View Full Version : How Many Changes Of Clothes?
I was just curious to see how many changes of clothes you cary on a thru or long section hike? For instance how many pairs of pants, shirts, socks ect....? How often do you stop to do laundry?
What I would hike in and: extra tee shirt and pr.of nylon shorts I slept in, light wt. fleese pullover,1pr. extra sox. Frog Tog rain jacket.
Washed clothr when ever I could.:eek:
I'm not a thru-hiker but I've gone 2 weeks of section hiking with 2 pairs of undies, 2 shirts, 2 pairs of socks, 1 pair of pants,
Lone Wolf
03-07-2010, 11:18
I'm not a thru-hiker but I've gone 2 weeks of section hiking with 2 pairs of undies, 2 shirts, 2 pairs of socks, 1 pair of pants,
a thru-hikev is just a bunch of 4-5 day section hikes for the most part
I'm sort of planning to carry 2 of everything. Not really 2, but enough so that while one garment is drying, there's something else that can be worn.
I am gone to take 3 Pair of nylon shorts 1 Pair of clothing will be in a zip lock bag
pair of short shirt and socks and underwear if case i need a dry clothing.One pair of convertible pants total weight of all my cloths less then 5lbs this incl long underwear
and my fleece jacket driclime shirt not bad rather be safe then sorry.
just dad
03-07-2010, 12:42
I'm also not a thru-hiker. I addition to what I'm wearing: two pairs of socks, one pair of underwear, light weight running shorts and silk t-shirt (so I have something to wear when I do laundry, but I have also used my rain gear for this purpose). I have never seen the need for more clothes, but I have also been carrying food for three so every ounce counts.
I carried no second pair of anything except socks. I could wear all the clothes I had at one time easily. In fact, I think if you can't wear all your clothes at once, you've got too many clothes.
SGT Rock
03-07-2010, 19:48
No changes of clothing. Everything is a layer that can all be worn at one time. One extra set of hiking socks is it. Town clothes, camp clothing, etc all are superfluous.
Blissful
03-07-2010, 19:56
Besides what I wear hiking, I have a set for camp / sleep (like long underwear). I think its important to change out of sweaty dirty clothes at camp at night. Esp if its cold
i wore the same thng evryday as i hiked and had one dry set for camp and i had a town shirt just for town
Blissful
03-07-2010, 19:58
I'm sort of planning to carry 2 of everything. Not really 2, but enough so that while one garment is drying, there's something else that can be worn.
You can wear your rain stuff when you do laundry.
Cookerhiker
03-07-2010, 20:07
i wore the same thng evryday as i hiked and had one dry set for camp....
Yep - same here. On those occasions where heavy rains soak you through to the skin despite the best efforts of your raingear, it's sure nice to change into dry clothes (http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?id=205061) in camp. Of course the next morning, you put the wet ones back on!
In winter/cold weather hiking where you're working up a sweat, I always bring an extra shirt. When I get into camp, first thing I do is change the shirt.
You can wear your rain stuff when you do laundry.
That's what "sort of" means.
SGT Rock
03-07-2010, 20:09
Even walking in semi wet clothing under rain gear, I still just added layers on over my clothing when I got to camp. Body heat would have my synthetic shorts and shirt dry by bed time.
And I hiked that way even in winter. Beats putting on wet clothing in the morning.
Blissful
03-07-2010, 20:12
I was amazed to discover how soaked clothes dry quick when you are hiking (like the next day after an all day rain). And ladies that also means sports bras. Its just putting it on the AM that's the total killer.
Ramble~On
03-07-2010, 20:18
Seasons change and so does the need or want for clothes..winter and early spring make for a heavier packweight cause of gloves, hat and insulating layer.... Nylon is wonderful stuff and hiking shirts that wick are pretty light. Everyone's different and their wardrobe is varied. Weight and bulk are two things that I tried to keep down and I carried only what was (IMO) "needed". I liked having a dry shirt to change into at the end of the day and usually rinsed out the sweaty hiking shirt and hung it to dry overnight.
For the majority of the hike I carried:
2 lightweight, SS, whicking shirts. 1 to hike in and the other for camp and town.
1 pair of nylon running shorts
2 bandanas
2 pair of socks
1 Mont-Bell ultralight down jacket
sometimes a kilt
rainjacket and sometimes rainpants.
I used a bounce box for most of the trail and had some cotton town clothes in it, a towel and other assorted junk, extra socks, batteries, wall chargers.
