The Hiking Outfit for You: How to Pick the Perfect Hiking Outfit

The main purpose of both the base and insulating layers is to move sweat to the outside of your body, and ultimately help maintain a good temperature wherever you are hiking, for however long and in whatever conditions. The base layer does exactly that, it takes sweat away from the skin to keep you happy, at 100% comfort, and ensures to wick away moisture. You wear your base layer as the first layer against your skin.
When you’re thinking about choosing your base layer you need to be looking for clothes that dry quickly, regulate your temperature well and are sweat-wicking. The main thing to think about to achieve this is to think about what fabric base layer to have.
At all costs avoid cotton. Cotton keeps moisture, which will mean when you’re up a cold mountain you’ll feel wet and cold, which needs to be avoided. Fabrics like polyester or polypropylene that are synthetic are good base layers, as they are super durable and they’re also really stretchy. Wool, particularly merino wool, is a good fabric for a base layer. It won’t itch like normal wool often does, it’s insulating and gets rid of body odors much better than the synthetic options. The best of both worlds is often a base layer which is a mix of synthetic with merino wool, these are often very popular with hikers.
The main base layer items you will need is a top and bottoms. Your top can be a long sleeved t-shirt, vest with pockets, tank top or normal t-shirt style, whilst your pants will be a legging style. Ladies, avoid tights, choose leggings, not tights. You will of course need your underwear, including a sports bra ladies, potentially thermal underwear if you’re going somewhere cold or multiple sports bras if you’re being particularly active. Don’t worry ladies if you’re an A or a G cup, you’ll find the right sports bra for you, bigger, G cup sizes are more common than you think. You will also need good quality socks to protect your feet and ankles, preferably Smartwool socks, which we will discuss in more detail later.

Your mid layer is, as the name suggests, all about insulation. It’s where you will get your warmth from. Essentially where the base layer fails, the mid layer comes in. It will retain more heat from your body and stop cold air coming through your body. When looking for a good insulating layer it needs to be quick-drying and breathable, whilst still maintaining all of the moisture wicking qualities needed.
As with base layers, you can buy your mid layer in a variety of different fabrics, but you should still avoid cotton. Again you can have synthetic, such as Polartec, thick merino wool and also down options. Down is really brilliant at insulating, it’s also light and perfect for really cold places – such as Patagonia!
With your insulating layer, there are lots of options and styles of items to choose. Many hikers swear by fleece tops. Fleece tops can come in varying thickness and fleece is a cheap way to keep you warm, you will probably own a fleece already. You can also buy a top or insulated jacket, and this layer will provide you with lots of options – full zips, half zips, hoods or no zip, but most are at least 3/4 or full length in the sleeve. For your bottom, you’ll find lots of walking pants that possess the needed breathable and wicking qualities. Make sure you try before you buy, as you want to avoid anything that rubs when you hike. Pants will come in a variety of colors, styles – fitted or adjustable to 3/4 length, as well as varying thicknesses and number of handy pockets.

The shell layer protects you from the weather and elements, helping moisture to escape, keeping you dry and comfortable, so your insulating and base layers can do their job. With your shell or outer layer, as you may hear it referred to, you should be looking something which is breathable, light in weight, can be stored easily and efficiently, and fits well over your other two layers.
Your shell layer comes as a hard, soft or insulated layer. The most common hard type layer will be a great defense against most weather conditions, you should look for a membrane like Gore-Tex which is well tested and trusted. Softer shell layers are less water-resistant and are more of a flexible and comfortable wind shirt, so if you are unlikely to encounter heavy rain and snow, a softer shell will still be breathable and protect against wind, whilst providing better comfort for you. The final insulated option is only needed for very cold conditions, look for a Down material.
Your shell layer will be a jacket, although you could always opt for a Poncho Tarp which still protects from rain, wind and snow; whilst giving great ventilation. But most commonly people will choose a jacket option. For your bottom, you can invest in some men’s Featherlite trail pants or men’s waterproof pants. The latter are light, protect from the wind and are easy to put on over your insulating layer.

