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Tag: gear

objects used for various activities

  • Boots or Trail Runners

    When I started hiking as a child everyone knew you should wear hiking boots, ideally made in Italy with Vibram soles and leather.uppers. Only stupid people wore tennis shoes while hiking, though often they were brought for river crossings and for relaxing around camp. This is still a common view in the general public.

    When I join traditional hiking or backpacking groups, I often encounter people who think I am irresponsible for wearing trail runners, and that I am crazy when wearing minimalist shoes or sandals. I try to explain that I have literally walked thousands of miles in my minimalist shoes without a problem and that there is some good science suggesting a “barefoot” approach is smart… but people are still concerned.

    These days trail runners are the most common footwear worn by people who finish long hikes like the Appalachian Trail, the Pacific Crest Trail, or the Camino De Santiago. Trail runners are simply running shoes that have soles designed to have good traction on trails rather than paved streets. They have many of the same properties of our camp shoes: light weight, comfortable, and more breathable than our boots. They are optimized for comfort rather than protection. I have come to love using trail runners and no longer even own a pair of boots.

    Ankle support?

    Trainrunners don’t provide what most people think of as ankle support… but most boots aren’t significantly better.  Boots typically prevent excessive forward / reverse motion which trail runners do not provide. But in most cases it’s lateral motion that results in ankle injuries. Most boot provide little protection from lateral motion. If the boot doesn’t feel like a ski boot or a mid-calf military jump boot, than it’s most likely not giving you full ankle support.

    What most boots and trail runners do provide is a good traction, a heel cup and foot bed which provides a good foundation for your foot, making it less likely that your foot will end up at a bad angle.

    Wearing boots provide a sense of invulnerability, which can lead to excessive carelessness about foot placement. Wearing trail runners tends to make people aware (at least at an unconscious level) of the conditions they are walking on. The combination of higher situational awareness, better tactile feedback, and more agile feet, make it easier to place feet and enables people to recover a bad placement before full body weight is applied.

    Traction

    I have found that in nearly all conditions trail runners provide traction which is good as, if not better than classic, Vibram soled hiking boots. The situations where I have found hard Vibram soles to provide better traction have been where I needed a hard edge and/or lateral stiffness so I could drive the edge of my boot into the ground. For example, when going across a steep hill that doesn’t have a trail or descending some scree fields. In most cases I think the best way down scree is to go strait down (sort of like a cross country skier).  When you need a better bite uses your heels rather than the sides of your shoes. I think Vibram might have a slight advantage on wet granite.

    Sole protection

    Most hiking boots have a heavy, protective shank. If you come down on a pointed rock the pressure is spread over the entire foot. With trail runners, the pressure isn’t spread as evenly, so you can “feel” the rocks you step on. In theory, this could lead to bruising you feet which wouldn’t been good.

    I have never bruised the soles of my feet wearing trail runners… but I suppose this could happen to people going over very jagged conditions who have sensitive feet. If bruising is an issue, there are optional “rock guards” which can provide added protection.

    Top Protection

    On well established trails or hiking in areas that have fairly spare vegetation (high alpine, etc) protecting the tops of your feet isn’t that important. In many cases the added ventilation offsets any lack of protection. Additionally, people wearing lighter weight shoes tend to be a bit more aware of foot placement which reduces potential issues further.

    There are some environments where the tops of the feet need more protection than the average trail runner. Places that have extremely broken ground with sharp rocks can tear apart the tops of most trail runners, if not hurt the wearer’s foot. Likewise, travelling through areas that have dense stands of plants that have sharp or pointy edges can go right through light uppers. In these cases it is wise to go with a more protective “upper”. While I haven’t experienced this, I understand there are some places (like the Australian outback) where there are snakes that can bite through most shoes. The final situation where I think this concern could be justified is when doing trail work or engaged in other activities that use large, heavy, sharp tools.

    Blisters

    Blisters are caused by friction or extended pressure on the skin. One of the common problems is footwear which is too tight or crowds the toes together. Historically boots had wide toe boxes and shoes didn’t. Thankfully there are now a number of companies which make shoes that have recognized the advantage of a wide toe box.

    Another common cause of blisters is friction. This is much more common in boots because the uppers tend to be stiffer than trail runners. When you walk the boots will be unyielding which will put pressure on specific areas of a person’s foot. It’s common for blisters to appear in these locations. It is also likely that with the boot not yielding that a person’s foot will slide a bit inside the boot. This creates friction. Worse, most boots don’t let out moisture out which makes the friction worse. The best solution for this is using two pairs of socks with part of the sock with the most texture facing the shoe and foot, and the smoothest part between the socks so the rubbing isn’t directly on your foot.

    Comfort Normally Rules

    I mentioned that when I join more traditional groups there are people who are concerned when I am wearing trail runners. On the beginning of the trip, these folks are wearing heavy duty hiking boots. Ironically, during the trip they will develop blisters which become so painful they can’t put on their boots. What do they do? They finish the hike in their water shoes, sandals, crocs, or tennis shoes. I try not to point out that by wearing my trail runners I have avoided the crippling blisters while having footwear with good traction.

    Foot Freedom and Energy

    I find that boots with stiff soles makes it harder to enjoy the environment I am in. I like “feeling” where I am rather than being protected for it. I also love a sense of freedom, and not feeling weighted down. When I switched from heavy hiking boots to lighter shoes I noted that I had more energy at the end of the day. Later, I discovered several papers which examples this:

    for every 1 lb of footwear, it’s like carrying an extra 6.4 lb of weight on your back

    [Legg SJ, Mahanty A. Energy cost of backpacking in heavy boots. Ergonomics.1986 Mar;29(3):433-8.]

    Trail Runners vs Heavy Hiking Boots

    People often talk about how trail runners are “disposable” and how hiking boots will last forever. My experience was that I got around 3000 miles before I needed to at least re-sole, if not replace my boots. Frank Revelo recorded his experiences with 15 pairs of Belleville Boots concluding he could get at least 2000 miles from each pair.

