Hiking in warm weather

[brian_bahn]

This may or may not be a silly question but it does have relevence. I've just

started in the photography hobby but even the limited equipment I bought so far

(Olympus E510 being main purchase so far and love it) I reasearched pretty good

before purchasing. So I want to take the same route with my next few

purchases....some lightweight pants for hiking! I love wearing shorts because I get

hot easy but I also get bit up and poison easy too! Even with bug spray I seem too

attract every bug in the area.

 

Anyhow I just wanted to get some opinions from those who spend a lot of time on

the trail and what clothing you have found to be the coolest and most comfortable

and as always the best all around value.

 

I live in Pennsylvania and will be doing some hiking/photographing trips to our

cabin in the PA mountains here shortly(and hopefully throughout the summer).

 

Thanks

[photo_dark]

whatever you do, don't where cotton for any extended trips. Personally, a very light, loose-fitting pair of nylon pants, or a polyester/nylon combination works pretty well. If you find a pair that is convertable (zips off at the knee) you will be better off.

 

Most of my hiking is in the upper-elevation rockies, so I usually switch between either shorts with knee-high gaiters, or midweight fleece for when it gets cooler.

 

For Dayhikes, any pair of lightweight, highly breathable polyester, nylon, or cotton pants will suffice. I really don't like suggesting cotton for any kind of hiking, but if it is only for short jaunts in very warm weather, you'll probably be fine.

 

I'd recommend something like this: http://www.mec.ca/Products/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524442624698&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302698621&bmUID=1212429228149

[kerry_grim]

I wear jeans, well worn and loose. I am satisfied with that as I do hiking on the Kittatinny Ridge in Pennsylvania. There are lighter materials, but also offer less protection when down on your knees and photographing rattlesnakes or wildflowers.

 

I am much more concerned over footwear and consider light weight hiking boots essential and protection from the sun very important if not in the forest. I would not wear all cotton socks, but do recommend SmartWool socks. Then when my "waterproof boots" get wet from walking through a field, my feet will not get cold because the wool in the material.

 

 

Review of outdoor clothing:

 

http://outside.away.com

 

http://www.backpacker.com/gear

 

Outdoor clothing:

 

http://www.rei.com/

[jeffpolaski]

Another Pennsylvanian here: unless the road is wide and clear, long pants and long sleeves are called for despite the heat. Hat with a brim to keep twigs from snapping into your face. Campmor.com has a sheet of Tyvek to use as a groundcloth.

Ditto SmartWool.

[JAPster]

Hi there. Cant comment much on the clothing selection, but wanted to let you know that Avon Skin-So-Soft has developed a great reputation in central and East Coast Florida as a great bug & mosquito repellant. Its used by many a snook fisherman, to keep away the nasty mosquitos, sand flies, and no-see-ums. That might help you out in your neck of the woods. :)

[carl_becker2]

North Face makes convertable pants from nylon. The legs zip off. I purchased a pair a few years back and now own four pair. REI sells them. They are loose and have good pockets. I cold weather I put thermals underneath and am fine.

[greg s]

I bought some convertible pants from Columbia Sportswear (after Xmas sale) a few years ago and they are by far my favorite travel/hiking pants. Very lightweight and breathable... great for keeping the bugs off too. They are so cool that I haven't even tried unzipping the legs off to make them shorts, but it's a nice option to have, for whenever. :)

 

http://www.columbia.com/Product/1/Mens/130/Pants/7671/Omni-Dry-Silver-Ridge-Convertible-Pant.aspx?viewAll=False

[stemked]

I just back from Costa Rica. I had two pairs of the convertable pants. I normally wear shorts myself, but chiggers were supposed to be pretty dense so I treated the pants with Permethron (ssp?). Anyway, the pants were very comfortable, even in high humidity. I had one pair of Columbia and one of REI, both excellent. Of the two I slightly prefered the REI pants. They both also dry very quickly, even under pretty humid conditions.

 

They do look a tad silly, but they were a great investment.

