How to choose a trekking boat? The right trekking boat guide

Outdoor sports are at the forefront of the activities that make a camping adventure more adventurous, where we can find the opportunity to discover every miracle of nature separately. We have the chance to reach a mental calmness while feeling physically vigorous with nature sports, which are more valuable than the other. The right equipment shopping becomes important in order to make camping activities that include extreme nature sports with a high dose of adventure such as trekking, climbing, skiing and paragliding comfortable. You need a quality trekking shoe to reach maximum performance with minimum effort, especially on challenging trails such as trekking. As Campalow, we will try to make your camping shopping more practical by touching on various topics about trekking boats in Blog guides that will make your camping experiences valuable. If you're ready, let's get started together.

What is Trekking?

In order to make a comprehensive and high-quality shopping for camping equipment, it is very important to first have information about the activity that will require materials. For example, if you have little knowledge of the experience in a camp where you went for skiing, you may be caught unprepared for the equipment you will take and therefore you may be exposed to adverse conditions such as harsh cold or the danger of slipping. At this point, when choosing a quality trekking boat, you must first have a detailed knowledge of what the activity is.

Trekking, which derives from the title "Trek" in English, "Travelling on foot"; describes large-scale walking periods that can last for hours or even days. Today, when the word “trekking” is mentioned, a wrong definition such as a small-scale walking activity may come to mind. However, there are fundamental differences that separate walking and trekking activities from each other. As we have just mentioned, short-term experiences are defined when hiking is mentioned, while long-term trekking is done for trekking, which requires extensive equipment and no return is considered. Trekking is also called "Backpacking", which means backpacking, as it requires more equipment due to the effort and type it requires. Hence, “I can walk for days in nature if necessary!” If you are one of those who say, you should definitely include trekking activity in your camping experience.

For comprehensive equipment and detailed information required by the trekking activity, you can take a look at our article named “Trekking Guide”. At the same time, if you want to go on a trekking journey without saying summer or winter, but cannot find the most suitable route for you, you can evaluate our trekking campsites guide called "Hiking Campgrounds in Nature".

What is a Trekking Boat?

Trekking boots, also known as "Backpacking" around the world, are made for trekking on difficult terrain such as mountains with a heavy backpack for days of activities. Trekking shoes have a high ankle section to wrap around the ankles to assist with strenuous activities. At the same time, the mid soles of trekking boots are designed more rigidly than normal types. In this way, it aims to minimize the feeling of fatigue in a short time by supporting the sole of the foot during walking. As long as criteria such as sole feature, lining-upper and leather feature, size selection and suitability for the activity are taken into consideration, it becomes possible to spend quality time while hiking by choosing a comfortable trekking shoe. The trekking boat not only makes the activity process comfortable, but also tries to minimize the feeling of fatigue you will feel afterwards. In this way, you will not feel any discomfort during the activity and you can reach your former comfort in a short time after the end of the walk.

Types of Trekking Boats

Types of boots produced by various brands for trekking activity are divided into walking shoes (hiking boots), daily hiking boots and mountain boots. When choosing the right boat for a trekking activity you dream of, you should definitely act by determining your purpose of use. Thus, you can make a more accurate and refined choice.

• Hiking Boots (Hiking Shoes): Low-top, flexible and mid-soled boots, thanks to the freedom of movement and lightness they offer, will be ideal for daily walks. The low ankle structure of hiking boots will provide freedom of movement by not straining the ankle area during walking. Likewise, the midsole feature of the boot will concentrate the power in the middle region, thus realizing freedom of movement and flexibility to a great extent.
• Daily Hiking Boots: The ankle part of the daily hiking boots is designed as medium and high. Although these model shoes are ideal for daily walks, they will not yield efficient results with activities such as trekking or mountaineering where a weight will be carried. Since the stretching time of daily hiking boots is quite short and their durability is low, you can choose them for shorter walking and sightseeing activities.
• Mountain Boots: These mountain boots, namely heavy models, are specially designed for long-term trekking and mountaineering activities. The heavy carrying capacity of the mountain boots is quite high thanks to the support they give to both the foot and the ankle. In this way, the mountain boots, which have a supportive and durable structure; It will enable you to reach maximum comfort in environments such as snowy, slippery, wet, stony, mountain, slope, dry and hard terrain.

