Clothes and Layering

What is the right footwear for spring conditions: winter hiking boots or trail runners? When can you switch between the two? There is a point where avoiding frostbite trumps lightweight footwear and wearing insulated boots still makes sense. Knowing when to choose between them requires understanding: where is the snow …

Day hiking is a great way to get some fresh air, exercise every muscle in your body, and spend quality time with friends or family. Wearing the right clothing for a hike will help keep you comfortable and safe, so you can focus on your surroundings and your hiking partners. …

Many backpackers carry camp shoes or water shoes with them on backpacking trips for relaxing and for stream crossings to keep their boots dry. But how do you choose between the most popular camp shoes available like Crocs, Sockwas, Vivobarefoot Ultras, or flip flops? Here are the most important features to consider. light …

I use 9 clothing items (not including hats, socks, or gloves) for three season hiking and backpacking. It’s amazing how many different scenarios they are sufficient for. Environmental Needs Most of the hiking and backpacking I do is in New Hampshire and Maine, up and down the East Coast on …

Picking the right gloves or mittens for winter hiking or mountaineering can be a very frustrating hit or miss process. Here are some tip and tricks to help you dial in the right glove system for your needs and avoid wasting a lot of money on gloves and mittens that don’t …

Layering for cold weather and winter hiking is a lot more nuanced than people make it out to be. While assembling a wicking base layer, insulating mid-layer, and waterproof/windproof shell is  the foundation for a layered clothing system, experienced hikers employ a number of temperature regulation techniques beyond adding or …

Autumn has arrived and with it fewer daylight hours, wet leaves, cold rain, and morning frost. It’s still a great time to go hiking and backpacking, but I like to add a few technical and comfort items to my day hiking and backpacking gear list and swap in some different footwear …

“Bring a fleece top,” said my buddy Martin, as we were packing for a two week-long wilderness backpacking trip. “I’d feel naked without it,” I replied. I always bring a fleece pullover on my hiking and backpacking trips. I’ve never found a mid-layer garment that insulates as well, stays warm …

Many people bring too many extra clothes on backpacking trips, including more shirts, pants, pairs of underwear, socks, and even shoes that they don’t need. Extra clothes add a lot of unnecessary weight to a backpack and take up a significant amount of extra volume. So much, that you might end up …

Hiking rain jackets don’t keep you dry in the rain; they keep you warm. If you don’t believe me, go hiking in the rain for 4+ hours and see if the clothing inside your jacket stays dry. Unless you’re hiking someplace with extremely low humidity, I bet the clothing under …