Part of Recommended Outdoor Gear by Mark
Verber
Version 1.8 -- March 23, 2008
This document is broken up into a number of sections. Major sections are divided by parts of the body. Within the "torso" section I have subsections which address each of the classic "layers". I have not bothered to subdivide other sections because the fundamental issues are well covered in the torso section. Quick links to major subsections of the document are:
Note... I often revert to information from the web site backpackinglight.com. So save space, I will use the abbreviation BPL.
Conventional wisdom is that you should dress in three layers: a base to manage moisture; a middle to provide insulation, and a shell to protect you from the elements such as wind and rain. In colder conditions it is common to have multiple insulation layers which can be added or removed to fine tune the system for immediate conditions. A slight variant of this system is to use a wind-shirt over the base layer, and for the insulation layer to sometimes be over your shell. When people are engaged in high output aerobic activities the combination of a good base layer in a windshirt provides adequate protection from the environment while preventing the person from overheating. When the activity level drops or if the conditions turn harsh, insulation and/or shell layer can be placed over the windshirt without removing it. This approach is recommended by the folks at Pro Mountain Sports on their 3/4 layer clothing page. I would also recommend BPL Clothing (and Sleep) System for Mountain Hiking with it's ode to windshirts.
In the back country or when you are adventure traveling and need to wash your clothing in the sink to wear the next day you should use clothing made from materials which dry quickly and retain their characteristics even when wet such as performance oriented synthetics, silk, or high quality wool. Cotton is an inappropriate material for highly variable conditions. Cotton can absorb more than four times of it's weight in water and can take five times as long to dry as some synthetics! For a bit more on this seem my Water Retention In Clothing. FabricLink has a decent index of high performance materials and Keith Conover wrote up his experiences with different clothing materials. The US military has spent a lot of time and money working on clothing materials. You also might be interested to look at a discussion about the performance characteristics of the new protective combat uniform and a review of the PCU. There is some very sophisticated science being applied to clothing material. Examples include Schoeller's nanospheres which virtually clean itself, a treatment from Avelana and Roudiere which is first being applied to wool which has some thermoregulation properties much like Outlast, materials which are normally soft but stiffed to provide protection during an impact developed by d3o, and clothing as a battery. There is also a trend toward mixing different materials using tools like thermal mapping to guide the level of insulation, moisture transfer characteristics, etc to different parts of the body.
People are often concerned about the durability of clothing that will be worn in the back country or for an extended period of time while traveling. Many manufacturers encourage people's fear and sell seriously overbuilt clothing, often labeled "Expedition Proven" or some such thing. The truth is, very few people, even those on expeditions need clothing that is so overbuilt. Unless you are facing continuous hard-wearing conditions, lighter weight clothing will have close to the same lifetime as the over-built clothing. There are many advantages to selecting items which aren't overbuilt: you save weight, save space, often get better performance and spend less money. It is possible to go so light that durability is effected. Several manufacturers make clothing which is aimed at extreme athletics looking for the lightest weight performance. Often times weights savings comes at the expense of durability. For example, the classic nylon windshirt weighted around 10 ounces and might be usable for ten or twenty years. Some of the ultralight windshirts made today weight as little as 2.5 ounces, but will likely last only a few years before the ultra-light fabric tears or the zipper breaks. Sometimes you can patch or repair these failures, sometimes you will have to pick up a new item.
I would recommend nearly all the clothing made by MontBell and Patagonia: they have great design sense, use innovative materials, and are super high quality. On top of this, both companies are responsive, stand behind their products, and are ecologically and socially responsible. You don't have to pay a huge premium for Montbell, but Patagonia is often quiet expensive. It's hard to find Montbell at significant discount, but it's often possible to find Patagonia clothing at 50% or better discount on their website under "specials", at Sierra Trading Post, or at Patagonia outlet store (especially during their semi-annual sales events) which can reduce or eliminate the premium compared to the retail price of other manufacturers. Arc'Teryx, Marmot, Mountain Hardware, and Outdoor Research consistently manufacture a broad range of well designed and high quality clothing. I really like the materials used by Cloudveil, but I have sometimes been disappointed by the quality of construction and their attention to design details. I think that GoLite has been very uneven, producing garments which range from mediocre to best in class. Northface (TNF) used to make great, bombproof clothing. For the last decade or two they were more of a fashion brand, but they seem to be trying to make a come-back as a real outdoor clothing company. REI, EMS, MEC, and Campmor sell store label items. My experience is that these store brands items tend to be less expensive than name brands, but not as refined as the brands listed above.
Rational: You want something which will wick moisture away from your body. In warm weather a wicking base will help keep you cool by provide significantly more surface area than your skin to promote evaporation of your sweat. A base layer can provide addition surface area only if it retains it's structure when wet. Many fabrics (cotton for example) collapse when saturated making it feel hotter and sticky. In cold weather conductive cooling tends to be the bigger issue than evaporation... so a wicking base layer which pulls water away from your skin helps you stay warm. In most cases you want your base layer to minimize water retention. In very cold conditions (say consistently under 0F) consider using a Vapor Barrier.
My Choice: In warmer conditions (>50F) I wear a Mountain Hardware Canyon Shirt for daytime activities because it's durable, dries quickly, has nice big pockets, has modest side panels to aid ventilation, keeps sun and bugs at bay, a collar to keep my neck from burning, and can pass for a "normal" shirt in towns. When it's going to be especially hot I like a white colored Rail Rider Adventure Shirt. If I had to choice just one shirt, it would be the RR Adventure Shirt. In cooler conditions (daytime 30-50F) I switch to wearing a Sekri Level 1 zip-neck base layer shirt made from Polartec Power Dry with X-static. I like the Sekri 1 a lot except the zipper is temperamental. If the daytime in going to be <30F I wear a Patagonia R.5 base layer (now called Capilene 4?) which is thicker than the Sekri base. If I expect the low >30F I will sleep in the Sekri Level 1. If I expect the low to be <30F I sleep in the Patagonia R.5. On some trips that means that I will bring two base layers.
Options-Synthetic: There are lots of materials for base layers. Malden Mills Power Dry is my favorite because it is one of the best base layers for moving moisture, it's soft against the skin, and has a reasonable amount of stretch so it moves with me. Power Dry is a bipolar fabric that uses the physical prosperities of a combination of materials to move moisture away from your body and toward the surface of the garment. Besides moving moisture more effectively than some of the other synthetic wicking technologies, bipolar materials tend to feel less clammy when wet, some what like wool is less clammy than most synthetics. A nice refinement to Power Dry is the addition of embedded silver which worked better than most other treatment for synthetic materials to keep the typical locker room odor at bay. The US military selected Power Dry + X-static for the new PCU base layer which can be purchased from Insport and sekri. Mountain Hardware eXend base layers, some shirts from Terrmar, and a few other manufacturers also use a silver based anti-microbe treatment called VisaEndurance which seems equally effective. Power Stretch is not as soft as Power Dry, but more body hugging and durable with a fuzzy inside and a smooth outside... great for cool-cold weather climbing and other abrasion prone activities. Patagonia's Capilene (some of which are Power Dry) , Lowe Alpine's Dryflo Montbell Zeo-Line, and GoLite C-Thru base layers are also fine materials. Marmot DriClime might be better than anything else when it comes to moving moisture away from the skin, but it tends to grab anything that isn't baby smooth and is not as stretchy or soft as PowerDry. Some people rave about Norwegian Brynje mesh base layers because they dry quickly and give a lot of warmth for weight provided the next layer restricts air flow. In the US you can find Brynje sold a few places such as reliableracing. Wool has started to make a come-back last few years. There is a really cool NASA invented material made by Outlast which phase changes to absorb heat when you are working hard, and releases heat when you are at rest. Very useful for sports which have varying levels of activity like alpine skiing and climbing, but not useful for backpacking or snowshoeing where you are engaged in continuous activity. There are a number of companies such as CW-X which are producing base layers with a built in taping system which helps bind together and support muscles and ligaments. In general I would recommend getting a long sleeve base layer with a deep front zipper. This provides maximum flexibility. In warm weather you can roll up the sleeves and open the neck zipper.