What Should Be Considered When Choosing a Trekking Boat?

Base Features

The sole of the trekking boot, which is very careful in the production, acts as a protective barrier between the ground and our feet, while providing maximum protection against splinters, stones, thorns, mud and all kinds of sharp objects on the ground. At the same time, a quality sole used in the trekking boat provides an easier and more comfortable movement performance during the walk by enabling us to step flat on the uneven structure of the ground. Trekking boot models, which allow us to walk comfortably by protecting the bottom of our feet throughout the activity, have three separate soles. These are divided into three separate groups as lower-middle and inner sole.

• Bottom Sole: It is the part at the bottom of the shoe that contacts the ground. The bottom soles of the trekking boots have the feature of protection against harsh weather and ground conditions. At the same time, the quality soles used in the trekking boat make direct contact with the uneven surface of the ground and eliminate the jolt and balance disorder during the walk. Especially when buying a quality trekking boot, you can choose non-slip bottom models in case of slipping. In a trekking boot model, the outer soles have features such as a lug pattern and heel sole. Lug patterned soles provide a lasting grip on the outsole thanks to deeper and thicker treads. In addition, the heel sole feature of the boot provides precise grip on steep descents and eliminates the possibility of slipping. Therefore, you can consider models with Lug patterned soles or heel soles for mountaineering or trekking activities in snowy weather.
• Midsole: We can say that the most important part of a trekking shoe is the midsole. The part that will keep you comfortable throughout the activity is the midsole. The midsole of the shoe is perfectly placed in places such as stones, pits and bumps on the ground, preventing any jolting and promising lasting comfort throughout the walk. When choosing a boot suitable for your trekking activity, you can get a more efficient experience by choosing a thick midsole. The most common midsole materials used in boot production today are EVA (ethylene vinyl acetate) and polyurethane. EVA manages to provide density to different points of the trekking boat. In this way, it provides permanent support. Polyurethane soles, on the other hand, have a tighter and more durable structure. Therefore, this material is often used in mountain shoes.
• Insole: The part that protects our feet on the inside of the shoe is called the insole. The insoles in the shoes begin to lose their flexibility after a while, depending on the frequency of use. For this reason, you can eliminate the difficulty you will experience with the insole at the end of a long walking time, especially by choosing models with removable insole.

Lining, Upper and Leather Features

In order to experience a lasting comfort quality in trekking boots, you must pay attention to the lining, upper and leather features of the shoe model. As long as you pay attention to these features, you can go for a comfortable walk that will minimize fatigue.

• Lining: The vital area that provides breathability and water resistance in a boot model is called the “lining”. The “Waterproof” coatings used on boots are surrounded by a very thin fabric with pores approximately eight times smaller than the water molecule. In this way, while this gaseous vapor goes out, the water particles on the outside are prevented from entering. In this way, 100% waterproof feature is provided for the boat. At the same time, the porous structures that provide waterproofing feature allow the water vapor formed in the foot area to escape and thus strengthen the level of breathability. Therefore, you can get a waterproof and breathable shoe model by paying attention to the “Waterproof” feature of the lining in the trekking boot. As a result, this will help you stay comfortable by protecting your foot health while on the trekking boat.
• Upper: The upper part seen when looking at a boat from the front is called the “saya”. Although not as much as the lining in a trekking boot, the upper features also affect the breathability and waterproofing properties. In addition, if you prefer the upper part of the boot with a more flexible structure, you can reach maximum comfort at the curvature points where the foot will bend during the walk.
• Leather Usage: Classic leather can be used in shoes produced for outdoor sports, even if it is rare, because it is easy to clean and maintain. However, this leads you to a mistake. Shoes made of classic leather can be damaged directly as a result of contact with materials such as stones and splinters. For this reason, you can prefer nubuck or suede leather instead of classic leather in outdoor sports. In addition, although it is difficult and arduous, you can make the usage time longer by doing regular leather cleaning on the trekking boat.

Number Selection

You will need a trekking boat while doing nature sports on a camping trip in harsh cold. For this reason, when choosing trekking boots, you can choose a model that is compatible with the clothes you will wear in cold weather. Since you will usually wear thick socks in winter, it is recommended to buy one size larger in case the boots get tight or sweaty. In addition, in snowy and very cold weather conditions, the shoes should not squeeze your feet completely. At the same time, you should not stay still in the cold and be able to move your toes regularly. Therefore, when choosing trekking boots, you can choose one size larger models that will offer freedom of movement and provide comfort with thick socks. As a bonus, you can minimize the possibility of deformation of the lining by keeping your toenails short while using the trekking boot.