    Area  Trail Runner  Heavy Duty Hiking Boot
    Shoe Weight18oz70oz
    Equiv work for this Weight on Back7.2 lbs28 lbs
    Cost$75$200
    Service400-750 miles3000+ miles
    Cost/Mile10-19 cents<6 cents
    Break In PeriodPractically NoneOften 100+ miles
    Foot ProtectionModerate to GoodExcellent
    Moisture ManagementMost are fairly breathable.  Your feet will get wet.  They will also dry in a few hours of hiking.  Gore-Tex trail runners are available.Most are highly water resistant or waterproof.  If they do get wet they stay wet for a long time.  Feet tend to be slightly damp because when they are sweating, it is hard for the moisture to escape.
    InsulationTypically no insulation on top.  Many models have some amount of mesh which helps keep feel cool and well ventilated. The soles though (often made from light weight foam) tend to be more insulating than heavier boots with dense soles.Tends to be warm on top.  Thick leather or material, and typically thick sock to protect your feet from the boots.  In cold weather good.  It hot weather you feet sweat and swell which encourages blisters to develop.

    Reasons for Boots

    As mentioned above, I don’t use boots anymore, but I do believe there are a limited number of situations where boots are the best footwear. There are times when the ankle support of a jump boot is needed, when feet need to be protected from a hostile environment. Crampons typically work better on boots than lighter shoes. Finally, it is possible to complete an extended trip with a single pair of boots. This is important it you are in locations with replacing trail runners every 500 miles will be difficult. Some people think heavy boots are best in cold conditions because they are insulated where trail runners are not.

    Hiking Shoes

    A compromise between trail runners and boots are hiking or approach shoes. They tend to have the thick, stiff soles of hiking boots, but lighter weight and more breathable uppers.

    So what’s your choice?


  • Sandals

    There are a number of people who have found using sandals or water shoes to be highly effective.  They provide excellent ventilation for your feet, and are ideal when you are in wet conditions because they don’t hold water against your feet.  The downsides of using sandals or water shoes are that your feet get really dirty and most sandals don’t protect your toes.

    I really like Luna Venado Sandals for street running and walking on city streets. I have used them in the back country, but they don’t have a lot of traction. If I am in the back country I often switch to a pair of Luna Oso Flaco Sandals. Enough ground feel that they don’t feel “dead” when I run in them, but enough traction to use in the back country. Bedrock Cairn 3D Sandals are the best pure hiking sandals I have found: grippy on the top and bottom but a bit dead feeling. Fairly compact for packing, weights about the same as a minimalist trail running.

    Keen  makes a wide range of shoe including sandal like shoes with a toe guard. I wore them for many use to protect my toes. Last time I looked the Clearwater was their lightest model. Many people seem to love the durable but heavy Chaco Sandals, which are a bit like taking a the sole from a really heavy duty boot and put sandal straps. I don’t use them because they have a very pronounced arch support ridge which hits me in exactly the wrong place. Teva and Xero Shoes make a wide variety of sandals which can be used for a wide variety of activities. Beside Luna and Bedrock, Earthrunners, Unshoes, and I am sue a number of companies make minimalist versions of Huaraches running sandals. Mayflyultralight made an ultralight sandal which doesn’t have a strap between your toes. There was a nice set of mini reviews of minimalist running sandals on reddit.

  • Trail Runners

    For most conditions provided you are carrying less than approximately 40 lb, I would strongly recommend trying trail running shoes because they can be quite comfortable and will be lighter than the more traditional hiking shoes or boots. I have heard people express concerns about hiking in trail runners. I will observe that if your survey people who complete the long trails like the AT & PCT you will find the vast majority wore trail runners. I wrote up a brief comparison of using trail runners vs boot.

    There are lots of good trail running shoes on the market these days.  There are a number of factors you should consider when looking at a trail runner:

    • Fit: If the shoes don’t fit you, skip them. You need to find shoes which fit the shape and volume of your foot. Pay particular attention to how well the heel box hold you and if there is enough space around your toes. Some people buy shoes that are 1-2 sizes larger than normal, in a narrower width to give their toes maximum space.
    • Foot Support: You should start with a wet foot test to figure out what cushioning and control features you might want. But keep in mind that the Cochrane meta analysis indicates that control features don’t seem significant reduce injuries. Advocates of minimalist shoes would argue that you should address this issue through effective conditions rather than using a crutch for the rest of your life.
    • Type of Sole:  The sole of the shoe will determine what some of terrain you will have good traction and how durable the sole will be. Softer materials typically have better traction on hard / flat surfaces but wear more quickly. Deep / aggressive soles with lugs are the best for variable terrain, especially when there is loose materials.
    • Ventilation: In most cases you will want a highly ventilated shoe to let your feet breath. There is a trade off for the ventilation which is external moisture can get in, and extreme ventilation (light mesh) will not protect your feet from thorns and other pointy plant material.

    If there is an athletic shoe manufacturer that seems to make shoes that fit you well, I would look to see if they make a “trail running” model, and try that. If there is no manufacturer that you are more inclined, you might see what shoes are recommended by the wet foot test at runners world and/or check out the descriptions and reviews on running warehouse. The following are some of the popular manufacturers that I have had experience with.  Note: the models listed in the next section are likely out of date.  I have found shoes that work really well for me, so I typically am not following shoes too closely anymore:

