Summer Clothing Suggestions

While the importance of proper attire is obviously greater the longer the trip, nothing can ruin any wilderness trip faster than poor or inadequate clothing! Therefore, the importance of proper and sufficient clothing just cannot be over-emphasized.

Clothing must serve three functions. It must protect from the wind; it must protect from rain, sleet or snow; and it must insulate from the cold. For outdoor activities, where both the weather and the level of activity is changing constantly, the layering system works best, allowing you to add or remove layers as they are needed. Outer layers should be over-sized to fit over the clothes beneath. Wool and synthetics are preferable to cotton since they dry more quickly and/or retain some of their insulative qualities even when wet.

Following are some basic guidelines for choosing clothing for a trip with Taste of Wilderness Tours. Some of the items recommended may seem unnecessary, but the majority of our trips will take us into the alpine, where the weather can be totally unpredictable.

Layer 1; the underlayer:

• Look for either wool or the synthetics such as polypropylene, chlorofibre, pile, fleece, etc to wick perspiration away from the body.
• Although long johns are generally thought of as winter attire, a light pair can also come in handy for those cool summer nights in the alpine.
• Shorts are best for hiking on those hot summer days.

Layer 2; the insulating layer(s):

• Look for wool or synthetics such as polyester, pile, fleece etc to provide a warm, insulative layer, or layers, as needed. (eg: undershirt + shirt + sweater)

Layer 3; the shell - for wind and rain:

• While any nylon shell is generally adequate to protect from the wind, the best all-around shell is probably gore-tex with its unique ability to pass water vapor from perspiration, while stopping water droplets from rain or snow. Look for a jacket with a good hood, and pants with full-length zippers down the legs for ease in putting on or taking off without removing boots.

The head: A baseball cap, or any other hat with a brim is highly recommended. A wool or fleece toque is recommended for cool evenings in the alpine, and a mesh "bug hat" can help you to keep your sanity when the mosquitoes are exceptionally bad.

The hands: A pair of thin wool or leather gloves is recommended.

The feet: A sturdy pair of leather hiking boots is recommended, although light hikers are adequate for day trips in dry weather. For longer backpacking trips (4 days or more) bring extra footwear for crossing streams and lounging around in the evenings. Gaiters may be useful. And don't forget to bring spare socks! (A pair for every two days.)