How Should Hiking Boots Fit – All The Important Things You Need To Know
This is an age old question in which everyone has a different answer for. How should hiking boots fit? As someone who enjoys hiking, you would think that I can just tell you in one answer how hiking boots should fit. The thing is hiking boots should fit different people in different ways. I thought I should clarify with this post about what I mean when I say different people in different ways. Continue reading to find out!
Let’s face it. There are numerous types of hiking boots out there. I think I need to first explain the different types of hiking boots and then tell you how they should fit. It is the easiest way to answer the question that is on everyone’s mind.
What Are The Different Types of Hiking Boots?
1. Hiking Shoes
These tend to have a thick sole, short shaft and are unusually light despite their clunky look. Your hiking shoes are not meant to be worn for long periods of time, but are great for short hikes in the woods or trails. They will protect your feet none the less, you probably know about steel toe boots which can protect your toe safely like hiking shoes and provide the support you need. You are also able to wear them for running, that is if you enjoy trail running. If you have state parks or county parks with trails, then these are the hiking boots you should purchase for them. You will only wear them for a few hours at a time, not an entire day like other hiking boots.
2. Day Hiking Boots
These boots have a similar thick sole, but have a higher shaft than the hiking shoes. Hence why they are hiking boots, and not hiking shoes. These boots tend to have a mid-shaft up to a high cut shaft just depending on the style of the boot and the brand of the boot. As you can tell by the name, day hiking boot, they are meant to be used for longer hours than hiking shoes. You can wear them on day hikes, or whilst backpacking with a lighter backpack. You will have plenty of support with these day hiking boots no matter the brand.
3. Backpacking Boots
These are the type of hiking boots people tend to think about when you ask the question how should hiking boots fit. Backpacking boots should fit differently than hiking shoes and different than day hiking boots. The shaft of these boots is higher than that of day hiking boots so they are able to carry heavier loads whilst making sure your feet are well supported and your ankle is well wrapped. These are great for trails, whether on or off the path. These are the most durable hiking boots you can purchase.
The Way the Hiking Boot Should Fit
This is the part in which you need to pay special attention to! The age old question is about to be answered.
1. They Should Always Be Snug
Not tight, but snug. Your toes should be able to wiggle, and your feet should feel supported, but not suffocated. Try hiking boots on at the end of the day because that is when your feet are most swollen and sweaty. This way you know you will have the perfect snug fit.
2. Know Your Shoe Size
Hiking boots run in different sizes and different widths in different brands. If you know the brand you want, then check to see how they run in size. Some may run large, some may run small, some may run narrow and others may run wide. Do your research so you are only trying on two or three pairs rather than a hundred pairs at the end of the day and getting frustrated.
3. Do You Wear Orthotics?
If you do, then make sure you bring them along to the fitting. What happens if you purchase the boots and then put your orthotics in when you get home and they do not fit anymore? Sometimes you can’t return hiking boots and you are then stuck with a pair of unworn hiking boots sitting in your closet. Always bring your orthotics.
4. Wear Your Correct Socks
I know I always wear a pair of thermal hiking socks with my boots. I always bring the socks along with me whenever I need a new pair of hiking boots. Since your boots need to fit snug, you need to make sure that you have a pair of thick socks in order to make them snug. The boots often run wide, so you want to make sure you have a pair of thick socks if you do not already.
5. Walk Around with The Boots on
I know you have probably been on your feet all day and spending more time on your feet is the last thing you want to do, but it is essential that you walk around in the hiking boots prior to purchasing. This will give you an idea on how they will fit and feel as you continue to wear them. Take a short walk from one end of the room to another and then walk back. This will give you an idea on how the hiking boots will work while on a trail.
6. Break in Your Boots
You need to make sure your hiking boots are broken in prior to wearing them on your first outing. It does not matter if they are hiking shoes, day hiking boots or backpacking boots, they all need to be broken in prior to their trail adventures. I tend to do this by taking them on walks around the neighborhood or wearing them whenever I go food shopping or other kinds of shopping. I know I will be on my feet for long periods of time, so it just makes it easier to break them in.
Conclusion
So, This is my answer to how should hiking boots fit. They should be snug, but not tight. You need to test all of your shoe accessories with the hiking boots prior to purchase too. So, is this how you think your hiking boots should fit? Please, let me know.
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Steve Owen is the Professional Writer, Blogger of Shoescast.com. As you know, Shoescast.com was established with an aim to help visitor who are looking for some tips to choose the right shoes for them or help them solve their shoe problems and more. If you have any troubles with your shoes, you can have a look at his blog and I’m sure you can not go wrong.
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5 Brilliant, Essential Tips For Camping With Dogs
I love a good life hack, and if you’re going to camp with your dogs, you’re going to need them. Camping with dogs is great fun, but there are some essential tips for camping with dogs that you can’t ignore if you want to get the most out of your trip.
