Hiking Attire

Dress for the Hike

What to wear? That's easy! All you have to factor in are the air temperature, ground temperature, wind velocity, humidity, precipitation, elevation, level of exertion, direct solar, canyon shadows and tree cover. Oh, and don't forget how long you'll be out there because all of these things can change as you hike.

Not so sure now, huh? Not to worry, there is a wonderful tool for managing your uncertainty. It's called layers!

A Clothing Arsenal

On our trips we haul a concise hiking wardrobe from which we tailor each hike's clothing combination. Starting with a simple base, we add elements for insulation and wind protection. Here are our suggestions. They are based on years of day hiking in the Southwest and will vary somewhat from those of campers or professionals with commercial agendas.

A note: Styles, models and even brands change with such frequency you will probably not find many of those we mention. But we hope to at least leave you with the appropriate concepts. If you did well on your SAT's, you can handle it.

Warm Weather Base

Convertible pants - There are lots of pants choices at outdoor stores and sporting goods stores, local and online. For a little more money you get lighter weight fabrics and the left and right pant leg zippers are marked. Extra outside pockets are useful and we avoid inside pockets made of mesh - good for weight, bad for snags. Check the inseam length of the shorts (legs zipped off) or you might unwittingly find yourself in Daisy Dukes.

Comfortable underwear - You don't need high-tech undergarments that (supposedly) won't offend even if you wear them a week straight. C'mon, it's a day hike. We do recommend using a sports bra. Um, that would only be if you are already planning to hike in a bra.

Comfortable socks - Thick or cushioned, you don't have to worry about room in your pack. Be comfy. A second, inner pair for blister protection is useful and for this we like the Injinji® toesock.

Genuine hiking shoes - Not sneakers. You will learn to value the trail-grip of a good hiking shoe on all surfaces and the thickness of the sole on rocky climbs. Low tops are more comfortable and we recommend pairing them with strong ankles. Also, buy from someone knowledgeable who sells lots of different brands. We bought our current shoes at REI: Merrell® Chameleon 5; Ahnu® Montara II. Both have Vibram® soles. Good stuff.

Hat (ball cap style) - This is valuable whether you start with it on your head or hanging on your pack. Having a front visor not only keeps some sun out of your face it keeps the hood of your jacket, when deployed, from falling down over your eyes. Really.

Sunblock - OK, you can argue it's not clothing. I hear you. But it is a protective layer. We use Neutrogena® Clear Face on exposed areas before we're out the door, and carry a tube in our pack, too. Optional for the scalp, if it's underprotected due to thinning hair, Bull Frog® Quik Spray.

For Added Warmth & Protection

Arm sleeves - These are a fabulous solution to the "long sleeve or short sleeve" T-shirt dilemma. We almost always start with a short sleeve T and "arm sleeves". They are easy to pull on or strip off and they take up almost no pack capacity. Find sleeves that give some warmth, not the summer golfing kind that provide sun protection and (counterproductively) cooling. The two of us are currently using Zensah® and Nike® brands, respectively.

Long sleeve mid-layer - Go for compressibility, this layer gets pulled off and packed often enough. And get one with tangible warmth. A funnel collar is desirable. Sheila's Salomon® Discovery has a full zipper and Dale's North Face® (model undetermined, but it's machine washable in many languages) has a half zipper. Zippers add some weight and bulk and are examples of the many performance trade-offs you will be weighing.

Jackets - We have two apiece and each is hooded and zippered. They are thin enough and light enough that they can both be worn at the same time, and sometimes we do. These models are obsolete, but similar jackets can be found from a variety of manufacturers.

Patagonia® Dragonfly model - very light, very compressible, no outside pockets, gives you added warmth of about 10°F and light wind protection. A tiny internal, integrated stuff-pouch is used to contain the squished jacket. Dragonfly is the greatest.

Our other jacket is made by Marmot® and is the Mica model for men and the Crystalline model for women. Two names but exactly the same design. It has two external pockets, one of which also serves to contain the compressed jacket. It gives you added warmth of 10-15°F, a little better wind protection than the Dragonfly, and light rain defense.

Light gloves - Form-fitting cloth with rubber grip palms. Under Armour® or similar.

Poncho - We don't do rain, at least not intentionally, so we don't do ponchos. Our rain strategy is to put up our hoods and curse weather.com. Suit yourself.

Cold Weather Base

Insulated long underwear - We don't use these much but we each have a set from Bass Pro Shop. Packability is irrelevant. If you need to take them off on the trail you have a seriously flawed layer plan.

Additional Cold Add-Ons

Ski hat - Get a thin one of fleece or tight woven knit. It often gets pulled off and stuffed into the pack.

Ski band - Another option, get thin and warm.

Fingerless, convertible mittens - These are worn over your light gloves when it's very cold. They provide a removable glove layer and allow for using your fingers to take photos or do other things needing digital dexterity. They seem harder to find nowadays - the Asics® pair of Sheila's is fairly compact but Dale's RedHead pair from Bass Pro is bulky.

The Hiking Duffel

Each of us has a small bag that holds our pack, our trekking poles and, in plastic zipper bags, our add-on layers and shoes. With occasional exceptions we put our shoes and added layers on right at the trailhead. The duffel's side pockets are good for Kleenex packs, spare batteries, etc. The duffel bags are loaded into the car with the rest of the luggage and we pull them out just for hikes.

Do It

1. Look at the weather forecast and map online just before you start. We favor the hourly forecast from weather.com.
2. Look out the window. Sometimes it's a surprise.
3. Make your base choice. It's pretty straightforward - warm or cold.
4. Drive to the trailhead. Make your final clothing choices when you are standing at your car pulling stuff out of your hiking duffel. Feeling and seeing are the best guides of all.

General Comments

All hiking clothes have personal appearance compromises as well as functional and financial trade-offs. For clothing items worn over the base layer we value compressibility and light weight because at some point, on some hike, we will be carrying them in our packs. And there are technical fabrics that - for a price - provide both attributes. Colors and styles change and you can chase those if you wish, but we don't. Our main fashion guideline is "Hey, we can afford it, it works, and it's not too ugly". Acquire your ultimate wardrobe over time - you will spread the cost and make increasingly sophisticated choices.