Choosing The Best Boots for Hunting, Hiking, and Tactical Purposes
Tactical Boots:
Tactical boots are not just any old strong boots for walking or working. The are boots specifically designed to be of military grade; fit to be used on all kinds of terrain, in all types of weather and underfoot conditions, and to be comfortable and give good support regardless of the beating they're taking.
Hiking and Hunting Boots:
Without a good pair of boots, you cannot think of having a satisfying hunting or hiking experience. Your boots will be always with you throughout the entire trip. So without a comfortable pair, you cannot make it effectively. If the stuffs are the reason of your irritation all the time, you cannot concentrate on what you are doing or what you actually planned to do. So choosing the best pair of boots that suits you should be your first priority.
Don't assume that just because a boot is specifically made for the military, it's a good boot. It's well known that soldiers often abandon their military issue boots in favor of their own choice. In fact, a great place to start checking things out is on line, where very informative surveys of users – including military and police personnel, experienced hunters and backpackers – as well as user reviews, can be found. For example, check out http://blog.uspatriottactical.com/best-tactical-boots-survey-says/ , http://www.prohuntinghacks.com/best-hunting-boots/, and http://www.hiking-for-her.com/hiking-boots-reviews.html
What Do You Need From Your Boots?
Before making a purchase, or even starting to look at boots, you need to really define the kind of use you're going to be putting your boots to. Are you walking long distances for days on end? Will you be involved in wading, scrambling or even climbing? Are you going to be wearing your boots in very hot, cold or wet conditions? Do you need protection from heavy objects dropping on top of your foot? Can you afford to buy more than one pair of boots, to deal with varying needs, or should you be looking for an all-rounder?
Check out your “Must have” and “Would like” features against the many boots available today, and then choose the one which fits your price bracket. Beware, it's not always the most expensive boots which are the best liked!
The Key Features Of Outdoor Boots
Materials: You should expect your boots to be made of top quality, highly robust technical materials which will withstand all kinds of abuse. Look for brand names such as Coolmax, Gore-tex, Phylon, Neoprene and Dri-Lex. High quality leather is a good choice for the main body of the shoe – old fashioned maybe, but one of the best materials for footwear of all kinds.
Construction: Construction should be high quality, with features such as double stitched seams, stitched and glued soles, extra strong eyelets, and of course, really good rugged soles designed for grip. Zips should be heavy duty. If you are involved in moving heavy objects, good protective toe caps are a must.
Weight: Technical boots are likely to be worn for very long stretches at a time, and under arduous conditions. You don't want to wear heavy, clumsy boots under those circumstances. Comfort is not for sissies, it's for the well organized, well prepared outdoors man or woman. Lightweight technical boots are often the best choice for tough civilian use.
Padding: Good quality padding can make the difference between boots which are comfortable from the word go, and boots which need to be worn in before they stop giving you blisters.
Fit: This is all important. If you have to buy on line, I recommend that you make sure that the company you are buying from gives accurate, detailed sizing (including width) and has a good exchange policy if the size proves not to be right. (Around 25% of returns of clothing items bought on-line are because because of wrong sizing – more for boots and shoes).
There are many places to buy technical boots online, and don't neglect your local military surplus store. In both cases, do your research before buying – the choice, spec, and price range is very wide, but the right boot for you is definitely out there! Here is a list of few websites I can recommend which I've found useful for selecting the perfect one from the list: Domesticated Combat Boots, Pro Hunting Hacks, Outdoors Campmor
Construction: Construction should be high quality, with features such as double stitched seams, stitched and glued soles, extra strong eyelets, and of course, really good rugged soles designed for grip. Zips should be heavy duty. If you are involved in moving heavy objects, good protective toe caps are a must.
Weight: Technical boots are likely to be worn for very long stretches at a time, and under arduous conditions. You don't want to wear heavy, clumsy boots under those circumstances. Comfort is not for sissies, it's for the well organized, well prepared outdoors man or woman. Lightweight technical boots are often the best choice for tough civilian use.
Padding: Good quality padding can make the difference between boots which are comfortable from the word go, and boots which need to be worn in before they stop giving you blisters.
Fit: This is all important. If you have to buy on line, I recommend that you make sure that the company you are buying from gives accurate, detailed sizing (including width) and has a good exchange policy if the size proves not to be right. (Around 25% of returns of clothing items bought on-line are because because of wrong sizing – more for boots and shoes).
There are many places to buy technical boots online, and don't neglect your local military surplus store. In both cases, do your research before buying – the choice, spec, and price range is very wide, but the right boot for you is definitely out there! Here is a list of few websites I can recommend which I've found useful for selecting the perfect one from the list: Domesticated Combat Boots, Pro Hunting Hacks, Outdoors Campmor