes can be a concern on longer camping trips. In this free video series, you'll learn what shirts, shoes, pants and jackets are needed to bring on backpacking trips, in addition to other tips. Comfortable clothing made out of synthetic materials are necessary, as is being prepared for drastic changes in weather. Of course, it's nice to have several lightweight options as well. With these tips and techniques, there's one less thing you'll have to worry about on your next backpacking excursion.

Video Transcript

"Something that's really important to have when you're hiking is hiking boots. Lots of people try to hike in their shoes if they don't know what they're doing but it's really easy to get injured if you're not, don't have actual hiking boots. For one, hiking boots are going to secure your foot into place a lot more so there's not going to be as much friction. They're not going to be rubbing on the sides as much, they're also waterproof. You're probably going to be walking through snow, walking through streams and stuff like that and so you need for them to be waterproof. A, some hiking boots like mine actually have, they don't have the separate tongue and so it's waterproof all the way in through there and so that's a lot better as far as keeping your feet dry. You also want to make sure that you get a hiking boot that's waterproof but it says breathable on the side otherwise they're going to feel like you're walking around with trash bags on your feet. It's really, really warm so hiking boots, also it's really good to have a high top. They do make hiking boots with a low top but its like if you're walking over a bunch of rocks and things like that you need something to have that ankle support because you're going to be twisting a lot. Especially if you've got a heavy pack on your back because you're going to be clumsier than usual. So you need something to give your foot that, that extra ankle support."