You have to agree with us when we say that long hikes or camping trips, always end up causing trouble in one area of the body: the feet. Traditional hiking boots are very stiff and heavy, and after miles and miles of walking, feet get tired and they hurt. That’s why some people opt for camp booties, or both. Wearing the hiking boots during the tough walks, and the booties in the campsite or during easy days.
Taking two pairs of shoes seems too much, especially when space in a backpack can be an issue. In other occasions taking big waterproof boots seems too much too. Luckily, camp booties can be both lightweight and easy to store, as well as comfortable enough for certain hikes or camping trips.
We came up with a review of what we consider the best camp booties. The idea is to give you a list of the best booties available, so that depending on your needs, or on the trip you are about to make, you can pick wisely and simply have a better experience.
Our Top Picks
| Product Name | Weight | Best Use | Specific Features | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baffin E5CRK6 | 5 oz | Camping | Packable and lightweight, soft nylon upper, textile lining for included warmth, comfortable high-hang synthetic insulation, lockable front tie and elasticized closure, miniaturized scale softened cowhide outsole with a slip-safe polar pattern. | Check price on Amazon |
| Polar Feet | 5 oz | Winter camping, air travel, cabin wear, apres-ski or skate. | Polyester, water and wind resistant, tear-stop nylon uppers, rubber sole, nonslip elastic sole, two flip cinch adjustments, small fleece footbed wicks, nylon lining for simple on and off. | Check price on Amazon |
| Outdoor Designs 4LZQ1VM | 4.60 oz | Casual use, camping | 100% polyester, down filled bootie with a solid cushioned sole, warm, duck down fill, nylon external shell with brushed knit tricot footbed, cinch cord top lower leg and flexible at lower leg for a safe fit, sturdy, slip safe rubber treated insole. | Check price on Amazon |
| Baffin Base Camp-U | 12.60 oz | Winter camping | Artificial, insulated shoe bootie featuring double bungee customizability for included warmth, water and slip resistant sole. | Check price on Amazon |
Features to Consider Before Buying
Camp booties are one of those items that seem easy to pick, but they are tricky because if you have no idea what you’re getting, you might get it wrong. That’s why we came up with a list of fundamental features for you to make an informed choice, making sure you get every detail right.
Types Of Booties
Before choosing a model, you need to know exactly what you plan on using it for. Therefore, knowing the types will definitely help. The main types are as follows:
Day Hiking Booties: These types range from mid-cut to high-cut brands and are designed for camping trips and day hikes with light loads. They do flex effortlessly and need short break-in time, however, they do not have the durability and support of backpacking booties.
Backpacking Booties: These types are made to convey heavier loads on camping trips deep into the boondocks. They have an elevated cut that enfolds above the lower legs for astounding backing. Supportive and durable, with stiffer padded soles than lightweight footwear, they are the right booties trail travel.
Mountaineering Booties: In case you are planning to utilize specialized crampons, you require a mountaineering bootie. Booties in this group are enormous, husky, stiff, and insulated for chilly winter temps. They are made with full-length cannons, a full height lower leg neckline, sturdy full calfskin construction, and gaiters.
These booties are sometimes an option for hiking when conveying substantial loads through gnarly weather and terrain.
Heavyweight Booties: These types are the most conventional, substantial backpacking booties, and give the most ankle dependability and foot bolster.
The super stout full calfskin uppers and thick PU padded sole account for a large portion of the Midweight versus the weight premium items. These booties are the best option for year-round camping.
Upper Part Materials
Materials affect a boot’s weight, water resistance, durability, and breathability. Here are the materials used in making the upper part of most camping booties:
Full-grain leather: This leather offers great abrasion area resistance, durability, and water resistance. It is often utilized in camping booties for long trips, rough terrain, and heavy loads. It is not as breathable or light as the split-grain leather. Plentiful break-in time is required before beginning a long trip.
Split-grain leather: This leather is often matched with nylon mesh to make a lightweight bootie that gives great breathability. This leather, parts away from the harsher internal cowhide part away from the smooth outer part. The advantage is lower cost, but the drawback is low water resistant and abrasion.
Nubuck leather: Full-grain calfskin that has already been furnished to look like softened cowhide. It is extremely resistant to water and durable. It is also really flexible, yet it also requires sufficient time to soften up before a long trip. They are much lighter than calfskin, soften up more rapidly, dry speedier and for the most part cost less.
Waterproof layers: Booties are waterproof, because they feature uppers developed with waterproof and breathable layers so as to make the feet dry. The drawback is that the lessened breathability, made by a layer, may urge sweating in the feet during summer days.
Insulation: This synthetic material is joined to some mountaineering booties to enhance warmth when hiking on glaciers and snow.