[daniel_harris]

My hiking/climbing/backpacking is done in the Sierras and Cascades. I use Royal

Robbins Zip 'N' Go pants similar to the ones mentioned by Greg amd Carl. I too usually

leave the whole pant on except to unzip the bottoms for stream crossing. Not

mentioned is that if these pants get wet, they dry quickly while cotton stays wet for a

long time. A synthetic T-shirt is nice as it will also dry faster when you get sweaty.

Synthetic socks and lightweight trail runner shoes (from Hi-Tec) for hiking

and mountain approaches are part of my wardrobe.

Sample:

<img src=http://imgcash5.imageshack.us/img130/9307/1004959qh9.jpg>

[andrew_cary]

I have several pair of 'convertible' pants. Mostly nylon, but a one heavier one is cotton. I've used them in in my perambulations for years.

 

The nylon is great for cool to warm dry climates, BUT the cotton sure is more comfortable in hot sticky ones... and yes I know it takes a long time to dry cotton.....

[matthew_newton]

I generally go with poly/cotton blend shorts and if I might encounter cooler weather or bad conditions for my legs (IE a lot of hiking on non-cleared trails) I will wear jeans.

 

I consider foot wear the most important thing. Studry boots with good support. Light weight is important as well. For socks I always wear liners (I think they are poly) and then wool socks (generally 70%+ wool blends). Nothing like wool for socks, even in hot weather.

[carl_becker2]

I did not think I would really like them so I only purchased one pair first. They are great on many counts. My grandfather told me to wear loose fitting pants for safety against snake bits. Poison Ivy, thorns and sun burn are also negated. They dry quickly and if in the open make great shorts. They are now my every day causal pants of choice. I also carry a Goretex jacket every where. Looks like I am a boy scout with my swiss army knife and flash light.

[jdrose]

All of my hiking in the summer is above 7000' in the desert Southwest.

 

I always have a coat handy.

 

For hiking I wear a super light long sleeve white shirt and blue jeans. And I always carry water. Let me repeat that, I always carry water. As much as I can. Drink it continuously. That will be key to a comfortable hike.

 

I never hike east of the Rockies in the summer. I hate humidity. I find it saps the joy from any outdoor venture.

 

Have fun and be safe....

[martin nelson]

Firstly NEVER wear jeans or any similar materials. They may be comfortable but just wait until it begins to rain! Furthermore in hot or warm weather you will sweat and jeans will not wick the moisture away from your skin, this can lead to you sweating further and becoming under hydrated, becoming very sticky, and if the temperature does suddenly drop the moisture still on your skin can lead to a higher level of suceptubility to hypotermia. I repeat NEVER EVER wear jeans whilst hiking and never listen to anyone who tells you to wear jeans! I have hiked over 100 trails and been hiking since I was 13. The best clothing is combat trousers, polo shirt and a fleece/jumper. Basically you are looking for materials that do two jobs. The first is wicking away moisture, this means that the moisture can evapourate away from the skin and thus cool you down far quicker. The second is breathe, materials that breathe will help reduce chafing and aid the wicking process.

 

If you do want to wear shorts then to keep mozzies away then I would suggest citroenella wrist bands (they work for a small number only); a good smoky fire if you stop for a longish period (dry leaves added to the top of a fire will cause a large amount of smoke for a short period, green leaves will slowly release smoke for a longer period of time. A fire's smoke will deter many kinds of flying insect. However, another good idea is to be stocked up on Vitamin B or Garlic, although the scientific evidence for this is kinda minimal. The best way to deal with insect bites though is not to repel them as often repellents just do not work, rather concentrate on treating them. Germolene or other such antiseptic creams are good for insect bites and will sooth the area and allow it to heal quickly. You can also by small static generators, they are about the size of a thumb and you zap the bite with static electricity, though I have not yet used one they have been recommended by friends. Lastly there are natural remedies, Tree leaves. Certain trees have leaves that have an antiseptic nature (Doc leaves for example).

