Last updated on April 13th, 2021 at 09:19 pm
The trails can take you to some of the most beautiful outlooks and scenic views. However, nature can be unkind as well as unpredictable. If you’ve encountered a small stream or a torrential downpour on your journey, you may be wondering how to dry your hiking boots quickly and effectively.
Wet hiking boots can cause loads of discomfort, slipping, and blisters, so it’s best to keep them dry. However, when traveling in nature, that’s never a guarantee. Whether you’re on a backpacking trip or just got home from a hike, avoid heat sources and absorb moisture instead.
Avoid Direct Heat
The easiest way to quickly dry your hiking boots is to toss them in front of a heat source. However, as tempting as that may seem, it is the worst thing for your favorite footwear.
Boots are comprised of several components, all of which hate heat. For instance, glues that adhere your sole to the midsole and upper will break down quickly when exposed to the extreme heat of a campfire.
We’ve been there. When this critical bonding breaks down, you’ll see anything from tread separation to water seeping in through your instep.
Secondly, your boots are likely constructed of several different layers. When these are forced to rapidly dry with heat, you’ll get loads of pressure placed on the surrounding stitches. Here, you’ll lose structure and observe weakness or cracking in stitched areas.
Finally, regardless of your boot’s material, direct heat will crack and split leather and synthetic uppers. It goes without saying, if you’re already experiencing wet feet, a crack is going to make matters worse in the field.
So, whatever you do, avoid placing your boots in front of a wood burning stove, heater, or in front of a campfire. Since heat is incredibly bad for your boots, we’ll go over some better options below that will help increase the longevity of your footwear.
How to Dry Hiking Boots Properly
Now that we’ve established that heat should be avoided, how exactly do we dry our boots out? Well, we’ll go over the possible methods further below. Keep in mind, when drying your boots, prioritize the interior and do the best you can before the next trip.
Promote Airflow
First, be sure to remove any excess mud and debris that can hold moisture and hinder your progress.
Ideally, you’ll want to ensure air, and thus moisture, can easily move around (and out of) all of the surfaces of your boots.
Open them up, loosen or remove the laces, and remove the insoles to promote better airflow.
Newspaper or Towels
This is a tried-and-true method for drying boots. Simply grab a few sheets of newspaper and wad them up into your boots. It’s best to change these out with new newspaper every couple of hours. However, you’ll find that this is easy to master.
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Alternately, you can use towels in this same method. With the invention of the synthetic shammy or drying towel, the mess of newspaper drying can be a thing of the past.
We’ve found that shammy or chamois towels, like these Commercial Grade Drying Chamois, work wonderfully and allow you to rest a bit instead of changing them periodically. Finally, these easily fit in your pack for camping and long backpacking trips.
Rice
If you’ve dropped your phone in a puddle, you know that rice can work wonders. And, for your hiking boots it really isn’t much different.
Place 1-2 cups of rice into a sock and either knot the end or sew it up to produce a flexible tubular sack. When needed, toss one of these sacks into each boot and allow the rice to absorb moisture overnight.
Rice especially works well in the field. Some campers even fill a large bin with rice to place their boots inside overnight. However, backpackers and hikers will find their rice-sock creation packs easily.
Baking Soda for Light Moisture
Whether it’s sweaty feet caused by waterproof boots or a small drizzle along the trail, every amount of moisture is annoying. For those that need to sop up just a small bit of moisture, baking soda can be just the ticket.
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To dry boots, sprinkle a tablespoon into each boot opening and allow it to do its magic overnight. In the morning, dump out the baking soda, and done!
Not only is this a quick method to get rid of a small amount of moisture, baking soda also removes stinky boot smells.
Boot Dryer
Finally, and possibly the easiest method is to purchase a boot dryer. Especially if you’ll be encountering lots of wet trails.
Boot driers are ideal if you’re looking for the quickest drying method. These handy machines rapidly move warm air throughout your boots interior to dry them at a safe temperature.
While it’s not ideal for backpackers or deep forest campers, boot dryers are an amazing tool to have in the home for anyone with an adventurous spirit.
Our favorite boot drier, that we’ve owned and used for 6 years now, is the MaxxDry XL. It’s never failed us, regardless of the sopping boots, mud, and sand that we’ve thrown at it.
Alternately, if you’re near the car while camping, the DryGuy Travel DX Boot Drier can be quite useful for a wet weekend trip. It plugs into your car’s auxiliary power outlet (cigarette lighter) for easy and quick operation.
Happy Feet and a Worry-Free Hike
Besides a camera or binoculars, your hiking boots may be the most costly and important gear you’ll bring to the trail. Whether you’re heading on a day hike or a multi-day excursion, wet feet are bound to become a problem. And, while it can be extremely tempting to toss your boots toward the nearest heat source, try some of the above methods to promote longevity. With proper care and drying methods, your favorite hiking boots will be comfortable hiking companions for many years to come.
Image Credit: Hanna Sörensson |(source) | Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-SA 2.0)— reduced file size and image