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Getting families and hikers to experience the wonderful scenic trails of the great outdoors has become a lifelong mission among a group of passionate hiking clothes companies. Many share the same vision, but unfortunately, hiking gear can cost you hundreds of dollars when you don’t keep your eyes on your priorities.
This hiking clothing guide will dispel some of the common myths and let you don comfortable hiking gear on your trip through the mountains or along scenic riverbeds.
3 Items to Buy and Take Along for Your Next Hiking Trip
#1. Hammock with Mosquito Netting
Putting a foot outside the more traditional choices like a tent, you’d be surprised at the level of comfort an outdoor hammock with mosquito netting can provide. Why string up a hammock between a couple of trees over a tent? First, the ease of setup becomes a gigantic advantage over the tent. While it can take up to 20 minutes just to pitch a tent, you can hook up a hammock within a few minutes and be chilling with your goofy pals around the campfire.
Second, you have to clear a considerable amount of brush in a hiking environment just to use a tent, and your back might be sleeping on a hard rock or root that leaves you waking up stiff and unready for the next day. With a hammock, you sleep in the comfort of air as the gentle cradling of the hammock rocks you back and forth to sleep like a newborn baby.
#2. Good Hiking Boots
Wandering the deep forests of the untamed wilderness and roughing it through swamps, rocky terrain, and unforgiving mountains, you want rock solid ankle support, waterproof boots and tough leather to protect your feet against mother nature’s unrelenting elements.
#3. Backpack
For the longer six to seven day trips, you need a dependable hiking backpack. First, consider the capacity of the pack needed. Consider this—how much can you leave behind without regret? Also, examine the length of your trip, the season you will go hiking and if you will do climbing or fishing. Backpacking products fit into three main categories:
- Overnight packs.
- Weekend packs.
- Expedition packs.
What to Pack and How to Pack for your Next Hiking Adventure
1. Cost Isn’t Everything: Pack a Long-Sleeved T-Shirt and Jeans
The best clothes for hiking aren’t necessarily the most expensive. Looking at hiking clothes, you should especially consider the comfort of your clothing. Also, look at what kind of bugs haunt the area.
Every experienced hiker knows how a black cloud of swarming mosquitoes can quickly turn that fun-filled hiking adventure into a five-day skin slapping nightmare. Always bring a pair of long jeans and a long-sleeved t-shirt because this reduces your skin exposure to mosquitoes and biting horse flies.
2. Pack Light
Your ideal backpack weight should be zero pounds. Hiking clothes don’t weigh that much, and if you bring a hammock instead of a tent, you drastically lower the weight you have to haul around on your back all day. You are thinking, “Why does 20 to 25 extra pounds matter?” It’s true packing extra hiking clothes might not matter, but you have to bring a looking glass to all potential scenarios.
Consider the following situation—you might not flinch at carrying 50 extra pounds for a seven-day trip. However, what happens if you get sick while hiking through a canyon? Suddenly, you feel the cumbersome burden of every ounce in your backpack. You might be lucky and have a strong hiking buddy who will take the extra hiking clothes, but if you pack too much, it will be more than they can carry.
When you hike in the wilderness, let your mind scroll over the worst-case scenarios. For example, perhaps you step on a beehive, and everyone gets stung a dozen times. Prepare for the worst to avoid being surprised by it.
2 Budgeting Issues to Consider
#1. Buy Used
The best hiking clothes will not always be new clothing. In fact, sometimes used hiking clothes will make more sense than forking over $400 for a bunch of hiking gear that makes getting into this sightseeing hobby more difficult. When you buy used, you cut the price in half and still have access to some fairly decent gear.
In other cases, you might actually have hiking gear and not have to buy it. For example, perhaps you have a sleeping bag from last year’s camping trip along the Mississippi. In that scenario, there’s no need to buy another sleeping bag.
#2. Choose Hiking Clothes with a Good Warranty
Good communication with your hiking clothes company can mean the difference between a company that stands behind you and one that falls away from you. While every company on this list says they will not give free repairs or replacement for normal wear and tear, all of these companies have displayed a willingness to work with the customer:
- REI.
- Black Diamond.
- Komperdell.
- Deuter.
Let’s Recap
Keep these hiking clothes tips in mind, and you can do a fairly good job of getting good hiking clothes. Always understand that this type of clothing serves more than a style purpose. The jeans keep your legs from getting scratched by the thorny brush, and the thicker shirts will often keep the mosquitoes away. Do you have any tips for buying hiking clothes on a budget? If so, drop us a comment in the section below.
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