R Shorts Mandatory?

[MoseyMan]

Is there anyone out there who wears long pants excusively year-round?

The few short ventures I've made have been in BDU pants. I appreciate their baggy comfort, their durabilty, the thigh pockets, but especially the protection they offer. No, they aren't as cool as shorts (Or a kilt I would imagine). I know they weigh more. And a spare pair will take up that much more room in the backpack.

But while summertime heat in the south is brutal, I've learned that summertime mosquitos can be more brutal still when they get a chance at my pasty, chicken-legs. Not to mention ticks, chiggers and other biting creepy-crawlys. And A kilt would open-up for them even more tender territory, I fear. No thank you!

[MOWGLI]

I know several hikers that wore long pants every day between Springer & Katahdin. Wanna wear long pants? Go ahead.

[Stuart]

I was wearing my convertible pants the other day and got more mosquito bites up and down my legs than I have had in 20 years. I'm not sure I value them as mosquito/bug protection anymore. Maybe this was a freak occurrence.

[Grimace]

You will not need an extra pair. Wear the pants if you're comfortable in them.

[max patch]

Wear them if you like them. I'd suggest convertible pants if you decide to change your mind about shorts.

[Blue Jay]

If you have chiken legs, long pants are mandatory only when you are hitch hiking.

[kank]

The pair of convertible pants I bought a couple years back turned out to be far too heavy for my tastes. I bought them with the intent to try hiking in shorts, but I never took the legs off. They were only used on a single trip (the same trip where I saw the light and was converted to a Lightweight believer, by the way) and were retired. I suppose I should try to sell them or something...

I wear pants. Never shorts. I'm to ashamed of my white legs to wear shorts :). I don't tan and I'm not sure I want freckles covering my legs like they do my arms, anyway.

[Kerosene]

The weight of convertible pants seems to vary widely depending on the material they're made of and the weight of the zippers and other hardware. I found a relatively inexpensive pair of convertible pants made by Columbia Sportswear at Campmor a few years ago that weighed in at 11 ounces. They don't seem to carry those anymore, but Campmor offers their own brand that weighs the same. Click here (http://www.campmor.com/webapp/commerce/command/ProductDisplay?prmenbr=226&prrfnbr=12836500) if you're interested.

[asmtroop3]

What about a kilt, or is that a seperate thread (no pun)?
I've been seriously considering it as I chafe a bit.:D

[squirrel bait]

There are kilt discussions in clothingforum. Sgt Rock seems to be the resident expert, and sorta funny too.

[bearbag hanger]

I wear long pants always. If I wear shorts. my legs turn bright red from not only the sun but from cuts, allergic reactions and who knows what. I don't carry an extra pair in my pack. Use to, but forgot them on one trip and found I didn't need them. If what I'm wearing gets torn, I make do until the next town. One way to make do is you can turn your ground cloth or anything about 4 -5 feet wide and may 5 - 7 feet long into a kilt. You'll need a belt or something to make it work.

[Lilred]

Being female, I've been seriously considering wearing a skirt on my hikes. Outdoor World sells one that would hit me about mid-calf. I'm tired of my legs getting scratched up when I hike. Would make the call of nature much more convernient also. :eek:

[Kerosene]

There are kilt discussions in clothingforum. Sgt Rock seems to be the resident expert

Squirrel Bait: I think Trail Yeti has the most kilting experience on this board, including inadvertant flashing; he is certainly it's most vocal proponent! I found 3 kilt-related threads under the Gear Forums (toward the bottom of the list on the main page) -- "Wear a Kilt", "Sport Kilts" and "Rain Kilts".

Sarge is still stuck in Baghdad, where he is no doubt doing extensive field testing on the merits of long, flowing white vs. black robes in the extreme desert climate. :cool:

[fwassner]

I'm not sure about the mosquito or other insect protection offered by long pants. But if that's your thinking, then you should wear long shirt as well.
I cannot do either. Get too hot, and tire too easily in the heat. I use convertible pants. Mostly keep the legs off in summer, but it's nice to put them on at night when cool.

On my hike to North Point in the Catskills this weekend I was bitten by as many mosquitoes on my back, which was covered with a nylon short sleeve and my pack as I was on my bare legs!

I really despise insects. I am a true believer in the theory that they will one day inherit the earth.

This is why I like to do most of my backpacking and day hiking in the cooler months. It's great to enjoy the outdoors without being eaten alive.

[Colter]

It took me a long time to get into the shorts scene. I didn't really grow up wearing them.

Personally, I never ran into a chigger, and had very little problems with mosquitoes during the daytime. I suppose long pants would help for ticks, a little. But my guess is most of them will keep crawling until they find a way in.

BDU pants I love for cooler weather, but most AT hikers find a lot more hot, humid weather than they do insect problems. Since it's all about trade-offs, most find that the lighter, cooler shorts, which don't bind your legs, are superior the vast majority of the time.

Myself, I took a pair of shorts and one pair of convertible pants for those times I DID want long pants. It worked out great.

[Kozmic Zian]

Yea......Shorts. It seems like when it's really hot and humid (4 of the 6 months of a Thru Hike) only shorts will do. Even the zip-offs are a little long and restrictive. You'll find you want to cool down any way you can. Lot's o' guys hike 'bare back' in just shorts, anything to take 'the heat' off. It can be brutal, however, there are better days when 'longies' will do just fine. Once you get up north(or down South) as the seasons change, the 'longies' become neccessary and the leg ware of choice. KZ@

[Twofiddy]

I suggest hiking naked!!

Or wait that is only one day a year that I suggest that...

Sorry!!