You also want to be sure everyone is safe and well cared for through the trip to the outdoors. Let’s face it, there are a lot of things that dogs can get into out there.
I’ve done some reading up on the topic and have some of my own ideas to share in this essential tips for camping with dogs list.
1. Confirm Your Camping Location Is Pet Friendly
I am sure this seems like a very obvious thing to be included in a list of essential tips for camping with dogs. You would be surprised how many people assume all campsites are dog friendly, however. Just because you will be outside doesn’t guarantee you are allowed to bring your pet.
Check the location’s website or call them to ask. Don’t rely on advice from your friends. You never know if the policy has changed since they last visited.
Also, find out about policies such as what to do with your dog’s waste and when and if they are allowed off lead. There is more to consider than just if dogs are allowed at the campsite.
Obviously, if you are camping in a remote location that isn’t managed by an entity, your dog is welcome. That brings me to my next point, however.
2. Discourage Chasing/Dog Obedience
How’s your dog with wildlife? Has your dog ever seen a deer? What about a smaller animal like a skunk or a racoon?
The thing is, you may not know how your dog will react to a visit from a woodland friend. Give this a little thought, however, and find some ways to discourage your dog from chasing after something. You could lose your dog or they could find themselves in danger.
Here are a few potential fixes for this problem:
- Use a training collar on your dog when you camp.
- Keep your dog on a lead at all times while you are camping.
- Teach recall to your dog and work on it until he comes back to you without exception.
- Bring a larger than necessary tent with you. You can shut your dog securely inside at dawn, dusk, and any other time of high woodland traffic or when you can’t watch him closely.
General obedience training will go a long way in preventing your dog from running away after an enticing animal, as well. This is one of the most important safety focused essential tips for camping with dogs I have for you today.
3. Protect Your Dog From Parasites
It’s terrifying to think about the things your dog might pick up in the woods. Fleas, mosquitos, and ticks are just the beginning. Therefore, before you go camping, go see your vet.
Talk to your vet about vaccinations against lyme disease and other risk factors your dog may be up against. Make sure you are up to date on your rabies vaccine and heartworm meds, too.
Topical applications like Frontline and Advantage work on fleas but not ticks, so keep this in mind as well.
4. Flotation Devices And Dog Safety
If you are going to be having fun in the water, you’ll need a flotation device for your dog. It is also important to make sure your dog can swim well and is obedient enough to stay in the boat. Sometimes, for strong swimmers, the temptation to go for a free swim is very intense.
You also want to prepare for non-water based emergencies. Consider packing a doggie first aid kit along with your own. You can bring the following items to help the following, corresponding conditions and situations.
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| First Aid Item | Treatment Situation |
| Rimadyl and Tramodol, obtained from your vet prior to your trip. | These medications are pain treatments. |
| Your pet’s medical history, in summary form. You can use the notes app in your smartphone to write in their last round of shots and your vet’s number. | If something serious happens, you may need to give this information over the phone. |
| Vet wrap or self clinging bandages. | This has endless uses and is the duct tape of pet owners. Wrap up a cut paw or a bug bite your dog is licking excessively. It can work like an ace bandage if needed, also. |
| Antiseptic wipes | You can clean your pet’s affected area to help prevent infection. |
| Gauze | Gauze is helpful if your dog is wounded. It will help keep things clean. |
| Tweezers | These are handy for removing objects from paws and insect removal. Be careful with ticks, however! |
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5. Carry In, Carry Out- Even For Poop
You’re going to need a poop disposal plan. If you are camping at a site, there will be rules about how you dispose of your dog’s leavings. If you are on the trail or camping in the woods, however, you shouldn’t just let it lie.
Other animals may poop in the words (bears, anyone?), but your dog isn’t from that ecosystem. The same way your dog could get sick or disrupted from eating another animal’s droppings, the animals and organisms of the forest shouldn’t have to deal with poop.
Plus, think of other hikers.
6. Essential Tips For Camping With Dogs
This video also has some great essential tips for camping with dogs.
It includes a few essential tips I didn’t cover here, such as making sure your dog knows where its water is and checking the camping area for anything that could hurt your dog before letting them run free.
Thanks for stopping by yet again to spend time with me learning about essential tips for camping with dogs! It’s really made me want to get out there with my own crew!
Let me know your most memorable experience camping with your dog in the comments section. I love to hear from you!
Finally, check out my other recent articles, Can Dogs Eat Ginger and the Top 5 Most Loveable Dogs That Look Like Wolves.
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My name is Lauren @ Lovablepawsandclaws
I’m a young woman with a true passion for animals. I has kept many pets over the years and has intimate knowledge of their needs both emotionally and physically. I loves that her dogs keep her so active and satisfy her desire to spend lots of time in nature.
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5 overlooked survival skills that will save your life
Every survivor worth salt is familiar with the basic skills necessary to continue living when the SHTF occurs, or other adverse situation arises. Many survival experts have come up with extensive lists detailing activities like creating fire from scratch, finding a clean and safe source of water, protecting yourself and many others.
