Hiking & Mountaineering Boots

Vishnu Kumar from Thinking Particle suggested that I may like to do a post on different trekking shoes and boots and how they should be used. So here is the post!

Trekking Shoes Low Cut
If you are planning to walk on a well defined trail without  a lot of streams to cross, rivers to ford and not much likelihood of snow and rain then this is a good choice. Most of the major companies like Keen, Merrell, Lowa, Vasque make these shoes - some of them are waterproof with Goretex liners, others have proprietary liners made by  the individual companies. Many of them come with Vibram soles as well.

Trekking Boots Mid Cut 
These boots are usually mid cut at the ankle and the upper is usually a fabric-leather combination with a waterproof liner. Many of them have Vibram soles as well. The weight would be less than 3 lb a pair and typically would need minimum break in. They would be suitable for spring and autumn hikes on regular trails. The Merrell Chameleon featured here is typical of a boot of this type.

Trekking Boots  - Heavy Duty and Off Trail
These boots are typically made with all leather waterproof uppers with Goretex liners. There are some models which use a fabric-leather combination as well. They would have a higher cut at the ankle and some of them would support step in crampons.  The weight is around 3-3.5 Lb for a pair and they would require break in. For winter hikes, or off trail/rough trails with heavy loads these boots would be recommended.

Mountaineering Boots
These boots would be typically all leather with a stiff shank. They would have rigid soles and would be waterproof and would be crampon ready - weight would be around 3.5 to 4lb or more and would require break in. The La Sportiva Makalu featured here is a typical boot of this type. These boots would be worn for extended glacier and Himalayan travel.






Plastic Boots
For climbing in snow and wet conditions these plastic boots are recommended. Used extensively in the high Himalaya they are part of every high altitude mountaineer's kit. They are heavy and can fit mountaineering crampons.They also have an insulated liner for maximum warmth. Some of them like the La Sportiva Batura have a gaiter attached to the boot. These boots are expensive in the range of US $ 400 to 800 and are meant for major expedition use. Some of the best mountaineering boots are listed here -
http://www.outdoorgearlab.com/Mountaineering-Boot-Reviews




Resources
Top 10 Hiking Boots
http://outdoors.campmor.com/top-10-hiking-boots/#fbid=ldAanYHrkh2
How To Choose Hiking Boots
http://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/hiking-boots.html
Common Hiking Boot Lacing Techniques 
http://www.backpacker.com/gear/5245
How to maintain Hiking Boots?
http://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/caring-hiking-boots.html
Boot Fitting Guide
http://www.greatoutdoors.com/published/boot-fitting-guide

Note: All photographs are copyright of their respective owners 

The Outdoor Journal : Essentials for a Hike

Essential Gear to Take on a Hike

By The Outdoor Journal, Friday, December 6, 2013 - 16:05, New Delhi

Seasoned trek leader Sujoy Das gives us the lowdown on essential hiking gear.

Sujoy Das has over thirty years of experience trekking and photographing in the Himalaya. He’s trekked in the Annapurna region six times and in the Everest region more than ten times. Sujoy now heads his own company South Col Expeditions that provides carefully tailored hiking journeys to people with little or no trekking experience. We asked him to give us a list of five essentials to help you pack for your next big hike!


The Five Essentials by Sujoy Das
Sleeping Bag
A good sleeping bag can make the difference between a successful trek and a nightmare. This is possibly the single most important item of equipment that you need to carry with you. A sleeping bag should be selected based on the minimum temperature you expect to encounter on the trek. If you are a cold sleeper, it is recommended to buy a bag which is rated at least 5 degrees Celsius below the lowest temperature. If you plan to trek in the rainy season a synthetic bag would be preferred to down. In cold dry conditions, nothing beats a down bag for warmth and compressibility. Sleeping bags are rated according to the seasons: for a summer or autumn trek buy a three season bag and for a winter trek like the Chadar, a four season is a must. Some of the leading companies who make top notch bags are Marmot, The North Face, Mountain Hardwear and the doyen of all, Western Mountaineering.

Headlamp
Trekkers have replaced the torch with a headlamp as it allows hands-free operation. Some of the reputed headlamps made by Petzl, Black Diamond etc. have different settings and often can run for up to 150 hours on a single set of batteries! For reading inside a tent, answering the call of nature at night and navigating the trail before dawn, a good headlamp is essential.

Boots
Like a sleeping bag, a pair of boots can make or mar a trek! You need to make sure that your boots are well broken in before the trek – never start off on a trek with new boots! Always try the new boots with the socks you plan to wear on the trail.  There are a number of options available like – full grain leather, fabric-leather, nubuck etc. Some boots have water proof liners like Gore-tex which is useful in wet conditions. Some of the leading brands are Merrell, Scarpa, Vasque, Lowa and Zamberlan.

Trekking Poles
On of the indispensable aids on a trek, these poles have multifarious uses. You can use them to ford a swift flowing stream, negotiate a steep scree slope,  walk through snow and climb up to the top of a pass. The newer poles fold down to around 12 inches and are very light weight. Leki and Black Diamond are the leading companies manufacturing trekking poles.

Water Purification Filters/Tablets
Iodine and chlorine tablets are the easiest ways of purifying water on the trail. There are also  water filters made by companies like Sawyer, MSR, Katadyn are useful for purifying large quantities of water and are often used by groups on expeditions.

To find out more about South Col Expeditions, go to www.southcol.com, or email Sujoy at sujoyrdas@gmail.com

To read the article on line please visit
 http://www.outdoorjournal.in/articles/gear/2013/12/06/essential-gear-take-hike