Hiking Clothes:

When you’re out on the trail, the weather can and will change very easily. If your climbing up hills, you’re elevation will also be changing, and as you get higher up, the weather tends to get colder. You will also be climbing, so you’ll be sweating and getting out of breath. This all makes for very tricky clothes choosing.

Some things that I look at before I decide what I’m going to be wearing on the trail are:

1. What do the clouds look like today? What does the weather forecast say about the weather for the next few hours?
2. What kind of trail am I expecting to hike?
3. What season are we in?

When you are hiking, if you bring to much clothes, you can always take off clothes; but, if you don’t bring enough clothes, you cannot just pick up clothes along the way to put on. So, the best bet is to prepare for the worst weather.

Take a look at the clouds out today. They tell you a lot about what the weather is going to look like: Is it a cloudless sky? Are there black looming clouds? Are there scattered clouds? Is it foggy out? Clearly, the more scary and overwhelming the clouds look, the more prepared you want to be. On Wildned.com we have a weather section, and another good resource is the weather network. Both of these should, within a certain amount of certainty, provide you with fairly accurate forecast of what to expect out there.

The trail that you plan to take can also affect your decision of clothing. If the plan is to hike along a beach, on a very sunny day, then a good choice might be shorts and a t-shirt. But if it’s windy, you might want to choose a windbreaker too. If it’s a peak that you’re going to be hiking to, be weary of the elevation change. As you get higher up on a mountain, the weather also gets colder; as well, the weather can change very quickly up where the wind blows faster. Also, if it is a hike straight up hill, you’re going to be working hard at getting up, basically, you’ll be sweating. When I’m going up mountain sides, I like to wear a few layers that can easily be shed or put back on.

In the heat of summer, hiking can get extremely hot, whereas in the fall or early spring, the weather can be a bit chilly. After you’ve reached the peak and are coming back down, one has usually already sweat the most they will sweat so it’s a lot cooler coming back down the hill. I like to bring a jacket for the colder seasons, for usually I’ve cooled down at the top of the hill for a while, so the hike down is less warm. The more breathable your hiking clothing is, the less your sweat will stick to your clothes. When your clothes are wet, it cools you down a bit, and can lead to irritation.

What I like to wear in the middle of summer on a nice day is a pair of shorts and t-shirt. In the fall, I’m usually wearing work pants like Dickies, a t-shirt, a thin long sleeved shirt, and I always bring a fleece jacket. The work pants are usually breathable material, and can repel the water to a certain extent, and dry easily. Jeans are a bad choice. Not only will they stay wet for a very long time, they will start to rub and create irritation. The fleece jacket is very good because it’s relatively waterproof, except in the harshest of rain falls, and it also breathes to release your sweat and let your upper body breath a bit too.

On my feet I always wear wool socks. They breathe nicely, and can dry off really quickly if you get a soaker. If you have long hair, or if it’s raining, it can be a good idea to keep your hair out of your face with a hat. It can also shield your face from the sun if it’s to strong or protect your head from some of the little bugs you might run into. Mitts will always be a nice addition if it’s cold season. You never know what kind of weather you’re going to find out there.