Took my dad's advice about hiking boots and it paid off big time

For years I hiked in worn out sneakers because I figured boots were just heavy and overpriced. My old man kept telling me to get proper ones after I twisted my ankle on the Appalachian Trail near Harper's Ferry last spring. Finally dropped $160 on a pair of Merrell Moabs in June and the difference is night and day. Did a 12 mile loop through Harriman State Park two weeks ago with a 30 pound pack and my feet felt solid the whole way. No blisters, no slipping on wet rocks, nothing. Has anyone else had a piece of gear they ignored for way too long and regretted it?

2 comments

2 Comments

brians2717d ago

Yeah I mean no offense but did you seriously need your dad to tell you that? My guy you were hiking in worn out sneakers with a twisted ankle and thought boots were "heavy and overpriced." Like yeah they're heavy they're supposed to be heavy. That's like complaining your winter coat is too warm. But hey at least you finally wised up. I ignored buying a decent sleeping pad for like three years and just used a stack of those blue foam ones from Walmart. Ended up with a bruised hip and a bad back after a weekend in the Adirondacks. Finally got an inflatable one and it felt like sleeping on a cloud. So yeah sometimes the old man actually knows what he's talking about even if it hurts to admit it.

oscarwright17d ago

Those blue foam pads are brutal, I stacked two of them for years and still felt every rock under me. Finally caved and got a Therm-a-Rest Z Lite when I found one on clearance and it was a game changer even though it's still foam. The trick with boots is breaking them in around the house for a week before you hit a trail, wear them with the socks you'll actually hike in. Your dad probably knew that too but held back until you figured it out yourself.