Unfortunately, many survival skills that would make life in the wilderness or other hostile situation easier tend to get left out, depriving survivalists of essential knowledge that would make survival a lot easier. Below are 5 overlooked survival skills that should be a part of every survivalist’s repertoire and which can make surviving a lot easier, with limited resources and minimum capital outlay.
Equipping Yourself With The Right Tools
Modern conveniences have rendered most if not all of us essentially helpless without the presence of electrical gadgets and other items necessary for day to day life. Few of us own any tools or appliances or tools that would help us survive in adverse situations and the presence of stores that carry almost anything we need has made many of us too lazy to explore alternatives that we can use should the items we need no longer be available.
Ancient cultures were privy to knowledge that has died out today, including making and equipping yourself with tools that can ensure your survival in any situation. Fortunately, more and more survival experts are providing us with information on how to locate or make the tools we would need in a survival situation. Items like a rechargeable LED light, fire starters, tents, hammocks and ropes/cords can be easily located at stores or made from a few simple items in your home.
Medical Knowledge
While many survivalists are familiar with basic first aid skills, few have taken the time to learn about medicinal herbs and other natural remedies that you can use in the absence of health facilities.
Fortunately, military outfits, natural health practitioners, the internet and online libraries contain essential knowledge about alternative medicine, and anyone willing to educate themselves can have access to many of these resources for free.
Unless you are extremely lucky, you are unlikely to have access to medical facilities or a medical professional in emergency situations or if they happen to be available, they will most likely be overwhelmed with ill or injured people seeking immediate attention. The onus is thus on you to learn as much as you can about how to survive where there is no doctor and modern medical facilities are unavailable.
Physical Fitness
Primitive cultures had no access to fossil fuels and other energy sources available to us today. Relying heavily on animals and crude forms of transportation in order to get around, most people had to be extremely physically fit and strong in order to manoeuvre and control animals and heavy structures such as carts.
In addition, people often travelled long distances on foot in search of grazing land or to escape adverse weather conditions. It was not unusual for entire villages to travel up to 8 hours a day on foot to find the resources they needed for survival. This meant that every member of a tribe or village, unless they were very old, infirm or pregnant, had to exhibit very high levels of physical fitness in order to carry out these excursions.
Our jobs and lifestyles have made many of us soft and unfit and thus extremely unlikely to survive in situations that would require trekking for long distances or gruelling physical activities such as building a structure from scratch.
Fortunately, you can bring your physical fitness up to par by taking part in vigorous, strenuous activity including long distance walking and running several times a week. Be sure to invest in a good quality pair of hiking boots to protect your feet from injury and enable you to cover longer and longer distances over rough terrain.
Food Preservation
Big Agri, Fast food, the invention of the refrigerator and the advent of the internet have made food practically available on our doorsteps and easy to store for months with very little effort on our part. The result is that many of us have no idea how to stop food from spoiling if we have to live in the wild or in situations where modern amenities are unavailable.
Our ancestors had learned how to preserve meat from a hunt or slaughtered domestic animals or produce from agriculture to get them through the months when game was unavailable or agriculture was not possible. Survivalists today will need to re-learn the lost arts of canning, smoking, salting, drying and other food preservation methods if they are to ensure they have enough foods to survive in adverse conditions.
Blacksmithing and Carpentry
Blacksmithing and carpentry used to be skills that almost anyone who wanted to build a home or make a few basic tools would possess. Today, with the advent of mechanization and assembly line manufacturing, these processes are performed on a large scale and mostly automated. This means that if you need some tools or furniture, or need some construction done, you will either have to hire a professional or purchase a prefabricated generic home made in a factory.
If civilisation collapses or you find yourself in a situation where no modern conveniences or services are available, you will need to have skills that allow you to create the tools and structures you need for survival. Fortunately, online classes, DIY books and even artisan courses at your local college can help you master these skills, and equip you with the knowledge necessary to fashion items from scratch if need be.
Conclusion
Surviving in adverse conditions need not be a difficult and contrived undertaking. By equipping yourself with the right skills and tools, you should be able to ensure that life continues with a semblance of normalcy even if everything is falling apart around you. Taking time to prepare well before adversity strikes is paramount and can mean the difference between you and your family surviving, or perishing with the millions of people who will be caught unawares.
Fortunately, the tools to prepare for the coming disasters are becoming increasingly available in the form of knowledge and material resources. By taking time to learn all about the skills and resources you need for survival, mastering these and stockpiling on necessary items, you should be able to ensure you and your family’s survival until things return to normal.
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Louise is the founder of TheAdventureLand, where she and her associates blog about Outdoor experiences, tips & tricks that will help you have an exciting adventure. She is also a tour guide of travel company where she learned many things about wilderness. “Let’s pack our bags and explore the world!”
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