Love those Mountains!!
Hiking sticks - Some folks don't like to carry anything in their hands when they hike. I have a bad knee and I cannot hike without a good stick. I recommend them highly, but personal experience has to be your guide here. They take a great deal of weight off your knees when you are hiking uphill and they allow you to shift your weight more comfortably when you are coming downhill. They help balance when you cross logs or rocks and they provide a critical third support point on water crossings. I have a wooden stick made of Sassafras wood (it used to smell like root beer) which I use for dayhikes and car or van trips. Airplanes give you grief over hiking sticks these days, however (they don't fit well in overhead bins and some airlines consider them weapons), so I have a telescoping walking stick that collapses to a length that can be stowed in a regular canvas duffel bag (also see DUFFEL BAGS) Some of the very best hiking sticks are Sotol and can be purchased in Big Bend and other parts of west Texas. They are made from the dried stem of the Sotol cactus plant and are astonishingly light yet extremely tough. Hiking sticks are almost required if the ground is muddy, wet, slippery, icy or otherwise tricky. Mine has saved me from a bad fall more than once.
Boots - If you can make the room, it is always a good idea to bring more than one pair of boots or at least an alternate pair of footgear that you can hike in. Rain on a single day of hiking is usually not a big deal (assuming you have rain gear, which you better have) and you are not in any danger of hypothermia. Rain on several consecutive days of hiking (rare, but possible) can be a problem. A second pair of footgear allows you to leave one pair in the vestibule of your tent to dry out while you wear the other pair. Having only one pair means you get to hike in wet boots (not good for either your boots or your feet). On a long trip where I anticipate some rain, I like to take two pair of boots and a pair of sturdy sandals. The sandals can be used for camp shoes (with thick socks if it is cold, without socks if it is wet) and shower shoes as well. I like the kind with adjustable straps on the instep as well as the ankle so I can wear bulky socks if necessary. Teva-style river sandals are OK for this, but I prefer sturdy leather sandals like you can get at Academy or on sale. Go with a brand name you trust since the biggest problem is cheap glue which permits the sole to part from the uppers.
While we are on the subject of footwear, let's talk foot care. Intensive hiking of the sort we do on our trips puts a lot of stress on your feet and some up-front preparation before the trip can pay off in avoiding grief out in the woods. First, spend some time caring for your feet before you leave. Guys especially are careless about checking for long toenails and ragged cuticles before they leave on a trip. That carelessness can result in preventable discomfort and even injury. Take some time to examine your feet carefully and trim back any long toenails and ragged cuticles. Cuticle cream is also useful in cleaning up ragged cuticles. In case you are inclined to think that this is a bit fancy for preparing for a camping trip, consider that fact that at high, dry elevations your feet, like the rest of you, dry out and ragged cuticles can become troublesome burrs that can lead to cuticle cracks and infections. A little extra foot care before you start can head these problems off.
However, be careful with moisturizing lotions on feet as they tend to soften or tenderize feet making them susceptible to blisters. Same goes for hiking with wet feet. Best to stop, remove boots and socks and dry all in the warmth of the sun (keep your feet shaded to avoid sunburn).
It is also wise to bring shower shoes of some kind (see above) and medicated foot powder (if you are concerned about packing light, powder your socks before your pack them and leave the powder tin at home). When showers are available, they are often frequented by Boy Scouts and you know what kind of vermin and fungi they carry around with them.
Tents - Once you have 'outgrown' your first tent you will have a better idea of what you want in your next one. When you move up, consider vestibule space. Experienced campers like to have a real space between their tent proper and the end of the rain fly. The larger the vestibule, the more equipment you can stow there - like your day pack and your muddy boots and the soggy shirt or wet swim suit that you don't want in the tent with you but which you also don't want lying around outside on the ground. Again, plan on visiting a good camping store and plan on paying over $200 for a good tent. Check the action of the zippers - they are usually the first thing to go on a cheap tent - and make sure you can stretch out inside without touching the walls of the tent anywhere. In a heavy rain, even the best tent will collect condensation at the points where you or your equipment touches the inside tent wall, so make sure you can sleep comfortably without touching any of the tent walls. Most good tents have gear lofts (net hammocks for small, loose gear and pocket stuff, like keys.) Make sure the loft is positioned so that it can be reached easily in the night ("What the hell is gnawing on the zipper? Where is my little flashlight?") but so that it is not a hazard to getting out of the tent in the morning.
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