Choosing the right boots for your next photography expedition can be a tough thing. There are hundreds of brands on the market and many different properties of a boot to consider when picking a pair of boots.
The main properties of boots you should consider when making your selection are :
– comfort
– durability
– support
– weight
– thermal insulation
– water proofing/resistance
– price
Now I would love to be able to tell you to go buy boot X because it encompasses the best of all of the above properties but really there isn’t a boot that has the best of all these properties ( unless you work NASA). So you’ll always be looking at a compromise with your boot of choice excelling hopefully in the key properties for your intended boot usage.
There are a variety of styles of boots on the market – day hike boots, trail boots, off trail boots and mountaineering boots. They come in various basic styles, low cut , mid cut and high cut styles and with a variety of upper constructions including leather and synthetic.
I’ve destroyed more pairs of hiking boots than my bank balance cares to remember. From my years of travelling the great outdoors I’ve really found that nothing beats the good old leather boot. They are more durable, better insulated and better water resistance than a purely synthetic boot. Now they generally are heavier than synthetic boots, but I did mention a little earlier, its all about compromise.
Given the variety of places I travel for photography workshops/expeditions I have a two different pairs of boots that I take with me. What I am packing in my bag roller duffle bag for my upcoming Iceland/Jewels of the Arctic expeditions are my trusty Kathmandu Tiber NGX Hiking boots and my Sorel Caribou II boots.
Both these pairs of boots are great boots. Both waterproof and contain insulation but they are quite different boots with different purposes, the Kathmandu Tiber NGX I selected as durable hiking boots for everyday off trail hiking whereas the Sorel Caribou boots are boots I use for colder temperatures of snow and ice climates.
The Kathmandu Tiber NGX boots have been with me everywhere. I’ve worn them to Vanuatu along the beaches and coral. Through China up and down the Tian Shan mountains, through the rocky Gobi Desert and the over the sand dunes at Kumtag. They’ve been up to Cradle Mountain in Tasmania through snow and ice, up the Hazards to look out at Wineglass Bay and into rivers to photograph waterfalls. These are just a few of the uses these boots have had in the last six months.
I refer to these boots as my utility hiking boots. They’re not light by any means, but they are solid, supportive and durable. With their Vibram rubber soles they are reasonably comfortable to wear day in day out. In fact, I wear these boots a few times a week when I’m walking the trails of the National Park near where I live.
These boots have copped a hiding and keep on going. The full grain leather albeit suffering scuff marks from sharp rocks is holding up well, the soles have a little wear, but for the amount of use they’ve had they look better than I could have expected. I’ll get another year or so out of these boots before I wear the soles off them.
The Kathmandu Tiger NGX boots whilst not the comfiest hiking boot I have ever worn, have focussed on providing a reasonable all day level of comfort, with excellent durability with some reasonable thermal and waterproof qualities.
But one thing these boots don’t excel at is thermal comfort. This is not to say they’re not good at keeping feet warm. They are but they do have their limits and when we’re talking about spending hours in snow and ice I prefer a warmer boot which is where the Sorel Caribou boots come into play.
As I wrote above there is always a compromise when it comes to designing anything, and with boot design and there is always a trade off. The Sorel Caribou boots are specifically made with waterproofing and thermal protection as their primary objectives. They are not hiking boots per se, and definitely don’t aim to be the best in all day comfort nor hike-ability.
The Sorel Caribou provide me with good thermal qualities and good water protection. The high cut design gives me confidence when stepping into deeper snow and water.
The Caribou are rated to -40F (-40C). I’ve yet to test them at -40 but for everything I’ve used them for they’ve been more than up to the task of keeping my feet warm and dry. They’re not hiking boots by any means, nor do they claim to be. But when it comes to spending hours standing out in snow the thermal and waterproof qualities of these boots are just what the doctor ordered. The higher high leather upper goes up significantly higher than the Tiber NGX boots which albeit are more snug fitting on the calves, provide added warmth on my lower leg. The snow cuff helps keep the boots sealed at the top and the therma plus inner lining keeps my feet toasty warm. I wouldn’t want to hike 6 miles (10 kilometres) in these boots up a mountain, but for everything the Arctic climate at this time of year has to offer on these two photographic expeditions these boots are great. Sorel does make other styles of boots that are even better insulated and better weather sealed but I find the Caribou boots a good affordable standard boot.
Overall these are my two favourite pair of boots out of all the boots I own. Whilst I do own other pairs of boots some which are significantly lighter and breath better for warmer weather conditions, I find that restricting myself to just few pairs of boots gives my feet and my legs (and my gait) a good chance to acclimatize to ensure I have comfortable experience.
So when choosing the right boots for your next photography expedition its all about choosing the right boots for the intended use and finding the boots that provide the right trade off of properties that you’re happy to wear. If you’re like me, hiking through a variety of climates you’ll probably find that a few different pairs of boots will soon be adoring your shoe rack.