The best traditional fiber for keeping your feet dry and happy is wool.This is one question that comes up quite often in the geocaching forums. It is also a question that garners a large number of replies. Having spent 30+ years in the outdoor equipment industry, which included selling hiking boots, I would like to shed some light in the subject of hiking boots and what to look for.

We will start at the beginning of the boot fitting process; the hiking sock. One important component that seems to get overlooked would be proper socks. Some of you may be surprised to learn that cotton does not make a very good hiking sock. When your feet are trapped inside a pair of hiking boots, they need a way for the moisture to escape and keep your feet dry. Cotton will not wick moisture away from your foot. This may result in your feet slipping, which in turn may lead to blisters.

The best traditional fiber for keeping your feet dry and happy is wool. Wool will wick the moisture up the socks and allow it to evaporate, where as cotton will absorb the moisture from your feet and keep it in the boots. Most people think of wool socks as the rag wool styles that are bulky and heavy; the style Paul Bunion would wear. Fortunately, socks have come a long way in recent years. Wool socks are now offered in a variety of weights to compliment your style of hiking. We also have a choice of blends made of man-made fibers, some of which have wool in them. My choice over the years has been medium weight socks; for the types of hiking we do when we are geocaching, they will be just fine. I use a blend with about 30% wool.

When trying on a new pair of boots, always try them with the socks you will hiking in; they can affect the fit of the boot. If you really want to have some cotton, try one of the new blends like Cool Max®. These will have a man-made fiber in them to wick moisture away from your feet. Some people use a sock liner under their regular hiking socks. These will also help keep feet dry.

Let's consider boot styles. Picking a style that will suit your style of geocaching will be the first thing, providing you already have your socks. There are companies that offer a "hiking style boot". I have seen these boots in the high priced department stores; you know the stores with socks that will cost you about $100.00. In order to simplify things, we will just go with low, mid and high styles. If you look for caches that are rated a 3 or higher, you should consider a boot that will come up above your ankle. This style of boot will give your ankle extra support and help to prevent a twisted/sprained ankle. One thing you do not want is to hike in looking for a cache and wind up not being able to hike out. They do charge for helicopter rides. A low top boot will not give you any ankle support. There are a number of mid height boots on the market now. These will give you a little ankle support, but I would not recommend them for and real rugged hiking; these, along with low top styles are more suited for easy-going trails that do not have a lot of grade to them. If you do not plan on doing any long hikes into rugged terrain, then a low top boot will be adequate for your needs.One feature that all hiking boots should have in common is a sole that has some rigidity. While I own both low and high styles, I use my higher boots most of the time even if I do not think I need them. If you are looking for caches that are not close to home, you may not know what kind of terrain you are going to find yourself in. Why take the chance? I have been caught more than once away from home in situations that required higher boots.

One feature that all hiking boots should have in common is a sole that has some rigidity. A soft, pliable sole will not give you any real support. If you can grab a boot by the toe and heel and twist it like a rag, it is not a hiking boot. Your hiking boot should have a sole with lots of lugs to grab the ground beneath your feet and should be made with a rubber compound.

You may want a waterproof boot, depending on where and when you do your geocaching. My choice is a boot with a Gortex liner. Gortex boots are waterproof "and breathable", but they are more expensive than non-Gortex boots.

There is no boot that will fit everyone's foot. Now that you have selected the socks and the style of boots you want, it is time to try them on. It can take a long time to find a pair of boots that fit "your feet" properly. Keep in mind you are fitting "Your Feet" not your friends' feet. There is no boot that will fit everyone's foot. You are going to want to give yourself lots of time and you are going to want to try on quite a few brands. This is the only way you will find a boot that is comfortable and that fits your foot properly. To do this you are going to have to make a trip to an outdoor specialty shop. By this, I mean a shop with high end backpacking and camping gear. Big box discount stores are not going to have a good selection of boots to choose from. Plan on at least an hour of time, though it may take much more than an hour to find a boot. Make sure you have plenty of room in the toe box of the boot. If your toes hit the front of the boot, they are too small. If your heel slips a lot, they are too big. Some brands just may not fit "Your Foot". Your boot should be snug from the ball of your foot to the back of the boot. There should be no pressure points in the boot. Your better shops will have a ramp you can step onto in order to check the fit. When you are facing down, your toes should not hit the front of the boot. When you think you have a pair of boots that is going to work for you, ask if you can wear them around inside your house for a few hours just to be sure that they fit properly. Most shops allow you to do so and return them if they do not fit properly. Do not go on hikes with them to test them out; if they do not fit properly, you may be subject to a restocking fee.

This may sound like a lot of work to buy a pair of hiking boots. Then again, when you are a mile into a hike and a problem develops because your boots do not fit properly, you may be wishing you devoted more time to your boot selection.

The following is a partial list of some of the major brands in the hiking boot industry:

• Vasque
• Merrill
• Tecnica
• North Face
• Solomon
• La Sportiva
• Lowe
• Riachle

When shopping for footwear I am not a big fan of online buying when purchasing any footwear. Boots are made by hand. Consequently, there may be slight differences in how two identical pairs of boots fit. If you have to send a pair of boots back because of a fit problem, and the next pair is not right either, so you have to send them back, etc., it just ends up costing you money and time.