Hiking “Uniform”

If you’ve been following the blog for awhile, you’ve seen plenty of pictures of me in my hiking kit (kit is a slightly archaic term for gear – a knight’s armor, sword, saddle, and other gear was often referred to as his “kit”): hiking boots, hiking socks, hiking pants, a technical t-shirt beneath a long-sleeved hiking shirt, hiking stick, and a wide-brimmed hat, bug-net optional.  While some things, like the over-sized, wooden walking staff, are simply personal affectations, most of what I wear is the result of careful research, and plenty of field testing, to determine what will keep me the most comfortable on the trail.

Enjoying a snack atop McCurdy

We’ve discussed footwear before (here and here), but I will briefly discuss my own choices here.  I currently have a pair of Zamberlan 996 Vioz GTX backpacking boots, with 3D Vibram soles, hydrobloc, and Gore-Tex technologies.  These set me back about two hundred dollars, but so far have proven worth the cost.  They’re a little higher than your typical hiking boot, with a thick, very heavily ridged sole, and the uppers are solid, full-grain leather.  There are few seams, which is always a good thing for durability and water resistance, and though warm, the leather does breath enough to keep me comfortable.  They’re very stiff, much stiffer than most other boots, and take some time to break in, but it’s the stiffness and thick soles that make these backpacking boots instead of simply hiking boots.  Those features will help to save your hips, legs, knees, ankles, and yes, your soles, from the a lot of the wear and tear that comes with lugging around a heavy pack all day over rugged terrain.

I wore the same pair of LL Bean hiking socks through six days in Quetico Provincial Park

When it comes to hiking socks, I’m not particularly brand-loyal: I have SmartWool, LL Bean, REI brand, and probably a couple of others that I use.  What I mostly look for is material – I like synthetic wool.  Most of my socks are medium weight, which works for me even when it’s very hot, but there are also light weight and heavy weight socks for various environments and temperatures.  Primarily, you want to avoid cotton, because cotton won’t dry and will become worse than useless (meaning actually harmful) when it does get wet.

My hiking pants are Zuhl brand, though there are plenty of other, very high quality brands on the market.  What you’re looking for is something that’s synthetic or a synthetic blend (again, stay away from cotton), and that will be comfortable to hike in over a long distance.  I always also look for a surplus of pockets (one can never have too many pockets, as far as I’m concerned).  Many people like the zip-off feature, though personally that’s something that I intentionally avoid – I never wear shorts on the trail, and I don’t like the way the zipper rubs.

I use a web belt to keep my hiking pants up.  Web belts have my full support for hiking and backpacking purposes, as they are convenient to affix things to, and they don’t dig into your hips as much when you have a heavy pack with a hip belt strapped down tightly.

We should probably talk about underwear, too, since you don’t want to wear your regular cotton stuff out on the trail.  Like most hiking clothing, I strongly suggest finding some nice, moisture-wicking, maybe even odor-resistant underwear.  I like ExOfficio, but they’re not the only option, by any means.  Having good, moisture-wicking underwear will greatly help in reducing chafing, not to mention being healthier.  Their quick-drying properties make them ideal for washing and re-using on the trail.  ExOfficio’s advertisements like to claim that they went through some sixty countries with only one or two sets of underwear – I don’t advise that, but I will say that I did a twelve day backpacking trip with just five pairs.  Yes, it’s twenty dollar underwear, but I consider it worth it.

I wear a technical, moisture-wicking t-shirt when hiking (most of which I accumulated through Scouts), which helps to keep my cool and dry, and doesn’t chafe.  Over that, I have an REI brand, long-sleeved hiking shirt.  I do recommend long sleeves, for sun, bug, and general environmental protection – it can actually keep you cooler than you would be without it.  Again, this is made from synthetic materials, which means that it’s very breathable, and dries very quickly.  When I did Philmont with the Scouts, we would get soaked in the afternoon rains, and a half an hour later, my shirt would be dry.

Finally, the hat.  My hat is a Tilly hat, handmade in Canada, which supposedly has all sorts of properties, some of which I’ve tested more thoroughly than I ever intended: water repellent, UV protection, it floats, doesn’t blow off, has a pocket in the top (for Abraham Lincoln imitators, of course), and washes well.  Mostly, what you’re looking for in a hat is something that will keep the sun off of you on all sides: face, back of the neck, ears, etc.  Whether you’re on the water, in the desert, or on the plains, some kind of hiking hat is a good investment.  Plus, it’s distinctive.

So yes, I’m quite a sight when I get all suited up for the backcountry.  The general consensus is that I look pretty dorky, especially when I tuck my pants into my socks, but as you can hopefully tell, there is careful thought that has gone into the selection of my hiking clothes.  Having the right clothes really can make your trail experience a drastically more comfortable (and therefore more enjoyable) one.  If you’re worried about being unfashionable, I have to ask, who do you think is going to care?  The trees?