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Hiking clothes , backpacking clothes, and outdoor clothing in general - it's all specialized clothing. A good pair of jeans are great for the bar or the barn, but not for hiking. They are heavy, take forever to dry when they are wet, and therefore can leave you tired and cold. Mountain hiking in particular requires clothing that will keep you comfortable and safe in a wide variety of circumstances. Below are some tips. Further down the page you'll find a list of recommended hiking clothes suppliers.
Hiking Clothes Tip # 1: Nylon
Pants
We're not talking about the old-fashioned nylon rain pants. The new versions of nylon for hiking clothes are lighter, and more natural feeling. My Supplex travel/hiking pants have gone overseas and to the top of mountains with me. I can use them in a nice restaurant, and in a mountain thunderstorm. They weigh only nine ounces, and they dry quickly. Personally, I stay away from the convertible pants that allow you to zip off the legs to make them into shorts. They get a line of permanent dirt where the zippers are, they are baggy, and sometimes the zippers break or jam. In any case, my un-lined nylon shorts (2-ounces), along with my hiking pants, weigh less than light convertible pants, so I can bring both on any hike.
Hiking Clothes Tip # 2: Silk Shirts
I buy silk button-shirts in thrift stores for a few dollars. They weigh about three ounces, are comfortable, and dry quickly if they get wet. They are great for hiking, and I'm ready in case disco makes a comeback. The new nylon-derivative hiking shirts are good too. For t-shirts, cotton is good in the desert, but I prefer the cotton/polyester blends for use in the mountains. They are lighter, and dry faster. If you have the money, the new "wicking" materials in high-tech outdoor shirts are probably worth using. As with most hiking gear, you do tend to get what you pay for. (But not always.)
Hiking Clothes Tip # 3: Cheap
Nylon Socks
I stopped getting blisters the day I gave up on hiking boots and high-tech hiking socks. I started hiking in running shoes and cheap nylon dress socks years ago. I have hiked 39 miles in a day in the Smoky Mountains like this, without a blister. Once my feet were used to the thin socks, I couldn't stand the hot, heavy and expensive hiking socks out there. I use them only for sleeping in when backpacking, and for hiking in really cold weather. You can buy men's nylon dress socks at WalMart or almost anywhere. They weigh less than an ounce per pair, which makes them great for multi-day hiking trips.
Hiking Clothes Tip # 4: Unlined
Jackets
You may find, as I have, that a simple unlined nylon jacket is better than an insulated one. This is because it gives you more flexibility. With an insulated jacket, you'll find that many times it is too hot with it on, and too cold with it off. With a single layer jacket, you can use a sweater underneath when you need more warmth, or just wear the jacket over a t-shirt to block the wind or mosquitoes. Get one that is just a little larger than you'd normally wear, so you can wear more insulating layers underneath.
Hiking Clothes Tip # 5: Make Your
Own Clothes
Actually, I don't advocate putting away your wallet and picking up needle and thread. It is too much work for too inferior a product (in my case). There are a few simple pieces of hiking clothes you can make in minutes, however. A piece of poly-batting, normally used for quilt insulation, and available at any fabric store, can be used to make a disposable insulating vest. Just cut a piece out that is about two-by-four feet, cut a hole for your head, and wear it like a tunic. I took mine to the top of Mount Chimborazo, and a dozen other places. It weighs four ounces, and by using it only under a jacket, it keeps me very warm. It also has lasted a lot longer than I thought it would.
Other Hiking Clothes
Hiking shoes get their own page: Hiking Shoes Versus Hiking Boots.
Rainwear, because it is so important, also gets it's own page: Lightweight Rainwear.
Where To Buy Hiking Clothes
Here are a few hiking clothes suppliers that I can recommend. I will be adding to this list in the future, as I find other reputable dealers.
* Backcountry.com
has a good selection and decent prices.
* REI
has some of the best stuff out there.
* SierraTradingPost.com
has closeouts on all sorts of clothes. I can always find a good
pair of running/hiking shoes here for less than half of normal
retail. You never know what you'll find here, but it will always
be of good quality, and at a good price (up to 70% off retail).
Weight Guidelines For Hiking Clothes
You may have noticed how often I talk about the weight of hiking clothes, and hiking gear in general. This is, in part, because I am a lightweight backpacker, but I think that all hikers can benefit from lighter gear, at least when the function and quality is the same. A lighter tent, pack, and sleeping bag leave a backpacker with a lot more energy at the end of the day. A day hiker with lighter clothes, day pack and other gear can carry more water, perhaps, or a tree-identification book, or just avoid sore shoulders.
So this is a list for those who want to go light. You should be able to find several good lightweight hiking clothes options (for any size), that fall within the weight ranges listed below. You can also find more information on lightweight clothes and gear on my Ultralight Backpacking Site, at http://www.the-ultralight-site.com
Shoes: 20-40 ounces/pair
Socks: 1-3 ounces/pair
Underwear: 1-3 ounces
Pants: 8-18 ounces
T-shirts: 4-6 ounces
Shirts: 3-9 ounces
Sweaters: 8-13 ounces
Windbreakers: 7-14 ounces
Hats: 1-4 ounces
Gloves: 1-4 ounces/pair
Down Vests: 6-16 ounces
Down Coats: 16-40 ounces
Rain Pants: 6-10 ounces
Rain Jackets: 6-12 ounces