How To Pick The Perfect Hiking Boot

When I was younger hand-me-downs was the thing to do for hunting apparel. Though it worked for many things, my hunting boots were never right. I would complain and complain until I would finally get a new pair and then quickly grow out of them, which never helped. Having small boots cuts off blood circulation causing your feet to get colder faster and you do not have the ability to warm them up. After many years of using small boots, I now have troubles keeping my feet warm even for a little bit when I’m sitting in the stand. Now, I always buy my boots big enough so I could fit a pair of wool socks in them. They may be a little big when I only wear a smaller sock but it is a lot better than having anymore damage done to my feet. This rule can apply to any outdoors activity because you never know what you will be getting into. There are many differences between hiking and hunting boots though. You should think about the activity you will most likely be doing in these boots before you go out to buy a pair. Depending on the activity you will be doing will determine the amount of support you will need. If you are planning on going on a backpacking trip, you will most likely need a boot that has greater support.

Choosing the type of material you want your boots to be can determine the type of activity. You most of the time want a boot that will be waterproof to an extent. Having a fabric that does not resist water in any way may be a bad idea because you never know what you may run in to. Usually leather is the most durable type of boot. Leather can be used in high terrain environments and the new technology used today can make a leather boot not as heavy and weighted down as before.

Breaking in your boots before a big hike will allow your feet to get used to the boots and your boots will start to get worked in to match your foot style. Leather conditioner can soften any pressure points you may find when working your boots in.

Emily Flory

Born and raised in Iowa, I have been an enthusiastic outdoors woman from a very young age. From the very beginning my dad had me throwing a line in the water and following him out into the woods to sit and wait for that big Iowa buck to walk by. By doing all of this, I was raised country and always will be.

With my home being positioned literally in the boondocks surrounded by timberland and no one else around, I had a pretty good opportunity to make the best out of my resources and my love for the outdoors came when I scored my first whitetail from my backyard. Seeing that 8 point buck come hiking up the path from the riverbed, this little girl’s life was changed forever. Since then, I've had the chance to score some nice whitetail and have also developed a love for bird hunting as well. If it flies, it dies in my case. I love the challenge and will continue broadening my trophy room around the United States.

If it wasn't enough to grow up in an area of heaven like this, we of course needed to put some of our experiences on TV as well. Starting in November of 2010 my family aired the first episode of Outdoors on the Farm, a Farm Journal production. Hosted by Chip Flory, aka the wonderful dad who is the reason why I am the way I am, my family along with our pro staff have been able to put a unique twist on the usual hunting show. OOTF brings farmers and hunters together to maximize their habitat by explaining and teaching what they can do around the farm to increase their profits and quality of their land and even more importantly, how they can have more fun outdoors on the farm. The most important people in my life are my family and to be able to experience this with them is more than I could ask for.

Outdoors on the Farm airs every Thursday at 7:30 a.m. (central time) and Saturday at 10:30 a.m. on RFD TV. You can also view any of our episodes on our website at outdoorsonthefarm.com at any time. Be looking out for our 2nd season to start in Fall of 2011 and check out our blogs to keep up with the Flory family and our pro staff!