The right footwear is arguably one of the most important parts of a hiker’s outfit. Aesthetics are not the answer here. You will not be fashionable. You need to spend the time to get the right shoes or boots, as the wrong ones will result in days of pain, and in some cases injury. For low-level hiking in a park, you’ll need a boot with a flexible sole. For hills and mountains you’ll need to buy a rigid sole boot to protect your foot and ankle. It may seem uncomfortable at first, but after walking your boots in, they’ll be great in the long run. Also remember socks – they will cushion your foot. The best are thicker woollen, smartwool socks that fit snugly and have some elastic to avoid slippage.

A hat or cap may be necessary in both hot and cold hiking climates. For colder, winter destinations you may need a bobble, Thinsulate or fleece trapper hat. You’re likely to already own something sufficient, but if you know it’ll be really cold, make sure you take a good quality hat. For hotter hikes a hat will provide you with protection from the sun and heat of the day, the style is your choice. Choose whatever you feel most comfortable in, that may be a baseball, bucket, or Tilly hat, whatever you choose it definitely needs a front peak, and for extra protection on the back of your neck, you can choose a rear peak option.

Keeping your hands warm is essential in cold conditions, particularly if you are holding onto walking poles 24/7. You can choose lightweight fleece gloves or glove liners that are super breathable, but not waterproof. Waterproof shell gloves can be worn over these liners and layered together as a system. You can also choose heavier waterproof gloves, but these are hard to perform small tasks with, such as unscrewing a bottle top, so only buy these if you’re on a really exposed hike. Outer, waterproof gloves come as gloves or mittens, which you choose is really a preference for you, but mittens tend to hinder undertaking tasks with your hands.

A neck gaiter or muff, as you may know, is a circle of material that you wear over your head on your neck to protect that gap between your head and the start of your jacket. Without one, you’ll quickly notice this is a notoriously draughty place the wind will get to, so a neck gaiter is essential on colder, windier hikes. Lots of hikers really rate this simple, cheap accessory, as not only does it protect your neck, you can also slide it up to cover your mouth and face as well, and it’s easy to remove when you get too hot, and will pack up small to fit in your jacket pocket or backpack. You can also find some with some really cute patterns too.

When hiking sunglasses don’t only protect your eyes from the sun, they also protect from low hanging branches, dust, stones or anything else that may fall and aggravate your eye. When hiking having the optimum line of sight is key, so investing in some sunglasses is a safe bet. Look out for high UV if you’re hiking for a long time in the sun, go for a wraparound pair, nothing designer, as these will be best at keeping debris from your eyes. Also consider buying a cheap neck cord so you can easily take your sunglasses off and on with ease, without running the risk of dropping them or losing them at the bottom of your backpack.

The travel towel is a great hiking accessory. This small simple invention saves lots of weight and hassle. They take no time to dry, are lightweight and really really easy to pack. The microfibre material they are made of means they are small and easy enough to pack into your bag. Often they come with a handy packing bag which can be attached to the outside of your bag, your belt buckle or snugly popped in your rucksack. They are really versatile items, you can use them as designed as a towel, or rolled up as a pillow or as a mat to sit on. They are cheap and great. Get one.

You don’t just need a backpack when backpacking, you need it for day to day hiking too. Don’t be afraid to spend hours deciding on the best backpack. It may not immediately seem like a key part of your outfit, but it will be storing all your layers and accessories, so you need to choose the right one for you. If you want you can spend some serious money on backpacks, but the key things to think about include its size, fit and features. It needs to be the right size and volume for the length of your hike and what you need to pack. It also needs to be the right size for you and your body – you can’t borrow a backpack, as the frame, straps and belt will be in the wrong places. Think about how many compartments and pockets you need, and choose the backpack you need, don’t be drawn to the most expensive option.

If you don’t think you need a full backpack for storage, the fanny pack may be for you. If your hike is shorter and in warmer summer weather, you might not have lots of layers to carry, so storing what you need around your waist may be right for you. Think about whether it’s got enough space for a water bottle – items like a water bottle to keep you hydrated are essential. Look for one with an adjustable belt and lots of pockets for storage, which is light in weight. If it’s getting heavy, upgrade to a backpack.