Are Shoes Important for Survival?
Yes – as long as you’re wearing the correct type of footwear. Slippers or sneakers can serve you well enough at the bare minimum, but it’s a well-known fact that boots are best for all-around general use (and survival) because they are as sturdy as they are versatile. Make sure to pick out the correct type of pair, though, as wearing the inappropriate type could possibly cause you immobilising injury.
In times of crisis, an individual can be moving or stationary. You may be walking long distances to get away from the threat, or maybe you are staying put maintaining your homestead. Everything has been prepared to help you get through the first crucial 72 hours including your bug-out bag. You’ve seen to it that you have all the provisions and the skills needed to ensure your survival. But have you thought about your feet? It may not seem like it, but survival footwear is one of the most important items you can have.
Finding The Proper Survival Footwear
Being ready does not only involve the materials and the skills; you also have to be in great shape. So it’s important to have the right survival footwear for whatever might come along.
Your regular sneakers will not be helpful if you are headed for the hills. The same can be said about working around the house fixing things. Flip-flops or sandals would have no place in tough and demanding situations. Here is part of interesting article on choosing the right survival shoes for when SHTF.
Proper Footwear For Survival
Imagine speeding down the German Autobahn at over one hundred fifty miles per hour in a brand-new Ferrari. The several hundred thousand dollar racing machine is limited only by what you can do with it. Now imagine your car is equipped with a set of bald and unbalanced tires. In this case your safety is in serious jeopardy. This is because the chain is only as strong as its weakest link. It matters not how finely tuned the automobile is when the few square inches of rubber it rides on are in disrepair.
The same is true when it comes to the few square inches of rubber that protect your feet in a survival situation. As we’ve discussed before, each individual is likely to either be mobile or stationary in a time of crisis. Whichever your preference the necessity for quality footwear should not be underestimated. It doesn’t matter how many work tools or backpacking supplies you’ve amassed, when things get ugly and you are required to work outdoors or hike twenty miles everyday, you will have made a terrible blunder if you stare down at a pair of fifty dollar tennis shoes on your feet.
THE NEED FOR BOOTS Without proper footwear you can easily develop blisters or ankle sprains that will render you completely useless for weeks. In a survival situation that could mean death. Better to find the right type of boots for your survival plan now than to be found wanting later. As an individual with very limited resources I make sure to balance any survival gear I purchase with practical utility. That is to say I rarely buy gear that I would only use in a worst case scenario.
This is because while we can read the writing on the wall, there is no guarantee that the upheaval will be as bad as our imaginations can conjure, or even if it will directly affect us as greatly as those dependent on the current system or living in certain geographical locations. Therefore, I cannot justify spending money on items I may never use. Powdered milk and MRE’s are a couple examples of foodstuffs that preppers like to stockpile despite having virtually no use outside of a survival situation. I do not advocate spending money, time, or space on purchasing products that only serve a purpose if or when the shit hits the fan.
It is true that logger boots would be the most versatile survival footwear, but your choice will greatly depend on the crisis situation you are in.
You have to find the best compromise between safety, comfort and durability, so your decision-making skills will be tested.
Always think long-term and always think of how your shoes can help in your survival. Finding the right survival footwear can truly make a huge difference in your life after SHTF.
Do you have a favorite pair of hiking boots or other survival footwear? Let us know in the comments. Then check out these related articles from our site:
- Survival Tip: Clothing and Gear
- Badass Improvised Survival Gear | 7 Easy Prepper Projects
- Homesteading and Farming – The Ultimate Survival Lifestyle
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***Disclaimer: The contents of this article are for informational purposes only. Please read our full disclaimer.***
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on October 15, 2014, and has been updated for quality and relevancy.
