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June 30, 2009

Shellrock WP (Courtesy of Keen)

Can you recommend a comfortable women's hiking boot that is lightweight and good for warm weather backpacking?

— Sascha
Mesa, Arizona

gear girl answer

KEEN's new Shellrock WP ($120, keenfootwear.com). Don't let the stealth all-black urban look fool you: This shoe has the high-tech specs it takes to hike the distance on any harsh hot-weather trail: a seamless waterproof, breathable upper; a stone-bruising protection plate, a heel motion stabilizer, and a sticky rubber bottom so you can hike even the precipitous NaPali Coast without worrying about slipping off into the Pacific. Note: It runs about a half-size small.

Do you have a question of your
own?

For more ankle protection, try Merrell's Siren Ventilator Mid Gore-Tex ($110, merrell.com). You could slog through swamp sludge in this shoe and your socks would likely still stay dry. At one pound, six ounces, the Siren Ventilator Mid is more lightweight than most backpacking boots and the breathable mesh upper makes it well ventilated. With a vibram sole and an air-cushioned midsole, your feet can stay happy and dry for the long haul.

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Stephanie Pearson: The Gear Girl
When it comes to gear, contributing editor Stephanie Pearson lives by one rule: What you own, owns you. That's why the skier, hiker, biker, runner, canoe paddler, and sometimes yogini is on an eternal quest to find gear and clothing that will enhance her life rather than make her a slave to dysfunctional stuff. During her seven-year stint as a travel editor at Outside, Pearson received three honorable mentions in The Best American Travel Writing series for stories on Guatemala, New Zealand, and Bhutan. Now that she's no longer in the office at Outside HQ in Santa Fe, Pearson hopes to be on the road more and is always in search of functional and aesthetically pleasing gear that's easy to use or clothing that's elegant to wear. Pearson is based in northern Minnesota and Santa Fe. Her latest adventure was on the fringe of the Amazon Basin in Brazil.