Fat guy hiking???

OK boys and girls, here are a couple of questions for all the healthy people out there. I figure there have to be a few hikers on here.

First the background. As some of you may remember I went on vacation a few weeks ago in the mountains. While there I took a couple of hikes. One to the top of Waterrock Knob, one to Skinny Dip Falls and another around the peak of Mt. Mitchel. About 4 miles total none of it flat. Other than just about killing myself I had a blast. The ups and downs are hard on a 250+ pound fat guy. I have lost a little over 25 pounds in the past year and to get it down the other 50+ pounds I want to hike the Palmetto Trail in sections over the next couple of years. There are about 290 miles of trails from the mountains to the sea. I plan to start at the coast this fall. Hopefully by the time I get to the mountains I will be in shape to handle them. Yes I know I am crazy.

The problems and the questions. I did my vacation hikes in tennis shoes. I have strong ankles, but rocks and sand in the shoes suck. I need recommendations for hiking boots or high top shoes. My feet sweat a lot so the shoes need to breath very well. I also have high arches. Arch support is critical. I have fought plantar facetious in the past. The last time for almost a year. I don't want that to happen again. Cost is less important than comfort and durability.

There is an unbelievable amount of equipment and clothing out there. I have read that synthetics are the way to go. Who makes the good stuff. Where to get it. I have been to several sporting goods stores, but unless you play golf or kill things the ones around here don't seem to have much.

GPS units. I have a good one for the car. I need a hand held. The Garmin Vista seems like a good one, how about the rest of the eTrex line. No one around here will let me fondle them and I hate to buy the spendy one if the others will work just as well. Any other brands you guys recommend.

That's all I can think of for now, I'm sure there will be more. Any words of wisdom would be appreciated. As stated earlier I know I'm crazy and I'm pretty sure I am jumping into the deep end. I did a good bit of woods hiking 30 years and 100 pounds ago, it's time to start is up again. I can't loose the years, but the pounds I can work on.

there are any number of great hiking shoes out there.. that said ... with my ultra narrow foot I'm pretty much limited to Red Wing... they're hard to beat but I'm sure you can find many others... I'm sure a lot of folk will be free with their advice...

glad you liked my area of the country... I've hiked from Asheville to Mt Mitchell before it's a long way and I was MUCH younger

I have had an E-Trex legends for years and love it. The "Bang and Twang" stores can have some good, over the ankle style boots which would be great for hiking. Gore-tex is your friend. You might want to wear knee braces until the weight comes off. Knees take a pounding on the trail, especially if you are a little out of shape.

wbjones wrote: there are any number of great hiking shoes out there.. that said ... with my ultra narrow foot I'm pretty much limited to Red Wing... they're hard to beat but I'm sure you can find many others... I'm sure a lot of folk will be free with their advice... glad you liked my area of the country... I've hiked from Asheville to Mt Mitchell before it's a long way and I was MUCH younger

You sir are a lucky man. Don't be surprised if I relocate some day.

I have had Red Wing work boots in the past. They are a great boot. I didn't know they made hiking boots. We actually have a store locally. I will have to stop by and see what they have. Thanks

http://www.rei.com/

If there is one near you go and join. Good prices, knowledgeable help, large selection. Avoid the cheap stuff at WallyWorld or Target. I wear a pair of Merrell low hikers with gor-tex. I love them and I am about your weight. You want the best you can afford. You don't want your feet to go blistery in the middle of a hike. If you ever want to backpack get some that go over the ankle for support. No matter how strong your ankles are they are not strong enough if you add a 30 to 60 pound pack on your back.

Kenn

as long as they have a "lug" or vibram sole I'm good to go on the trail... used to work as a land surveyor and RW was all I ever bought

I have fluctuated between 190 and 235 over the last ten or so years and found Vasque Skywalk and Vasque Sundowner boots to be really very nice, They are 150-200 bucks but they never let me down.

http://www.vasque.com/vasque-shoe/7142-vasque/7142-vasque-mens-sundowner-gtx-burgandy

Check out Half-Moon outfitters they have no less than three locations in the Charleston Area and carry quality boots (like Vasque) that you can try on for fit.

http://www.halfmoonoutfitters.com/halfmoon/text_1.asp

For boots I would say either a pair of Merrel's for the more normal type hikers, good comfortable all around shoes (I have 3 pair). However if you are looking for something a little more extreme and tough as nails you really can't beat a pair of Danner boots.

I'll second Vasque as a good brand. I finally replaced the pair I bought in 1993 earlier this year. Given, they were pretty much destroyed by now, but they still held together.

http://www.backpackerqualitygear.com/ <--- go there. Its in Mount P and they have better sales than half moon.

Vasque's are good but expensive and I've also had great success with Merrels.

