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(1) It must be comfortable.
(2) It must prevent/reduce
perspiration.
For most of us hiking is enjoying the outdoors, while getting some well deserved exercise.
After beginning a hike, the only thing that you will care about is how comfortable you are while hiking.
Your first piece of outdoor clothing gear should be comfortable foot wear. We highly recommended breaking boots in. Wearing new foot wear on a hike is a real deal breaker. Going up, down, over, through, and around all types of terrain or simply walking on a well maintained trail for hours can produce blisters, abrasions and/or sores that last well beyond the hiking experience you earned them on.
When purchasing boots,bring along your favorite hiking socks or purchase a pair that you will be wearing with the boots. Another option for women to consider is wearing men's hiking boots. These boots are wider than women's boots. Unless you have narrow feet, these boots are quite often more comfortable than women's.
Every pair of boots was once new so..., break your boots in by wearing them for an hour or two each day. Try this for a couple of weeks prior to hiking. Even then take these boots on as many short hikes as necessary prior to committing them to a long hike. (Karen Berger, hiking expert, recommends 50 hours of walking to break in a pair of boots.)
Another important part of your outdoor clothing gear is your socks. Your choice of above ankle or calf socks, the latter, provide additional layers of protection particularly when wearing shorts.
Next there are (3) styles designed for comfort, warmth, and moisture. Wicking socks will keep your feet drier hence, more comfortable and "cold feet" won't set in. Also look for hiking socks with that all important cushioning. Not only does it feel good, it also reduces friction after miles of hiking.
The following is a hiking clothes guide to choosing socks:
If your feet get cold, then buy wool socks. Wool is the best insulating material while moving perspiration away from the skin.
If your feet perspire a lot, then buy synthetic socks. They move moisture quicker and faster. More perspiration means more energy spent and the need for more hydration.
The more dense the fabric, the better. Turn the hiking socks inside out and inspect the fabric loops. The smaller and tighter the fabric loops, the denser the fabric is and the more cushioning they will provide.
The next group of outdoor clothing gear is pants and shirts. These will provide an extra layer of warmth in the early morning or the late afternoon, and also protect your skin from poison oak, ticks, snake bites, sun burning, lacerations, bruises, etc.
Pants need belt loops and a belt, the same for hiking shorts. The belt loops are perfect for hooking items on to and the belt not only holds your drawers up, it is a great survival tool as well. Any t-shirt will due, remember that cotton will hold the moisture and "cold" will set in. Cotton is comfortable; unfortunately when it gets wet, it stays wet. We prefer synthetic brands that include Techwick, Under Armour, Nike, etc.. It keeps wicking the moisture away from the body and dries almost as quickly as it gets wet.
Our last group of outdoor clothing gear is jackets and hats. Wind Breaker, Vest, Jacket, Rain Gear, and Sweat Shirts as required by the weather and season.
There are many light weight synthetic products that provide the necessary warmth without the weight. Always keep in mind breath ability as well.
More than likely you will be warm while hiking. It will be during hiking breaks that you may become chilled. A synthetic material wind breaker is light, can protect against wind and light rain, dries quickly and reduces to only a few square inches.
A vest keeps the core of the body warm and to cool down it is easily unzipped. Down coats and sweat shirts are warm and comfortable, but once they are wet, they stay wet.
Finally, hats protect the head from the sun and on winter hikes they keep the body heat in. In our opinion, a hat is a required piece of hiking equipment. However, which typed of hat is purely personal.
What To Wear When Hiking:
In hiking less is more. Keep in mind that you must pack every ounce of gear for the duration of your hike.For your average four hour hike on a brisk, spring or fall morning we recommend you bring the following:
Hiking Boots and Hiking Socks
Pants
T-Shirt and Long Sleeved Shirt
Vest or Sweat Shirt
Wind Breaker
Ball Cap
Fanny Pack or Day Pack
Over time you will adjust our list of "What to wear when hiking," to your own preferences. For now however, this list will get you started in the right direction.
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