A quick perusal of the footwear options available to outdoors-goers is sure to leave many a would-be buyer befuddled by the terminology employed.
One of the most common sources of confusion is the use of “backpacking” and “hiking” with boots that, on first impressions, don’t appear all that different. Here’s a quick take on how hiking and backpacking boots differ:
Hiking boots are those designed for day-hikes and shorter trips when carrying lighter loads; backpacking boots are those made to deal with the rigors of long-term, long-distance backcountry travel with heavy loads.
In this article, we’ll take a closer look at the differences between backpacking and hiking boots so you can make the best choice for your adventures in the outdoors.
In this guide you will:
- Learn the main differences between hiking and backpacking boots
- Know when and where each type is most appropriate
- Learn about the features that go into the making of a good hiking boot and a good backpacking boot
Hiking Boots Vs. Backpacking Boots – Is There Really a Difference?
The short answer to the above question is an unequivocal yes.
Providing a more thorough answer requires a more in-depth look at how and where each boot type is used and which features define one from the other.
What are the different uses of hiking and backpacking boots?
While the terms “hiking” and “backpacking” are often used interchangeably, they are two activities with significant differences between them.
A short definition of each activity, therefore, might prove useful.
Hiking refers to walking for relatively short distances, usually in backcountry environments. The use of a backpack is optional and dependent on both conditions and the length of the hike.
Backpacking, on the other hand, refers to walking over longer distances on multi-day trips whilst carrying all of your sleeping gear, cooking gear, clothing, and food. In all but a few rare cases – and unless you happen to have your own, personal Sherpa (!) – carrying a backpack is necessary.
A few examples might further help to demonstrate the difference.
Examples of Hikes and Backpacking Trips
Hikes
- Half Dome (Yosemite NP, CA) – 17 miles, 4,800 feet of ascent
- Angel’s Landing (Zion NP, UT) – 2.5 miles, 1,500 feet of ascent
- Breakneck Ridge (Hudson Highlands SP, NY) – 5.5 miles, 1,250 feet of ascent
Backpacking Trips
- Pacific Crest Trail – 2,653 miles, several months
- Appalachian Trail – 2,200 miles, several months
- Grand Canyon Rim-to-Rim – 23.5 miles, 2-3 days
- Tour of Patagonia – 63 miles, 5 days
All About Duration
The most important giveaway to how we are to differentiate between the two activities is found in the duration of each activity:
While hiking is typically classified as a single-day activity, backpacking only refers to backcountry trips of more than one—and typically several—days.
But why does the distance we travel on foot impact upon the type of boots that are most suitable?
In short:
Duration = Portation (and, Potentially, Disintegration)
On trips of longer duration, we have to carry more gear (tent, sleeping bag, clothing, food, etc.) and also increase our boots’ exposure to the causes of wear and tear.
To counter this, backpacking boots are typically made with more durable materials and a robust design that provides more support to our feet and ankles when carrying heavy loads. Because designed for use with lighter loads, as a general rule, hiking boots shave off a few ounces of weight by cutting back on support-enhancing features like stiff shanks, higher cuts, and more rugged, thicker uppers.
The above difference in intended use, as you might imagine, impacts significantly on the design and features found in each type of boot, something we’ll take a closer look at below.
What features should you look for in backpacking shoes and hiking shoes?
Hiking Boots
It’s entirely possible to use backpacking boots on hiking trips. However, when hiking, the emphasis with our footwear is placed more on performance and lighter weight than durability and load-bearing capacity.
Again, the ideal boot for any hiking trip will ultimately depend on the type of hike you’re taking on—the perfect choice for a two-hour, flattish forest hike on a well-maintained trail, after all, will look extremely different to that for an off-trail summit hike that might involve a glacier crossing, jaunt over a boulder field, and lengthy ascents on steeper ground.