    • Altra: Maybe the most popular sure among light weight backpackers. Good traction, wide toe box. Offer a variety of stack hieghts/cushion options. The Altra Superior was my default shoe between 2017-2022.
    • Hoka: Very popular with ultra-runners and long distance backpackers. Lots of cushion. I personally don’t like them because the stack is too high for me. I like minimalist shoes.
    • Inov-8: Inov-8 was one of the first companies to make minimalist shoes for the outdoors. They developed a significant cult following popular among fell runners, ultra-runners, ultralight backpackers, and with some adventure racers. Their lightest shoes are about as close as you can get to going barefoot while having something on your feet. One really nice thing about Inov-8 is that they have committed not to make gratuitous changes to models, and will keep making old models until it is no longer economically feasible. I wore 14 pairs of Inov-8 315 flyrocs… the last pair was the same as the first. The Trailfly 270 G became my standard shoe in 2022. I get ~1200 miles before they wear out, around 3x more than most trail runners.
    • La Sportiva: Makes trail runners and good approach shoes (like TX line)
    • Montrail: Velocity line on trail runners were quite popular with the light weight backpacking community. In particular, the  Hardrock and Vitesse models. Montrail tends to have a more generous toe box than many other manufacturers. In the past years Montrail seems to be losing their way makes shoes which doesn’t seem to compare favorability to previous years designs.
    • New Balance: Seem to have been one of the earliest manufacturers that embraced trail runners by introducing the  M801AT. This was a great line of shoes, but NB kept change the design.  They were good through the M804-807 depending on who you ask but but the M808-809 really sucked. Hopefully NB will learn the lesson and not play with working designs until they break them.  I don’t have experience with NB current shoes, thought I might give one of their minimalist shoes a try soon. New Balance is one of the few manufacturers which offers there shoes in a wide range of widths… so if you have a particular wide or narrow foot, I would start with New Balance.
    • Norda: New company that I have no personal experience with. Have read they are taking a materials first approach to improve durability for shoes which last >1000 miles.
    • Salomon: Makes a number of shoes lines which might be of interest including the XA, Speedcross, and Amphibian. Salomon shoes tend to run wide through the entire shoe. The fast lacing system is interesting, but it limited customizing fit by changing lacing and it’s hard to repair in the field.

    Manufacturers that I don’t have a lot of experience with recently, but are worth a look include Adidas (Supernova), Asics, Brooks (Trail Addiction), Mizuno (Wave Ascend), Nike, Saucony (Peregrines), Topo. There are also a number of minimalist trail runners.

    The site runrepeat.com has excellent reviews

    I have other notes about footwear.

  • Socks

    Appropriate socks help keep your feet at a comfortable temperature and play a large part in preventing blisters.  Blisters come from the combination of friction, moisture, and temperature. You want socks which wick moisture away from you feet and minimize the amount of friction between the sock and your foot which is often best accomplished by using two socks. I think nylon and wool are the best materials for socks, and cotton is really terrible.

    My Choice

    I primarily use Darn Tough Ultralight No-Shows which have lasted >=4000 miles before needing to be replaced. and recently added in Xoskin anklet toes socks which seem to resist odor reasonably and are effectively preventing blisters between my toes. My first pair develop a hole that was easily repaired after 640 miles. At 800 there are some small holes in the highest friction area (between my hammer toe ) but they are still working well. On my forth pair… average 1200 days of use, way less than my darn tough dock but longer than a pair of trail runners but longer than most toe socks I have tried. This has been mostly wearing sandals… I expect they might last longer inside shoes. In cool and wet weather I will sometimes wear light socks combined with Rocky Gore-Tex over socks. In cold conditions I have found vapor barrier socks to be extremely useful.

    Sock “Fit”

    Keep in mind that there needs to be enough room in your shoe for your feet and the socks you select. Socks which are too thick for your shoes will crowd your feet and result in blisters just as quickly as your feet sliding around.  I would strongly recommend trying a variety of different socks and figure out what works best for you. Socks are cheap and will often mean the difference between a miserable blister plagued trip, and one with comfortable feet.

    Double Socks for Hiking

    Conventional wisdom for people wearing hiking boots is to wear a heavy wool sock, with an very light weight inner liner. Dr. Murray Hamlet of the Army Cold Weather Research Center confirmed this with an extensive testing of a variety of sock systems. The first set of these tests was documented in the report Impact of Sock Systems on Frequency and Severity of Blister Injury in a Marine Recruit Population.

    Hamlet and team found that a thin liner sock made of CoolMax, and a thicker sock made of wool&polypro (fuzzy side out) had a significantly reduced the frequency of blisters. This is because the slipping is happening between the socks rather than between the foot and the sock. TechSpun sells the socks designed by Hamlet.  Besides TechSpun there are a variety of companies which sell high quality wool or wool blend backpacking socks including Bridgeport, Dahlgren, Darn Tough Socks, Fox River, SmartWool, Thorlo, Wigwam.

    Lighter Socks

    People carrying lighter loads and using trail runners or walking shoes often prefer socks that have less bulk. Since lighter shoes tend to flex with the foot, an inner / outer sock combination isn’t as critical as when using boots. Some people find double socks are helpful with trail runners. Some low bulk ways to get double socks include using a pair of knee high stockings + a light outer sock, two pairs of nylon dress socks,  WrightSocks DoubleSocks, or X-Socks (I have no experience with).

    Single socks I would recommend for trail runners include Darn Tough running socks, xoskin socks, Injinji toe socks, Smartwool Adrenaline, asics running socks, Inov-8 Mudsoc (coolmax), and the Bridgedale X-Hale Multisport Socks (multi-fabric blend).

    Extreme Conditions

    I have a pair of posts which address footwear (which includes socks) in particularly wet or cold conditions.

    Cheap

    Use a double pair of nylon dress socks.

  • Hiking Boots (and Shoes)

    Historically people wore heavy weight boots for backpacking, trekking, etc.  Your feet need to be protected, and what could do a better job that a  heavy boot which will help prevent sprained ankles and give excellent support? 

    Actually, most boots don’t give good “ankle support”.  The sides of the boot are flexible.  Only extremely stiff boots like the modern, hard plastic telemark ski boots or mid-calf jump boots actually provide good ankle support.  What actually helps protect your ankle in good quality hiking boots are a high quality heel cup, a well formed foot bed, and good traction.  This helps prevent your foot from suddenly shifting which is the source of most ankle injuries.

    A special case for using boots is when you need your feet protected in a dangerous environment. The classic example of this is steel toed boots warn on construction sites.

    Historically hiking boots were very heavy and used full leather on the uppers. These days, boot uppers are often a mixture of leather, nylon, and even plastic. If you need truly heavy duty boots I would recommend full leather boots with a Norwegian welt made in Europe, ideally by Italian companies like Scarpa.

