Spending time in the wilderness is one of the best ways to bring yourself closer to nature. Being surrounded by nature brings out a certain calm for many people, but you should still prepare for danger before heading out. Wearing the proper boots for the outdoors can make your time on the trail safer, more comfortable, and more enjoyable.
The right gear and provisions are essential when you’re preparing to head into the wild. This is true regardless of whether you’re going camping, hiking, hunting, or anything else. Of all the gear that you can bring with you, your footwear has the biggest effect on your experience.
Being out in the wild means that you’ll be standing and dealing with uneven terrain relatively often. Therefore, having the right pair of boots can save you a lot of trouble. We’ll look at various types of boots for the outdoors over the course of this guide. By the end of it, you’ll be an expert.
Types of Boots for the Outdoors
Type of Boot | Pros | Cons |
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Hiking Boots |
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Snake Boots |
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Hunting Boots |
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Winter Boots |
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Hiking Boots
The first kind of boot that we’ll look at in today’s guide is the humble hiking boot. It is the most common option for most lovers of the outdoors. Hiking boots have the advantage of being versatile compared to the other options on this list. However, as a result of that, they lack specialization.
If you need a boot that you can wear in a variety of situations, look no further than a good pair of hiking boots. You can recognize hiking boots by a few main characteristics. First, they have relatively low soles, as manufactuers do not design them primarily to prevent water and snow infiltration.
Hiking boots often have tread appropriate for a variety of conditions. However, most of them prioritize grip in dirt and soil. Some hiking boots feature lugs to provide stability on angled ground and inclines. Though not all of them feature this addition, it is quite common.
Many hiking boots come with waterproofing, but not always. Overall, a hiking boot works best if you don’t need special features in your boots for the outdoors.
Snake Boots
Snake boots are more specialized than hiking boots. Unlike the general purpose hiking boot, they are meant to do a single thing: protect you from snake bites. Snakes are usually on the ground, and there is a risk that you inadvertently step on or near one. Therefore, most snake bites occur on the legs or feet.
As you can imagine, one of the main features in snake boots is that they have a higher shaft than other boots. This protects a larger surface area of your legs. Many of these boots are around 16” tall, making them (on average) the largest boot type on this list.
Being long isn’t what stops a snake’s teeth from making their way through these boots, however. Most snake boots are made out of resilient synthetics coupled with tough leather to ensure that they remain comfortable while keeping your legs out of danger.
While snake boots may be a little more ungainly than some of the other options, they can end up saving your life, so they may be necessary. However, if you live in an area where you will come across venomous snakes relatively often, then you’ll need a pair of these boots.
Hunting Boots
Much like hiking boots, hunting boots are meant to be a little more versatile than some of the other choices. While these boots are primarily made for hunting, you’ll find that they share a lot of aspects with hiking boots, though there are some areas where hunting boots are further specialized.
For example, when compared to hiking boots, hunting boots will often feature a camouflaged design, to make you less visible to any potential prey. Hunting boots are also more durable than other kinds of boots due to the harsh terrain that you may have to deal with when leaving the trail.
Hunters often have to go into challenging terrain to confirm their kills and set up traps, so hunting boots also offer a surprising amount of grip, with a deep tread pattern and plenty of lugs. These boots are also usually waterproof or water-resistant, at the very least to keep your feet dry over the course of a long hunt.
Some hunting boots are even designed to make you stealthier, featuring a more flexible sole. As you can imagine, all of these extra features make hunting boots a little more expensive than hiking boots, but if you need that improved performance, then they’re worth it.
Winter Boots
Last but not least, we’ll also be looking at winter boots, which are quite different from the other choices on this list. If you live in a cold environment or an area where snow and ice are common, then it is likely that you have been acquainted with boots like these since you were a kid.
Winter boots feature additional insulation to keep your feet warm in low temperatures, and this is usually provided by a removable lining which can be taken out and washed. Of course, there are many different kinds of winter boots, and some of them are closer to hiking boots with a thicker skin. They both prevent and in some cases expel moisture whilst keeping your toes well protected. Paired with quality socks, they are the best defenders against frostbite.
As you would imagine, winter boots aren’t particularly versatile as they are only made for a single set of conditions, but they can also be worn during springtime when the snow starts to melt. If you have to deal with harsh winters, then a pair of winter boots will help make things a bit simpler.
Final Words about Boots for the Outdoors
As you can see, there are many different kinds of boots that you can use when you head into the wilderness. We hope that this guide has given you all of the info that you were searching for, and perhaps we even helped you choose the right boots.
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