With that in mind, some features you might expect to find in a general, non-technical hiking boot include:
- Lightweight (and possibly less durable) upper materials
- Grippier (but possibly less durable) sole material
- A less sturdy and less robust design
- A lower cut around the ankle
- Low-volume, low-profile design
If you plan on doing your hiking on steeper trails or scrambling, the following optional features are well worth having:
- An articulated (“climbing zone”) toe for more precise footwork
- A stiffer sole to reduce calf strain on ascents
- A low-profile outsole and midsole for more technical footwork
A few good examples of hiking boots for easy or moderate terrain include the following:
- Merrell Men’s Moab 2 Vent Mid Hiking Boot – This mid-cut boot is adored by warm-weather wanderers the world over for its outstanding breathability, light weight, and from-the-box comfort. The Moab is, however, slightly short on waterproofing and durability.
- Asolo Falcon GV Hiking Boot – An incredibly comfortable boot that’s slightly heavier than the Moab 2 but is far more hard-wearing, a fraction stiffer in the sole, and offers solid waterproofing to boot.
And for steeper, more technical hikes:
- La Sportiva Trango Tech GTX – A more technical boot made in the image of beefier, out-and-out mountaineering boots but with the superior comfort, flex, and low-volume design of a hiking boot.
- Scarpa Zodiac Plus Gtx – A lightweight boot cut a fraction lower around the ankle that uses a combo of leather and lightweight textiles in the upper to provide a nice balance between agility and ruggedness.
Backpacking Boots
The most notable features to look for in backpacking boots include the following:
- Full-height cut for added ankle support
- Leather upper for durability and abrasion-resistance
- Gore-Tex or similar membrane for water-resistance – the law of averages dictates that the more time you spend on the trails, the more likely you are to experience precipitation
- A stiffer shank for added arch support with heavy loads and on uneven surfaces
A few textbook examples of backpacking boots include the following:
Scarpa Kinesis Pro GTX – These extremely well-made boots use a 100% leather upper, a full rubber rand for protection in rougher terrain, a stiffer, dual-density PU midsole, a Gore-Tex membrane, and a more hard-wearing, Vibram Traction outsole.
La Sportiva Karakorum – One of the most durable, hard-wearing, and robust backpacking boots out there. The price paid for all those attributes is a little extra weight, but if longevity and load support are high on your priority list, these boots should be a shoo-in for your shortlist.
Salomon Quest 4D 3 GTX – These hugely popular boots are true all-rounders, combining the comfort and light weight of a standard hiking boot with a handful of design characteristics typically only found in out-and-out backpacking boots. While ideal for section hikes or shorter backpacking trips, however, the Quest 4D’s slight lack of robustness and sturdiness means they’re not the best bet for heavier loads and/or the sustained exposure to rough treatment likely on a longer thru-hike.
Hiking vs Backpacking Boots: The Verdict
With any outdoor equipment, the decision-making process when buying can be vastly simplified by bearing in mind the following: the best option is always the one that will be best suited to the conditions in which you will be doing your activity.
With regard to boots, we might rephrase that by saying there is no perfect boot, only the right (or wrong) boot for the job at hand.
The “job” when backpacking usually entails carrying heavy loads over longer distances in rougher terrain. As such, backpacking boots are designed to be more hard-wearing, robust, supportive, and sturdier than standard hiking boots.
The job when hiking, on the other hand, typically entails carrying a light load for shorter distances in less rugged terrain. As such, hiking boots are generally less durable, offer far less arch and ankle support, and use less hard-wearing rubber outsoles, but are much lighter and often more sneaker-like in terms of comfort.
The bottom line as regards deciding which will be best for you goes as follows:
If you’re carrying a load in excess of 25 lbs and/or traveling in rougher terrain on multi-day hikes, then you’ll be far more comfortable—and safer—doing so in a pair of backpacking boots than in hiking boots; if you anticipate carrying lighter loads on well-maintained trails and doing more day-hiking than overnight trips, a pair of lighter hiking boots will serve your purposes more than adequately.