Model Selection Compatible with the Activity

As we mentioned before, you should first consider the type and duration of the activity in order to decide on the most suitable boat model for the trekking experience. At this point, you can consider factors such as the load you will carry, the difficulty of the path you will walk, and the duration of the walk you will take. If you are on your way to a very challenging trekking track, we definitely recommend you to get an advanced trekking boat in every respect. For this, you can consult the shop assistant during the purchasing phase of the trekking boat or you can talk to the online sales consultant on the website. As long as you buy the right trekking boots, the possibility of blistering or injury to your feet at the end of the activity will be eliminated.

BONUS: Choosing Socks Suitable for Trekking Activity

The most important factor affecting the maximum efficiency you will get from the trekking boat is the choice of socks. Short and thin socks that you use during the day will generally not be suitable for trekking. In addition, socks made of a cotton material will cause your feet to sweat and collect water, as they keep the sweat inside the socks. At this point, we can say that the most suitable model for trekking activity is thermal socks. Thermal socks manage to eliminate the possibility of sweating and cold by fixing the heat inside the boots. You can also prevent snow and cold from entering the shoes from the outside by adding leggings to the upper part of the thermal socks in snowy weather.

Editor's Note: Even if you buy a quality boat by determining the most important criteria for your trekking activity, we recommend that you try and test these boots during the day before you set off. No matter how high the production quality of a boot is, it may not adapt to your foot structure after a long walk. This will lead to negativities such as swelling and injury in the foot area. In order not to be alone with these problems, you should definitely try on the shoes you bought before you set off for the trekking activity by wearing them on the street. If there is a small detail that bothers your foot, you should contact the store and buy a model that is more suitable for you.

How to Clean and Dry a Trekking Boat?

We would like to use a trekking boat that we bought with adventurous feelings for many years. The most important factor that ensures the use of a quality boat model for many years is to perform its cleaning correctly. At this point, you should first give importance to mud cleaning after trekking. Factors such as mud or dirt that are not cleaned by accumulating on the shoes penetrate inside as particles through small holes as soon as the leather is stretched. Then, these factors, which accumulate on the inner lining and leather material, break the waterproof membrane by friction. Therefore, when this process is repeated over time, the trekking boat begins to lose its waterproof feature in a short time. In addition, when the dirt and mud on the boot begin to dry, it absorbs the natural oil and moisture of the leather and accelerates the aging process. This will cause the boots to lose their flexibility and crack over time. Therefore, by paying extra attention to the cleaning and drying stages of the trekking boat, you can make the usage time longer and of higher quality.

How to Clean a Trekking Boat?

When cleaning the trekking boot, you should work more thoroughly by removing the laces first. To clean the dirt on the boots, a non-hard toothbrush or any brush will do. However, at this point, you must be careful that it is soft. Hard brushes will cause deformation of the leather. You should definitely not use chemicals such as detergents and soaps while cleaning the trekking boat with its laces removed in circular motions with the help of a brush. When chemicals come into contact with the skin, they remove the skin's own oil and cause it to lose its waterproof feature over time. For this reason, you can only use warm water when cleaning the trekking boat.

How to Dry a Trekking Boat?

You should definitely take advantage of room temperature when drying your trekking boot. Hair dryer and derivative artificial heat sources will cause the loss of adhesive power on the sole of the leather boot and cracks on the leather. In addition, the skin exposed to heat will shrink over time and lose its former elasticity. If you are in a hurry to dry a trekking boat, you can put materials such as newsprint or cloth inside. When you repeat this process, the wetness inside the boot will disappear over time. Finally, if you put your boots upside down while drying, the air will contact the sole faster, allowing it to dry in a short time. You can also avoid various pests that will get into the boot when you let it dry upside down.

As Campalow, in our Blog guides today, we mentioned the things to consider when choosing a trekking boat that you can feel productive and comfortable during the activity. If you want to try a different nature sport such as trekking for your camping experience and need comprehensive information, you can take a look at our other articles. We wish you success and lots of fun in your trekking activity with your quality boat.

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