 

I must also agree with JD Rose, pack water. A good tip for the amount of water you should carry is to work out 1 pint per hour and then add 1 more pint to be on the safe side. If it is a hot day double this amount. If there is a good chance that the weather could change or that you could become stuck, then also double the amount. Also only take food that is high in water content, carbs and sugars. A good tip is GORP (good old raisens and peanuts) they are easy to eat you don't have to stop and they are high in sugars and carbs.

[photo_dark]

I can't believe how many people are suggesting cotton here... Jeans? Maybe for a quick dayhike in easy conditions, but if you are considering any kind of overnight trip, or longer dayhikes in more difficult terrain, I wouldn't recommend jeans if they were the last clothing on earth, regardless of how warm it is.

 

Find a good lightweight and breathable pair of nylon or poly blend pants, preferrably zip off. Forego the jeans. Heavy, and are a quick trip to hypothermia if the temperature drops and you get wet. They won't dry (ever, if we're talking about an outdoor trip), so you will always need an extra pair for when the first pair gets wet.

 

All you jean-wearers, please don't come to the Canadian rockies. I can't afford the taxes it costs to rescue your hypothermic rear ends when it goes from 75F and sunny to 40F and pouring in less than 2 hours ;)

[rjacksonphoto]

Another recommendation for the Royal Robbins convertible pants. Also the Ex

Officio Buzz-Off convertible pants, which have permethrin impregnated in them

when purchased. Another downside to cotton not drying quickly is that, if you have

to wash them yourself, they take forever to dry. The synthetic ones will often dry

overnight, depending on conditions. I've never even been able to get jeans to dry in

Paris with a clothes dryer!

 

Careful about Skin So Soft. While often lauded as an insect repellant, Travel

Medicine by Jay Keystone, Phyllis Kozarsky, David Freedman, and Hans Nothdurft

cites objective evidence that it is pretty ineffective. Best to stick with DEET.

[andrew_cary]

Sigh. Blue jeans are evil AWAYS wear wool...

 

As a card carrying, granola eating, wool trouser mountaineer of the 1970's I can't let that pass.

 

Cotton is neither good or bad. It is just the wrong thing to wear when it is cold and wet or can become cold and wet. It works well in hot dry country like the mountains of the south west where keeping your cotton clothing slightly damp can make life a lot more comfortable.

 

You have to wear appropriate clothing for the weather you expect.

[martin nelson]

To Andrew Cary, I must disagree with you. Wool is also a material that does not wick moisture away from your skin. In fact it is only good for use in fleeces/pullovers. Even wool sock are a bad idea, they can increase the likelihood of athlete's foot and other such problems. In fact cotton that is slightly damp is far superior to wool any day of the week. As if it is slightly damp and you are sweating you know that the moisture is being removed from the skin therefore cooling you naturally.

[brian_bahn]

Thank You for all of the informative answers. I will be getting some nylon pants for my next hike. probably a synthetic shirt or two also.. Lots of good info in this thread. Thanks.

[carl_becker2]

Martin, cotton is the wrong thing to wear when it�s cold or freezing cold. I have done short hikes in Maine in the summer wearing cotton tee shirts and been chilled on breezy summits when still. Cotton will not provide any insulation when wet. Wool when wet will provide some insulation and may keep you alive. These days I prefer new synthetics over wool.

[martin nelson]

Carl, layers are far better than wool anyday. I wasn't just suggesting cotton. I do agree that synthetics can and mostly are far better. But when wet the fibres of wool are penetrated with far more ease by the wind and elements meaning that the insulation is little to none. Layers are then far better. Vest, T-Shirt/Polo, Fleece for upper body. However, cotton bottoms are a bad idea unless they are a blend. Army surplus, like a good number of my trousers are, usualy are blends. For example Standard USMC pants are a 65%/35% Poly/Cotton blend and are think enough to withstand good punishment and provide good protection from the elements.

[photo_dark]

"Sigh. Blue jeans are evil AWAYS wear wool...

 

As a card carrying, granola eating, wool trouser mountaineer of the 1970's I can't let that pass.

 

Cotton is neither good or bad. It is just the wrong thing to wear when it is cold and wet or can become cold and wet. It works well in hot dry country like the mountains of the south west where keeping your cotton clothing slightly damp can make life a lot more comfortable.