Options-Wool: Many people have discovered quality wool like Merino to be very soft and comfortable against the skin. Alas, I am not one of those people, I found even the highest quality Merino wool was still itchy on my shoulders and back, most likely due to an allergic reaction cause it feels very soft to my hands. There have been a number of articles such as BPL's Wonder Wool and psychovertical's The Wonders of Wool encouraging people to consider wool base layers. I would recommend the comparison by BPL on the comfort and moisture transport in merino wool and capiline. The reviewers concluded that wool vastly superior when it comes to odor control and feels less clammy when wet, while capiline dries more quickly (~50%), and is warmer for the weight. I think I mostly agree with their finds, though I think that if the BPL folks had been using a heavier base layer, the synthetic would have dries more than 50% faster.
Options-Hot Weather: When trying to stay comfortable in hot conditions there are several things to keep in mind. First, color matters a lot. Some informal tests found that bright white shirts are significantly cooler than shirts with colors today. Schoeller has been working on ColdBlack which looks black to the human eye, but reflect more than 80% of the suns energy (particularly in the UV and NIR range). Second, you typically want good air flow. This can be achieved with good air permeability, but the shirt being loose fitting to provide a billowing action, or to a less extent, puckers material which leaves space between most of the shirt and your skin. Third, you ideally want a material which wicks well. Another option in warmer weather are shirts made from woven (not knit) nylon such as Supplex, SolarWeave, or Solumbra which are normally found with long sleeves. These shirts provide protection from sunburn and biting bugs while still being reasonably comfortable. I think the Rail Riders Adventure Shirt is one of the best hot weather shirts thanks to it's sun protection and side venting. The two downsides of supplex in hot weather is that it blocks some wind (so it's a bit hotter than some shirts), and that it will start stinking just like polypro. I hope someone makes a x-static treated supplex shirt someday. There are a number of materials being made from sustainable material such as Soy product's in Ex Officio's Tofutech line, and bamboo in Marmot's Switchcane line. In hot dry weather with good water sources, cotton can be a good material because you can soak your clothing and let them help keep you cool. Warning: new cotton clothing is often not very sun protective, brand new tee-shirts are the equiv. of SPF 5. You can use sunguard wash-in to raise the sun protectiveness of your clothing... but if you have washed your clothing in detergent with a "brightener" around 20 times, you will already raised the sun protection of your cotton clothing as high as it is likely to go (somewhere between SPF 15-30). American Backcountry make some cool looking technical tee-shirts.
Low Cost: Go with CoolMax base. Dupont has licensed CoolMax to multiple suppliers which has resulted in competition that keeps the price down. Duofold and Terramar CoolMax base layers can almost always be found for around $10 at Campmor and other discount outdoor stores. These shirts aren't as well finished as more expensive base layers but they are much less expensive and are very usable. For warmer weather you might already have some shirts that would work well: a biking jersey, running shirt, a soccer jersey, or light weight woven synthetic button-down.
In extremely cold, dry conditions, vapor barriers can be part of an effective clothing system. According to the book Secrets of Warmth by Hal Wiess, the human body gives off moisture for three reasons: (1) as a fear response, (2) as sweat to cool us down when overheating, (3) to maintain adequate humidity (~79%?) for the skin. There is some debate in the backpacking community as to whether the “insensible perspiration” (aka transepidermal water loss) is directly related to keeping the skin at a fixed humidity... but there should be no question that the micro climate near the skin effects rate of transepidermal water loss. This is alluded to in numerous scientific articles such as Eero Lehmuskallio's thesis Cold Protecting Emollients and Frostbite. [I will do a more complete literate search later... most of the article I found were about care for premature babies.] The bottom line is that you want to minimize the moisture for two reasons. First, and I think most important, you want to keep moisture out of your insulation. If you are out for more than a couple of days, moisture from your body will condense and then freeze in your insulation. This will result in your insulating jacket getting heavier, stiffer, and be less insulating. A vapor barrier prevents this from happening. Secondly, it is likely that the vapor barrier trap some moisture near your skin so you don't need to perspire as much. One of the biggest modern proponents of vapor barriers is WarmLite's Benefits of Vapor Barriers. You can see a possible rebuttal of some of the warmlite claims. There is also an interesting posting on BackpackingLight's forum about the science of vapor barriers. I found vapor barriers useful on some extremely cold trips in northern Canada. When I was active, I found that vapor barriers didn't seem to help me until the temperature was below around 0F. I found that vapor barrier socks are great, pants are fair, and that shirts were useful but hard to get right. I found when I was inactive or sleeping vapor barriers worked very well when the temperature was 10F or lower and I was using appropriate amounts of insulation (e.g. don't overheat or you start sweating and it doesn't have anywhere to go). Very few companies make vapor barrier clothing. I would recommend checking out rhdesigns and warmlite. The cheapest way to try out vapor barriers is wear light polypro liners, with sandwich bags as a vapor barrier followed by wool socks (your insulation), and/or try some latex surgery gloves over your hands and insulate your insulated gloves or mittens. If this works for you, take a look are some of the better quality materials. Today, I am typically on short trips and am not facing extreme cold. As a result, the only vapor barrier clothing I currently wear are socks. A bit more on vapor barrier socks near the end of this document.
Patagonia Dragonfly
Rational: Wind speeds up convection cooling significantly. A simple, unlighted windshirt can ounce per ounce provide more warmth than many other clothing items. In many cases a light wind shirt over an appropriate weight base layer is all you need to keep comfortable when active. Furthermore a good wind shirt can protect you from bug bites and light drizzle when a full rain shell would be too much. Finally, wind shirts also slow evaporation a bit (not perfectly breathable) which moderates flash-off cooling. Ideally you want slight air permeability to maximize breathability while still providing protection from convection cooling. There was a nice discussion about windproofness, breathability, and air permeability on a BPL forum.
My Choice: A Patagonia Houdini Windshirt. This windshirt is reasonably breathable, is able to keep me mostly dry for over an hour in a light drizzle and dry in a real rain for 10-15 minutes, provides good wind protection, is a mere 3oz, compresses down to a to a package slightly larger than a cliff bar, and dries quickly. The only downside of such a light-weight wind-shirt is that it isn't super durable. My previous Dragonfly Windshirt is sufficiently tattered after four years that I have had to retired it. On super ultralight trips I leave my windshirt behind and use a DropStopper Rain Jacket for wind protection.