Hope that helps.
garlic08
03-07-2010, 20:27
One set, no extras except socks. You figure out how to wash your clothes on warm days and wear them until they dry. I do that as often as I can. You wear your rain gear or your tent when you do laundry in town, every four to seven days for me on the AT. You don't worry about clothes for the bus, train, or plane home because it's so far away.
i gave up on raingear after i hit daleville i got just as wet there good in the cold but basicly pointless to wear while u hike its just water you will be dry soon enough
I admit I did carry a skirt in addition to all my other clothing. But I wore that skirt over my pants to keep mosquitoes from biting me through my pants. They would bite me whenever I bent over to put my tent away or fill up my water bottles. It was nicer to wear my skirt when I did laundry than rain chaps. Rain chaps were out of the question. LOL
i wore a skirt as well it makes hiking a bit more comfy in the heat
I carried no second pair of anything except socks. I could wear all the clothes I had at one time easily. In fact, I think if you can't wear all your clothes at once, you've got too many clothes.
No changes of clothing. Everything is a layer that can all be worn at one time. One extra set of hiking socks is it. Town clothes, camp clothing, etc all are superfluous.
I third that motion.
harryfred
03-08-2010, 02:12
SOCKS! I carry two to up to four pairs of dry socks. Depending on the weather. I also have a pair of -40d socks I only use to sleep in, in very cold weather. Even my day pack has a pair of clean dry socks. I also carry a pair of fleece sweat pants and a fleece pull over hoodie to supplement my 40d bag when I don't think it will be enough and don't want to carry my 0d bag. I also carry a pair of swim trunks and a old cotton -Yes cotton- shirt to have something dry to wear while I wash everything else.
I'm a section hiker and long hike other trails. in the PA, MD area. I also haven't a clue what I'm doing.
The only thing extra that I carry is a pair of UL shorts. Like posted above, even counting the shorts, I can wear everything. My "sleeping shirt" when worn with everything, goes outside the other shirts. The shorts, under my kilt.
Rhapsodist
03-08-2010, 18:28
I feel that it is important to have SOMETHING dry for camp. Hypothermia is the number one killer of outdoorsmen and keeping things like your armpits and groin area dry is really important to a healthy body temperature. August is teh most common month for hypo because people are not as prepared for it.
Also, keeping one extra pair of socks and underwear helps prevent common fungi and rashes like trench-foot and crotch rot.
The rest of the things are about your comfort. Does your stink offend you that much? because it is going to be your constant companion. If you're good, then why carry the extra weight?
It's not that I don't want the extra weight. I just find it easier to keep one set of clothes dry than several. I only wear all the layers if I get the extreme I prepared for, so 95% of the time I am not wearing it all. So there is always some layers that are dry, but I almost always keep the wet stuff on until it dries, or hang it when I do turn in and put it back on as I hike out in the morning, unless I can dry it with a fire. It's not so much that I don't have extra layers. Its more a case of no two things the same, so it can all be worn together effectively if needed, and so if any layers are removed the other combinations still fit. In summer there are few layers, and thinner layers. In winter I bring a set of long wool underwear which usually never get worn, but they do fit over the skin layers and under the wool sweater and 200wt fleece pants. The skin layer top and 200wt fleece pants hardly get worn also. 95% of the time isn't the extreme you prepared for, so it stands to reason that most layers are not being worn most of the time, even in camp. I usually don't have to use a fire to dry stuff, but I am prepared to if I fall into water or whatever, and there is no sun, and the weather is closing in.
So I just plan for the worst, and layer for that, and that includes the extra layers. Socks, usually 1 thin pair and 1 medium pair is enough, but sometimes a 3rd pair in reserve for sleeping. I never wear the 3rd pair hiking if the other 2 pair are wet. They dry pretty quick if you wear them as long mitts. Uncomfortable, but you have to wear wet stuff even when its not comfortable. That's how you get it dry.
SGT Rock
03-08-2010, 18:59
It's not that I don't want the extra weight. I just find it easier to keep one set of clothes dry than several. I only wear all the layers if I get the extreme I prepared for, so 95% of the time I am not wearing it all. So there is always some layers that are dry, but I almost always keep the wet stuff on until it dries, or hang it when I do turn in and put it back on as I hike out in the morning, unless I can dry it with a fire. It's not so much that I don't have extra layers. Its more a case of no two things the same, so it can all be worn together effectively if needed, and so if any layers are removed the other combinations still fit. In summer there are few layers, and thinner layers. In winter I bring a set of long wool underwear which usually never get worn, but they do fit over the skin layers and under the wool sweater and 200wt fleece pants. The skin layer top and 200wt fleece pants hardly get worn also. 95% of the time isn't the extreme you prepared for, so it stands to reason that most layers are not being worn most of the time, even in camp. I usually don't have to use a fire to dry stuff, but I am prepared to if I fall into water or whatever, and there is no sun, and the weather is closing in.
