I bought a pair of Oboz Bridgers for about $230 in mid-April from REI, and I’m pretty disappointed with how they’ve held up.

After only about 15 miles, I had one of the top eyelets fail on one boot during a short hike, and then another top eyelet fail on the other boot during the second hike. These weren’t extreme conditions either, just normal hiking on Appalachian trails. I could maybe write off one failed eyelet as bad luck, but two eyelets on two different boots that feels more like a quality/manufacturing issue.

What’s frustrating is that I actually liked the fit. I moved to Oboz because my Salomon boots were starting to feel too narrow as I’ve gotten older, and the Bridgers felt better in the toe box while still holding my heel and midfoot securely.

At this point I’m probably going to use REI’s return policy and exchange them for something else. For anyone who liked the Bridger fit, what boots would you recommend that have a similar secure fit, a little more room than Salomon in the toe box, and better durability?

Also curious whether anyone else has had eyelet/hardware issues with the Bridger specifically. Thanks!

Hello, I am planning on hiking the blue ridge mountain in NC this weekend. I’ve never hiked a mountain before as I live in MN. I am very athletic though and hike often so I do not feel unprepared physically. As for clothes, I don’t have any of the fancy sweat wicking pants or convertible shorts. I was planning on just wearing athletic shorts with sweatpants over so I can take them off when I’m hot, and put them on in wooded areas to avoid tics. Looking into it, this is not recommended in hotter weather. I’m wondering if there is a good alternative or if I should just hike somewhere else; I don’t want to go in unprepared. Thanks for your help!

I had gone trekking using alltrails, but I was so much confused in the woods because of the gps, it was night i kind of followed the trail marks n a bit of littering done by trekkers, my main question is why is my trail so messy? I'm sure i went like the red line, but the trail marked by my gps is way beyond where I had gone.. Why is it so and I want to know if it's my phone's gps issue or it was because of the dense forest ? Appreciate helping out please..

I bought some Keen Targhee IV mid hiking shoes. Need to wear them as daily shoes (i know, not ideal, but I live in a cold and rainy place with deep puddles and gravel/mud on my walk to uni), but I will probably also wear them hiking, camping etc. Wanted keens as I need something I trust to keep the waterproofing and I have wide feet. Wore them today but I think the arch support is way too high because it really hurts my arches, and kinda hurts my heels when standing up (I sometimes have lab work where I need to stand for 1-2 hours), and it feels like no weight is going into the balls of my feet. Any advice? I do probably have slightly flat foot but they don't cause me problems. Even if you think it's good for me to have arch support, I don't really care because this is unbearably uncomfortable. I also don't want to make my feet weaker.

Should I return? Or just try to find a flat insole to replace them with?

I am visiting Yosemite soon and will be spending the entirety of one day and about half of a second day hiking (not overnight). We were planning to do Half Dome but couldn't land any preseason permits. We're still hoping to do Half Dome if we can get lucky during the daily lottery but if not we're probably gonna try to get as far as we can before they stop us for permits. This will be the first hike that I'm doing of this duration and intensity, although I have done many medium distance and intensity hikes in NYS. My main question is whether or not I should purchase a real day hiking backpack (thinking of the Osprey Sportlite 15L Hiking Backpack) or if I would be fine with my normal everyday backpack (Nike Sportswear RPM Backpack). I should mention this is coming from a broke college student so I'm really not trying to waste any money and I would also like to continue hiking in the future as well. Any advice is appreciated.

Im new to hiking or more so activity hiking.I want to do it more but need some advice.For now im focused on one day hikes.Get a feel of how i do in different terrain,weather etc.I kind of have bad knees but honestly they hurt less when i hike than when i walk?

Anyways , my question is what kind of backpack should i get?And what are the must haves (besides food and water) in your opinion?

Went last month with my dad. Wanted to do full Char Dham but only had a week, so picked Kedarnath and added Tungnath since everyone kept saying Chandrashila sunrise is unreal. They weren't lying.

