If you are usually hiking on a trail with lots of gravel and small rocks, you might have found some getting into your hiking boots. It can be extremely uncomfortable, annoying, and even painful. Nobody wants to stop repeatedly, take off their hiking boots and take rocks out of them.
Getting small rocks inside your boots can also be dangerous because there’s a possibility that they’re sharp and cut into your foot. At best, it can cause a little bleeding and pain, but you will get a nasty infection that takes ages to go away in the worst case. As a hiker, your feet are your means of doing what you love!
So let us tell you how you could keep rocks out of your hiking boots for good! We will explain how rocks get into your boots and how to get them out. We’ll also include some tips to keep sand out of hiking boots.
How To Keep Rocks Out Of Hiking Boots
There are different ways to keep rocks out of your hiking boots. You can change the pants you wear – wear long trousers to cover your boots. But it can be too warm to wear pants.
You could tie your shoelaces differently or walk on the grassy part of the trail. Sadly, they’re not too effective, nor are they comfortable. Perhaps you could change the way you walk, but it demands constant concentration – it is just annoying.
You could wear different hiking boots to see if the problem is in the shoes you’re wearing. This way, you can find what’s comfortable, and that prevents rocks from getting into your shoes. You could also get hiking boots with higher, tighter uppers.
However, most boots in that style are winter hiking boots, and they can be too warm outside of the winter.
Why Do I Get Rocks In My Hiking Boots?
You might get rocks in your hiking boots because of the way you walk and some other factors too. When you walk and lift and swing your foot forward to walk, you could be kicking some loose stones into the air.
If the stones are small enough, they can be easily kicked up and land right in between your leg and uppers. As you walk and your boots move around, it gives room for the rock to fall further into your hiking boots.
Rocks going inside boots become much more common in trails with loose dirt, very small rocks and stones or debris. It can also happen because your boots are too loose, thus providing room for rocks to get in. perhaps you also have a heavy step and tend to kick a lot of dirt around each time you take a step.
Do Gaiters Prevent Rocks From Getting In My Hiking Boots?
Hikers often use gaiters to stop rocks and dirt from getting into their hiking boots and socks. Gaiters are covers for your shoes that help block small objects from going inside your boots.
You can find waterproof gaiters so you can wear them during winters. They’ll help keep your socks dry by blocking snow or rain from getting inside your hiking boots. Depending on what you prefer, you can find short and long varieties of gaiters.
Gaiters are also generally lightweight and breathable. They’re pretty good to wear during long mile hikes, and they’ll help you move along much faster!
If you can’t buy gaiters, you can DIY some too. They are relatively easy and simple so that anyone could pull this off. You could use old, big socks, cut up old pants and add elastic on one end and clips on the other, etc. there are many tutorials and DIY ideas online to go off of.
If you rather buy some really good gaiters that will last you a long time, there are many to choose from. Just make sure you get hiking-specific gaiters so that they’re waterproof, breathable and light to wear.
How Do You Get Rocks Out Of Hiking Boots?
It’s pretty simple. The best way to get rocks out of your hiking boots is to stop, find a place to sit and take your boots off. You’ll have to shake your boots and get your hand inside to feel for any more rocks.
Yes, we know this can be very annoying, so you might as well invest in some new hiking boots that won’t get rocks inside. Otherwise, you could get gaiters for yourself. That will save you the trouble of stopping and shaking your boots over and over.
You could try to dig out rocks without taking your hiking boots off – but that might make things worse. You might end up pushing the rocks further into your hiking boots and possibly hurt yourself. So, it’s better that you invest in ways to prevent rocks from getting in your boots altogether.
How Do You Get Sand Out Of Hiking Boots?
You can’t dig out sand from your hiking boots. You would have to take your hiking boots off and shake the sand out of them. Again, as we have said before, you can prevent this from happening by wearing tighter shoes, gaiters or both.
You are unlikely to notice that any sand even got into your hiking boots, though. Maybe you would notice if it was a lot, you are not wearing socks or if it got into your socks.
Final Thoughts
So, how would you keep rocks out of your hiking boots? It is simple. Your best option is to wear some trusted hiking gaiters.
Gaiters are not usually expensive, and you could also make them yourself. You can find them in light, breathable and waterproof materials, and they can be vegan too.
It is best to take as many safety measures as possible while hiking. The last thing we would want is you catching a sharp rock or stone in your hiking boot and stepping on it. You could get hurt, and if you are alone, you would be in danger until and unless mountain rescue services arrive.
Hopefully, this article was very helpful and useful, and you can now hike with rock-free boots!