    Most of the companies which “back in the day” used to only sell 5lb all leather boots make light weight hiking boots and shoes. These boots and shoes tend to be much more durable than trail runners and “walking” shoes. They also tend to have stiffer soles which is useful when facing terrain which benefits from a good “edge” and lateral stiffness.  There are a number of old favorites which see to make popular light weight boots and shoes:

    Most people can get away will lighter weight boots. I converted to using trail runners around 2001, so I can’t provide recommendations about specific products.

    There are some people who strongly advocate for the modern military boot, noting that it has been significantly improved from the boots of years gone past that were appropriately disparaged. A detailed longterm review of Belleville Boots.

  • Feet in Snow and Cold

    In colder weather, people often struggle with their feet getting cold.  There are a number of reasons for this

    • Feet are the furthest point from your core which is generating heat.
    • Feet are subjected to conductive cooling through the soles of your shoes/boots.
    • Feet sweat a lot.  Many people’s shoes hold in all the moisture.  Wet moves heat much more quickly than dry.
    • Tight fitting footwear (often caused by extra thick socks) constrict blood flow.

    While there are a number of issues which make keeping feet warm enough challenging, there are a number of approaches which have been proven to be effective.

    Vapor Barrier Socks

    VP socks can be used with any of the below footwear options. I have found VB socks a huge win once the temperature is below around 10F. Warmlite and  RBH Designs make vapor barrier socks.  The cheapest vapor barriers can be plastic bags. Bags holding sandwich bread or provided at some office buildings for wet umbrellas are an ideal shape, though you should expect them to last just a day or two before you rub a hole in them.  Small Mylar cooking bags are a bit more durable, but are hard to find in the right shape. My first attempt using vapor barriers was a pair of liners, a bread bag, wool sock, another bread bag to keep my wool socks dry, and then boots. Dave from owareusa suggested that rather than sliding the outer bread bag in and out, to put your insole inside the outer bag… leaving the bag in the shoe. He noted that he gets 5 days out of the bag then rather than a day or two. Haven’t tried this yet, but it makes sense. For the last couple of years I have used a pair of RBH insulated vapor barrier socks and trailrunners. This has been good for me down to 0F without any problems.

    Trailrunners and Water Protective Socks

    This is the approach I most often use.  On most trips I have found that waterproof socks and trail runners (goretex oversocks + trail runners + gaiters) worked well in 20F conditions, even in deep snow. I recently went on a trip that this didn’t work well. For some reason my feet felt cold and damp. Even though it was moderate weather and only dropped to 28F, my feet were freezing but my socks didn’t leak. Other people have reported good results using neoprene socks. In the winter of 2007/8 I picked up a pair of Inov-8 RocLite 390 GTX to try out. These boots plus my vapor barrier socks kept my feet warm down to 0F.

    Hiking Boots & Socks

    A classic approach to keeping feet warm are thick wool socks and a water”proof”  hiking boot. The boots protect against external moisture and the socks provide insulation. A slight variation on this theme are boots which have additional insulation. Socks are periodically changed and dried (place over your shoulders under your jacket, around a hot water bottle, or over your stomach while you are in a sleeping bag.) Hiking boots typically have a hard sole, with an aggressive trend which provide good traction except when facing extremely icy conditions. One thing to watch out for is that the boots will absorb some water, and in colder conditions the boots will then freeze. It takes a lot of work to thaw solidly frozen boots. Don’t let your boots freeze. My favorite light weight, insulated boot today is the Keen Growler.  I think this is a good option for -20F through 20F.

    Synthetic Boots w/ Foam Insulation

    There are two different types. Some are designed for hardcore mountaineering, and have hard, plastic exteriors. Others are primarily designed for protection against the cold such as those made by Baffin and will be softer. This approach will keep feet quite warm. The synthetic materials doesn’t absorb water, so the only moisture problem will be what your feet produce. In extreme cold (< -20F) I think this is the best solution.

    Mukluks

    Traditional Inuit footwear made from animal hides. Steger Mukluks seems to be one of the best regarded manufacturers. Mukluks don’t have high traction soles which are needed for walking on ice, but if you are on ice, you already have crampons (stand-alone or part of your snowshoes), so not having this on your shoes should work just fine.

    Overshoes

    NEOS, Forty Below, Outdoor Research’s Brooks Range can be an effective way to keep feet warm in very cold conditions. When using overshoes, you typically are wearing some sort of footwear inside the overboot which  provide a good footbed. Some people don’t wear shoes inside the overshoes, but rather use them as sort of a high tech mukluk. I found overshoes in basic cold (>=0F) to be overkill, and more bother than they were worth. In extreme cold I can see whether they could be quick useful.

    Booties

    Once you are in camp, it is often useful to have comfy, insulated footwear.  There are a variety of companies that make down or primaloft booties including Goosefeet, Western Mountaineering, Feathered Friends, etc.

  • Feet in Wet Conditions

    One of my footwear posts.

    In general you want to keep your feet dry.  There are a variety of ways you feet can get wet. The most dramatic are river crossings, followed by rain, snow, and slush. The final issue is sweat from your own feet (feet can dissipate up to 2 cups of water in a day). There are several approaches people use in an attempt to keep feet reasonably dry: There was an article at BPL about spring footwear that is appropriate for cool, wet conditions when there is a real risk of the temperature dropping from cool to cold.

    If you feet are exposed to water (which moves heat 27x more efficiently that air) for an extended time, you run the risk of trench foot. Typically trench foot occurs when feet and continuously wet, in cool to cold conditions. The symptoms of trench foot are numbness, pain, and swelling. I have read that theoretically it is possible to get trench foot after just 12 hours when feet are in 61F temperatures. In practice, if you can dry / warm up your feet overnight it’s unlikely to be an issue. I have experienced, and know many thru hikers and outdoor folks who have had there feet soaked and cold all day. Unpleasant, yes, but no trench foot when they dried their feet at end of the day.