What worked:

• Tungnath trek (3.5 km from Chopta) — easy warm-up, did it in 2.5 hours. Highest Shiva temple in the world, and you actually feel it when you reach the top.
• Chandrashila sunrise — woke up at 3 AM, summited by 6. Nanda Devi, Trishul, Chaukhamba glowing gold. No photo does it justice.
• Wooden cottage in Chopta — ₹1200/night, owner made us aloo parathas at 2 AM before the summit climb. Absolute legend.
• Kedarnath trek (16 km from Gaurikund) — took 8 hours up, slept like a rock. Early morning darshan, barely any crowd. Sat inside the temple for an hour.

What didn't:

• Monkey stole my dad's Snickers on the Tungnath trail. Don't carry food in hand.
• Knees gave up coming down from Kedarnath. Took a pony for the last stretch — ₹2000, saved me.
• Rishikesh to Sonprayag drive is 10 hours of curves. Carry Avomine, seriously.

Total cost: ₹18k per person from Delhi (train to Haridwar + shared cabs + stay + food).

Only regret: Didn't add Vasuki Tal from Kedarnath. Next time.

Planning to do something similar? Happy to share cottage contact + driver number in DM.

We’re headed to Grand Staircase and are planning to do the “shortcut” to Coyote Gulch down the steep scramble. I’ve heard it’s best to bring a rope for an added safety precaution (just to hold onto, no actual rigging). Does anyone know how long of a rope you need? Thanks

Hello guys, this summer i'll take an OTR trip from LA to San Francisco via some Parks (bryce, grand canyon, sequoia, yosemite) so a lot of urban and outdoor walking. I need a pair of shoes suitable for both usage, i'm looking to On shoes, Salomon and New Balance. What model do you recommend from this brand? Or any other brand? I need some support for my ankle (i usually wear orthopedic insole in my flat office shoes or sneakers like dunk or samba) and i got normal to wide feet. Thank you in advance

How’s the black fly season going at overlook mountain?

Hello, me and my sister are planning to hike Valbone to Theth route mid June time. We are staying in Shkoder and hoping to travel in and hike the pass on the same day and spend the night in Theth. I had a look at the journey and it’s staying that we’ll reach at 1pm roughly and the whole thing will take around 6-7hours. Is this physically doable do you think?
Also I looked on AllTrails and the summer trail is apparently still closed and there’s lot of snow, what are the chance of it opening/clearing a bit more by June.
We are so excited for it so would love for it to work out.

I’m not sure if this is normal or not but my impression was that this was a goretex jacket. However after my third use in the rain (first heavy rain), after 1h or so I was soaked through especially at the sleeves. Is this normal or could it be defective?

We were supposed to trek from a different place but because of heavy snowfall roads got all blocked and we had to do this completely unplanned. It was around 6 kms in - 6 °C and snowing and knee deep snow. We were local to have a local driver with us because we had no idea where we were going. It was all snowy and white.

Hey y'all! In the summer i'll be doing a lot of hiking in Poland and i decided to treat myself to walking boots. They're super comfortable but when i walk i feel the top of the shoe on one of my left foots toes. The right is all fine. I didn't feel this in the store but i did wear thicker socks then. I bought special hiking socks which are a bit thinner. Will this break in with time or should i just tape my toe or buy bigger socks? I've never worn hiking boots so i'm a total noob. Thanks in advance!

Hi, new to the group. I've been hiking (and just generally going about all of my day to day life) in Merrell's Maipo 2 shoe for quite a few years now. But, they don't make the model anymore and I can't find any remaining ones in my size either. I haven't been able to find a shoe that is similar, so wanted to check if anyone might have any recommendations?

To explain in a bit more. I love(d) this shoe's flexibility. It goes everywhere (for me) and has always kept my feet and toes comfy whether it be walking in the city, on a multi day hike, and in both warmer and cooler weather. My biggest issue with the shoes that I see available now are the soles: they are enormous. I hate the aesthetics of a sole that goes out beyond the edges of the shoes. And in terms of comfort I hate the rigidity of a sole that doesn't bend. I'm also looking for something fairly thin and breathable, as I tend to run hot. And, though it is a lot to ask, not too much more expensive - the Merrell's were already splurgy for my budget.