Options: People use the term "windshirt" for a number of different sorts of shells. I divide "wind shirts" into four categories. My favorite type of windshirt are ultra-light, ultra-breathable unlined nylon or polyester jackets. I am particularly fond of windshirts with hoods and full zippers such as the Patagonia Houdini, Marmot Ion (older Polyester or Quantum versions), or Montane LightSpeed. There are also a number of nice pull over and/or hoodless windshirts such as the Montane JetStream, Outdoor Research Ion (Quantum model), or RAB Quantum Wind Top. If I was buying a new wind shirt today, I would most likely go with the Patagonia Houdini because it has a full zipper for venting, sufficient body length, and hood. If I didn't want a hood I would most likely go with the Montane JetStream for minimal weight, great breathability. If I wanted the cheapest high quality windshirt on the market I would get a Montane Featherlite Smock (my review). Some people might favor the heavier and more durable fabric of the ArcTeryx Squamish. Other types of "wind shirts" I discuss in my section on soft shells. These include:
In cold weather, a classic hard shell rain jacket made from Gore-Tex or other WPB material can be effective at blocking the wind without causing the wearer to overheat... but if you are engaged in high aerobic activities and it's very cold, you can end up with frost on the inside because the water can't get transmitted to the outside before it freezes. In warmer weather WPB shells are not sufficiently breathable and make matters worse by being somewhat insulating. The result is that they block the wind well, but in cool to hot conditions, you will overheat and get wet from sweat.
Low Cost: The cheapest solution is a cheap nylon windbreak found at Target, Walmart, etc. Treat with DWR after-market product.
Rational: The purpose of the insulation layer is to keep you warm. One of the biggest mistakes people make is using too much insulation which causes the body to sweat, which results in the individual feeling chilled. I would recommend selecting insulation layers which are highly breathable to minimize moisture accumulation. In most cases you want your insulation layers to be easy to take on and off and ease to vent heat since as conditions vary you will want to avoid overheating. Often people take multiple insulation layers which can be varied to match the conditions. There are a number of factors which effect how much insulation a person will need to be comfortable for a given set of conditions. The most significant is the level of activity, or what researchers call Metabolic Equivalent (MET). Below is a table from Hal Weiss's Secrets of Warmth which summarized the results of US Army study to determined recommended insulation (expressing in terms of inches of loft) for various effective temp (which include wind chill):
| Effective Temp | Sleeping | Light Work | Heavy Work |
| +40F | 1.5" | 0.8" | 0.2" |
| +20F | 2.0" | 1.0" | 0.27" |
| 0F | 2.5" | 1.3" | 0.35" |
| -20F | 3.0" | 1.6" | 0.40" |
| -40F | 3.5" | 1.9" | 0.48" |
| -50F | 4.0" | 2.1" | 0.52" |
As the table indicates, the amount of insulation you need is inversely proportional to your activity level. I would note that people base metabolism level varies which is often reflected in people talking about running "hot" (which is me) or "cold", so the amount of insulate listed above should be considered "average". You might find that you need more or less. For example, I found that I need approx 2/3 the insulation listed for "light work" when I am doing simple chores around camp but I need the listed amount for sleeping. If you haven't had adequate food and water, you are short on sleep, or if you are physically exhausted, you will need additional insulation because your metabolic systems will not work efficiently. Activity levels can shift your metabolic rate, even after the activity has ended. For example, I have found that after backpacking for 15 miles with a lot of elevation changes that I need less insulation even after the activity has ended. You might also find this discussion thread about high loft materials CO values interesting as well as Richard's best combinations for backpacking. You might also be interested in the engineeringtoolbox clo clothing page.
My Choice: On most trips I carry WM Flash Vest. This vest is surprisingly warm (better than a 200 weight fleece), weights just 4.5oz, dries quickly, very compressible, and makes a good pillow. I like the freedom of movement a vest provides. When just sitting around I found the combination the vest, a mid-weight base layer, hiking pants, unlined windshirt, neck gaiter, and warm hat keeps me comfortable down to 20F though my arms are getting chilled. I used to use a Thermawrap Vest, but after four years of use it has lose a significant amount of loft and warmth. I would have bought another Thermawrap, but I have a had received a Flash as a gift.. so there was no need to spend money. If I expect the temperature to be consistently below freezing, might still use my old Montbell Thermawrap UL Vest when I am active and layer on my Thermawrap Jacket when I need more insulation. I am comfortable down to 0F with the vest and jacket. Of course I need less insulation when I am active. When the temperature is >35F I don't wear an insulation layer when active, I just wear a base layer and maybe a light shell (depending on conditions) or an integrated soft shell. In colder conditions I will typically wear the my vest and save the jacket for when my activity level drops.
Options:
Synthetic High Loft: I recommend using high loft synthetic insulation such as Polarguard, Primaloft, Climashield which is large enough to layer over all your clothing (aka a Belay Jacket). High loft vests and jackets tend to be lighter and pack smaller than the more commonly used fleece. They break the wind better than traditional fleece, but don't breath quite as well. I use a down sleeping bag and/or quilt... but for clothing I think there is too much of a risk getting it wet... so I want my clothing to be mostly functional if they get wet. Related to this, since my sleeping gear is down, having a high loft synthetic insulation garment can provide extra insurance. See BPL's High Loft Review for more info. For an insulation layer down to freezing I would normally recommend a high loft vest. In increasing warmth Montbell Thermawrap Vest (lightest, most minimalist), MEC Northern Lite 2 Vest (best value), or the Patagonia Micro Puff Vest. For colder conditions I would suggest a jacket (in increasing warmth) Montbell Thermawrap Jacket (lightest), MEC Northern Lite Pullover (best value), BMW Cocoon (best weight/warmth but fragile), Wild Things Primaloft Sweater, or Patagonia Micro Puffball Pullover (great weight/warmth ratio). I used to use a Patagonia Micro Puff pullover but it was just too warm for most of the conditions I faced. I was comfy sitting around wearing the Micro Puff with a medium weight base and warm hat when it was 15 F. When I am active I have to leave the Micro Puff partially unzipped until is it below -5F. I switched to the Montbell Thermwrap Jacket because it wasn't as warm as the Micro Puff but could be used by with Thermawrap vest when I needed to stay warm in 0F temperatures. There are a number of other high loft jackets (typically insulated with Primaloft) which are not quite as light weight such as the REI Gossamer, North Face Redpoint, and Mountain Hardware Compressor. For harsh conditions I would recommend a hooded "belay" jacket with a durable shell like the Patagonia DAS Parka, OR Synchro Hoody, Integral Designs Dolomitti Jacket, or the North Face Optimus Jacket. Note: a belay jacket should be large enough to fit over all your clothing. This way you can wear lighter clothing while active and put the belay jacket on over everything else when you stop and need the extra warmth without having to take anything off.
Down Insulation: for amazingly light, compressible and warm down vests or jackets take a look at Western Mountaineering, Montbell, Nunatak, and Feathered Friends. The updated Montbell Inner Down Jacket weights a mere 7oz with a full zipper and pockets. In general, my recommendation is to use a synthetic insulation unless you will be using your down garments "in camp" or where is it sufficiently cold that you don't worry about external moisture and are using vapor barrier clothing given the higher risk of the garment getting wet and losing insulation. A counter-point comes from an experiment done by BackpackingLight.com folks, it seem that even when you soak well designed ultra-light down garments with highly breathable shells such as the Western Mountaineering Flash Vest, that in less than an hour the Flash vest will have more loft than any synthetic vest which weights approx the same as the Flash when dry. For folks who are considering a WM Flash Vest, keep in mind that you will lose a fair amount of heat from the V-neck and the lack of a collar. You should consider using a neck gaiter to protect what the Flash leaves unprotected. The shell used on the Flash isn't 100% downproof, so expect to lose some feathers.