    “Quick” Dry

    Use footwear which is highly breathable and quick to dry (sandals, water shoes, or trail runners with a lot of light-weight mesh) on the assumption that their feet will get wet, but then will dry. Shoes will often dry overnight. When it is cool and high humidity shoes will still be damp in the morning unless they absorbed very little water. It’s no fun to put on damp shoes in the morning, but that’s life sometimes. Wet trail runners being worn while active without additional external moisture will mostly dry in a reasonable amount of time thanks to body heat plus the pounding of the feet which drives out moisture. In many cases the footbeds often soak up water. If the cushions / footbeds in your shoes are removable, make sure to tend them out and dry them separately.

    There was some data about time it takes for a variety of different types of trail runners to dry in the open air in the forum posting about Inov-8 & Timberline Delerion (and other fast drying shoes) and a second posting of fast drying shoes.  Bottom line is that shoes in a cool location take a long time (>15 hours) to fully dry. On the other hand, shoes can dry significantly in just a couple of hours if you feet are active and you don’t have external water sourced to deal with or if the shoes are sitting in bright sunlight. BPL did a nice article about water weight gain and loss in lightweight shoes. There are a number of light weight trail runners that will absorb between 15-30% water weight after being soaked, and be down to 4-10% weight gain after a couple of hours of use. So it is possible to soak your shoes in the mid-afternoon, get them mostly dry by the end of the day, and see them fully dry over night.

    It should be noted that in some environments that “quick” dry will never dry. Some of our friends down under report that between rain and river crossings their feet are wet until they go to bed. What they have reported as that so long as they are using light weight, flexible, highly breathable trail runners which fit well, and a good pair of socks that they have avoided blisters. In these sorts of conditions some people have had very good experiences coating feet that are going to be continuously wet with Hydropel.

    Comfortable While Wet

    Another approach is to have footwear that keeps feet comfortable, even if they are continuously wet. This requires providing an environment where there is no binding or hot spots. The classic way to do this is with neoprene socks. They can keep feet comfortable because they stay in place around the feet and the friction is on the outside, they keep trail dust from getting through to the skin avoiding the “sandpaper” experience than can come from mixing water crossings with dusty trails, and with the appropriate thickness can insulate.

    Recently I have been using xotoes socks (on third pair >3000 miles total) without blisters in both dry and wet conditions including a month of 16 miles days wearing sandals and trips where my feet were soaked all day in a pair of Inov8 Trailfly G 270 trail runners. One trip I was walking in a river (slot canyon) for a couple of days, on another crossing rivers every 10-30 minutes for several days.

    “Waterproof” Socks

    I have found waterproof breathable socks such as Rocky Gore-Tex oversocks are more breathable than “waterproof” boots when worn inside highly breathable trail runners or sandals. I have also found these socks to be more waterproof than the boots and that I can dry the gore-tex socks over night. Skinskiz are similar, but are not nearly as good as the Rocky Gore-Tex. When wearing waterproof socks you don’t need to worry about your shoes getting wet, because you feet are protected inside the sock. They also keep your feet clean… often mesh trail runners let a lot of small dirt particles in. It’s possible to seal the top of the socks so they can be submerged and keep your feet dry. My experience is that unless it’s cool (say below 40F) gore-tex socks are too warm and my feet sweat more than the socks can breath. I take great enjoyment walking around town when it is cold and rainy. The city “sense” is different. I will often do this wearing waterproof socks and sandals.

    “Waterproof” Boots

    One of the most common approaches is the use of waterproof boots.  For example, boots with Gore-Tex liners or leather boots with Snowseal or Nikwax to the outside of your footwear.  While these approaches will keep external moisture at bay for a time (my experience is for a few days at best). Once the inside of boot gets wet, it stays wet for a long time. Alas, while good at keeping external water out, they also tend to hold water in.  You feet will stew in the sweat they generated. Waterproof boots are useless when crossing water because the water will flow in over the tops.

    Extra Shoes / Barefoot

    Some people focus on dealing with external moisture when fording streams, walk through the surf, or otherwise immerse feet in water. The most common approach is to carry a spare pair of footwear such as sport sandals like Tevas which often add 1.2lb to your load or the slightly lighter Crocs. Some people use minimalist shoes or sandals mentioned above for water crossing. There are a number of companies that make socks with some sort of grippy “sole” such as Grip Socks which is an option. The lightest options (and one of the cheapest) I have found are nylon mesh pool shoes which provide modest protection to the soles of my feet and some slight traction. I have known people who wear just socks but I don’t think that makes a lot of sense because their traction is worse than bare feet and they offer little real protection. Some people do water crossings by taking their shoes off and going barefoot. This is a low weight option, but runs the risk of bruising or cutting your foot. I do go barefoot for crossings when the crossing is the only reason my feet would be wet and I am confident that the riverbed doesn’t have a lot of sharp rocks.

  • Goto Backpacking Gear

    Thought it would be interesting to see how my primary items have changed over time:  I am ignoring items that were used briefly or for testing purpose. For a while I was regularly purchasing new gear and trying it our. When I found something that was “better” than what I was using, I would potentially hold on to the old item for my “loaning library”, or see it to fund my gear habit. In recent years I have been slowly giving away / selling items I was holding as “loaner”. What I still own is bolded.

    Packs

    Something like 18 packs tested but not considered “goto”. Never became go-to but I used the SMD StarLite and Gossamer Gear Whisper a fair bit. LuxuryLite was the most innovative pack I owned for a bit but didn’t work for me.

    • Kelty Model “B” Pack… 1972-1978
    • JanSport D3 (replace destroyed pack)… 1978-2000
    • Gregory Forester (wanted something more comfortable)… 2000-2001
    • GoLite Speed Pack (looking for something lighter)… 2001-2002
    • Granite Gear Vapor Trail (more comfortable, became a loaner after I purchased the Gorilla and was gifted to someone in need)… 2002-2014
    • Osprey Aether 60 (Volume / comfort for heavier / longer trip, adjustable so good loaner until given to friend’s son)… 2002-2020
    • Gossamer Gear Gorilla (lighter, smaller – the right volume for me, and support business I believed in, gifted to a friend)… 2009-2025
    • Hanchor Tufa (works a bit better for combining urban and back country trips. If under packed can smush into a personal item sizer)… 2023-
    • Durston Wapta 30 (light, water proof, carry on compliant, super comfortable for me up to 15lb, really convenient usage while moving)… 2025-

    Sleeping Bags

    Often borrowed by dad’s down bag which was made by L.L. Bean. For cold (<0F) winter trips borrowed a friend’s Warmlite sleeping bag or rented bag. My family had several other sleeping bags which were used by members of my family, and I experimented with a BPL cocoon synthetic quilt as a stand-alone and over-quilt for a year or so.

