Clothing

Some quick thoughts on your hiking wardrobe

Introduction

You can hike in any clothes you choose, but upgrading your threads can add an enormous amount of comfort and function to your hikes. This page will take you through the clothing options I use while hiking in the Commonwealth.

As a true to form pragmatist, I look first for performance, then price. What you’ll find is most clothing items have exactly the same performance regardless of brand - with similar design, fabric, and construction, but vastly different prices.

A lightweight polyester t-shirt is a lightweight polyester t-shirt is a lightweight polyester t-shirt, if ya know what I mean:-)

List from Head to Toe

Here’s the full list with my favorites in bold. The items in bold are also items that I’ve spent a little to a lot more money to get exactly what I needed.

Head

  • Lightweight buff/neck gaiter

  • Poly/Wicking baseball hat

  • Trucker hat

  • Winter beanie

  • Neoprene face mask

  • Goggles (high wind, well below zero wind chills)

Neck

  • Lightweight buff/neck gaiter

  • Insulated neck gaiter

Tops

  • Cotton/Poly lightweight base layer

  • Poly/Wicking midweight base layer

  • Poly/Wicking heavyweight base layer

  • Poly/Wicking short sleeve t-shirt

  • Poly/Wicking long sleeve t-shirt

  • Lightweight half-zip fleece

  • Midweight half-zip fleece

  • Heavyweight half-zip fleece

  • Heavyweight cotton/poly hoodie

  • Packable puffer jacket

  • Ultralight windbreaker

  • Rain jacket with hood

  • Winter coat with zip-out fleece, armpit vents, and hood

Hands

  • Glove liners

  • Cotton/Poly breathable waffle gloves

  • Waterproof gloves

  • Soft shell gloves

  • Midweight Winter gloves

  • Mittens

Bottoms

  • Cotton/Poly lightweight base layer

  • Poly/Wicking midweight base layer

  • Poly/Wicking heavyweight base layer

  • Poly/Wicking cargo shorts

  • Poly/Wicking convertible cargo pants (short/long)

  • Poly/Wicking reflective insulated pants

  • Poly/Wicking reflective outer shell with vents and boot zips

  • Poly/Wicking insulated snow pants

  • Rain pants

Feet

  • Poly/Wicking ankle socks

  • Poly/Wicking crew socks

  • Poly/Wool midweight crew socks

  • Poly/Wool heavyweight crew socks

  • Waterproof knee high socks

  • Knee high ski socks

  • Quick draining trail running shoes with aggressive lugs/tread, toe protection, and rock plate/stiff sole

  • Waterproof hiking shoes

  • Insulated Winter hiking boots

Shopping

You can spend as much or as little as you like on your hiking wardrobe with a wide range of outcomes as a result. Fully 80% of your wardrobe can be comprised of less expensive items that perform equally to higher priced, branded peers. BUT, there are a few things worth the extra greenbacks where specialty outdoor clothiers provide big advantages.

Fashion vs. performance. Buying a brand name does not guarantee performance. Brand name clothiers make two lines of popular items - fashion and performance with the former providing for the mass market and the latter centered on the most discerning buyers. When you see two similar items from the same company with a large difference in price, the lower price is for fashion and the higher price is for performance - and you should be able to tell the difference based on design, fabric, construction, and ultimately, performance on the trail.

When performance matters. I’ll spend a pretty penny on outerwear for adverse hiking conditions. In Kentucky, this is mostly about rain and water crossings. Truly waterproof items make a huge difference - especially in cold Winter rains. Waterproof (not water repellent) socks, pants, jackets, and gloves have proven time and again to be worth every penny.

Start with these items. If you’re just getting into hiking, odds are that most of your time on the trails will be Spring through Fall. Here’s a quick list of items for getting started as you shop:

  • Poly/wicking hiking shirts (short and long sleeve)

  • Poly/wicking hiking pants (shorts and full length)

  • Poly/wicking socks (ankle length minimum)

  • Nylon/poly rain jacket

  • Trail running shoes with mesh upper that drains water quickly

You’ll note that everything has some sort of polyester, and that’s because you’re most likely to be out there in warm/hot weather and sweating. Polyester fabrics provide breathability and dry much faster than cotton. Some newer materials even provide a sense of cooling which is nice on a 80% humidity, 90-degree Summer day.

Waterfalling

From mid-December through May, you’ll find some of the best waterfall conditions in the Commonwealth. Planning your hike during or immediately after a good rain will provide some amazing scenes with great flow. The only problem is keeping your feet warm and dry.

Fortunately, there is a solution - waterproof socks. I use SealSkinz knee high waterproof socks. When it’s cold, I wear knee high ski socks and a slightly oversized trail running shoe. With this combination, my feet stay warm and dry - allowing me to hike longer and to more interesting destinations deeper in the forest.

Also, if it’s raining, bring an umbrella to keep your phone/camera dry while you take pictures. And, I have a pair of waterproof gloves that keep my hands warm and dry while I’m out there.

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