Question: How do I know when my new hiking bookts are broken in?
I’ve never been hiking before and I’m going on a summit hike with a 40-60 pound pack.
Any other advice (about hiking) would be great.
Answer:
Answer by nick d
Good hiking boots take a lil bit to wear in(week or 2). You know your feet are use to them after you stop getting blisters and your musles stop felling like they just snapped.
2 Responses to How do I know when my new hiking bookts are broken in?
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if you are wearing fancy new, nylon /cordura/synthetic leather/plastic hiking boots, chances are they were broken in when you bought them. If you are wearing old fashioned, all leather, stitch-down sole, rompin’, stompin’ boots, it may take a few weeks or more of continous wear. When I get a new pair of leather boots, I wear them soaking wet and tight as I can stand for a day or so. Then, after they’ve dried, I use neatsfoot oil to soften the leather a bit, and then wear em some more. After that, I wash them with saddle soap, and use a pine tar and beeswax waterproofer/conditioner to keep them all moisturized and healthy. This has helped me break in my boots way faster than just wearing them. You’ll know that they are broken in when they quit hurting.
“After you stop getting blisters…” That’s a classic! Unless you need to strap your crampons to them you don’t need leather boots for any sort of hiking and in fact they’re a hindrance. Most people these days are switching to lightweight running, cross training and trail shoes as they reduce to 30, 20, and even 10 lb base weights of gear and they rarely get any blisters. This book should open your eyes: http://www.amazon.com/Lighten-Up-Complete-Ultralight-Backpacking/dp/0762737344/sr=8-1/qid=1168796878/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/102-0601339-3354515?ie=UTF8&s=books
Maybe you’re carrying ropes, crampons, double boots and glacier/rock/mountain climbing gear, so excuse me if I presume your “summit” isn’t just a backpacking trip.