    • White Stag Synthetic Bag… 1972-1977
    • North Face Cat’s Meow (old bag lost loft)… 1977-1985
    • North Face Cat’s Meow (old bag lost loft)… 1985-1988
    • North Face Cat’s Meow (old bag stolen)… 1989-2002
    • Marmot Arroyo (old bag lost loft)… 2001-2002
    • NuntakUSA Ghost (Lighter and warmer than Arroyo) 2003-
    • Western Mountaineering Versalite (for winter trips and loaner… sold because I no longer regularly doing trips below 20F)… 2004-2020

    Shelters – Solo

    • MSR Zoid 1 (my first solo tent)… 2001-2001
    • Brawny Poncho Tarp (lighter for solo trips)… 2002-2004
    • Gossamer Gear Spinnshelter (better storm protection)… 2004-2008
    • Gossamer Gear The One Version 1 (more space, bug free)… 2008-2010
    • ZPacks Hexamid (lighter, packed smaller, easier for me to pitch)… 2010-2022
    • Gossamer Gear Whisper (easier entry, separate floor, smaller lighter than using X-mid Pro 2 for solo trips)… 2024-

    Shelter for 2

    Either used larger shelters (below) or borrow shelters for hardcore snow trips. Favorite snow shelters I borrowed were Warmlite, Hilleberg, and Bibler. Snow trips ended because my wife doesn’t enjoy them and I don’t enjoy solo snow trips.

    • Boy Scout Voyager Tent (both original canvas and later nylon versions)
    • North Face Tuolumne Tent with snow tunnel entrance A frame front pole, I rear pole… 1974-1982
    • … see below, used larger tents for awhile…
    • Six Moon Designs Original Europa (lighter shelter to share)… 2002-2002
    • Tarptent Squall (more ventilation, better / faster pitch)… 2002-2005. One of the most elegant shelters I have used. One of the shelters I most miss.
    • SD Lighting (sometimes wanted freestanding)… 2004-2007
    • Tarptent Squall2 (replaced Squall… more room than the Squall for two people)… 2005-2008
    • Tarptent Double Rainbow (more protective than squall, lighter than lighting… sold Lightning, Squall2 became loaner)… 2007-2014
    • MLD SuperFly (lighter weight, better in shoulder seasons… sold Squall2, Double Rainbow became loaner)… 2008-2014. I miss this shelter, though the X-mid Pro 2 is move versatile and just slightly heavier.
    • BA Copper Spur 2 (Wanted free standing, easy setup when loaning)… 2014-2022
    • Durston X-mid Pro 2 (Save weight, light enough I could get by with just one shelter?) 2022-

    Large Shelters

    • Sierra Designs Three Man Hex Tent (dad’s.. so I couldn’t always use it)… 1970-1985. I loved this tent! So many good memories.
    • Eureka 4 man Timberline “Free Standing” A-Frame
    • Largish “Patrol Tarp” 1976-1988
    • Sierra Designs Stretch Dome (wanted more space than NF Tuolumne, specially in winter)… 1982-1988
    • Sierra Designs 3/4 Season Convertible 3 Person Nightwatch (Stretch Dome stolen)… 1988-2002
    • 4 Person Free Standard Car Camping Tent made by Moss (family car camping replacing Nightwatch which was delaminating)… 2001-2011
    • GoLite Hex3 (group backpacking)… 2003-2008
    • GoLite Shangra-La 4 (more room, easier setup for groups)… 2009-2016
    • MSR Carbon Reflect 3 (free standing, smaller footprint)… 2012-2022. Not Needed… kids no longer come with Jackie and me.

    Group Stove

    • Svea 123 – 1969-1978 (dad’s)
    • Gerry Mini Canister Stove when Svea 123 was not avail – 1976-1978
    • MSR X??- 1978-1989
    • MSR ???  had a plastic fuel tube (replace stolen stove) – 1989-2000
    • MSR Whisperlite International  (MSR ??? recalled, tube unsafe) – 2000-2005
    • Snowpeak GS100 (easy to use, light weight, low carbon monoxide)… 2002-
    • Coleman Xtreme (winter and bigger groups… until fuel no longer made)… 2005-2011

    Solo Stove

    • Several homemade and a few “commercial” Alcohol Stove starting with the Photon… 2002-2004
    • Ion Alcohol Stove (more fuel efficient and less hassle, but slow)… 2004-2009
    • UL Caldera Cone (easier to use and faster than Ion, normally esbits)… 2009-

    Pots

    Some experimenting with small pots and Mug over the years, but never for an extended period of time.

    • Boy Scout Mess Kit with mini pot (used Troops cook kit)… 1974-1978
    • MSR Alpinelite Cook Kit (First multi-person cook set)… 1978-2001
    • MSR DuraLite (car camping, Alpinelite lost)… 2001-2021
    • Evernew .9L pot (lighter weight)… 2001-2009
    • Evernew 1.3L pot (group backpacking trips and now used car camping)… 2002-
    • MLD 850ML Pot/Mug (more compact than .9L with Caledra)… 2009-

  • Backpacking on the Cheap

    Every year I help organize several backpacking trips for the communities I participate in. Typically we will have several first time backpackers. I often get the question “What should I buy?” Everyone expects the first thing I will suggest is a good pair of boots which isn’t the case. I typically ask people if they already have footwear that they can comfortable walk in all day which has reasonable traction. Most people do so there is nothing to purchase. The next thing they expect me to suggest is getting a new backpack. I typically recommend the backpack to be last item purchased. My advice is to defer as many purchases as possible until they know this is an activity they really like, and they know what sort of backpacking they want to do. What follows are my recommendations about how to minimize the money you spend on backpacking equipment. Ultralight backpacking doesn’t have to be expensive with everything made from materials like DCF, Ultra, Titanium, Merino Wool, and other luxury materials.