 

You have to wear appropriate clothing for the weather you expect."

 

No, Cotton is BAD... at least for anywhere outside of a desert.

 

If you are expecting 80F+, no wind, no rain, perfect conditions. Then by all means wear jeans. But unless you are hiking in truly hot environments, its never a good idea. No one controls the weather, you can only control how prepared you are for any potential conditions that could arise.

 

Wool isn't the answer either, although it has the advantage in cooler weather as it maintains it's insulating properties when wet... unlike cotton, which acts like a heat sink the second it gets damp.

 

This isn't the 70's anymore. There are many different poly and nylon blends these days that make that horrible scratchy wool of the past completely obsolete.

 

I wear the same polypro long-sleeve undershirt whether it's 100F or 0F. It wicks water away from the skin, cooling you in the summer and keeping you dry and warm in the winter. Fleece pants (poly as well) also breathe well, and help wick water away which keeps you dry. If it's REALLY warm out, a pair of thin poly/nylon pants will keep you very cool by wicking away sweat and maintaining breathability.

 

The difference is that when that north wind kicks up, you will stay warm because you are still dry, unlike with jeans and other cotton clothing where even light wind in moderate temperatures with pants dampened from sweat, can drain your body temperature faster than you can see it coming.

 

Honestly, with the clothing technology available, and all the affordable, high quality poly/nylon options out there, I can't imagine why anyone but a moron would wear jeans when pursuing anything more than a 15 minute walk in the local city park.

[andrew_cary]

My point was not that cotton, or polypro, or wool, or Aramid is either good or bad. My point was to wear the appropriate clothing for the climate and activity level you expect. If you expect damp and cold dress for it. If you expect dry and hot dress for it. If you are going to be kayak in glacial runoff in Alaska an exposure suit (or at least a dry suit) is appropriate.

 

Blanket statements of the form "xxxx is bad" was my objection.

 

For the record, I adopted polypropylene garments back when the only supplier was Helly Hansen in the early 1970s. and everyone thought dark blue underwear was abnormal. I have been through many generations of fleece, pile, nylon and Goretex garments of every ilk since. In my former mountaineering and sailing days, and my current sea kayaking and world travelling ones I have pretty much experienced every kind of weather you can imagine.

 

I have had Goretex jackets delaminate under pack straps, polypro underwear vanish in a ball of fire when a stove exploded and wool garments freeze solid (along with my beard), All these things have given me the field experience and perspective to avoid absolute statements like 'xxxx is evil'.

 

Modern fabrics are wonderful,but they aren't perfect. They can be the difference between living or dying. The trick is to avoid needing them to be that difference.

 

Can we talk about photography now?

[matthew_newton]

I don't ever hike in cold/rainy or potentially cold/rainy weather, so that is why I wear jeans. Most of my hiking is done along the AT in the summer time with the lowest temperature I have ever seen about 45F late at night. The average I see when hiking is probably 80F and on the humid side, I need the cottons comfort then. I take a pair of nylon/poly blend shorts and that is what I wear most of the time unless I am hiking through underbrush or need something just a bit warmer in the evenings around camp. So far with about 10 years of hiking and backpacking jeans have never let me down.

 

Jeans are not something I would wear high up in the rockies nor any other tall mountain range unless I was day hiking. I also wouldn't wear jeans in the winter time backpacking (Never have gone backpacking in the winter before) The appropriate gear for the appropriate climate.

[mark_schmidt3]

I live in SE Pennsylvania, wear cotton long pants, old army jungle boots and a hat to make up for my long-gone hair.

Go light, carry water, snack. I keep my non-photo stuff in large ziplock bags in my equipment bag and a light but sturdy tripod on a shoulder strap.

I always carry a usable knife, usually a small fixed blade camping knife. just for GP.

Spray pants cuffs, boots with bug repellant to keep ticks off, check yourself well when you get home-they will get you if ya don't watch out!

 

Enjoy the summer-go out again in fall and winter, too.

 

mark