Fleece (typically 100, 200 or 300 weight) have been the most commonly used insulation layer for the last twenty years. Reasons to use fleece include: durability, breathability, and fleece dries very quickly if it gets wet. If you want a fleece which holds up for many years I would suggest looking at high quality fleece like those made by Mountain Hardware, Patagonia, Montbell, Arc'Teryx or semi custom jackets from Beyond Fleece. I think Polartec Thermal Pro High Loft (which first appeared in the Patagonia R2/R3) is the nicest fleece material in terms of comfort and insulation / weight since it's weight is similar to a 200wt fleece, but it's warmer than most classic 300wt fleece. WindPro is one of the few forms of fleece that is somewhat wind resistant while still being adequately breathable. I prefer high loft garments because they pack much more compactly, and because they provide significantly more warmth / ounce. That said, I will take sometimes take a 100wt fleece rather than my high loft vest if I expect the morning lows to be above 40F. There was a nice discussion about fleece as a staple for backpacking.
Other Options: WindStopper and Windbloc fleece are discussed in my soft shell section (I don't like them). Gore Airvantage clothing is interesting because it lets you vary insulation by blowing-up / letting air out of the garment, but looks to be very heavy, I would pass on it. A related but much lighter possibility is the 2oz Aerovest which is designed to emergency insulation. Another emerging solution is micro heaters (or coolers) being developed by companies like Aspen Systems primarily for military applications. I thing there is a lot of development left before these sorts of systems would be good for backpacking trips. Finally, there are materials like aerogel which often incredible insulation for a given weight at stratospheric pricing such as the custom Grado Zero Espace Jacket. Time will tell if this can be made sufficiently durable and affordable to be useful. As an emergency time, or someone who was looking for extreme ultralight insulation is the 2oz Aerovest, sort of an inflatable emergency blanket.
Low Cost: You most likely already have a fleece. If not, it is possible to buy a 200 weight fleece at discount stores for $10-20 which will be adequate for cool-moderate temperatures. You might also look at using the US Army's M-65 Field clothing liners which can often be purchased for less than $20. For colder weather add a good wool sweater, a second layer, or you could make a thru-hiker Kinsman Pullover or Kennebec Pullover for $54. Sometimes L.L. Bean or Lands End will have specials on primaloft or Polarguard jackets for under $30.
Rational: The purpose of the shell is to protect you from environmental conditions: rain, sleet, snow, etc. Finding the right rain gear is quite challenging because staying dry and comfortable requires managing external moisture from rain, sleet, and snow as well as managing internally generated moisture. Most rain gear is not only waterproof, but is also windproof and has some insulating characteristics. In warmer weather this is a serious problem because the wearer of rain gear will often over heat, start sweating, and then find themselves almost as damp as if they were walking around in the rain without protection. Waterproof Breathable Fabric Technologies at BPL to be very helpful in understanding the characteristics of various materials used in rain shells. Roger Caffin from down under has written a nice Rainwear FAQ. Patagonia wrote a nice article entitled What is Percent of Naked? which describes an interesting way to characterize shells which captures both wind permeability and water vapor transmission. A nice study found that air permeability was a better predictor of comfort than vapor transmission rates. Materials such as eVENT, Propore, and to a lesser extent Montbell Breeze-DryTec, which directly vent moisture will feel more comfortable than materials that require water to condense to be transported such as Gore-Tex and most PU materials. I have found the Breathability Graphs and Temperature Dependent Water Vapor Diffusion from the Soldier Systems Center, water vapour permeability of fabrics from U of Kansas to be interesting.
My Choice: There is nothing which satisfies me 100% of the time. If the temperature is more than 75F I normally get wet though sometimes I use an umbrella. On most three season trips I will take a BPL Drop Stopper Jacket because it's light, waterproof, has decent breathability, seems to provide less insulation any most other waterproof jacket. If I am going off trail I will take a Montbell Peak Jacket which is more durable than the Drop Stoppers. My dream is a jacket with the same design as my Montbell Peak, at least as breathable as eVENT, weighting less than 12oz.
Options: There are a variety of approaches people take:
There is a wide variety of materials used in rain shells. In a perfect world there would be materials which would prevent rain from entering but let you vent perspiration. This is the dream offered by waterproof / breathable (WP/B) materials. Alas, WP/B materials don't live up to their hype. Even the very best WP/B materials (eVENT, PacLite, Propore) can be overwhelmed by aerobic activities. Many WP/B will be overwhelmed if you do much more than stand around. This is why many WP/B jackets have side or pit-zips which enable the wearer to vent heat and internal moisture when activity levels will overwhelm the materials ability to move the moisture. If you don't need a durable rain jacket, I would recommend going with something made from Propore since they are significantly cheaper than most other options and fairly effective. If you need more durability and can afford it, get a jacket made from eVENT. Common materials used in shells today ordered roughly by their breathability:
Low Cost: The cheapest rain gear for short periods of rain are those cheap ($1, 2oz) plastic emergency ponchos or a plastic garbage bag... don't laugh, I have found them very useful a number of times. You can also find more durable ponchos made from thin PVC for around $3 (weights around 8oz) at home depot or most outdoor stores. The cheapest water proof breathable option I know of are BPL Drop Stoppers Rain Suit which are $15 for jacket and pants. If you want a durable jacket with so/so breathability and pitzips check out the Red Ledge Thunderlight.
Everyone has their own definition of "soft shell" which makes the marketplace quite confusing. My definition of soft shell is any single layer garment which is designed be worn in a wide range of conditions putting an emphasis on breathability over absolute protection from external conditions. I consider unlined windshells a form of soft shell (or at least as a very close relative). Contrary to what some manufacturers would like you to believe, soft shells have been around a long time, predating hard shells by a millennium or two since full waterproof didn't exist until the 1800s. These days there are a number of man made wonder materials that are attempting to match or beat what has been found in nature (e.g. animal skins). I would suggestion that people who are just working out their clothing systems skip soft shells until they are fully comfortable with a more traditional layering system.
Rational: The primary advantage of soft shells is that they typically
offer good mobility while doing away with the typical layer on/off dance that
people engaged in cool to cold weather aerobic activities like climbing have
historically been stuck with. Classic hard shells are very effective at keeping wind and
water outside the shell. Unfortunately, no hard shell made today is sufficiently
breathable avoid significant internal condensation during aerobic activities.
Furthermore, most outing don't face serious deluges. Much more common are
wind, light rain, or snow. So why not take a garment that will keep you
comfortable in the more common conditions and lets you avoid the pain or taking
off and putting back on various layers. Soft shells work by using a durable water resistant
fabric that shed precipitation while still being highly breathable. Light rain,
slush and snow rolls right off the shell. In an extended shower or when in
constant contact with snow, moisture
will soak through the outer surface, but the combination of your body heat and the
wicking action of the soft shell will provide a
comfortable micro climate next to your skin. This approach
has been popularized
by British climbers who regularly face notoriously wet conditions in cooler
temperatures. For this system to
work well you need to be engaged in sufficiently aerobic activity to be generating heat, and the conditions need to be cool enough that
the soft shell doesn't cause you to overheat. For more information I would
suggest taking a look at psychovertical's the real soft shell concept.
My Choice: I think soft shells are great in winter conditions, are a 90% solution for three season day length activities when I have a quick exit. I don't use a integrated soft shell on most three season backpacking trips. Instead I use an unlined wind-shell with a separate bipolar wicking base which I find more versatile in warmer conditions, but has similar performance characteristics to an integrated soft shell as the conditions cool off. In continuously cool/cold conditions I use a Rab Vapour-Rise Trail Jacket. It breaths well, has just right amount of warmth for when I am active, has kept me dry in long drizzles, in hard (but short lived) rain storms, and in wet snowfall, has a nice fold away hood, and the sleeves easily push up to my elbows when I need to cool off a bit. The Vapour-Rise is also my "around the town" jacket from about October-Feb in the SF Bay area. I am still experimenting with Rab Vapour-Rise in "wet" conditions such continuous cool weather rain without using a hard shell. When active, the micro clime near my body has always been fine, but I am still concerned with the moisture that has been absorbed into the jacket. I worry that when I drop my activity level at the end of the day the moisture which has accumulated will seep in and chill me. So far, I have been fine with a high loft jacket layered over my soft shell, but I can't bring myself to leave the hard shell behind on multi-day trips yet.
