Hiking Clothing and Gear Recommendations
While one of the great things about hiking is that you don't technically need a lot to get started, comfort is really improved with the proper clothing, footwear and gear.
Recommended: Hiking Pants and Shorts | Hiking Shirts | Footwear
We've gone through a lot of clothing and gear over the years (our closet is filled with so many hiking shoes, it looks like Imelda Marcos took up hiking) and offer our recommendations, opinions, and tips here.
One key clothing concept for hiking to keep in mind: learn to layer. By layering your clothing, you can regulate your temperature just by adding or removing a piece.
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Base Layer - wicking shirt (short or long-sleeved) next to your skin
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Insulation Layer - such as fleece shirt or jacket
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Protective Layer - wind/rain resistant shell
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Hat/Gloves - you lose a lot of heat through your head/hands
The goal is to stay comfortable, dry and avoid hypothermia. If you overheat, you'll start sweating and your clothing becomes wet, putting you at risk.
Tips: You'll see we list a lot of EMS or REI branded clothing and gear. We find that the fit and quality is nearly as good as the big brands like North Face... but costs less. We also work the clearance racks and plan purchases end-of-season as much as possible - you can get more stuff that way!
We've put together info about each category below, and list the clothing gear we use and recommend. Just keep in mind that clothing and gear styles change constantly, and something may no longer be available or no longer works/fits as we described.
Pants/Shorts
Regular, zip-offs
Hiking Shirts
Short and Long Sleeved
Footwear
Boots, shoes, sandals