Midsoles
The midsole, which gives padding, bolsters feet against shock and greatly determines the stiffness of booties. Stiff booties may not seem like something worth being thankful for, but rather for a long camping trip on rough, uneven territory they can mean much stability and comfort.
A stiff bootie won’t prevent footwear out by enfolding around every tree root or rock you walk on.
The most widely recognized midsole materials are polyurethane and EVA. EVA is somewhat cushier, lighter and less costly. Midsoles utilize shifting densities of EVA to give firmer bolster where required. Polyurethane is usually durable and firmer, so it is generally discovered in extended camping booties.
Internal Support
Shanks: These inserts are 3–5mm thick and are sandwiched within a bootie’s outsole and midsole to add stack-bearing firmness to the padded sole. They differ in length; some of them cover the whole length of the padded sole, while others just cover half of it.
Plates: These are thin and semi-flexible inserts that are situated within the padded sole and the outsole, and beneath the shank. They shield feet from being wounded by uneven rocks or wound.
Outsoles
Rubber is utilized on all camping bootie outsoles. Added substances, for example, carbon is in some cases added to backpacking booties to enhance stiffness. Stiff outsoles enhance durability yet can feel smooth if you move off the trail.
Lug style: Lugs provide traction on the outsole. Thicker, deeper lugs are utilized on camping booties to enhance grip. Greatly spaced lugs offer great traction and spill mud effortlessly.
Heel brake: This relates to the clearly characterized heel zone that differs from the arch and forefoot. It diminishes your possibility of sliding amid steep plummets.
Mimic Camping Conditions
Now, picking camp booties for exploring is an alternate ball game entirely. Their components must be versatile and multifunctional.
Meeting some certain requirements, camp booties should be sufficiently light to convey in your rucksack, simple to slip on and off, grippy and stable enough, worthy to make stream crossing during camping, and comfortable and breezy to offer your drained feet a reprieve.
So with that settled, you should be able to make a stride nearer to finding the ideal ultralight camp booties for your backwoods adventures.
Top Product Reviews
Baffin E5CRK6 
Price: $20 – $50
Dimension: 10 x 3.9 x 6 inches
Weight: 5 oz
Specific features: Packable and lightweight, the cush can be formed into a minor space when not being used and might be worn in a resting bag in cold conditions, soft nylon upper, textile lining for included warmth, comfortable high-hang synthetic insulation, lockable front tie and elasticized closure, miniaturized scale softened cowhide outsole with a slip-safe polar pattern.
Best use: Camping
Description: The Baffin E5CRK6 gives packable warmth to keep your feet toasty whether you are on a huge mountain trip or just a day of being lazy at home.
The false shearling liner has a cushy feel and also the lockable draw cord take off the snow when you need to uncover the tent. The slip-safe outsole offers you with a strong grip without burdensome elastic when you take off for the daily paper.
These booties are particularly comfortable according to reviewers, the feet sit perfectly inside of them, and it’s like relief for the feet after a long day of walking. They are ideal for an everyday use at home, when you want your feet to relax.
One of the best things is that they are very warm, which means they protect the feet from the cold and work very well during wintertime. They shouldn’t be sub estimated, many reviewers use them only at home, but these were designed to be worn in campsites.
The sole, although not strong enough to sustain long walks or hikes, is good enough for an outdoor campsite. Feet will be relaxed, comfortable and warm while you might feel much better because of their light weight.
PROS:
- Incredibly comfortable
- Very warm during winter, not as much during the summer
CONS:
- Not very strong, not recommended for walking long distance or on rough terrains
- The bottom is not water resistant. Not good for camping with snow
Related: The Outdoor Research Crocodile Gaiters are an item that can be bought alongside the booties. In case you want to go camping during winter, and you suffer from cold feet and legs, the gaiters with the booties will make everything better.
Polar Feet 
Price: Approx. $60
Dimension: 9.6 x 3.9 x 4.5 inches
Weight: 5 oz
Specific features: Polyester, water and wind resistant, tear-stop nylon uppers, rubber sole, nonslip elastic sole, two flip cinch adjustments, small fleece footbed wicks, nylon lining for simple on and off.
Best use: Winter camping, air travel, cabin wear, après-ski or skate
Description: The Polar Feet is for you whether you are embarking on winter camping or simply need warm feet and some comfortable shoes. Loads of soft polyester fill, give warmth and insulation. The two cinches flip modification points permit you to set the fit to meet your requirements.
The ankle cinch secures your foot. The cinch above attracts warm air in and prevents snow from entering. The nonslip elastic mud insulator and sole give great footing on still internal surfaces and due to the fact that they are a plane, they won’t track in mud or snow.