Options: I break soft shells into four categories. The first are nylon or polyester shells bonded to pile. These first appeared in the 1980s, and are still one of the best options because they provide good performance at a reasonable price. The Buffalo Systems Teclite Shirt was the first modern soft shell, and it reminds largely unchanged from it's original form. In recent years there have been a number of related garments. The Marmot DriClime Windshirt switched from pile to a more effective bipolar wicking fabric, but uses a shell which is more breathable but less protective than Pertex 6. Rab Vapour Rise Trail Jacket (review) uses a micro fleece which does not feel dry as fast as pile, but has upgraded the outer shell using materials that is more breathable and dries faster. I have found that the Vapour Rise gives me a wider range of conditions than either the Buffalo or DriClime because it seems to be a bit more breathable, a bit more water resistant (than the DriClime), has a great hood, and the sleeves are wide enough that I can push them up to by elbows to extra venting. DriClime is slightly lighter weight, dries more quickly when it gets really soaked, and has the tendency to snag on any imperfection on your skin. The Buffalo is warmer than both and more water resistant. Other good options on the warmer side are the Montane Extreme Smock and Paramo waterproof jackets, though they tend to be heavy, and I find them too warm until the temperature is hovering around freezing when I am active. [For US folks, there isn't good distribution of the UK companies, best to order from a UK retailer who ships to the USA such as Jackson Sports] I know a number of people who seem to be comfortable wearing technical tee + DriClime Windshirt when the temperature is between 25-55F assuming a reasonable activity level. For example, my daughter lives in her Marmot DriClime Windshirt year round backpacking, skiing, or just walking around town. See the best softshell. and Michael's Ultralight Clothing (original), for a good description of how these shells work in the field. The second option are the stretch woven "wonder fabrics". Stretch Woven soft shells are great when you need an a garment that can stand up to a lot of abuse without binding such as when engaged in cool to cold weather climbing. I think that Schoeller Dryskin is one of the nicest materials for this sort of application. The downside of most stretch-woven materials is that they can absorb significant amount of moisture. The third type of soft shells use membranes or laminates to provide wind protection and to provide some protection from external moisture. The best known materials of this category would be Windstopper and PowerShield. I would recommend avoiding these sorts of soft shells because they typically don't provide sufficient breathability for aerobic activities while being heavier, more expensive, and not as protective as a traditional layering system. Finally, there are a number of light weight materials such as EPIC which are extremely water resistant while still having reasonable breathability. These materials tend not to be as breathable as unlamented stretch woven soft shells, but have the advantaged that they absorb virtually no water, and the water resistances is significantly more durable.
Climbing Online had a decent (but now dated) summary of softshells and there was a nice article about choosing a fall jacket in the Seattle Times. Softshells.co.uk blog might also give you leads. A interesting concept is Versalayer, a soft shell with a retractable micro fleece inside. Alas, I think this product has a ways to go given it's bulk and it weighing in at 30oz. Here is a list of "soft shell" materials I have encountered. Temp range is my comfort range when engaged in aerobic activities going from lightest to heaviest:
Low Cost: Find an old, heavy weight wool shirt at a thrift store. This was the traditional NOLS approach which is fairly effective. While not "cheap" Sporthill is cheaper than most other stretch-woven soft shells.
Cloudveil
Spinner Pants
Rational: I could have separate sections describing possible layering for legs the way I did for the torso. I am not going to do that because it would be overkill. My experience is finding effective clothing for legs is much easier than the torso. Why? Moisture management isn't as important for legs because legs sweat less and are more resistant to cold. Furthermore, in most activities (other than climbing) your legs tend to be generating more heat than your arms because you are using your legs to propel yourself. Legs also tend to be more sheltered from rain than your upper torso. All these factors means that the comfort range of pants will tend to be wider than clothing for your torso. One thing to keep in mind... your upper thighs come just after your head and your core torso in the amount of heat you can lose. So even though you legs tend not to be as affect by cold, insulating your upper legs can be a big help if you are trying to stay warm. The most significant challenge presented by legs is that they tend to get abraded more than your torso, so pants generally need to be more durable for an equivalent lifetime. For some people, reducing chaffing is very important. Remember Wetness + friction = pain.
My Choices: I typically wear a pair of Cloudveil Spinner Pants (my review) which are made out of Inertia Plus, a light weight soft shell material. They provide protection from the sun and biting bugs. They dry quickly so I don't have to worry about carrying a second pair of pants. If it's raining and >55F then I use the zip-offs and let my legs get wet. In colder rain I use either a pair of DropStopper Rain Pants or a pair of Montbell rain pants because I don't like hiking in wet pants. I wear a pair of Ex Officio boxer/briefs one size smaller than normal which really help reduce chafing for me. If I expect the nights are going to be less than 25F a bring a pair of light weight tights to sleep in, which can also be worn during the day if it turns even colder When I am expecting the entire trip to be cold I wear a pair of Marmot ATV pants which are made with Schoeller Dryskin fabric. The ATV pants are comfortable when I am active down to 15 F (skiing, snowshoeing, hiking, moderate duration ski lift rides) and still acceptably comfortable when it was 45 F and I was engaged in demanding activities. They were even comfortable when I was inactive in 70 F (eating lunch inside a lodge). If I expect conditions to be below 15 F, I add a mid-weight base. In colder conditions I would layer a pair of high loft Bozeman Mountain Works Cocoon Pants layer over the ATV pants.
Options: There was a nice discussion about the best three season pants on BPL which would be worth reading. Convertible supplex nylon pants such as ExOfficio Convertible Explorer have become quiet popular in many circles since they can worn as pants when it is cool and then convert to shorts when it warms up. They dry quickly, provide protection from biting bugs & sun, plus they are durable. Many people find that hiking pants + maybe rain pants are all they need to wear in conditions that are above freezing. My Ex Officio convertible pants have been worn at least once a week since 1996, plus many successive days on every trip I took until 2004. I am still using these pants around town. The most recent version of these pants have been replaced by a Stretch version which is a bit heavier and slower drying.. I think plain supplex is better for backpacking. Most outdoor clothing manufacturers make supplex pants. The primary difference is pocket configuration and fit. Some people find traditional travel / backpacking pants use fabric which isn't up to their needs. I have heard good reporst about nylon "canvas" tactical tactical pants and railrider's weatherpants made of heavier nylon reinforced on the seat and knees. Other people like to hike in shorts no matter what the temperature is. In cool weather they use a light base layer under their shorts, and maybe add wind pants when it's cold. The only down side of wearing shorts is than if you have a large swing of conditions, removing or adding the base layer under the shorts requires removing the shorts. Half way between pants and shorts are knickers which seem to much more popular outside the US. I don't wear knickers... but they have a number of things going for them. They are normally cooler than pants, adding insulation to the lower leg is easier than shorts because you can use long socks, and you don't have pant legs that flap around. "Soft shell" have been gaining popularity since they are comfortable over a wide range of conditions and tend to be made from durable materials. For a description of material see the section in this document about soft shell jackets. For a look at a number of soft shell pants, take a look a BPL's Softshell Pants Review. For moderate weather you might check out the Cloudveil Peak Pants made from Inertia Plus. These are made from the same material found in my Cloudveil Spinner Pants. I found Inertia to be more weather resistant and more comfortable against the skin (less chaffing) than Supplex. The down side is that Inertia is not as durable as supplex and is more expensive. When my Cloudveil Spinner pants wear out, I will most likely switch back to plain supplex pants because they are much more reasonably priced and are more durable. In cool weather I tried a pair of Sahalie ultra-light tights (1.7 oz) with a pair of Montane Featherlite pants which was ok, but the convection produced by the featherlite pants make this combination less warm than I would have expected. Many people have found that soft shell pants are ideal in cold weather. The REI Acme Pants seems to be made from a light version of Dryskin which should work well except hot summer days. MEC Ferrata Tights are very nice winter (and the cool parts of fall & spring) pants for a very reasonable price (given their performance). Many people rave about the custom made pants from BeyondFleece. GoLite Propel pants also sound good for cool-cold conditions: they are a bit warmer than pants made from Inertia because they block wind more completely, as well as being more water resistant, but less insulating that the Dryskin material found in the Ferrata Tights. While I don't have personal experience with them, plans like the marmot Driclime Pants would be great in colder conditions. I believe they would provide adequate warmth in fairly cold weather, the side zips would allow venting so they could be used in moderate temperatures, and they are sufficiently weather resistant that hard shell pants would typically not been needed.