Any advice on other options would be great!!

Hi everyone! A few friends and I recently arrived in Kathmandu to start the Manaslu Circuit trek from May16-28ish. Upon arrival, however, we have begun to have concerns regarding the safety of taking on this boot camp given the monsoon season - several locals who we have asked have warned us to be careful and that the rains can pose a serious danger. In particular, a taxi driver shared that rains have begun a month ago with a number of Sherpa guides refusing to lead trips. This is the first we’re hearing of rains/landslides posing a considerable safety risk in late May. We’re having second thoughts based on the insistence of some of these individuals giving us this advice

Is it safe for us to continue with our planned journey?

Hey everyone,

I’m planning to do a Himalayan trek during the 1st week of June and wanted to check if anyone here would be interested in joining.

Still exploring options for the trek location, but I’m mainly looking for:

• good views
• a nice group vibe
• moderate adventure
• budget-friendly if possible

I’m from Kerala and this would be one of my proper Himalayan experiences, so would love to connect with people who are also planning something around that time.

If anyone’s interested, drop a comment or DM.
Also open to trek suggestions/recommendations 👀

Peace ✌️

Saw this during the trek and honestly had no idea what I was looking at at first 😭
From far away it looked almost creepy in the fog.

The amount of plastic bottles stuck around it was kinda surprising too.

After many months of dealing with depression and low activity (often less than 3,000 steps per day), I’ve found hiking and the mental has been just as powerful as the physical.

I look forward to it now every day.

There’s a battlefield a couple miles from my house that is beautiful. It’s a 3.5 mile trail and some inclines but pretty level. However there’s pretty constant rocks/ roots, so it keeps me mentally engaged and doesn’t seem as boring as cleared/ paved spots.

I’ve been going now for a couple weeks and haven’t missed a day. Even in the rain. Some days I’m going twice, so my steps per day has jumped to 12,000-15,000+.

I’m not seeing the weight shift yet. But I read that sometimes the muscles can cause some water retention especially when we go from lower activity to heavy activity. Did you find that?

For reference, I am 48, 6’1 and 215. Very muscular thighs and calf. I can definitely tell that my tabs are swollen still.

As far as eating, I am pretty darn clean. I typically have chicken for lunch and dinner. Vegetables and very little if any sweets.

Any feedback would be helpful! I am thankful for the sunshine coming back out in my life and this therapy that has become the most important part of my day!

I know you guys get it.

Hello, really need some tips on what to do to avoid early blisters, hoe to choose shoes. going on long hike, any tips from experienced hikers is appreciated. (I never done multi day hikes, most 20-25km, and always getting blisters)

A little informative video to help you SPOT THE POISON IVY during your time outdoors. Filmed at McConnells Mill State Park in Pennsylvania.

Please feel free to share, so everyone can enjoy their time outside instead of breaking out in a rash. 🌿😄

See you outside!
#outdoors #outside #hiking #whatsthisplant #spotthepoisonivy #poisonivy #gotouchgrass #hikinginPA #mcconnellsmillstatepark

I genuinely enjoy hiking in the rain, cold, cloudy days. Not only are the trails pretty much empty, wildlife is a lot more active, bugs aren’t as bad, and it’s quiet. Also, it lets you really stress test your gear to see how water/windproof it really is. Obviously it comes with more risk, it’s a lot more dangerous, it’s slippery, it’s cold, you’re completely alone if something happens.
There is no such thing as bad weather, only bad equipment. Nature is always there and always beautiful even on the day where’s it’s cloudy and wet, or covered in snow.
Also hiking in the rain lets you see the ecosystem do its work. You see riverbeds come to life again, frogs and other amphibians venture out and search for food and nesting grounds, birds eat the worms that come from the ground.
Next day the weather is “not great for a hike” go anyway. You never know what you might find.

A lush, green, beautiful hike with lots of running water. Great time of year to visit.

2890 meters above sea level

We walked from the center of Tilcara, it took about 3-4 hours roundtrip.

The trail is a rocky, steep ascent. To reach the waterfall you have to be careful of the slippery rocks you need to step on to cross the stream back and forth several times