A good October day in the hills is hard to beat. The bracken's turned, the crowds have gone home, and the light casts that magic spell on the ridge. It's also when the ground gives up pretending to be dry.

Anyone who's walked in the Lakes, the Peaks or the Scottish highlands hills between now and spring knows what's coming. There's bog on the way up, a stream that was a trickle in August and is now a proper crossing, and a forecast that said "light showers" but meant something else. By the time you're back at the car, your boots are carrying about a pint of the hill with them.

What you do with them next matters more than most people think.

Why UK autumn is hard on boots

It's a particular kind of wet. Summer walking is mostly sweat. In autumn you've got peat that sucks at your ankles, long grass soaked with dew, and water that comes over the top of the boot rather than through it.

That last bit is the problem with waterproof boots. A membrane keeps rain out brilliantly until water gets in over the cuff, and then it does an equally good job of keeping it in. Plenty of walkers have finished a day with dry-looking boots and soaked socks.

Add a weekend away and it gets worse. Wet boots on Saturday evening will still be wet on Sunday morning, and you're pulling them back on for another eight miles.

What damp does to your feet on a long walk

Skin that stays wet for hours softens and breaks down. Soft skin plus a few thousand steps of rubbing is how you get blisters, and the longer the walk, the worse they get. A blister on mile three of a twelve-mile day makes for a long afternoon.

Cold makes it worse. Wet feet lose heat much faster than dry ones, so you're colder, you're more tired, and you're more likely to cut the day short or make a poor decision on the way down. For most walkers that just means a miserable few hours. After long exposure to cold and wet, it can lead to proper damage to the skin and nerves, which is why experienced hill people take dry feet seriously.

Then there's what happens after you get home. Boots dumped in the porch stay damp inside for days. Warm, damp and closed up is how you get the smell, and it's also how athlete's foot gets a foothold.

What it does to the boots themselves

Good boots aren't cheap, and wet is what wears them out faster than you would like. Leather that stays damp and then dries slowly can crack, and the glue that holds the sole on gets weaker with repeated soaking. Linings break down and start to smell.

The common fix makes this worse. Putting boots next to a fire or on a radiator feels sensible, but strong direct heat can shrink and crack leather, and it can melt or loosen the adhesive. Plenty of boots have been quietly ruined by a night by the Aga.

Drying them properly

Boots dry best with gentle warm air moving through them, not heat blasted at the outside. That's what the Atacama does. You put the boots on tube, turn it on, and the warm air circulates through the whole boot instead of just around it.

For most boots it takes around 90 minutes, and you can extend the timer for heavy leather or a really soaked pair. There's a low heat setting too, which is the better choice for leather. As always, check what the boot maker says about drying.

The practical bit is the timing. Walk Saturday, boots on the Atacama while you're making tea, dry by the time you've eaten. On a two-day trip, that's the difference between a pair of boots that are ready for Sunday and a pair you're dreading.

A few things worth doing anyway

• Take insoles out as soon as you're back. They hold more water than anything else.
• Pack a second pair of socks and change when your feet are wet, not when you remember.
• Clean off the mud before drying. It holds moisture against the boot.

FAQs

How do you dry hiking boots after a wet walk?

Knock off the loose mud, then dry the boots with warm air moving through them. The Atacama takes around 90 minutes for most boots, and you can set a longer time for heavy leather. Avoid sitting them on a radiator or by a fire.

Can you dry hiking boots on a radiator?

It's best not to. Strong direct heat can crack leather and weaken the glue holding the sole, and it often dries the outside while the inside stays wet. Gentle airflow is the safer option.

Do waterproof boots stop your feet getting wet?

They keep rain out, but once water gets in over the cuff, through a stream crossing or deep bog, the membrane also stops it getting out. That's why waterproof boots can still end up soaked inside and need proper drying.

How long does it take hiking boots to dry?

Left to air dry, they can take two days or more, particularly leather boots in a damp house. With the Atacama, it's around 90 minutes for most pairs, and longer for very heavy or soaked boots.