Ultimate Guide For Hiking Clothing

Also referred to as the most beloved adventure activities of all time, hiking in the summers can be a soulful experience. The hue of colourful skies that can be experienced over the trails of the mountains is a mesmerising image. Hiking is often referred to as an experience where one finds their connection, close to nature. Interestingly, whether you have scaled the mountains for a hundred times or are on your first one, packing the right essential is necessary. Ranging from your hiking shirt to your shades, every item that occupies space in your backpack should be ready to save you from weathers rage.

Let’s have a look at the ultimate guide for hiking clothing to help you prepare wisely:

A thumb rule before packing your clothing items is to understand the type of weather you are going to deal with. Considering the adverse climatic changes before packing your bags is a wise decision to make.

Image Source

1.   Check on the Layered clothing

Layering is a necessity when it comes to packing your clothes. You need to understand how essential layered clothing is. Layered clothing materials contain nature adaptive materials that save you from the rampant changes in the weather around. When hiking in hot or humid weather, your outfits should be majorly focused on maintaining a seamless flow of fresh air.

2.   Look out for the ‘comfort’

You should always look after your comfort before deciding what to put in your backpack. Comfort is necessary while selecting your hiking attire as it is a major factor behind your hiking speed and efficiency. The comfort in terms of hiking clothes can broadly be classified into the elasticity of your hiking shirt or other apparels, its knitting construction and textile’s finishing among others.

3.   Consider the reliability of your clothing

Here comes another factor in play, the reliability of your clothes play an important role when it comes to harsh extremes. Your hiking attire should be ready to face extreme weathers. Reliability of clothes helps you rely less on heavy packaging and also improve chances for safe hiking.

4.   Absorbency of the clothes

If you haven’t already, its time you consider absorbency when it comes to packing for hiking clothing. The moisture regaining ability of your hiking shirt of any of the apparel is the amount of water a dry fibre can absorb.

Absorption of moisture can be a driving factor when you decide to go on a trial during summers as the scorching heat of the sun. Differences in absorbency lead to differences in functionality. If you are travelling to a warmer place, it is always advisable to carry cotton apparels with high moisture absorbency.

5.   The three-layered rules is a must

No matter the weather type you decide to face, the three-layered rule is a must. You should begin with a base layer that usually comprises of a t-shirt or hiking shirt to help you control body temperature. Moving to the second layer, it should comprise an insulating layer to maintain a free flow of air inside out.

The last layer that comes into consideration is the final layer that can be either waterproof or water-resistant. The purpose of this layer is to protect you from bad weather that could penetrate and affect your body temperature.

6.   Buy more of bright coloured apparels

Yes, you read it right. We suggest you bright colours when you consider buying or packing hiking clothing. Bright colours can be easily spotted even from miles, saving your life in case of emergencies. Moreover, bright coloured clothes also play an important role in refracting the rays of the sun that fall on your body, helping to maintain lower body temperature.

Understanding the roles that the basic materials play in your hiking clothes

Image Source

Polyester

An oil-based polymer, Polyester is the most popular fibre when it comes for selection of apparels from hiking shirts to base layers. Polyester plays an important role in the production of hiking clothes as it is very seamless and lightweight when compared to the other clothing components. With such functionalities to serve, clothes made of polyester can be of great choice for hiking in cold and chilly mountains while it is a really bad option for the hotter side.

Merino Wool

A delicate balance between quality absorbent clothes that is actively used in the production of activewear, Merino wool works great for base layers. Thanks to the superior water vapour permeability and quick-drying properties of merino wool, it is one of the best components for insulation.

The wool is more resistant to odour-causing bacteria, making it a good choice for long-durations. Interestingly, merino wool absorbs more water than polyester that is 30% of its dry weight. You should check out for the material of your clothes before packing it.

Cotton

Cotton is probably one of the best materials when it comes to everyday clothing attire. It also makes a great choice if you are considering to hike trails that lie in the arid regions.  The clothes made of an all-cotton are extremely gentle and can breathe. It also absorbs moisture quite rapidly, making it a bit clingy and heavy to carry at times.

You could carry a cotton hiking shirt as one of your ideal attires due to its breathing abilities. Wearing a cotton shirt is a great choice for desert hiking as it maintains a lower body temperature for much longer when compared to other fibres. Even when wet, the hot and dry nature of arid regions will dry off your shirt quickly. You could also consider the options for cotton blends with synthetic materials due to their improved breathing abilities.

Conclusion

Apart from the clothing section, your footwear and accessories also play a crucial role in hiking. The tropical areas generally demand a more subtle and basic layer of clothing. Choosing the right hiking shirt is as essential as selecting the other tools for your hiking. Pro tip: know your fibres well before heading for your next piece of adventure.

Loading...

Reply

You cannot copy content of this page