Boots are a good consideration. You will find different results depending on the stores you choose to walk into... I would suggest doing a little research on the Internet before spending any money on boots.

For instance... if you walk into K-Mart and/or Wal-Mart and very quickly and compulsively pick out a pair of boots, they may or may not be good enough and able to do what you need them to do once you are out on the trial.

You owe it to yourself to check out at least one decent outfitter's store (that isn't necessarily in the mall, either....)

Here in Michigan we have the Moosejaw stores. These folks are nuts when they process their advertising. They always have something crazy to say in their ads. Their customer service staff on the phone will bend over backwards for you... I needed to know if a particular glove had certain features one time, and the person on the phone walked into the warehouse, located the exact pair of gloves I was talking about buying, and then tried them on and described what they were like in a very robust fashion. Its hard to get quality customer service like that in the clothing industry these days... in my experience, Moosejaw has some of the best. I do not know if they have these stores anywhere else but here in Michigan, but they also have a web page.

http://www.moosejaw.com/moosejaw/

You have to watch out for high prices when buying gear. There is a product threshold on some of this stuff that goes beyond practicality versus actual performance of gear. I don't automatically just go to the most expensive unit to make the purchase. You've got to ask questions, and if possible, comparison shop at more than one retailer.

Shop online, too.

The Internet outfitter sites usually have a pretty good description of what each item is expected to do... and all of these companies have their own Internet sites as well.

If anyone is interested in discussing gear, please post any and all questions. If I cannot help you, chances are I can find a link to an answer or a link to a company or retailer that can answer your question.

Backpacking and hiking is one of my passions in life, as is the gear that is associated with the sport. There are as many levels of backpacking as there are people who want to go backpacking. One might be a beginner about to venture into the woods for the first time... or a seasoned veteran of many thru-hikes, or anything in between.

There is a close cross-over to mountaineering, rock climbing, orienteering, and many other such sports... it would be cool to hear from anyone interested in these outdoor activities. I think the coolest things I have learned have been from people with varying experiences in their treks and adventures.

TM

I love hiking. I've only done day-trip type things though. None of the real rough stuff where you cary the huge fame backpacks (though I have one in my closet anyway). My favorite hike was one where we went "rock hopping" with my dad when I was probably 12. He pulled into this little notch in the woods that you'd have to know where it was to find it, and we jumped from rock to rock up to this huge waterfall, it was amazing.

On the topic of Hiking Boots... L. L. Bean all the way for me... Yeah Maine companies! They have some serious tough gear, and they guaruntee a lot of it for life... especially the backpacks (I still have one I've had since kindergarten).