Hiking Boot Review Blog Receives More Traffic Than National Park Website

A hiking boot review blog run by a single enthusiast in his apartment has surpassed the National Park Service website in monthly traffic after publishing a 12,000-word comparison of two boots that even the author admits are 'functionally identical.' 'The Salomon X Ultra 4 and the Salomon X Ultra 4 GTX differ in exactly one way,' wrote reviewer Patrick 'Tread' Munoz in the post. 'One is waterproof. But the implications of that difference ripple across every dimension of the hiking experience, and I will now explore all of them.' The review, which includes 47 photographs, a moisture absorption chart, three graphs comparing ankle support over time, and a 2,000-word digression on the philosophy of waterproofing, has been viewed 1.2 million times since publication. 'Most of our readers don't hike,' Munoz acknowledged. 'They read about hiking gear. It's a different hobby. Some people climb mountains. Some people read about the boots other people climb mountains in. Both are valid.' The National Park Service, whose website received 900,000 visits in the same period, expressed bewilderment. 'We have the Grand Canyon,' said a spokesperson. 'He has opinions about lacing systems.' Munoz attributes his success to 'the universal human desire to feel informed about purchases one will never make.' His most popular posts include a 9,000-word review of a headlamp ('It produces light. But what kind of light?') and a 15,000-word comparison of two hiking socks that concluded 'just get whichever one is cheaper.' He is currently working on his magnum opus: a 20,000-word review of a trekking pole grip. 'People think it's just foam,' he said. 'It's never just foam.'