The Fit: Get the Look
If you are going to wear the same outfit every day for 6 months, you better make it a good look. Obviously, we did exactly that!
Just like choosing gear, choosing your clothing is a difficult task and one that tends to get overlooked until crunch time. We provide our recommendations on which pieces of clothing are most important on the hike and how to find them.
Putting together the perfect set of thru hiking clothes rest on the principle of getting functional clothing. Unlike everyday life you won’t have access to a closet full of options to choose the best fit for that singular day so you have to select clothing purposefully.
We will start at the basics on how to form the building blocks for the right thru hiking attire.
Clothing Functionality
Trail clothing is divided into the main camps of which function is primarily serves.
Core outfit - this is your day-in and day-out clothes.
Spare clothing - mainly in your pack but will wear upwards of 40% of the time.
Cold weather - for when the temperature is consistently chilly (under 50 degrees)
Rain gear - …for rain.
Let’s dive in a little bit more to these categories.
COre Outfit (AKA Worn Weight)
Your hiking outfit should consist of top, bottoms, undergarments, socks, and we highly recommend gaiters. Specifically for the top and bottoms should be tailored toward the conditions of the whole trail. You can certainly switch out items of your outfit mid-trail, but we have found that one core outfit is manageable for a thru hike.
Spare Clothing
Spare clothing is a mixed bag. It includes the extra items (pair of socks, pair of underwear, sleeping shirt) but also includes items that you are most likely going to wear every day or every-other day but not as consistently as your core outfit. An example of this is a mid-layer or a puffy. A common reason for carrying more spare clothing is to have town clothes on laundry day.
Your goal is to carry as light and has few items that fall into this section.
Cold Weather
Cold weather gear normally refers to base layers, not external ones. It will not be cold enough to warrant a parka, nor would you have room for it. Unless there is an extremely low day temperature, you are unlikely to hike in your cold weather clothes (the exception being a hat or gloves). Instead, these are normally utilized at evenings. We separate out cold weather clothing from spare clothing because you will traditionally carry spare clothing the entire trail while you can pick and choose which sections to have your cold weather clothing with you.
Rain Gear
Rain gear is traditionally a jacket, but it is getting more popular to carry pants or skirts as well. Rain can be a constant presence on trail but it is unlikely to be so common that you wear your rain gear regularly.
Now that we have the fundamentals of trail clothing, we can start to imagine the items of clothing we would place in each category.
Use Context to Make your List
Starting the AT in February versus starting the PCT in May have completely different environments in which to pair your clothing. While your rain gear, cold weather, and spare clothing are going to remain consistent (it is more a matter of when you decide to carry them), your regular hiking outfit will have different needs.
Our Recommendation:
Appalachian Trail: If you are starting prior to mid-March, plan to carry cold weather clothing with the addition of hiking pants and a mid-layer. Your core outfit should still remain short sleeved shirt and shorts (unless you intend to hike in the pants the entire length) because there will be warm days especially when hiking.
We started the first weekend of March and experienced several weeks of cold weather. The lowest temperature being 10 degrees and the highest being mid-60s during that time period.
Pacific Crest Trail: Core outfit should include items designed for sun protection. Swap a short sleeved shirt for a breathable sun hoodie. You will mostly likely not need cold weather gear. The first bout of cold weather is close to 180 miles in but is only a couple days. Cold weather clothing is most useful for the Sierras, if you arrive during early snow thaw, and Washington.
From our 2024 hike, the only time we consistently used our cold weather clothing was during the last 3 weeks in Washington (September).
Choosing your Brands
Just like with gear, “name” brand clothing comes with a higher price tag, and you are left to decide if that price tag is indeed worth it. We want to help you make that decision so below is a list of items for brands we LOVE and recommend and then items where you can save yourself the money.
Our Brand Recommendations:
Enlightened Equipment Torrid Jacket
What did we love about it? When you first hold one of these jackets you will not believe that is can possibly supply any warmth for its weight. Wait to be amazed! The fabric holds up well in water and surface water (not submerged) dries quickly. It is synthetic so even in damp conditions it maintains warmth. This is another piece that has withstood two thru hikes and continues to be an everyday jacket. Make sure to order far enough ahead so you can choose custom colors!
Retails ~$200 and available in men and women’s sizing. See website here.
Jolly Gear Sun Shirt
What did we love about it? This shirt is pure functionality with fun pattern flare mixed in. The fabric is light and breathable while providing relief from the sun. The button-up design also allows for air flow that pullover sun shirts do not have. The pockets on the front are large and can accommodate a phone. Plus, it is thru hiker owned company that truly does care about providing a top-of-the-line product for fellow hikers.
Retails ~$95 and available in men and women’s sizing. See website here.
Dirty Girl Gaiters
What did we love about it? These gaiters are inexpensive and come in any pattern imaginable. They utilize velcro (provided) on the heel and a front hook to your laces to secure in place. They stay in place all day while being easy to take on and off. We experienced a great lifespan with our gaiters. If anything, we wanted them to tear so that we had an excuse to try out another fun pattern!
Retails: $20 and available in different sizes. See website here.
Darn Tough Socks
What did we love about it? The hype is worth it. These socks have the perfect amount of cushion and keep your sweating feet dry all day. I have never experienced my Darn Toughs stretching out or even starting to smell. The company has a lifetime guarantee on their socks and will exchange them for a new pair if you do happen to get a hole.
Retails: $22 and available in men and women’s sizes. See website here.
Where you can Skip Name Brand
Underwear: You can find athletic or antimicrobial underwear on Amazon for as low as $20 compared to brands like Smartwool who charge $30 a pair.
Short sleeved shirt: We both wore $15 athletic shirts from Target for the entire AT. You do not need a hiking specific shirt.
Shorts: It is important that you find a pair of shorts that is comfortable, no matter the brand.
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