Something to keep in mind is that you want to minimize chafing. One of the most effective solutions to minimize friction against the skin is to wear tight fitting boxer-briefs, biking shorts, or tights which are made from nylon or polyester with lycra. A number of people I know really like Under Armor compression shorts. Some people apply products like Glide as a preventative measure. I found that Glide did significantly reduce chafing, but I thought it was kind of a bother to use, especially on trips which are more than a day or two. Wearing light, open, well breathing pants/shorts helps minimize accumulated moisture. There are some new products which are base layers with stretch sections designs to compress and support your muscles to enhance performance such as those made by CW-X. I have no experience with theses, but they have gotten some good reviews. As for rain pants, there are a variety of theories. Some people believe that legs work hard enough that rain shell for legs is typically not needed: Nylon pants + base layer will be just fine. I tried this for awhile but concluded that I am not comfortable doing this, I hate having soggy legs. Something I haven't tried but sounds promising is a rain skirt. The idea is that you are protected from the rain coming down, but still have a lot of ventilation.
Low Cost: Nylon warm-up pant or running shorts from Target, Walmart, etc.
Rational: People use hats to protect themselves from sun, rain, and cold. There is a wide range of numbers given for how much heat is lost through the head. My investigate of various scholarly articles brought be to the conclusion that somewhere between 35-40% of body heat exits through the head & neck given uniform insulation on the body. This means that in cold weather having a warm hat, or better yet a hood, plays a significant role in keeping you warm. In hot weather a hat had better provide optimal ventilation to help you stay cooling. Hats have the warmth / weight ratios given the disproportionate heat transfer / surface area of your head. Hats are highly effective at fine tuning thermal comfort because they are easy to take on and off (provided you aren't wearing a helmet) which lets you control the venting of a significant amount of heat. Don't try to save weight by skimping on your headwear. I would also strongly recommend that at least one of your jackets have a hood.
My Choices: I am very fair skinned... so I have to be very careful about getting sunburned. I always use a hat that shades me. This might be a hat with a full brim or a hat which directly covers most of my exposed skin. Most of the year I use a Sunday Afternoon Adventure Hat. Yeah, its geeky looking on me, but the oversize brim and veil provide highly effective protection for my face and neck, while the mesh side panels helps keep my head cool. In moderate conditions I rarely need a hat for insulation, though I will sometimes use the hood from whatever shell I am wearing to block the wind if my ears get cold.
When backpacking I always bring a Buff (polar variety) with me. I can configure the Buff to suit my needs. In warmer conditions I double the fleece section over my ears with just the light polyester fabric over the top of my head to avoid overheating. When the temperature is down around freezing I reconfigure the buff so the fleece covers all of my head for some extra warmth. When it gets really cold the buff becomes a neck gaiter / face mask, and I put on a hunter style OR Fall Line Cap. The DryLoft shell block the wind while still being adequately breathable, and the fleece lining provides just the right about of insulation unless it's extremely cold. I can flip up the ear tabs up when I need to vent some heat. Since I typically sleep under a hoodless down quilt at night, I need good insulation for my head and neck. In sub freezing temperatures. I use a DownWorks Balaclava which I can also wear around camp if it's really cold. Often I will layer it over whatever hat I am already wearing, much like I use a belay jacket over the clothing on my torso. In extreme cold I use the now discontinued (but still around in stores) Mountain Hardware Flex Balaclava to protect my face.
For daytime activities: around town, hikes, skiing, etc I typically use one of two hats. When the daytime temperatures is between say 30-50F I use a Cloudveil Four Shadow Beenie made from Dryskin. This hat is water resistant, modest insulation, with just the right amount of wind resistance. In colder weather I use a Windpro Fleece Beenie made by OR. It's slightly less wind resistant that the Four Shadows but it's more insulating. I would have liked it to be a touch warmer some days, but it was mostly just about right.
Options: Hat's seem to be one of the more "personal" pieces of gear. More than many items, people seem to care about the style of their hat. There are a huge number of options with a wide variety of styles, colors, materials, etc. Many people use baseball caps to keep their hair out of the way, things out of their hair, and shading for their eyes. I don't wear baseball caps because they don't provide adequate sun protection for the side of my face and neck. There are a number of hats made for the summer which have veils to protect ears are neck from the sun. These hats provide very effective sun protections but will block what could be cooling breezes. Brims for hats are sometimes fabric (like bucket hats), light foam, stiff foam/plastic, or sometimes flexible foam + edge stiffener. I have found that in moderate to high winds brims made from fabric or very light / flexible foam are not very effective. In the summer I would recommend looking at hats which have a full brim made from a light weight supplex (or other woven nylon) material. Dorman-Pacific make a nice hat from a very light weight supplex weave which breaths, gives good sun protection, keeps light summer showers off the face and dries quickly. This hat as an oval shaped foam brim with a plastic stiffener running around the outside of the brim to keep it from flapping in the wind. If you are very sun sensitive I would recommend a light hat with a veil such as the hats from Sunday Afternoons. Some people wear hats such as the LT line of Tilley hats in warm weather, but I have found the materials used in the LT not breathable enough for the summer. My head is soaked in sweat in a matter of minutes. In moderate weather having a hat which is wind resistant can be a big aid to regulate your body temperature. I am surprised that only there is only one eVENT rain hat on the market today.
In cold weather you will want a hat which keeps you warm. Winter hats can be caps (typically wool, fleece, or soft shell), hunter style (typically shelled fleece), or balaclavas (normal fleece, windstopping fleece, high loft). I typically find a balaclava overkill until it is below 20F and windy at which point it is indispensable. The Mountain Hardware Flex balaclava is my favorite. Polarwrap sounds interesting but I have no personal experience with it. Don't underestimate how much a neck gaiter (or scarf) can help you stay warm. In hot weather a cotton bandana, or better yet, a "tie" filled with poly-crystals such as those made by Cobber and Kooltie can help keep you cool. The classic OR Seattle Sombrero is one of the most beloved rain hats. I used one for many years but am back to using a rain jacket which has a hood.
Low Cost: Get a free hat. Lots of companies give hats away with their logo on them for proportional purposes.
