I’m planning my thru hike for 2004. I’m wondering, for those of you who have hiked, how soon I should start buying gear. I want it to be broken in, but don’t want it to be worn out.
Any ideas? And is there stuff I should buy sooner than other things?
hippie hiker chic
The items you need to buy early are footwear, pack, stove, water filter and Leki poles, if you plan to use these items, cuz by the time you take your first step on the AT your footwear should be well broken in, your pack adjusted damn near perfectly and using the stove,filter, and poles should be second nature. You gotta practice using that stuff. Oh yeah. Tent, tarp, hammock. Know how to set up and tear down your shelter confidently. Clothing and other stuff can wait awhile. Have fun.
Lone Wolf
How many pairs of boots are recommended? I plan on having the pair I’m hiking with(duh!) and then a spare pair at home already broken in. Should I have a 3rd pair on stand by?
How much do your feet change as you hike?
hippie hiker chic
Are they leather boots, low top non-leather shoes or trail runners? Your feet will “grow” a half to a full size during the course of a thru-hike.
Lone Wolf
They’re vasque, mid, with gortex. Once I’ve got them broken in, they’re amazing. I love them. Can’t live without them!
they’ll grow??? I’ve got huge feet as it is!! 
hippie hiker chic
After about 100 miles, my Vasque boots turned into the “Cruel Shoes” and I got rid of them after my feet grew 2 sizes. Then I got a pair of hiking shoes which were so much better than the boots. I threw the Vasque boots in the trash the other day as I’ll never use boots again.
HotFoot
First, I think that the traditional all leather hiking boot is out. People that start with this type of a boot seem to loose them real fast. They are heavy.
Most hikers use a leather and fabric top mid height boot, or trail runners like the New Balance 805 series.
Now, these boots don’t really need much breaking in. But, what is needed is for you to condition your feet to the shoe (I wouldn’t share my story now).
Feet do grow (spread) because of the additional weight carried, plus being on your feet for so many days repeatedly. About the only way to minimize it is with a good footbed like superfeet. But, I definately wouldn’t advise haveing a second pair of footwear ready to go when the first pair gives out. For one thing, they probably will not fit, and for another, your feet should be so conditioned by that time that anything that fits reasonalby well shouldn’t give you any problems.
How many miles you get out of your footwear depends in part on how hard you are on them. Usually, people get 1000 miles or so out of a pair. But trail shoes are built much lighter. Some people only get a few hundred miles out of them.
Peaks
Both are used successfully.
Break in two pairs of boots before you go. Vasques last for
a good while. They are a bit heavy, but more durable. I like
the GTX one’s, too.
Alot of people use trail runners now. They seem to do well,
but the shoes need replacement more often. They are getting
expensive too! Some cost as much as my Vasques. If your pack
isn’t too heavy trail runners will do well.
Scamp
Scamp
Steamboat bought a second pair of boots 1/2 size larger and found that his feet did not grow and the larger boots were causing all sorts of problems. Its not that hard to buy boots while on the trail. I had to order a pair thru Campmor and mail them to me… surprisingly it worked quite well. Like Peaks said, you might descover while on the trail that you want something lighter. For these reasons, I would buy on the trail if I had to again.
TB
TurkeyBacon