Babble about hiking boots ahead
Man, it just is not possible to find a hobby that doesn't lead to eventual lust after STUFF, is it? Granted, hiking is pretty light on stuff, especially for someone like me who's almost exclusively a day hiker. If I have a daypack and a couple of Nalgenes I'm good (though like fleeces, you can never have too many Nalgenes). The priciest hiking item I own is my hiking poles, which I actually paid full retail for (shock horror) but they have been worth every cent.
Of course there is one essential item that you don't scrimp on if you hike a lot, and that is footwear. I have two pair for hikes, a pair of low-topped Keen trail shoes (which I got on eBay for like $35 used and they're fantastic) and Timberland hiking boots (outlet store purchase for 1/3 of the retail price). I talked last week about buying winter hiking boots (which the Timberlands really aren't). Well, I did buy the ones I was considering, the Keen Delta. They're $150 boots but I went on Google shopping and found them on sale for $75! Yay!
Which does not stop me from lusting after boots. A lot.
In the world of technical hiking/backpacking/mountaineering shoes there are two tiers. The second tier is your $100-150 range boots. Keen, Merrell, Columbia, Ecco, Vibram. All very good boots.
Then you got the top tier. The $200+ boots. There are basically two brands up there: Asolo and Lowa. Asolos are made in Italy by people who do nothing but make technical footwear. A lot of times, if you meet someone who's a professional outdoorsperson, a climber, backpacker, someone on the Pacific Rim Trail, someone on the AT, someone who does this every day, and look down, they'll be wearing Asolos. These are serious boots. Lowas are made in Germany by people who know from mountains. These boots do not fuck around.
I covet these boots. COVET. Honestly, I don't hike far enough or with enough weight on my back to really merit buying a pair. Maybe someday I will. The Asolos are super engineered for maximum foot stability which is good for people with IT band issues (like me). The Lowas are...heh...prettier. THERE'S A PAIR THAT'S PURPLE.
Sigh. I won't be buying any more footwear until the spring anyway. I think my new winter boots are waiting for me at my rental office and I can't wait to take them on a spin and break them in. My next hiking-related purchase will probably be a slightly larger day pack. The one I have is fine, but if I'm on a longer hike or I'm out when the weather might be bad so I'm carrying dry clothes or extra layers it's too small. Considering one with a Camelbak, too.
This concludes your "blathering about hiking gear" post for today.
Of course there is one essential item that you don't scrimp on if you hike a lot, and that is footwear. I have two pair for hikes, a pair of low-topped Keen trail shoes (which I got on eBay for like $35 used and they're fantastic) and Timberland hiking boots (outlet store purchase for 1/3 of the retail price). I talked last week about buying winter hiking boots (which the Timberlands really aren't). Well, I did buy the ones I was considering, the Keen Delta. They're $150 boots but I went on Google shopping and found them on sale for $75! Yay!
Which does not stop me from lusting after boots. A lot.
In the world of technical hiking/backpacking/mountaineering shoes there are two tiers. The second tier is your $100-150 range boots. Keen, Merrell, Columbia, Ecco, Vibram. All very good boots.
Then you got the top tier. The $200+ boots. There are basically two brands up there: Asolo and Lowa. Asolos are made in Italy by people who do nothing but make technical footwear. A lot of times, if you meet someone who's a professional outdoorsperson, a climber, backpacker, someone on the Pacific Rim Trail, someone on the AT, someone who does this every day, and look down, they'll be wearing Asolos. These are serious boots. Lowas are made in Germany by people who know from mountains. These boots do not fuck around.
I covet these boots. COVET. Honestly, I don't hike far enough or with enough weight on my back to really merit buying a pair. Maybe someday I will. The Asolos are super engineered for maximum foot stability which is good for people with IT band issues (like me). The Lowas are...heh...prettier. THERE'S A PAIR THAT'S PURPLE.
Sigh. I won't be buying any more footwear until the spring anyway. I think my new winter boots are waiting for me at my rental office and I can't wait to take them on a spin and break them in. My next hiking-related purchase will probably be a slightly larger day pack. The one I have is fine, but if I'm on a longer hike or I'm out when the weather might be bad so I'm carrying dry clothes or extra layers it's too small. Considering one with a Camelbak, too.
This concludes your "blathering about hiking gear" post for today.