Rational: Like hats, hardware seem to be one of the more "personal" pieces of gear. Unlike "hats", fit rather than style seems to drive most people's decision making. The fit of handwear is much more important than say, a jacket. Less than 1 cm of extra length in the fingers can be the difference between a glove that is highly functional and a glove that gets in the way is makes it difficult to to make the grabs necessary. People use handwear to protect their hands from abrasion, cold, rain, and sun. There is often a trade-off between "feel" and "protection". Typically the more protective handwear is, the less "feel" they provide. My experience is the same as Andy Kirkpatrick's: there is no perfect glove.
My Choices: I don't use handwear unless I need protection from abrasive conditions or when continuously near freezing. If I need to warm up my hands I use my pockets or a pair of socks. I tend to use gloves rather than mittens, and I favor thin, flexible gloves, to gloves which are thick or stiff. When conditions are below freezing a start with a pair of powerstretch gloves. They give me basic protection will minimal downside on dexterity. As conditions get colder I add some sort of un-insulated shell. For really cold conditions I used to have a pair of modular mitts. I used to use a pair of modular gloves... but no one seems to make them anymore... the BD Guide Gloves are the closest, but they are too heavy and have a wpb liner over the inner mitt rather than in the shell. What I want is a module gloves with a light weight gauntlet style, unlined outer shell that has an eVENT membrane with sealed seams, and a grippy palm. Inner gloves would have fleece insulated palms which provides some insulation when compressed and use some synthetic high loft insulated on the back of the hands within a highly breathable shell. This would provide gloves which could be used in a wide variety of conditions and easily dried overnight in a sleeping bag. When I was climbing in cold weather I liked Black Diamond Dry Tool gloves.
Options: The first set of options are how the handwear is structured. From best "feel" to most protective are fingerless gloves which can keep the core of your hand warm while giving full dexterity to fingers, fingerless gloves with a mitten flap that can be overlaid when you don't need to be using your fingers, gloves, lobster claw gloves, and mittens. The second set of options is what materials are used on the palm and the fingers: how durable and how "grippy". The most grippy materials tend to be specially designed synthetic materials. Leather is reasonably grippy and long lasting. Plain fabric is often slippery and not very durable. The third issue is how waterproof which ranges from water absorbing, to water resistant, to fully waterproof. The forth issue you should consider is how quickly the handwear will dry. Handwear which doesn't have absorbent padding will dry more quickly. Handwear which separates insulation from the protective outer shell also has an advantage when it comes to drying out your hands. Finally, there is the question of insulation. Primaloft and down are commonly used in warmer handwear because it is warm for it's weight, while still providing good feel because the insulation will compress when pressed. The compressibility gives good feel, but it means that the compressed area isn't as protected from the cold. So if you are going to be holding onto things for an extended period of time (say climbing with ice tools), then you want the insulation to be something that won't compress like fleece or thermolite. Some handwear uses hybrid insulation... fleece on the palm and fingers, and primaloft across the back of the hand. Komperdell seamless gloves so like they might be quite an innovation.Most gloves fall into the following groupings:
Make sure that you are bringing footwear which is comfortable and appropriate for your chosen activities. Nothing fast the ability to spoil your entire outdoor adventure like wearing uncomfortable footwear! Shoes are extremely personal. Just because a shoe is well regard doesn't mean that it will be good for you. There is no substitute from trying on a pair of shoes/boots, and then wearing them for an extended period of time. Even if your footwear doesn't need to be broken in, you should spend time wearing them before you take them on a journey. Backpacker has a nice article on understanding feet and footwear which is oriented toward boots, but has a lot of valuable information such as the wet foot test that is also useful to those who use trail runners. You might try to find a local store that has been trained in the FitSystem by Phil Oren. Keep in mind that for every 1 lb of footwear, it's like carrying an extra 6.4 lb of weight on your back. [Legg SJ, Mahanty A. Energy cost of backpacking in heavy boots. Ergonomics.1986 Mar;29(3):433-8.] I have found that Zappos is a good source for hard to find shoes and that shoebuy has free shipping including returns. There is a nice video about Customizing shoe fit by relacing.
Historically people wore heavy weight boots for backpacking, trekking, etc. Your feet need to be protected, and what could do a better job that a heavy boot which will help prevent sprained ankles and give excellent support? Wrong. Most boots don't give good ankle support. The sides of the boot are flexible. Only extremely stiff boots like the modern, hard plastic telemark ski boots actually provide good ankle support. What actually helps protect your ankle in good quality hiking boots are a high quality heel cup, a well formed foot bed, and good traction. This helps prevent your foot from suddenly shifting which is the source of most ankle injuries. Guess what? Trail running shoes have good heel cups, supportive foot beds, and aggressive soles. In other words, your ankles will be as well protected with a trail runner as with most hiking boots. So how do boots and trail runners compare:
| Area | Trail Runner | Heavy Duty Hiking Boot |
| Shoe Weight | 28oz | 70oz |
| Equiv work for this Weight on Back | 11.2 lbs | 28 lbs |
| Cost | $75 | $200 |
| Service | 750 miles | 4000+ miles (guestimation) |
| Cost/Mile | 10 cents | 5 cents |
| Break In Period | Practically None | Often 100+ miles |
| Foot Protection | Moderate to Excellent | Excellent |
| Moisture Management | Most are fairly breathable. Your feet will get wet. They will also dry in a few hours of hiking. Gore-Tex trail runners are available. | Most are highly water resistant or waterproof. If they do get wet they stay wet for a long time. Feet tend to be slightly damp because when they are sweating, it is hard for the moisture to escape. |
| Insulation | Typically no insulation on top. Many models have some amount of mesh which helps keep feel cool and well ventilated. The soles though (often made from light weight foam) tend to be more insulating than heavier boots with dense soles. | Tends to be warm on top. Thick leather or material, and typically thick sock to protect your feet from the boots. In cold weather good. It hot weather you feet sweat and swell which encourages blisters to develop. |
For most conditions provided you are carrying less than approximately 40 lb, I would strongly recommend trying trail running shoes because they can be quite comfortable and will be lighter than the more traditional hiking shoes or boots. To go into a bit more detail about the three most common concerns I have heard about trail runners:
There are lots of good trail running shoes on the market these days. There are a number of factors you should consider when looking at a trail runner:
If there is an athletic shoe manufacturer that seems to make shoes that fit you well, I would look to see if they make a "trail running" model, and try that. If there is no manufacturer that you are more inclined, you might see what shoes are recommended by the wet foot test at runners world ltd and/or check out the descriptions and reviews on running warehouse. The following are some of the popular manufacturers that I have had reasonable luck with:
Manufacturers that I don't have a lot of experience with recently, but are worth a look include Adidas (Supernova), Asics, Brooks (Trail Addiction), Mizuno (Wave Ascend), and Nike.
Personal Note: I have a terrible time finding shoes which fit me because I have a narrow heel, slightly small to moderate volume foot, but need a large toe box because I have both hammertoes and morton's toes. I often try every shoe I can find in local stores without finding a single pair that are comfortable. When I find a shoe that works for me I buy multiple pairs because I don't know the next time I will find a shoe that will fit well, and my experience is that manufacturers change designs on a regular basis (Inov-8 being the exception... thank you!). Shoes work for me include:
There are a number of people who have found sandals and water shoes to be highly effective. They provide excellent ventilation for your feet, and are ideal when you are in wet conditions because they don't hold water against your feet. The downsides of using sandals or water shoes are that your feet get really dirty and some sandals don't protect your toes. Bite Sandals have a toe guard designed to protect your toes. Many people seem to love Chaco Sandals, but they have a very pronounced arch support which hits me in exactly the wrong place. Chaco are also heavier than most trail runners. I sometimes hike in Teva sandals if I am expecting to be fording lots of streams. The Teva X-1, Timberland Delerion Pro, and Solomon Amphibian are well regarded water shoes which also might work well for hiking. These shoes did not fit me well (typically they were too stiff in the wrong places with a heel that gave me a blister), but they might work for you.