    Learn

    I have a number of notes about backpacking on this site which includes a list websites to visit and books you could check out at the library. All my Recommended Outdoor Gear pages recommend low cost options. While dated, there is a nice chapter entitled “Ultralight, Ultracheap” at the end of the document  Lightweight Backpacking 101. There have been a number of online forum threads which discuss a gear list which are light and cheap: pmag’s budget backpacking, BPL ultralight / ultracheap challenge (and other threads about cheap gear lists), dirtbag like a pro, and $200 /20lb Philmont Challenge. More recently there was a $100 list, and many threads on reddit: two examples: cheap gear and <$1000.

    Use Common Items

    When possible use items that you already own rather than purchasing something new for backpacking.  For example, you might have sports oriented clothing like soccer or bike jerseys which make good hot weather hiking shirts, running shoes with good soles can often be used rather than purchasing expensive hiking boots, etc. Ziplock makes some nice “disposal” bowls which work great on the trail or the containers provided by take-out restaurants.  Be creative.

    Delay Purchase – Rent / Borrow

    Delay the purchase of items until you know you really want to commit yourself to backpacking.  What should you do in the mean time?  Check to see if you have friends who would be willing to lend you gear. Try to rent gear from local outdoor outfitter. For example, stores like REI, sports basement, online rental companies like outdoorsgeek.com, nearzero.co, gearo.com, or adventure travel companies like Outback Adventures rent a wide variety of equipment. If you are in school, see if you have an outdoor club which loans out gear. For example, Stanford’s Adventure Outdoor Gear rents many items at prices below any of the commercial outfits. Even after you decide that like backpacking, you should think about the frequency that you take trips -vs- the cost of renting gear.

    Buy the Right Items

    When you do buy gear, make sure that you buy the right products for your needs.  Otherwise, you end up having to buy the same type of item multiple times before you get the right one.  So, make sure whatever you purchase is a quality product  because no only will this be cheaper long term, but it will save you from the unhappy experience of having  your tent, backpack, stove, etc fall apart miles from the trailhead.  [I can tell you from experience that this is no fun!]  Quality doesn’t necessarily mean “name brand” or expensive, but you tend to get what you pay for, especially when it comes to sleeping bags.

    I would also recommend buying only what you need. When you start looking at bargain sites it’s easy to get excited about some item that is deeply discounted.  If you don’t need that item though, even highly discounted is taking away money that would be better spent on your most critical items.

    Assuming you have comfortable shoes, I would recommend a sleeping bag be your first purchase for three reasons (1) it will be useful whether or not you commit yourself to backpacking, (2) a good light weight sleeping bag is one of the best long term purchases you can make (3) a good night sleep can make a huge different in how you enjoy backpacking.

    Homemade

    You can save significant money by making your own gear.  In particular I would suggest using an alcohol stove unless you are doing snow camping.  I would also think seriously about making a sleeping quilt (down or APEX) rather than purchasing a sleeping bag. There are lots of sites that have designs and materials for MYOG / DIY projects. For example:

    Most backpacking forums (backpackinglight, whiteblaze, etc) have MYOG or DIY topic areas.

    Used / Swap

    There are a number of “Used” or “Swap” areas on the various backpacking community sites and at  geartrade.com. While it’s sometimes hard to find light weight backpacking equipment, you can sometimes get lucky on craigslist, thrift stories and on ebay.

    Look for Good Bargains

    When shopping for gear, start by looking at  Sierra Trading Post, steep and cheap, campsaver.com. Mashdrop was great but it seems like they are just doing electronic these days. The frugalhiker blog highlights good value from aliexpress. Decathlon provide good value: 100 are cheap, 500 have good ROI. Most of the big retailers like Campmor and REI have a “on sale” section. The key with any of these bargain sites is to be patient and not to buy things just because they are “cheap”. Only buy what you need. For people in the SF bay area I would recommend checking out The North Face Factory Outlet in Berkeley, and the Patagonia Outlet in Santa Cruz, especially just before labor day and memorial day when their already discounted prices drop another 40%.

  • Cookware for Backpacking

    If you want to cook food, you need something that holds the water and/or food as you heat it up. They best cookware will vary depending on the size of a group and the type of cooking.

    My Choice

    When I am traveling solo I use a MLD 850ml titanium Pot/Mug. I use an Evernew 1.3 L when I am  cook in for two in the the pot, or for up four people if I am just boiling water which will be poured into an external bag to “cook” the food.

    Materials

    Cookware is typical made from aluminum, titanium, or steel. For backpacking, I would leave the steel at home… its heavy. Titanium will be  more expensive. For a given volume, aluminum is lighter, but titanium is stronger… so in theory you can use less of it. It seems in practice that at small volume (1L or less), titanium pots tend to be lighter than similar size aluminum pots, but as the volume of the pot increases (say to 2L or 4L), the pots end up weighting pretty much the same. My experience is that given similar size / weight pots, titanium will be more durable.

    If you are just boiling water, Titanium and aluminum works well, but if you are doing serious cooking you would want the more even heating of aluminum. With aluminum pots, I generally prefer hard anodized than those with non-stick coatings because they are more durable when scraped and scorched. Both hard anodized and the more traditional non-stick coatings prevent the nasty metal taste than comes from cooking tomato based products in untreated aluminum.

    Design

    Pots come in a variety of shapes. The wider to pot, the more heat will be applied to your pot rather than just going up into the air making wider pots more efficient. I found the Evernote low/wide 900ml pot was >=20% more fuel efficient that the second more efficient 600-900ml pot. The downside of wider pots is than if you are using a narrow pot stand, it can be tricky to set the pot down centered. Tall, narrow pots have a tendency to pack more easily and can double as cups,

    After a pot has been heated, you will need a way to handle it without burning your hands. One option is built in handles of some sort. I am a big fan of well designed built in handles. For pots larger than 2L I like a bail style handle which lets you suspend the pot as well as makes it much less likely that you tip the pot to the side. For smaller pots, I like fold away handles. I really like the silicon covered handles used by Evernew because they provide enough insulation that I have never burnt my hand. Some people express concern that the coating will burn, but I have not had a problem with this. On a single trip I melted a small section of the coating.

