what do you wear while hiking/backpacking

C

chazz

Joined
Mar 15, 2005
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i am posting this beacasue i recently did a short, but uphill and tiring, hike. i sweat like a beast when i go on hikes like that. i wore a ems techwick shirt, ems trek shorts, asolo boots, and a ems sprint lightweight hydration pack. and i had no problem doing this hike that my buddies were slackin off on. i dont know if any of you wear like heavy pants and cotton shirts. throw on this stuff and it is a world of difference. the shorts were light and had pockets to acomodate anything i wanted to throw in there. the wind goes right through the wind and it drys real fast and is extremely light. i am never going to wear anything else again. i just thought id share what i found out, if any of you fell as if this would help you i would recomend getting some lighter and more breathable clothes they make a real difference.

and what do you guys were on hikes and backpacking trips?
 
Levi's or a pair of German military moleskin cargo pants. Usually a T shirt with a German moleskin shirt/jacket, with removed sleeves. Medium weight Vasque boots and wool socks.

I sweat too, but shorts around these parts is hard on the skin (thistle, poison oak, heavy brush, snakes, nettles, etc.).
 
yea i wouldnt wear shorts while hiking over were ever you are, i am pretty safe from that stuff by me.
 
I guess I'm old school on this one. OD tropical weight BDU's. I normally wear a long sleeve T-shirt and pack the BDU shirt as a jacket. If it's going to be cold here I'll pack in a fleece sweatshirt with a hood which gets worn under the BDU jacket. I get by fine with this set-up in a wide variety of conditions. Mac
 
Most any or all of your undergarments sould have polypropelene if at all possible...

Another thing to shy away from for undergarments is cotton...

It doesn't pull the moisture away from you and can create big problems if it is cold out...

Wool is another good thing to have along.

The biggest thing I would say is to layer up, especially on the upper part of your body.

As you warm up, you pull these garments off to help keep cool...

The last thing with over heating, as they tell us on the fires, and some times it gets really hot for extended leangths of time...

Drink lots of fluids, this is a natural way to keep you from over heating...
 
I tend, also, to be military based old school. I have seen many people (and patched up a few) who have been torn to ribbons by briars (or because they took a misstep and fell), cooked to a crispy red or with torn up feet from improper clothing selection. Another reason for the heavy clothing; here in Colorado at higher altitudes it can go from clear and sunny to cloud bound (think heaviest cold wet fog that you have ever seen) and/or snowing, hailing, raining etc. in minutes, then just as quickly return to high UV sunshine. I also tend to the more silent fabrics as they frighten the wild life less (if I am careful).
From top to bottom:
Wide brimmed boony or Aussie style fabric hat.
Long sleaved heavy shirt usually military style (roll up the sleaves, or strip to a tee shirt if it gets too hot).
Long denim, somewhat worn, trousers (Yeah, I know about the potiential for hypothermia when wearing cotton).
Good quality socks
Medium to light, well ventilated,(leather or balistic nylon based) hiking boots. (Not waterproof, waterproof boots, for me, cause my feet to sweat unbearably, and are so uncomfortable that I threw away the last (expensive) pair after one trip.)
I rarely sweat a lot in the woods (draws bugs) and I long ago gave up carrying large weights on my back or hiking to a schedule. Since I am in no hurry to get there, I take my time and enjoy the trip (by walking relativly slowly, and silently, I see, and experience, things that others miss).
Enjoy!
 
you guys should pick up a few breathable synthetic shirts and wear those for a trip instead of the bdus you will find an astounding difference
 
If the service taught me one thing, its take care of your feet!!! I get a good pair of socks, carry an extra pair of socks, and make your your footwear fits properly. Once your feet start to blister your day of fun in the woods will be short lived.

Rob
 
On backpacking and hiking i wear a coolmax shirt and columbia aruba zip off pants or snake river shorts, and on muddy days i wear my gatiers. I also wear a pair of montrail boots, dont know the model name off hand. Ill ethier have my Osprey Aether 75 lightly pack and compressed tight (you can do that with the strightjacket compression system) or a L.L. Bean toploading day pack, again dont no the model. ill soon be repacing it with a Blackhawk 3 day assult pack as my woods buming pack. Oh cant forget the smart wool socks. =)
 
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