How to Choose Great Hiking Boots
"Peter Gilmore Assistant Product Manager with LL Beans "
Your enjoyment on the trail rests literally on your feet. Nothing can end a great outdoor experience quicker than painful blisters, pinched toes or even injuries caused by inappropriate hiking boots.
(The comfort, fit and construction of appropriate footwear can also add to your margin of safety in rugged terrain.)
Here are our guidelines to help you choose the right hiking boots for all your outdoor adventures.

Clothing Recommendations For Winter Visitors
FLEECE, it is awesome stuff, NO COTTON
There are some very good products on the market today to meet all your hiking expectations.

Layering of Clothing
One of the most important things when traveling in the winter is to understand the essence of the layering concept in clothing; many light layers being preferable to one heavy thick layer. Reading about layering from a book is all well and good but I've seen many people ignore its true use when they get out on trail. (Aw, it's too much of a pain to stop and take clothes off now. And besides, where will I put them? I'm a little hot but maybe I'll wait.) Having a plan for easy storage of all your clothing is a good start to making use of layering.
This brings me to the grand mnemonic device system of winter travel: remove clothing BEFORE you sweat, put it back on BEFORE you get cold. (There'll be more befores, before we're done.) Chances are, if you are sweating you are wearing too much. Remember that your insulation works best when dry. If you must sweat, do it with as little on as possible. When you stop to take a break, start putting clothes on almost immediately after stopping.

Hydration
Dehydration is a major concern in winter. Because the air is as dry as a desert, your body loses its water at a greatly accelerated rate. Breathing through the mouth during exertion exposes a large area of moisture rich mucous membrane to this super dry air, speeding dehydration even further. Even when you are inactive, the body loses moisture through a process known as insensible sweating. It tries to stabilize humidity levels at the surface of your skin, and ends up giving away still more water.
Compounding the problem of keeping hydrated is the fact that the body hoards its warmth during cold weather by vasoconstriction by reducing the blood plasma volume. It tries to pool much of the blood to the body core to provide an extra measure of insulation (which is why you have to pee so much when you first go out). Because of this it is normal for your hands and feet to be colder than the rest of you. The body, faced with cold, says 'Brain and innards come first. Hands and feets yer on yer own!" This can become a critical situation when you are dehydrated because the thickened blood won't reach to the constricted capillaries of the extremities. The chances of getting frostbite and becoming hypothermic are increased considerably.
Proper hydration will held you stay warmer. As a matter of fact, the old saw "If your feet are cold, put on a hat" should be amended to include something about having something to drink also. Many high altitude climbers credit proper hydration with their ability to acclimatize (and also come back with all their toes).
In summertime, when the body is dehydrated, we feel thirsty. This is not so in the winter. Staying hydrated in the winter, especially during great exertion, must be a conscious and deliberate act. Must be a conscious and deliberate act. And so I invoke the grand mnemonic again; drink BEFORE you are thirsty.
Drink as much water as comfort allows, and that will probably be enough. Some books recommend a specific amount that you should drink, such as 4 quarts a day, but in reality, it depends upon how active you are and to a lesser extent, on your personal metabolism. There is a saying that's used for determining proper hydration: "CLEAR AND COPIOUS" refers to the color and volume of your urine. Ideally your urine should pale yellow or colorless, signifying that you're drinking enough. If you are peeing orange colored urine, especially during the day, drink!

Recommendations For Winter Visitors
Wool and its synthetic substitutes such as pile are the preferred materials for inner clothing. "Cotton kills" is the simple motto of most winter mountaineers. While wool wicks moisture away from the body , cotton absorbs it and, thus feels cold and clammy; wind and wet cotton can quickly lead to hypothermia. Easily removed layers of clothing make it possible to maintain steady body heat in varying degrees of effort and temperatures. Windproof outer clothing, such as a hooded parka and windpants, should be a basic part of everyone`s equipment.

Since much of one`s heat loss is through the head, warm wool caps or balaclavas are recommended. This headgear should be wearable under a climbing helmet. Face protection against the high winds is a necessity above timberline (masks and balaclava are best) and frequently welcome anywhere in the Park. A second pair of sunglasses capable of dealing with bright snow conditions is good insurance.

Wool mittens are warmer than gloves, and windproof shells over these assure added warmth. A spare pair of mittens should be carried in one`s daypack. Proper footgear can be of life-and-death importance. Some prefer double boots; some like single boots with insulated gaiters or overboots; while others swear by rubber-soled pacs with felt liners. The latter are among the warmest of footgear and well liked by snowshoers and as camp footwear by cross country-skiers. Rubber-soled pacs with felt liners and U.S. surplus moonboots or "Mickey-Mouse" boots are not rigid enough to be safely fitted with crampons.

Acceptable Boots for Winter Technical climbing:

1. Rigid soled double climbing boots made of leather or plastic.
2. Pac lined boots with felt liners and rigid vibram soles.

Supergaiters; are not an accepted substitute for boots listed above. All boots should be adequately waterproofed and further protected by snowproof gaiters reaching to just below the knee. Remembering that heat loss comes from the body and not from the footgear, one should allow for plenty of insulation around the foot (at least two pairs of heavy wool socks in mountain boots and cross country boots) and a slightly loose fit so as not to interfere with blood circulation. Spare socks are a must.

Many like to carry a down jacket or parka for use around camp, for emergency bivouacs and to wear in extreme cold. However, since rain is a possibility in Maine at any time of the year, and because wet down offers little in the way of protection, one is better off relying on wool or synthetic pile for all-around use since the latter materials are little affected by water and will keep one warm even when wet. Supplement these basics suggestions as needed, with a light woolen shirt or sweater, trousers, etc., remembering that the weight and bulk of clothing will quickly fill the pack and leave little room for food and essential gear.