To feel comfortable during the hike, it is important to avoid overheating. In hot conditions, a person sweats, which is a natural way of cooling down. However, if you sweat a lot, your clothing gets wet and loses its ability to protect your skin from overheating. In addition, when sweat evaporates, the body cools down. Therefore, overheating can lead to severe freezing later on. To avoid this, wear clothing that can be unbuttoned or unzipped to reduce sweating in hot weather.
Another important aspect is the choice of loose clothing, which provides freedom of movement and creates air pockets. By wearing several loose t-shirts, you create several layers of what professionals call "dead air." These t-shirts will keep you warmer than a thick sweater without layers of dead air. If you wear layered clothing, you can remove the ones on top if you feel that you are overheating. Always wear loose clothing because tight-fitting clothing restricts blood circulation and leads to cooling of different parts of the body and even numbness.
Clothing for hiking should always be dry. Wet clothing absorbs the heat of your body, so when you stop for the night, do not go to sleep without drying what has become wet - both outside (under snow, rain or frost) and inside (soaked with sweat). It is often difficult to stay dry during a hike. If you are going where rain or snow is expected, wear a waterproof jacket and pants over your clothing.
Hiking clothing should be durable, lightweight, and quick-drying. Before the hike, carefully inspect your clothing to make sure it is not torn or soiled. Also, if you notice holes, do not postpone their repair. Sew up the holes immediately to avoid even bigger problems in the future. If the clothing gets too cold, it stops performing its function effectively, and you become defenseless against the conditions of the environment.
Having read the above recommendations, let's think about what kind of clothing we should take on a mountain hike.
Underwear for mountain hikes
Carefully choose underwear for hiking, which should be warm and quick-drying. Thermal underwear can be an excellent choice when you have to go in cold conditions. It covers the legs and arms, but it is important to make sure that it is not too tight so that blood can circulate freely. Do not take cotton underwear with you - it is comfortable in a dry climate, but when it gets wet (from rain or sweat), it loses its insulating properties. It is better to take wool or synthetic underwear - it dries faster. Do not wear thermal underwear just because you like it - it will be very uncomfortable in hot weather.Shirts for mountain hikes
I'll repeat it again, do not take cotton shirts with you. Woolen ones retain heat even when wet (this is their advantage over synthetic fibers), but now there are many synthetic materials that dry quickly, keep you warm, and, in some cases, are waterproof and windproof. One of my favorite clothing items is a very thin, lightweight windproof jumper that I wear over a fleece shirt under my jacket. It keeps the heat well, is windproof, and is easy to put on and take off. You can roll it up and put it in your backpack - it weighs almost nothing.Pants for mountain hikes
Pants for mountain hikes must be chosen very carefully. They should be strong but lightweight and quick-drying. Regular army pants are very good, not least because they have ten pockets where you can carry different sharp and stabbing objects. Take a pair of waterproof pants with you. They are worn over regular pants and should be loose - then your legs will not sweat, and you can put on the pants over your boots.Jacket for mountain hikes
The jacket is your protective shell or armor during a mountain hike. It should be waterproof and windproof, but also breathable. A good jacket will keep you dry in the rain or snow and protect you from the wind, while also allowing sweat to evaporate and keep you from overheating. The jacket should be lightweight and easy to pack in your backpack when not in use. Choose a jacket with a hood to protect your head from the elements.Camouflage clothing is usually strongly associated with tourism in general and mountain hiking in particular. But that's not entirely correct, although such clothing is usually comfortable, but in terms of color, the question is why does a tourist need it, he is not a saboteur behind enemy lines to hide. On the contrary, it is desirable to choose clothing of very bright colors, then if something happens, it will be easier to find a person in bright clothing and this may save his life.
