Hiking Boots - Care & Maintenance

Hiking Boots - Care & Maintenance You can prolong the life span of your pair of Hiking Boots by taking good care of it. Just like a car, your Hiking footwear can use some periodic maintenance to ensure that it is in proper working order and that it will last for a longer period of time. This is especially the case if you are a very active hiker who wants to get down and dirty when you’re in the great outdoors. With your adventure come the mud and the grime that may shorten your boots’ life. Here are some simple things you can do to ensure that your Hiking Boots are in good condition at all times:

Cleaning
When cleaning your boots, you have to determine first what material the upper portions of your boots are made of. If it is made of fabric, you can wash off the dirt by using soap and water. However, if it is made of leather, just clean that portion with water, without the soap since soap can remove the oils present on the material, thereby weakening it.

Drying
The best way to dry your boots is by putting them out in the open air. This will help your pair dry gradually. Also, make sure that you dry the boots completely. Otherwise, these will be a host to fungi and bacteria that will make for smelly boots and itchy feet. Lastly, avoid exposing your boots to direct heat, say a campfire, since it can age the leather and other parts of the boot quickly which will shorten your boots’ life.

Waterproofing
When your boots are already dry, make them waterproof so that they will stay dry once you return to the wilderness. When waterproofing your boots, try not to overdo it because you’ll just be wasting excess wax in the end. If your boots have a Gore-Tex lining, make sure to use silicon-based treatment on them instead of a wax-based one. This is to allow the boot to ‘breathe’ which is one of the functions of the special lining.

We hope that these tips will help you take better care of your beloved Hiking Boots. With regular maintenance checks, you add more mileage to them which spells more fun for you outdoors.

Read more