Footwear
Some of the best advice I’ve read is ‘a pound on the foot is worth five on the back’. I whole-heartedly agree with this and have ditched the expensive and heavy hiking boots for trail runners. I find I can walk further, faster and feel much more agile. I’ll never go back. My Scarpa boots weigh 1710 g, while my favourite trail runners weigh 430g. That’s a difference of 1,280g and if you believe the rule, then that is 6,400g on the back. That 6.4kg is greater than my entire summer base weight! Some people will argue that hiking boots provide good ankle support and are waterproof. I’d much prefer to focus on strength exercises and hike with a lightweight pack to protect my ankles (perhaps use an ankle brace if you have real problems). I’d also argue that hiking boots once wet tend to stay wet – and heavy.
Shoes
Trail runners are also far cheaper I never pay more than $100-200 for mine on the online clearance stores. I find they last well too, I did the 700km Great South Coast Walk and the Larapinta Trail in a pair I’d used for 12 months prior and they held up well. Be sure to look for trail runners, not sneakers, you need to get the ones with grip that looks more like a mountain bike tyre than a road bike or you may have issues on slippery rock. Trail runners are also quick to put on and off making creek crossings faster, but if I’m creek hopping all day I’ll just own it and power though shoes and all. Trail runners tend to dry faster if you do get them wet. I avoid water resistant shoes, as my feet feel too sweaty in them (even in supposedly breathable shoes). Just be careful, as some trail runners are way over manufactured and could come out to weighing as much as a boot. I'm loving Altra shoes for my wide feet.
Camp shoes are another item you may consider taking. I feel they are not worth the weight and I enjoy hopping about barefoot in camp. However, be very careful you don’t damage those all-important feet. I’ll sometime wear my day socks in camp to provide a little extra comfort and protection. Other people just use their hiking shoes with the laces loosened when moving around camp.
Socks
Socks can be important especially for people who have issues with blisters. I like to tape any rubbing as soon as I feel it to prevent blisters. I have also had some success with Wright Socks, they have a double layer system that slips around inside the sock instead of your skin doing this and causing blisters. Tying your shoelaces up properly can also help prevent blisters, but remember to break in any new shoes.amzn.to/2PPTmAd
I tend to hike in ankle socks or soccer socks if I’m wearing shorts (I don’t like the feel of gaiters on my bare legs). If it’s going to be cold I’ll wear wool socks but they take much longer to dry than some of the synthetic socks. Foot care is critical so be sure to dry your feet each night. Tend to any issues and put on your ‘clean’ dry socks at the end of the day.
I like to pin yesterday’s socks to the outside of my pack to dry as I hike.
Gaiters
Gaiters for me are a must especially on solo hikes. They provide additional protection from snakes and can help keep grass seeds, dirt and leeches out of your socks.
Some of the best advice I’ve read is ‘a pound on the foot is worth five on the back’. I whole-heartedly agree with this and have ditched the expensive and heavy hiking boots for trail runners. I find I can walk further, faster and feel much more agile. I’ll never go back. My Scarpa boots weigh 1710 g, while my favourite trail runners weigh 430g. That’s a difference of 1,280g and if you believe the rule, then that is 6,400g on the back. That 6.4kg is greater than my entire summer base weight! Some people will argue that hiking boots provide good ankle support and are waterproof. I’d much prefer to focus on strength exercises and hike with a lightweight pack to protect my ankles (perhaps use an ankle brace if you have real problems). I’d also argue that hiking boots once wet tend to stay wet – and heavy.
Shoes
Trail runners are also far cheaper I never pay more than $100-200 for mine on the online clearance stores. I find they last well too, I did the 700km Great South Coast Walk and the Larapinta Trail in a pair I’d used for 12 months prior and they held up well. Be sure to look for trail runners, not sneakers, you need to get the ones with grip that looks more like a mountain bike tyre than a road bike or you may have issues on slippery rock. Trail runners are also quick to put on and off making creek crossings faster, but if I’m creek hopping all day I’ll just own it and power though shoes and all. Trail runners tend to dry faster if you do get them wet. I avoid water resistant shoes, as my feet feel too sweaty in them (even in supposedly breathable shoes). Just be careful, as some trail runners are way over manufactured and could come out to weighing as much as a boot. I'm loving Altra shoes for my wide feet.
Camp shoes are another item you may consider taking. I feel they are not worth the weight and I enjoy hopping about barefoot in camp. However, be very careful you don’t damage those all-important feet. I’ll sometime wear my day socks in camp to provide a little extra comfort and protection. Other people just use their hiking shoes with the laces loosened when moving around camp.
Socks
Socks can be important especially for people who have issues with blisters. I like to tape any rubbing as soon as I feel it to prevent blisters. I have also had some success with Wright Socks, they have a double layer system that slips around inside the sock instead of your skin doing this and causing blisters. Tying your shoelaces up properly can also help prevent blisters, but remember to break in any new shoes.amzn.to/2PPTmAd
I tend to hike in ankle socks or soccer socks if I’m wearing shorts (I don’t like the feel of gaiters on my bare legs). If it’s going to be cold I’ll wear wool socks but they take much longer to dry than some of the synthetic socks. Foot care is critical so be sure to dry your feet each night. Tend to any issues and put on your ‘clean’ dry socks at the end of the day.
I like to pin yesterday’s socks to the outside of my pack to dry as I hike.
Gaiters
Gaiters for me are a must especially on solo hikes. They provide additional protection from snakes and can help keep grass seeds, dirt and leeches out of your socks.