    Pots for Solo Trips

    My favorite pot today is a mug style MLD Ti Pot (no longer sold, but the Toaks 850ml Pot seems to be nearly identical): perfect for simple, solo cooking in the pot! The pot practically hold around 800ml which is plenty of room for anything I make for myself on a solo trip. There is room to boil water and to cook the food in the pot. Small mugs often required me to cook in freezer bags which is sometimes nice, but it’s good to have the option not to do this. This pot is one of the lightest on the market at 3.7oz including lid and handles. The lid has straining holes which can be useful when makes a variety of foods. This pot and can hold the UL Caldera, stove, eating utensils, lighter, and fuel for several days in a small, compact package. The pot is narrow enough for hot drinks not to slosh out as you drink from the pot, which often happened which I used larger diameter mug/pots. Drinking from a pot/mug directly can burn your lips if you try too soon after you have taken the pot off your stove. The Snow Peak HotLips Silicone Lip Protector have removed that problem for me. The only downside to the MLD 850 is that since it has a moderately narrow bottom, it is not as fuel efficient as the the next pot I will mention. The slightly less efficient heat transfer hasn’t been an issue because I can take care of aa my cooking needs using a single esbits fuel cube. The Evernew Ultralight Titanium 0.9 L pot is also a great choice, especially if you are going to do more than boil water, cook cous cous or  ramen. It is light weight, durable, has nice handles, has a small pouring spout which works “ok”, and is wide enough to you don’t lose a lot of heat up the sides. In fact, I have found the .9L wide pot to be the most fuel efficient of any <1L pot that I have tried, typically by 20%. The GSI Soloist looks like a very nice system which holds a cup, bowl, small fuel canister and stove. Another popular option are kettles made by MSR or Evernew or  If you boil water for bag meals, you could consider tea kettles from GSI and others which weights ~5oz and has a wide, fuel efficient bottom. Hardcore ultra-lighters often using mugs for drinking and cooking such as the a Snowpeak 600, Snow Peak Trek 700, or the IMUSA Aluminum Mug. It’s easy to burn your lips if you drink from the mug/pot you boiled the water in.  The lids on the Snowpeak mugs aren’t so great. but there is are aftermarket ultralight mug lids. It’s also possible to use larger beer cans as pots such as the 24oz Foster’s can.

    Pots for Two People

    I think a single 1.3 L pot such as the Evernew 1.3 L Nonstick Titanium Pot is ideal for 2 people who are traveling light. The GSI Dualist looks nice, coming with two bowls, two cups, and room for a large fuel canister and stove. Some people use larger pots such as the value priced Open Country 2L pot which can be used with larger groups as well. If you are doing fancier cooking, you might look at something like the nesting 1&1.5 L set

    Pots for Larger Groups

    Four people will typically want a 1.5 & 2 L nesting cook. There are a number of other nice sets made by MSR, GSI, Evernew. Many people automatically bring all the pots in their cooking set. If you plan your meals well you should often be able to do everything with a single pot… don’t bring the pots you aren’t going to use. If you have more than four people you could consider whether you want to use even larger pots, or break into smaller groups to avoid having to bring huge pots, and to boiling 4L+ on a single stove.

    Other Approaches

    I know some people who really like bring light weight ovens because it expands cooking options beyond what can be accomplished in basic pots. Alas, all the companies that used to make back country ovens such as bakepacker seem to have gone out of business.

    Bear Bowl is a successful crowdsourced project which has produced a “folding” cockpit. It’s an aluminum base with fiberglass sides which can be folded mostly flat. While these pots weight about the same as more traditional pots, having a 4L pot folding flattish could be quite useful on group backpacking trip. The smaller pots don’t make sense to me. Traditional pots aren’t that difficult to fit into a pack, and often the hard sides of the pot are used to protect more delicate things like the stove.

    Low Cost

    I don’t have a good recommendation for a great low cost pot because the two classic options don’t seem to be made anymore. The WalMart  grease pot has been the traditional low weight, low cost option among thru-hikers, ultralighters and dirtbags. There was a nice upgrade of this 3-cup pot sold by Anti Gravity Gear and then licensed by Open Country, but something went wrong and neither is available today.

    Eating Wares

    When traveling solo I eat out of my pot, use a MSR Folding Spork which packs inside my pot while still extend long enough to reach into my pot or a freeze dry cook bags. If I am on a group trip I typically bring a Guyot Designs Squishy Bowl because it fits with my stove and fuel canister inside my pot.

    I generally recommend solo trekkers to eat out of their pots to save both the weight of an extra container and to have one less item to clean. In groups, eating out of the pot is typically not appropriate. A minimalist approach in a group is to carry a single sierra cup, bowl or mug, and to drink and eat your meal in stages. Alternatively you could bring a large bowl (zip-lock 2 cup container makes a dandy backpacking bowl) and a light weight cup/mug. You will also need a spoon, though some people like a spork or foon (a spoon whose front is fork-like). I would recommend getting utensils made from Lexan because they are cheap, light weight, reasonably durable, don’t have a “taste” like steel, and won’t scratch pots like titanium. If you are using backpacker oriented freeze dry meals you might want an extra long spoon that lets you mix the food without getting you hand down into the bag. I would recommend avoiding the Light My Fire Spork. There are numerous reports of it breaking in the field.  I also don’t like the design, but that’s just me.

    There are plenty of “disposable” containers that get thrown out each day… you shouldn’t have a hard time finding something that with work for you. My favorite item are the disposable plastic bowl for single serving of noodles or soap. Cost is around $1 and you get food as well. These bowl are durable, very light (.2oz) and holds the right amount of food. Fast food restaurants have cheap, flimsy plastic flatware. If you are using these cheap utensils, take a couple in case one of them breaks. Two “disposal” utensils will often be lighter weight than one more durable item.