After eight or ten hours in stiff hiking boots, your feet want air, freedom, and a softer surface. Camp shoes give them exactly that. Slipping out of boots at camp lets hot spots cool, reduces swelling, and gives blisters a chance to dry out overnight, which can be the difference between a comfortable next day and a painful one. They also protect your feet around camp, where sharp rocks, thorns, and cold ground make bare feet a bad idea.

Camp shoes serve a second purpose: water crossings. Instead of soaking your hiking boots in a stream, you can cross in camp shoes and keep your main footwear dry. They are also handy for midnight trips away from the tent and for wading to filter water. None of this requires a heavy second pair of shoes, which is why the best camp shoes are the ones you barely notice in your pack.

Ultralight sandals are the most popular choice, and for good reason. Foam slide sandals weigh very little, dry quickly, and pack flat against the back of your pack. Their downside is poor grip on wet rock and almost no toe protection, so watch your step on rough ground. Slightly sturdier sport sandals with straps offer better footing for stream crossings but weigh more and take longer to dry.

Lightweight slip-on shoes and water shoes sit in the middle. Closed-toe water shoes protect your toes, grip wet surfaces well, and double as crossing shoes, but they can feel warm and take up more pack space. Minimalist camp booties, sometimes made from insulated fabric, are a cold-weather favourite because they keep feet warm in the tent, though they are useless on wet or rocky ground. Choose based on your trip: sandals for warm, dry trips, water shoes for routes with many crossings, booties for cold nights.

A good rule of thumb is that camp shoes should add no more than a small fraction of your total pack weight, roughly the weight of a water bottle or less for most hikers. If a pair weighs more than that, ask whether it is really doing camp duty or whether you are carrying a second pair of walking shoes. Many backpackers find that simple foam sandals, which weigh about as much as a pair of socks, are perfectly adequate for camp use.

Packability matters almost as much as weight. Flat sandals slide into an outside pocket or strap to the outside of the pack without wasting internal space. Bulky shoes, even light ones, eat into room needed for food and shelter. Before a trip, test how your camp shoes pack with the rest of your gear, and if they force you to leave something else behind, they are too big.

Break camp shoes in before a long trip, even if they seem too simple to need it. A strap that rubs or a sole that slips on wet rock is a problem best discovered at home, not at a knee-deep river crossing. If you plan to use them for crossings, practise walking in moving water in a safe, shallow spot first, and learn how they grip on slippery stone.

Look after your feet at camp, not just your shoes. Air your hiking boots out, change into dry socks, and let any hot spots breathe while you wear camp shoes. This small evening routine prevents many blisters from forming in the first place. In cold weather, keep camp shoes inside your sleeping bag or tent porch overnight so they are not frozen stiff in the morning, and wear them with warm socks for insulation around camp.

If you own nothing yet, start with a simple pair of lightweight foam sandals. They are cheap, widely available, and good enough for most three-season backpacking trips. Upgrade to strapped sandals or water shoes only if your routes regularly include river crossings or rough camp terrain. Your feet will thank you at the end of every long day, and your pack will barely notice the difference.