Decrease the pain in the knees Your knees is the most supportive part of the knees and as your body weight falls on the knees ,along with the backpack on your back and the backwoods and rough climatic conditions all will bestow the distance of your hike, the influence of gravity which itself become stressful on the joints muscles, thus causing pain in the knees. Most of the sport shops will get the socks you want. Talking about the shoes, you can select the shoes that can tolerate the harshness of the trail which seems quite difficult. But first and foremost that need to be considered is whether the shoes fits on the legs properly. Get the shoes that properly fit and try to use the same socks when you are using the shoes to hike. But it's quite dangerous and sometimes situation becomes too tricky. But though, it cause a little bit of fear in your nerves, some of the outdoor situations for survival can be previously avoided with the help of a bit preparation and foreseeing. A situation for survival is quite common, though you would have taken a number of hiking vacations. With the backpack with wide straps you can distribute the weight and thereby, can reduce the pain on your back and you will get some relief for your shoulders. You can also select a backpack with extra padding which will give support to the shoulders and back. There are backpacked which have an attached belt to your belly and which goes around your waist. In fact, the reason for their being called "heavy" is that these boots are given extra padding in order to protect your feet from rocks, stones, and branches of trees , which you may place your feet on and which could pierce into the sides of your boot. If at all you have decided to buy fabric boots, you have to get those boots with protective "welts. Even though you have been as light as possible during your travels and hiking trips, do not forget to re-evaluate the hiking gear every time you leave for any trail. Just think if there is anything that you have always taken during your trips but never ever have used. Those things that you really do use, but could actually go without?