Dayhiking Tips

My first dayhiking tips?

Here's two:

It's amazing how many miles you can cover on a day hike if you're motivated...

AND your boots fit!

Here's a photo of a recent snowshoe day hike near Mt. Rainier. Notice the 2 sets of snowshoe tracks, made by my husband and me in the pristine snow as we were heading up to Cowlitz Rocks (our predetermined lunch spot).

See what I mean?

If you've never hiked before, all you need is a way to carry food & water, plus footwear that continues to feel good all day, and you're set!

For your first few hikes, you can get by wearing the clothes you already own.

But once the hiking bug bites, you'll want to invest in weather-appropriate and durable hiking clothes. And you'll begin scouring magazines, websites, and gear stores for dayhiking tips.

Why?

Trail safety and comfort are essential to your enjoyment of this sport.

To share some dayhiking tips, I'll take you through what I wear on the trail in each season, including hiking clothing.

I've hiked with some serious hiking "fashionistas", who arrive at the trail head in color coordinated clothes/pack/water bottle/ponytail holders, and I can't really say that they enjoyed the trail more than me in my years-old but still functional clothes.

You can spend a LOT of money on hiking clothes, or not.

Here's the "or not" viewpoint from a dayhiking tips minimalist.

Spring and fall: Cool mornings followed by warm afternoons present a challenge. What's a hiker to do?

Hmm....think about it. You don't want to shiver your way up the trail and risk hypothermia, or be too hot on your way back to the trail head and get cranky.

My dayhiking tips for this situation?

Pay careful attention to the layers of clothing you wear.

Here's my "official" spring & fall hiking wardrobe, from inner to outer layers, and top to bottom:

TOP: sports bra (there are some interesting discussions to be had about the uni-boob approach vs the cup approach), sleeveless wicking top, long sleeve shirt, light jacket.

I remove the jacket once my boots are laced up and I've stretched at the trail head. Starting off too bundled up is a rookie mistake. Best to be a wee bit chilly and realize that you'll be steaming hot in a few minutes, especially if your hike is going uphill.

The long sleeve top comes off mid-way through the morning, or sometimes not at all, depending upon the cloud cover and temperature.

BOTTOM: regular old underwear (you can buy pricey wicking underwear, but mine seem to be fine for this time of year), zip-off pants, socks (liners plus thick hiking socks), and gaiters if conditions are wet or I know I'll be wading through dew-laden brush.

HEAD: a ball cap and sunglasses, along with whatever color ponytail holder ("scrunchy") happened to be handy that morning.

But that's just me.

Some female hikers start off with a jacket, then strip down to a short sleeve shirt. Note: you can get by with cotton if you know for a fact that day will be dry.

I've seen hikers wear nylon shorts over long underwear bottoms - an interesting fashion statement which has never appealed to me because I like my knees to be unencumbered on the trail.

But what to wear for summer hiking?

Lovely summer mornings find me in sleeveless tops and nylon shorts, with a sunhat affectionately tagged my "dork" hat because of it's oh-so-not-flattering style.

I'm sure you have shorts & T-shirts or tank tops in your closet which would perform admirably on dry, warm days.

But after a few sweaty hot hikes where you're wringing out your T shirts at the lunch stop, I think you will gravitate toward more sweat-soaking, wicking fabrics. These promise more comfort, less odors, and a more presentable appearance back at the trail head.

Winter hiking: We call it snowshoeing, right?

Actually, I'm lucky enough to live in the Puget Sound area, where I can take hikes in the low lands and NOT be on snow in January.

But let's assume we're snowshoeing.

Giving dayhiking tips is tricky because ambient temperature is low, but you're going to work up quite a sweat as you move along.

So here's what I suggest: use the same layering technique as in fall, but skip the sleeveless top layer.

I always add a sleeveless fleece vest over my long sleeved shirt, and remove my jacket at the trail head. This leaves me shivering for the first five minutes of the snowshoe hike, but I warm up quickly and don't have to stop to peel off my jacket.

My pants are breathable and waterproof, and usually I don't wear long underwear unless I know the day will be windy or wet.

On unusually cold days, I DO include long underwear, knowing that my waterproof pants have side zippers to allow me to vent my body heat when needed.

My head wear changes, too: I use a wool cap, sometimes with ear flaps, sometimes not.

For winter trips, here's a valuable dayhiking tip: I routinely wear gaiters to keep the snow out of my boots (which are heavy and waterproof, with thick warm liners - very different from my regular hiking boots).

If I were to go hiking on a wet snow free low land trail, of course I'd skip all the heavy layers and just wear a long sleeved top under a waterproof jacket.

My jacket has underarm vents for ventilation, but even so I'll be soaked through with perspiration by the end of the hike.

Waterproof pants, no long underwear, and a rain hat (I use a "Seattle sombrero") complete my elegant ensemble.

So can you see how hiking can get pricey, the more seasons you are on the trail?

I don't feel good about recommending specific clothing brands, because I'm just one hiker out on the trail. But I will say this:

You get what you pay for.

Quality, performance, and durability are definitely tied to a higher price.

And certain companies seem to have a knack for delivering on the goods.

But I never pay full price.

There are so many good deals on line. You can receive emails alerting you to sales, price cuts, new merchandise, overstocks - the companies will literally TELL you when to save money. All you have to do is give them an email address, then regularly check their offerings.

Also, there are sports equipment coops you can join. This is one of my favorite dayhiking tips. Pay a one-time fee, become a voting member, and are eligible for yearly dividends and member-only deals.

I joined Seattle-based REI in 1977, and have enjoyed spending my member dividend every year since.

There's also a Canadian coop that I joined a few years ago when I couldn't find the boot brand I'm partial to in any American stores.

If you're not sure where to start in your acquisition of a functional hiking wardrobe, or are interested in my "personal picks" for hiking clothing, drop me an email. These day hiking tips on clothing are just to get you started thinking about what you'll need. There's plenty of ground to cover, so to speak!

And here's some hiking jewelry you really should consider: a survival necklace!

Finally, check out my dayhiking tips on trail snacks, water, packs, and boots to make your first few day hikes enjoyable.

And welcome to the hiking family!

Dayhiking tips can get you started. But maybe you're looking for more advanced information?