View Full Version : How long do your clothes last?!
Fog Horn
03-31-2011, 09:33
I was reading a few trail journals, and the thought of replacing my clothes along the trail never really occurred to me before. I imagine its just the basic clothes that need to be replaced, like shorts and shirts and underwear, but how long do they last before the average hiker wants them replaced? Half the trail? One third of the trail?
If I want to account for all my clothing expenses before I leave, how many sets of hiking clothes do I need to buy and put in boxes?
(I already count on replacing my trail runners every five hundred miles or so)
royalusa
03-31-2011, 09:45
Never replaced our shirts, convertible pants nor underwear during our thru-hike. Our shirts and pants would probably make it for another thru. I suppose a lot of it depends on the type and quality of material.
Monkeywrench
03-31-2011, 09:46
I've been wearing the same hiking clothes for years. Why should they wear out especially quickly?
Fog Horn
03-31-2011, 09:50
In "Then The Hail Came" he seems to replace his clothes about each third of the trail. That seemed excessive, but I wouldn't know because I haven't thru'd. All the hiking clothes I've bought are high quality, so I was hoping they'd last the whole trail, but I just never really thought about replacing them before and thought I'd ask.
Socks can wear out pretty quick. If you lose a lot of weight, you may need to switch out your underwear, especially if you use long boxer briefs to prevent chafing. Polyester shirts can wear out pretty quick too. Same with wool tops. Nylon/supplex outerwear lasts a long time, especially if the pants have a belt so that it still fits after you lose weight.
The only clothing I've worn out on the trail are socks. And I only replaced them once during my AT thru. If I were to do it again though, I'd probably replace them twice. There's nothing quite as nice as getting those brand new socks and sliding them onto your feet after hundreds of miles of hiking.
I did eventually wear out my old hiking shorts, but this took years of hiking after using them on the AT.
Blue Jay
03-31-2011, 11:19
The problem is not wearing out, the smell will make you throw them away.
Fog Horn
03-31-2011, 11:22
The problem is not wearing out, the smell will make you throw them away.
This is sort of what I was thinking would happen, but your new clothes will smell just as bad just as soon. I could see throwing them out at the end of the hike for this reason, but mid hike smell reduction seems pointless.
Like I said though, I've never hiked for five months straight, so I guess I'll just have to get out there and see what my limits are.
Thanks for the input on the socks, all, I appreciate it. That makes total sense.
WingedMonkey
03-31-2011, 11:40
Never had any hiking clothes that smell didn't wash out of in a trail town or at home. If you can't wash it out you need to examine what type of synthetics you are using. Only time I've had to replace shorts is if I've torn them beyond repair on something, and that is usually after years of hiking and other use. Biking is much rougher on them.
WingedMonkey
03-31-2011, 11:45
Trail town laundries may be rough on synthetics if you can't wash in cold and dry on low. Might shorten life of materials. Also don't use fabric softeners in wash or dry.
Thurlo socks use to advise that you did.
I replaced a pair of pants along the way on the PCT, I think, after having to stitch up holes a couple of times with dental floss, but these were quite old pants when I started the trip. I agree with the consensus, you should expect to replace socks, very much depending on the brand for how often.
There are other reasons that people might replace clothing than "wearing out" (or smell(!) --- it is in fact possible to wash clothes along the way ...).
Perhaps someone lost enough weight that they just can't make that original pair of pants fit in any reasonable way. Perhaps a clothing item was explicitly damaged in a way that isn't reasonably trail-repairable. Perhaps it's part of a planned gear shift to switch to clothing that's warmer or less warm, better defense against bugs, nicer to wear in rainy conditions, whatever.
Blue Jay
03-31-2011, 11:53
I could see throwing them out at the end of the hike for this reason, but mid hike smell reduction seems pointless.
Obviously you've never smelled a thru after a thousand miles. New clothes drops the radius of death down to 5 feet.
ShelterLeopard
03-31-2011, 11:53
The problem isn't that my clothes wear out, occasionally I just want something new and maybe a different texture. The only clothing replacement I sent myself regularly was socks (twice a month, they are so thick and comfy when they're new!). The time when you'll want to replace your clothing is at the end of your hike- that smell will linger for a long time.
Blue Jay
03-31-2011, 11:54
Never had any hiking clothes that smell didn't wash out of in a trail town or at home.
How sad for the people around you.:eek:
Buffalo Skipper
03-31-2011, 12:00
In "Then The Hail Came" he seems to replace his clothes about each third of the trail. That seemed excessive, but I wouldn't know because I haven't thru'd. All the hiking clothes I've bought are high quality, so I was hoping they'd last the whole trail, but I just never really thought about replacing them before and thought I'd ask.
Remember that this hike was done in 1983. Hiking clothing was virtually non-existent then, and the products now are very different. I don't recall what he said he wore, but I am sure it was grossly different than what is now available/sold/used.
Fog Horn
03-31-2011, 12:32
Valid point! I have to keep reminding myself of that as I read
garlic08
03-31-2011, 13:59
Everything will last except for the socks. You might even get a few more miles out of the shoes with Spenco insoles--I've been getting more like 750 miles using that trick (thanks again, Mags).
StubbleJumper
03-31-2011, 18:42
Hiking on gnarly trails in New England, I have torn my shorts and have had branches and limbs tear my shirt. A pair of socks tends to last a shade over 100 miles. Yep, I go through gear.
Trail runners last me about 300-400 miles in gnarly terrain.
But that's New England.
Hiking on gnarly trails in New England, I have torn my shorts and have had branches and limbs tear my shirt. A pair of socks tends to last a shade over 100 miles. Yep, I go through gear.
Trail runners last me about 300-400 miles in gnarly terrain.
But that's New England.
The trail runners I can believe, but 100 miles for a pair of socks?
I think most people change out clothes because the logo on their Patagonia shirt starts to fade, and they don't want people to think they bought second hand clothes.
I have a Polyester soccer shirt from the good will with 3,000+ miles on it that I bought for 50 cents at the Goodwill.
I have a Polyester soccer shirt from the good will with 3,000+ miles on it that I bought for 50 cents at the Goodwill.
Maybe it's because I'm redundant.:p
hikingshoes
03-31-2011, 19:53
How sad for the people around you.:eek:
Anyone used Pine-Sol?Ive used a cap full with my load and it came out nice and clean.HS
WingedMonkey
03-31-2011, 20:38
Anyone used Pine-Sol?Ive used a cap full with my load and it came out nice and clean.HS
I've used Simple Green added to the wash in Alaska to get the mud out (seems glacier mud is even worse than Florida swamp mud). But if he stinks so bad he has to throw clothes away I don't even want to pass him on the trail. Another reason I'm not a big fan of campfire smoke in a shelter.
:sun
ShelterLeopard
03-31-2011, 20:42
I've discovered the mystical wonders of Borax. If I let my hiking clothes soak in hot water and Borax for a couple hours, it usually gets most of the smell out. (My guess is that if you don't have Borax, baking soda would help in the same way.)
StubbleJumper
03-31-2011, 21:13
The trail runners I can believe, but 100 miles for a pair of socks?
I wear synthetic dress socks. They're great and dry quickly. But after 6 or 7 days they're about done. If I carry three pair, that works pretty well and I can make some miles, but new socks are a priority during re-supplies.
ShelterLeopard
03-31-2011, 21:19
Anyway, 100 miles isn't that long.