Ohh I forgot.. Buy good socks.. Buy very good socks. Trust me good moisture wicking socks are awesome.

Thanks for the input people. Keep it coming.

Oh and depending on where you are going you might want to invest in a trail gun. Out in the mountains around where I live basically no one goes into the mountains without a firearm of some sort.

Out here we not only have trouble with various 4 legged critters but there are also those 2 legged ones that you have to worry about. We have problems with Mexican and South American drug cartels (and other local grown people) growing pot in the mountains and shooting at anyone that happens to wander to near their "gardens". There is also a real problem with Vietnamese, some other south Asian immigrants and mexicans that hunt for mushrooms and anything else of value that grows in the woods around here also tend to shoot at people or attack them with knives etc.

Where in hell do you live?

He's in Oregon. I didn't think they had Miami style problems there. Who knew?

I have a basic Etrex. I like it, but spring for one with maps. Get the computer cable and car adapter, not necessarily from Garmin..

Lesley wrote: Where in hell do you live?

Like cwh said I live in Oregon. The west side of the state isn't so bad but out here in the east side is where things can get kinda hairy. There are also a crap ton of meth labs out here.

We also have a nasty over population of cougars (mountain lions) and have had several attack people. They even come into town and kill pets in the yards.

+2 on Vasque. Expensive, but every pair I've had has lasted 8+ years of trail abuse. Recently bought a pair of over the ankle Timberland boots that are surprisingly rugged.

+1 on REI. Try to get there during a sale. I figure you pay a small but reasonable premium shopping there, but get top notch service by genuinely knowledgeable sales people, and you won't find a bad product in the store.

I wouldn't go in hunting for a particular brand. Get what fits best and meets your needs well. There's a wide variation in terms of breathability, weight, water resistance, and sole stiffness. Every boot makes compromises.

Figure out your goals and get a boot that fits them. This is where the reps at REI will really help you figure out what you need. Tell them how strenuous of hiking you intend to do (if you plan to do any backpacking or such) and they'll show you what fits your needs.

I lucked out several years ago and got a pair of REI brand boots. I'm more impressed with them than I am with most fancier options. Haven't seen them since though.

Aside from boots, pay good attention to socks. Cotton kills. Invest in one or more pairs of nice wool or wool/synthetic boot socks. Two pairs of socks (a thin synthetic liner and heavy wool outer) isn't a bad idea.

Smartwool makes excellent socks and I highly recommend them. My dad's been hiking in Vasque Sundowners FOREVER for good reason. He loves them and they last a looong time.

another +1 for Merrell's w/ gore-tex. My girlfriend bought me a pair for christmas to replace a 10+ year old pair of hiking boots, which are actually still in service if i need to wear them to work. A cheap pair of Hi-Tek boots if you would believe that, still going strong.

Have only done a few hikes with the Merrells but they are super comfortable and light weight. Not all that expensive either. (I bought her the womens version of the boots a few weeks before)

I use Merrells or Asolos.

My Asolos are the E36 M3.

+eleventybillion for Smartwool. bad socks will kill your feet.

You should look into the trail racing gear...shoes, socks, clothing. A trail running shoe with a rock plate and aggressive tread may suit you a lot better than a boot; lighter, cheaper, cooler, more comfortable. Dozens of companies make good ones, including Vasque. There are lots of good inserts for arch support.

Google Dirty Girl Gaiters for keeping the crud out.

Risk $12 at ZombieRunner.com on DryMax socks and you will have the absolute best the world has ever seen.

I'm an old, fat guy who recently completed a 100 mile trail race, just to prove I could. I ran, maybe, two miles of it. PM me for tons of pep talk and other highly opinionated advice.

PM sent.

I wear a pair of Merrel hiking boots pretty much every day I don't need dressier shoes. They're that comfy for me. Wearing them all the time also gives me the option to grab a geocache on terrain I wouldn't take dress shoes.

As for GPS devices, I have a first generation Garmin E-Trex. The old one with a serial connection. Works pretty well. I will echo the comment to spring for one with maps. You can get one of the nicer E-Trex models with maps on eBay fairly cheaply. Mine was $70 shipped several years back, from a guy that used it once. Maps and a color screen should set you back a similar amount in today's dollars.

To add to GPS devices, check out cell phone based options. I wouldn't trust one if my life depended on it, but the HTC Hero my wife uses is a better car GPS unit than my TomTom and almost as good geocaching as my E-Trex. I have a Palm Pre that's nice, but not as nice as the Android phone. If you're in the market for a new phone all together, this might be something to consider as a supplemental device.

For a cheap but good example of a mapping E-Trex for cheap, see this eBay listing: http://cgi.ebay.com/Garmin-eTrex-Legend-GPS-Receiver-bundle-case-cable-NEW-/170523909941?pt=GPS_Devices

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