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Hiking Boot Reccommendations

PostPosted: Apr 7, 2014 11:26 am
by danegarreau
Can anyone point me in the right direction towards a good hiking boot for hiking/caving? I'm fairly new to this and thus far I've just been using an old pair of field turfs.

Thanks!

Re: Hiking Boot Reccommendations

PostPosted: Apr 8, 2014 6:29 am
by teeter02
I like my Danner Quarry boots, anything with the vibram soles. They seem to adhear to the wet and slippery rocks better, than alot of other materials. I like a defanant heal so your climbing gear stays in place. They are water proof and tripled stiched. But like cars everyone has their prefferance.

Re: Hiking Boot Reccommendations

PostPosted: Apr 8, 2014 8:29 am
by boogercaver71
Well it depends on the cave. If the cave is fairly dry or with water over my knee, I just were cheap ankle high boots that drain well, and if it is muddy or water under my knee, I will wear mudders. Hiking is a different story. I buy good quality hiking boots (Scarpa Kailash GTX for me)

Re: Hiking Boot Reccommendations

PostPosted: Apr 8, 2014 1:20 pm
by Caving Guru
Well I forget what the name of my boots are but what I look for, for good caving boots, is that they are waterproof, are pretty stream line on the outside so part of the boot does not get caught on something while in a cave, have sturdy soles, and have lots of lacing so the boots don't come off in a cave in say some thick mud.

Re: Hiking Boot Reccommendations

PostPosted: Apr 8, 2014 1:33 pm
by PeterFJohnson
The endless debate always seems to be whether to go the cheap route and replace the boots often or buy a nice pair and commit to the fact that they are going to last longer but you are still going to trash an expensive pair of boots.

Either way, there are a couple things you can do to make your boots last a bit longer. The biggest is to take aquaseal or seam grip and slather it on all the stitches and the toes of the boots as a preemptive way to stop wear. Do it before you take them caving. Pay particular attention to the toe area and the inside of the boot near your arch. These areas seem to receive the most wear from crawling.

Also, if you do go the cheap boot route it pays to invest in a good pair of insoles. I bought $45 surefeet insoles and wear them whenever I am caving in shitty shoes or boots. When the shoes wear out you can swap the insoles to your next pair of shitty shoes.

Re: Hiking Boot Reccommendations

PostPosted: Apr 9, 2014 12:46 am
by kevinm
Pete has it right except for the "or" bit (unless you mean the math or...). Go to the REI garage sales. I get all my boots there for no more than $30 a pair, and they are great boots. The Oboz are the grippiest I have used, and the Zamberlans the most durable.

Re: Hiking Boot Reccommendations

PostPosted: Apr 12, 2014 9:53 am
by danegarreau
Thanks for the replies. Very helpful!!

Re: Hiking Boot Reccommendations

PostPosted: Feb 27, 2015 8:04 am
by danegarreau
Just an update.....I ended up getting a gently used pair of Merrell Moab Mid Waterproof boots for a very reasonable price on eBay.
They are perfect for hiking.
I've only used them in 4 caves so far, and they seem to be doing fine.

Re: Hiking Boot Reccommendations

PostPosted: Feb 27, 2015 4:34 pm
by tncaver
I bet the Merrells are a good choice although I've never owned a pair. I was just going to suggest boots that are relatively light weight, especially
if you plan to hike a long way in or out of the caves. Heavy boots can drain your energy.

Re: Hiking Boot Reccommendations

PostPosted: Mar 2, 2015 10:22 am
by Amocholes
I use Walmart's Ozark Trail boots. Comfortable and hold up pretty well. (Also Cheap!"

Re: Hiking Boot Reccommendations

PostPosted: Mar 2, 2015 4:35 pm
by Jake McLeod
You see a lot of these on Texas cavers. They're great for wet/muddy caves and get pretty good traction. You'd think the rubber would make them heavy, but they stay pretty light because they don't adsorb water, they just hold it. And you can limit how much they hold by filling extra space between it and your foot with sock. They clean/dry out really easy afterwards. The plain toe is the way to go, steel toes just blow right through.

Sorry, forgot the link!

http://www.gemplers.com/product/WEBG86103/Onguard-PVC-Boots-6H-Lace-up-Steel-Toe-or-Plain-Toe