As much as a pair of sweats and a stretched out t-shirt may be one of the most comfortable outfits a person can wear, it’s hardly a stylish one. That said there’s certainly an argument to be made for the form over fashion benefits of an elastic waistband and breathable top. Such dilemmas can pop up all throughout our daily life, but looking good is not the most important in the quiet solitude of the wilderness. Will the birds judge me for having mismatched socks? Will the trees laugh at me for my color coordination? Are the ticks actually avoiding me because my pants are ugly? There are plenty of tips and tricks to keep yourself comfortable and coordinated on your hikes, especially in the summer months.
Keeping It Long
We’re no strangers to tick awareness here at the LIPBS, and we’ve made a few different guides to keep yourself safe on hikes, so we’ll just gloss over the basic dress code here. A long sleeve shirt, tucked into long pants, tucked into long socks. Minimizing skin exposure is always ideal but be sure to use repellant for the areas that can’t be covered. This will also help to protect you from cuts or scrapes should you pass through a particularly branchy area.
Society Executive Director Richard Amper wearing light colored pants on the beach.
Keeping It cool
Ok, so you’ve got your long sleeve long panted outfit, but it’s the dead of summer, and temperatures are regularly climbing into the 90’s, how do you compensate for that? Just as important as coverage is making sure that your clothes are breathable and light, which will typically come down to material. Nylon is the biggest contender. It is light, breathable material that easily stretches without deforming. A tight knit also makes sure nothing is going to get through.
That being said, nylon can get really expensive, really fast. Some of the top-rated nylon hiking pants can run you well over $100. Not to mention, nylon can just as easily be made to trap in heat given the right construction. You certainly wouldn’t want to go hiking in a pair of 100% wool pants, but there’s a wide range of materials that can keep you cool. When buying clothes for hiking, consider looking for the same style of clothes you might wear during a workout. Quick drying shirts and socks will keep you the most comfortable in high heat, but if you’re on a budget the socks will be the most useful in keeping you comfortable.
Keeping It Colorful
Just like with materials, the color of your outfit will have a big impact on your ability to stay comfortable in the heat, but there are a lot of other things to consider too. Lighter colors are best for our local Pine Barrens, beige being something of an iconic color for environmentalists, but any lighter shade will also be good. This is a two- sided benefit, for one, the lighter color will trap heat less easily than darker colors will, keeping you a bit cooler in the sun. On top of that, especially across Long Island, lighter colors will make it easier to spot and remove any ticks that may have latched on to your person during a hike. The pants are the area most likely for a tick to attach to though, so if you need to buy new and want to stay on a budget, focus there rather than on the shirt.
Photo by Charlie Hammond via Unsplash
However, when trekking outside of Long Island, or even on some of our more wild trails, you may want to be wearing some clothes that are more vibrant in color than plain lights. This is because, in the event of a worst-case scenario where you end up lost or missing, bright colors like red or orange will make it easier for people to find you in the brush. This is why you’ll typically see such bright colors on mountain climbers, who need to be easily identifiable against sheets of white. While our local Pine Barrens aren’t quite subject to the same conditions that would necessitate such color choices, you wouldn’t want to go hiking in woodland camo either way.
Keeping It Fun
No matter what choices you make based on the above, you should always prioritize comfort on a hike over anything else. Hiking should be a fun activity, and if you force yourself to wear stuffy or uncomfortable clothes just to follow one of these guidelines, then you won’t be enjoying yourself at all. Yes, long pants and shirts are important to keep ticks off, but even if a tick does bite you, it can be easily removed with a pair of tweezers with minimal risk to you. Yes, lightweight clothes and colors will keep you cool on your hike, but especially in the summer most of the Island’s trails are covered by a dense brush that will already keep you shaded for your hike. And yes, identifiable clothes can be important, but as long as you keep to the trails laid out on each hike, your risk of getting lost along the way is negligible.
LIPBS Founder and Board Member John Turner leading a hike, not following any of the precautions we listed here
Hiking is supposed to be fun, so have fun! And don’t obsess over what you’re wearing too much, the trees won’t judge you, we promise.
By Andrew Wong, Long Island Pine Barrens Society
Cover Photo by Jon Flobrant via unsplash
