I have been an avid outdoorsman all of my life.  My dad himself was a hiker and a travel writer (although he was unable to support himself solely on travel writing) and he taught me a love of nature early in my life.  I myself have done some freelance work, and even briefly considered a career as a forest ranger.  Nowadays, I run my own independent outdoor supplies store, which is like a dream come true.  Unlike a lot of the bigger chain stores, we try to point people towards the products that really suit their needs, not towards the products that are most expensive.  And boy do some of our customers need my advice and help!

Of all the areas where people don't really understand what equipment they need, men's hiking boots is one of the worst.  I guess it makes sense.  People are used to buying men's shoes based on how they look.  If you want to play basketball, you buy a basketball shoe.  Any men's basketball shoe will work, so you buy the one that looks right to you.  But with mens hiking boots, things are not always as they appear.  You see, mens hiking boots often are very specialized.  Not all kinds of hiking demands the same footwear.