There is no alternative to getting fresh air while watching mother nature. Hikes provide you an excellent opportunity to relax from the stress or achieve your fitness goals. While enjoying all the glory of the greens, you may encounter muddy or rocky terrains. If your hiking boots are not water-resistant, they will cause you a huge problem, and your feet can get wet.
Remember, hiking boots are the core of making the hiking ventures blissful or a nightmare. If you accidentally step in the muddy area and your boots get soaked in the water, it may take a major toll on your gear. Now you must wonder, How to dry hiking boots?
Do not freak out or panic. Also, we would advise you not to take the boots off because that will be a terrible mistake. Hiking terrains are not smooth enough to walk barefoot. Calm yourself down and drive straight home. How to dry hiking boots? We have got it all covered.
Sadly, the wet hiking boots can stop the rest of your venture, and you may have to head straight home. After getting wet, hiking boots will feel very uncomfortable, and if worn all day long, they can cause foot blisters or other allergies.
Several tips are designed to dry the hiking boots. Lucky for you, we have grouped all of the DIY and professional tricks so that you can go on for your next hiking adventure soon. Let’s take a look:
Quick Tips To Dry Hiking Boots
Two things that need to be mentioned are that the term “quick” will destroy your hiking boots as the safer ways will take time to dry. Second, with patience, you can get the optimum results of completely dried boots if you wait. Less dried boots are a lot better than damaged boots. Anyways, back to our discussion How to dry hiking boots?
Clean Them Up
The foremost thing is to clean the hiking boots. After getting all soaked in rainwater or mud, the first thing your boots shall need is a good cleaning. If your boots are made of leather material, then the special shampoos or serums may help in thorough cleaning and provide luster to the fabric.
For cleaning, use a soft-bristle toothbrush and swipe it in different circular motions to remove the stains. After that, clean them up with a damp cloth and then dry them by putting them outside in your garden. Avoid placing in the direct sunlight.
Remove the Soles
Hiking boots are highly cushioned with insoles, and the boots must be dried by you completely. For this purpose, if you have removable soles, we highly recommend that you remove them so that if the water has made its way beneath the soles, it can be dried too. Additionally, it will make putting newspapers or towels inside the boots easier.
Avoid Heating Directly
To start with, you need to be sure to remove any excess mud or dirt that can delay your progress. You need to pull out the laces and remove the insole of your shoes if possible. This way, air can flow among the concealed parts of the shoes.
You need to keep away from direct heat since it might harm the exterior of the boots. So, the most secure and best method for drying a soaking boot is to use a fan without heating and leave the fan running overnight. Likewise, you can use a towel and fold it over the shoe to absorb all the dampness or place them in your garage or a covered rooftop.
Use Newspapers And Towels
Towels and newspapers can absorb the excess water from the boots. If you have newspapers in the home or the small dry towels, then place them in the boots and let them soak the water away. You can also do this after cleaning the boots, putting the newspapers in, and then letting them get dry in the fresh, breezy air.
The same goes for the towel. Take a towel made of synthetic fabric for it is quicker to absorb the water. Place it in the shoe completely, pinch with the fingers if necessary so that the towel is completely layered in the toe box. After that, as mentioned prior, place the hiking boots in the fresh air.
Use Rice To Suck Water
If you don’t have any towels or newspapers at home, then the alternative DIY would be using rice. As you may know, rice is also used when your mobile phone accidentally gets wet, and dumping it in the rice is highly effective.
Similarly, you can take a cup of rice and put it in your hiking boots. After that, place the boots in a cool and dry place for 2-3 days. Rice will suck up the water, and your boots will get dry.
Sprinkle Baking Soda
If you’re worried that your feet will get sweaty while hiking and looking for a remedy to overcome this problem, you can sprinkle the baking soda into the boots. Baking soda will absorb the sweat and keep the feet dry.
You can also use baking soda to dry the hiking boots. Just place a tablespoon full of soda in the hiking boots and let them rest overnight. After that, throw away the baking soda and go for your regular hike.
Blow Boot Dryer
To end the misery, professionals in the boot industry have introduced boot dryers into the market. It is a tool that quickly dries up the hiking boots by blowing hot air without damaging the interior or fabric of the boots.
It is an ideal tool to be kept in the home or taken in the car. However, it may not be an easy option for backpackers as it’s extra weight.
Why Are Hiking Boots So Hard To Dry?
Hiking boots are made of hard materials and many layers, making them durable. All those extra layers of cushions provide extreme comfort to your feet, and the fabric, like leather or other synthetics, makes them hard to dry but durable at the same time.
Since they are heavily equipped with the materials meant for rocky terrains, it makes the boots very hard to deal with. If you are a beginner hiker, you may face difficulty understanding the to-do and don’ts of hiking boots.
Also, boots are meant to be water-resistant, keeping the water away from your feet as much as possible. Unless you don’t try to soak them up in the mud due to excessive layering, hiking boots cannot be dried easily or in a few minutes.
That is why you should always try to keep the boots dry. Moreover, try to wear good fabric socks to absorb the sweat from the feet to keep the boots dry from the inside.
Final Thoughts
Hiking boots are the first thing that counts in any hiker’s journey, much like a loyal buddy. The boots are designed to provide the ultimate traction and relief to the feet. For this purpose, the boots are insulated and layered with cushions. It makes them hard to dry.
However, there are a few remedies that you can use to dry them up. For example, using rice or newspapers and towels by placing them inside the boots. Using the heating tools specially designed for the hiking boots and using serums to clean them up. All these remedies prove to be effective and are loved by pro hikers.
Hiking boots are a great investment as they are costly. With time, you become affiliated with them, which is why we understand that it’s not easy just to leave them behind. In the same way, it is not a good idea to just place the wet hiking boots in front of the hot source as they will get tormented.
After hiking, place the packets of silica gel to retain the shape and moisture of the boots. Also, we have curated a long list of DIY remedies so you don’t have to damage the boots when they get wet. In the end, which remedies to try is your choice.