These slippers are resistant to water in dry, icy conditions. They are capable of being worn outdoor in the snow, or for conveying the mail. These booties are not appropriate for wet outdoor conditions. The insole is made with two different layers; one of memory foam and insulating EVA. They are lightweight, packable, puffy, washable and dryable.
PROS:
- Very solid soles with mud insulator and nonslip, they can handle walking in snow or mud
- Warmer than most other models, specifically designed for snow use
- They have two modification points to adapt to the feet
CONS:
- Although good for the snow, they can’t resist for a long time as they are not waterproof
Related: The Polar Feet MITT-RD-ADT-L Mittens are the ideal add-on for these booties, to keep yourself warm and comfortable during winter camping trips.
Outdoor Deigns 4LZQ1VM 
Price: $50 – $80
Dimension: 12 x 3 x 3.9 inches
Weight: 4.60 oz
Specific features: 100% polyester, down filled bootie with a solid cushioned sole, warm, duck down fill, nylon external shell with brushed knit tricot footbed, cinch cord top lower leg and flexible at lower leg for a safe fit, sturdy, slip safe rubber treated insole.
Best use: Casual use, camping
Description: These Outdoor Designs 4LZQ1VM comprise of soft nylon external and inward fabric down fill to promote extraordinary warmth with a small weight. This bootie has a durable cushioned sole. The nylon external shell is strong and resistant to water.
However, be careful, as water-resistant doesn’t mean waterproof. It means that it can handle a few drops and a puddle here and there, but in case of rain in the campsite, the boots won’t resist and the water will damage the feathers that provide the warmth for the feet.
The soft brushed knit footbed and nylon lining, provide great comforts. The cinch cord over the lower leg and elastic over the lower leg helps to keep the booties safely on your feet and keep in the dry. The cushioned sole has a solid, slip safe rubber treated base that runs up bootie side. The booties arrive in a carrying bag or mesh storage.
PROS:
- Very warm
- Very comfortable, wider than other models
CONS:
- The elastic band above the ankle makes it hard to take on and off the bootie
- Not waterproof at all, in case of contact with water, feathers get damaged
- Soles wear off quickly
Related: The Outdoor Research Transcendent Beanie is a very warm beanie that looks like the same made of the booties. A good match for chilled winter afternoons in a nice relaxing campsite.
Baffin Base Camp-U 
Price: $30 – $70
Dimension: 12 x 8 x 4 inches
Weight: 12.6 oz
Specific features: Artificial, insulated shoe bootie featuring double bungee customizability for included warmth, water and slip resistant sole
Best use: Winter camping
Description: The Baffin Base Camp-U is not a snowshoe by any means. And it surely isn’t footwear you need to wear alone when meandering through the snow, toiling through the mud, or swimming crosswise over mammoth puddles of water.
However, this bootie may take care of a typical issue many individuals have amid the months—battling chilly feet at home. Specifically, this bootie can truly assist individuals who have incessantly chilly feet by keeping their feet warm while camping, and in a simple to get on and off style.
As a matter of fact, most people use booties at home during wintertime, rarely do they buy them exclusively for camping. That’s why this bootie has marketed itself as a great option to wear at home too.
You need to wear this bootie after a prolonged day of mountaineering, skiing or some other chilly interest. Loaded with grand insulation and enfold in a soft but solid nylon shell, this bootie keeps your feet dry under ideal conditions, as well as providing the comfort that your feet need after a long day of outdoor activities.
PROS:
- Machine washable
- Probably the longest lasting model, if not used in harsh conditions
- One of the warmest models
CONS:
- The grip of the soles isn’t very good, wears off really quickly
Related: The Outdoor Research 71892 Alti Mitts will do the job of keeping your hands warm, comfortable and relaxed during any winter day, or activity. Ideal to wear with the booties to feel at home when camping.
Wrapping Up
Booties aren’t a replacement for real hiking boots. You must understand that booties are ideal for camping trips as they allow the feet to relax, breathe and stay warm after a long day of walking. Your feet can rest and so can you. That’s why they are so lightweight and easy to pack, they are designed for the campsites, or to wear at home.
We hope that you learnt which are the most important features to look for in a camp bootie, also which model or type suits you better. Are you going on a dry camping trip? Or will you be camping in the snow? The different environments force you to make different choices.
Luckily we came up with different solutions, and we hope you found the ones you were looking for. Did we miss out any model you might prefer? What other uses do you give to camp booties? Please leave any comments or questions in the comment section below!
I’m going to get the baffin base U. I love boots as they are perfect for any weather, but my feet smell and sweat in them. What do I do?
If you find that your feet are stinky and you are sweating then you can put some foot powder in them which will absorb the smell and soak up the sweat!
Most of the people struggle in this area. Its really good to have a article on this because people always end up causing trouble in one area of the body: the feet. Can we use these only in camping?
You can use them for several outdoor activities.