So I just plan for the worst, and layer for that, and that includes the extra layers. Socks, usually 1 thin pair and 1 medium pair is enough, but sometimes a 3rd pair in reserve for sleeping. I never wear the 3rd pair hiking if the other 2 pair are wet. They dry pretty quick if you wear them as long mitts. Uncomfortable, but you have to wear wet stuff even when its not comfortable. That's how you get it dry.
What he said.
It ain't weight it is efficiency.
I've hiked in lots of nasty weather. But I try to use my clothing efficiently. That means not over dressing even in cold weather. I get to camp and I do have dry clothing even after walking in cold wet rain all day because I almost NEVER wear fleece while hiking. Then I put fleece on over damp/wet clothing and by the time I go to bed it is all dry because it is synthetic or wool. I never mess around with putting on the cold wet stuff anymore because of how I use my clothing. I hear some of y'all talking about how great it is to have something dry (and I agree) but then you gotta put the wet stuff back on again in the morning. That can be avoided.
And, for the record, I've done this down to the single digits, in snow, rain, sleet, wind, etc.
It works.:sun
SGT Rock
03-08-2010, 19:05
In case you or anyone else is interested...
http://hikinghq.net/stay_warm.html
If my clothes are wet when I come into camp, I just sleep naked wearing my jacket and whatever other insulating layers I have, whatever is dry enough.
I agree with most of the posters who say you don't really need a change of clothes--other than 1-2 changes of socks.
HOWEVER, I personally choose to carry more clothes. It is a personal preference--a luxury item. I like having a set of dry clothes to change into if I fall into water or if "monsoon-like" rains soak me. I keep the extra clothes in a zip lock bag in a "dry sack". (I know that method of packing adds weight and volume).
I rarely use the extra set of clothes. It is my psychological "security blanket". I like having it there "just in case" I need it. And, sometimes it just feels good to wash up and put on some nice clean, dry, clothes. Some people pack alcohol for comfort. I pack extra clothes.
This is what I carry in cool weather (INCLUDING WHAT I AM WEARING WHEN I HIKE):
2 pair of long pants (nylon zip-offs), 3 pairs of socks, 2 pair of underwear, 2 short sleeve shirts, a base layer top and bottom, a fleece top, a wool cap (or balaclava), gloves and rain gear (rain suit or poncho depending upon my mood or the anticipated weather).
I also carry a "buff"
http://www.buffwear.com/
My sleeping quilt is a Jacks R Better "Rocky Mountain Snivler". It is wearable as a down poncho in cold weather.
http://www.jacksrbetter.com/Wearable%20Quilts.htm#Rocky%20Mountain%20Sniveller
With this clothing set-up, I am good to below zero if I need to. However, it is also O.K. at 100 degrees.
I prefer to hike year around in long pants. The zip off long pants give me the option of wearing shorts on those rare occasions when I choose to do so.
Class2010AT
03-11-2010, 22:43
Cold Weather
conv. pants, UL shorts, 2 syn t-shirts, 3 pair socks, silk sock liner, syn thermals, top and bottom, insulated vest, rain jacket and pants, silk long sleeve shirt
Warm Weather
conv. pants, UL shorts, 2 syn t-shirts, 2 pair socks, silk sock liner, Rain jacket, maybe silk long sleeve shirt
sorry....carry
Too late.
NO CLOTHES FOR YOU!
- the gear nazi
Chaco Taco
03-12-2010, 08:14
Wear what you have and wear layers like suggested. You can wash up every few days. All you will do is carry something that just adds weight and takes up space
mtnkngxt
03-15-2010, 06:48
I wear
Convertible Pants
Exofficio Boxers
Merino Wool Socks
Montrail AT Plus
Synthetic Tshirt
OR Seattle Sombrero
I Carry
1 Extra Pair of Socks
1 Extra Pair of Boxers
Capilene set during winter
Possum down Gloves and Cap during winter
Marmot WindShirt during Spring Summer and Early Fall
Western Mountaineering Flight Vest During the Winter
My rain gear is a Packa
So far this combination has worked fine for me in my hikes in GA,NC,TN,VA,MD,WV,DE,PA
Man and His Dog
03-15-2010, 20:10
I carried no second pair of anything except socks. I could wear all the clothes I had at one time easily. In fact, I think if you can't wear all your clothes at once, you've got too many clothes.
Well said.
kolokolo
03-16-2010, 18:42
I was just curious to see how many changes of clothes you cary on a thru or long section hike? For instance how many pairs of pants, shirts, socks ect....? How often do you stop to do laundry?
One change of clothes.
I carry a collapsable bucket and 'wash' my clothes daily when I finish hiking. By morning, they are usually dry enough to wear again.