There are some people who love to hike barefooted or wearing moccasins. There have been numerous articles about the benefits of going barefoot such as You Walk Wrong and Your shoes are killing you. The short summary is that your foot is well engineered, and actually does a better job on removing stress from your knee and hip than cushioned shoes. Traditional shoes with heels changes forces you into an unnatural position which is less efficient. You can find a variety of resources at barefooters.org and barefootrevolution. The book The barefoot Hiker is free on the web or you can buy the book. Some people want barefoot like foot-falls, but with a bit more protection for the soles of their feet. There are several options. The most minimal option would be the classic, sole-less, suede moccasins or water shoes with a thin and flexible rubber soles. The next step would be some like Vivobarefoot shoes (like the Aqua sneaker) which you could think of as Kevlar protected moccasins with rubber soles. The Vivo barefoot shoes give a very nature foot fall and a good "feel" while protecting your feet from abrasions. They are light weight (11US/44UK is 9oz, 260g), have great traction on concrete and asphalt. The downside of these shoes are that they don't provide good traction in "field" conditions such as dirt trails, sand, vegetation, scree, etc. They are also expensive, somewhat hard to find in the US (Amazon often carry's them), and only come in a limited set of sizes. Models with zip-off / replaceable soles had some durability issues. A really different shoe is made by vibramfivefingers whose sole looks like the bottom of our foot, down to a separation between the toes. Several of the shoes made by Inov-8 have thin soles and lot of flexibility which is more like a barefoot experience than traditional shoes. A number of other athletic shoe manufacturers have noted Inov-8 success and have (or will soon) release ultra-flexible soled running shoes such as the Nike Free.
Historically hiking boots were very heavy and used full leather on the uppers. These days, boot uppers are often a mixture of leather, nylon, and even plastic. If you need truly heavy duty boots I would recommend full leather boots with a Norwegian welt made in Europe ideally by Italian companies like Scarpa. Most people can get away will lighter weight boots. I haven't looked carefully at boots for many years. The few boot / hiking shoes I have had experience with are:
Rational: Appropriate socks help keep your feet at a comfortable temperature and play a large part in preventing blisters. Blisters come from the combination of friction and moisture. You want socks which wick moisture away from you feet and minimize the amount of friction between the sock and your foot which is often best accomplished by using a double sock or two socks.
My Choice: Injinji Tetratsok Toe Socks, "performance" model made from coolmax. I found the combination of the Inov-8 Flyroc 310 and Injinji socks have completely prevented blisters on my feet without requiring me to use any treatments to my feet! This is a first for me. These socks took some getting used to. The first several times I wore them I was very aware that the socks were on my feet and between my toes and I hated them... but after wearing them around town for awhile, and few days the trail, I stopped noticing them. In the cool to cold weather I switch to Sealz Skin socks with a CoolMax liner while wearing trail runners, or switch to insulated boots and a vapor barrier sock. In the winter I will also sometime bring something to wear inside the tent once my shoes come off such as ID's HotSocks our down booties.
Options: Conventional wisdom for people wearing hiking boots is to wear a heavy wool sock, with an very light weight inner liner. Dr. Murray Hamlet of the Army Cold Weather Research Center confirmed this with an extensive testing of a variety of sock systems. A thin liner sock made of CoolMax, and a thicker sock made of wool&polypro (fuzzy side out) reduced the likelihood of blisters by a factor of three! This is because the slipping is happening between the socks rather than between the foot and the sock. TechSpun sells the socks designed by Hamlet. Besides TechSpun there are a variety of companies which sell high quality wool or wool blend backpacking socks including Bridgeport, Dahlgren, Darn Tough Socks, Fox River, SmartWool, Thorlo, Wigwam.
People carrying lighter loads and using trail runners or walking shoes often prefer socks that have less bulk. Since lighter shoes tend to flex with the foot, an inner / outer sock combination isn't as critical as when using boots. Some people find double socks are helpful with trail runners. Some low bulk ways to get double socks include using two pairs of nylon dress socks or my favorite, WrightSocks DoubleSocks. WrightSocks can be found with both layers made from CoolMax (best for hot weather), or CoolMax with a wool outer (more durable and a bit warmer). Single socks I would recommend for trail runners include Smartwool Adrenaline (wool), Inov-8 Mudsoc (coolmax), and the Bridgedale X-Hale Multisport Socks (multi-fabric blend). People who have problems with blisters between their toes often use Injinji toe socks. X-Socks look interesting but expensive. I have no experience with them. See later sections on dealing with water and cold for additional options. Keep in mind that there needs to be enough room in your shoe for your feet and the socks you select. Socks which are too thick for your shoes will crowd your feet and result in blisters just as quickly as your feet sliding around. I would strongly recommend trying a variety of different socks and figure out what works best for you. Socks are cheap and will often mean the difference between a miserable blister plagued trip, and one with comfortable feet.
Cheap: Use a double pair of synthetic dress socks.
A number of my friends swear by Superfeet inserts, but they are not for everyone.
In general you want to keep your feet dry. The first threat is rain, snow, and slush. The second threat is stream/river crossings. The third is sweat from your feet (feet can dissipate up to 2 cups of water in a day). There are several approaches people use in an attempt to keep feet reasonably dry:
"Waterproof" Boots: One of the most common approaches is the use of waterproof boots. For example, boots with Gore-Tex liners or leather boots with Snowseal or Nikwax to the outside of your footwear. While these approaches will keep external moisture at bay for a time (my experience is for a few days) once the inside of boot gets wet, it stays wet for a long time. Alas, while good at keeping external water out, they also tend to hold water in. You feet will stew in the sweat they generated.
Waterproof Socks: I have found waterproof breathable socks such as Rocky Gore-Tex oversocks or SealSkinz tend to be more breathable than "waterproof" boots when worn inside highly breathable trail runners. When wearing waterproof socks you don't need to worry about your shoes getting wet, because you feet are protected inside the sock. They also keep your feet clean... often mesh trail runners let a lot of small dirt particles in.
Quick Dry: A third approach is to use footwear which is highly breathable and quick to dry (sandals or shoes with a lot of light-weight mesh) on the assumption that their feet will get wet, but then will dry quickly. A slight variation of quick dry that is comfortable when wet. Some people have found that using Neoprene socks can keep feet comfortable, even when they are wet. They are effective because the neoprene foam provides effective insulation and doesn't bind when wet. Modest wetness dries overnight, but soaked shoes don't dry overnight. Wet trail runners being worn while active without additional external moisture will mostly dry in a reasonable amount of time thanks to body heat plus the pounding of the feet which drives out moisture. Mostly-dry trail runners can dry overnight. There was some data about time it takes for a variety of different types of trail runners to dry in the open air in the forum posting about Inov-8 & Timberline Delerion (and other fast drying shoes) and a second posting of fast drying shoes. Bottom line is that shoes in a cool location take a long time (>15 hours) to fully dry. On the other hand, shoes can dry significantly in just a couple of hours if you feet are active and you don't have external water sourced to deal with or if the shoes are sitting in bright sunlight. BPL did a nice article about water weight gain and loss in lightweight shoes. There are a number of light weight trail runners that will absorb between 15-30% water weight after being soaked, and be down to 4-10% weight gain after a couple of hours of use. So it is possible to soak your shoes in the mid-afternoon, get them mostly dry by the end of the day, and see them fully dry over night.
Extra Shoes: Some people focus on dealing with external mo
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