What do you do with your hiking clothes at night? Any good tips?

[msumax1985]

I leave for Springer in 11 days. Planning to wear my hiking clothes around camp as long as possible to help them dry out. Then hang them up to dry completely.


But what do you do in wet weather? They're obviously not going to dry out. Do you take a seperate plastic bag to store them in until morning? Hang them anyway and let the rain rinse them out overnight?

Just looking for tips. What worked for you---or didn't work?

[swjohnsey]

I wear them, poly T-shirt and shorts dry quickly.

[Pingus]

putting them in a plastic bag will NOT help dry them out but will definitely help them stink more. Some folks put them in their sleeping bag, swear it dries them out. I tried that method and just didn't like it. I let them hang or leave them next to my sleeping bag, put on my dry set in the morning and hang the wet set on my pack to dry during the day. They don't always dry with this method, but it's the best I've come up with and it's worked for me these past few years.

[Slo-go'en]

I roll my pants up starting with the waist and put them next to me. Everything else gets stuffed loosely in my pack or stuff sack, depending if I'm in a shelter (pack) or tent (stuff sack). Wet clothes will not dry overnight and usually just get wetter if you hang them.

I would not recommend using your dry clothes the next day. You are better off wearing your wet clothes to dry them off if has stopped raining or keep them wet if it still is. No way do you want to risk having all your clothes wet.

[bigcranky]

I take my wet hiking clothes off as soon as possible in camp -- it's usually cold enough out that standing around in wet base layers is not much fun. I can drape them over something even in my tent and they'll dry out a little. Not much. Then just put them back on in the morning. It only hurts for a minute :)

[FarmerChef]

When I get to camp (assuming it's still wet outside) I'll wear them around until it's time to turn in. Then I change into my dry clothes to sleep, putting my wet clothes any wear that is dry or, if there isn't a place, at least where they'll get washed.

In the morning, I wring them out as much as I can and replace my dry clothes with my wet clothes, saving the dry clothes, as Slo-go'en recommends, for an emergency.

If I get to camp and it's dry I'll change out of my wets and string a line between two trees. Then I'll hang them on it. It's not perfect, they only go from wet to damp but it's still better than nothing. Just remember not to leave them on the line overnight as they'll get wet from dew all over again. And yes, I learned that the hard way.

[colorado_rob]

I generally just wear them to sleep in to dry them out, unless it appears to be a particularly cold night, then I swap to dry ones, then in the morning, I warm up my wet clothes in a plastic bag in my sleeping bag to make the pain of putting on wet clothes slightly less (warm and wet is better than cold and wet!).

[Wise Old Owl]

A suggestion... if you are interested in reducing hiker funk dunk the polypro shirt and tech pants every so often down stream wring it out and hang it on a concrete string line... They will dry out over night if the humidity is low enough. ( won't work for cotton)

[Starchild]

It depends on conditions, I try to have something dry and warm to sleep in, that is uber dependent on Ma-Nature.

[rocketsocks]

Roll em up in a sham Wow or the like, and keep working till there just damp, put em back on, eat some peanuts, take a walk and don't break a sweat, in about a half hour they might be dry.

[The Cleaner]

I leave for Springer in 11 days. Planning to wear my hiking clothes around camp as long as possible to help them dry out. Then hang them up to dry completely.


But what do you do in wet weather? They're obviously not going to dry out. Do you take a seperate plastic bag to store them in until morning? Hang them anyway and let the rain rinse them out overnight?

Just looking for tips. What worked for you---or didn't work? This will work if your base layer is wool.ALL synthetics feel cold as soon as you stop moving.I've even gone to wearing a wool t-shirt in the warmer months.

[wcgornto]

As a shelter dweller on the AT, during two months of frequent rain in ME, NH and VT, I generally hung wet clothes from the rafters immediately upon getting set up and then put the still wet clothes back on the first thing the next morning. This way, I had a wet set of clothes to wear while hiking and a dry set to wear in the evening and overnight.

[Red Hat]

yes that is what I do too, wcgornto... Last night it was really cold and wet, so I took off everything and got into my dry longjohns and down jacket. I hung up everything but a pair of socks (both pair were wet). I slept with the socks, which helped them dry out, but of course they were wet in just a few minutes when I put my wet shoes on this morning. My rain gear dried enough over night that I wore them and packed up the wet clothes since I was hiking out. If I hadn't been hiking out, I would have just put back on my wet gear.

[JAK]

If they are damp I hang them at night, even if it is going to rain. If it does rain all the better. Squeeze them damp and wear them dry.

[Sarcasm the elf]

I leave for Springer in 11 days. Planning to wear my hiking clothes around camp as long as possible to help them dry out. Then hang them up to dry completely.


But what do you do in wet weather? They're obviously not going to dry out. Do you take a seperate plastic bag to store them in until morning? Hang them anyway and let the rain rinse them out overnight?

Just looking for tips. What worked for you---or didn't work?

I usually put my wet cloths on top of my sleeping pad, then I lay the trash bag that I use to line my pack on top of them. I sleep with the cloths tucked under my knees and my body heat will get my damp cloths fairly dry overnight (depending on how wet the cloths are and how humid it is outside.). The trash bag acts as a barrier and prevents the my sleeping bag from getting wet from the damp cloths.

[Chaco Taco]

always, bottom of sleeping bag

[slbirdnerd]

I've heard some say put the wet stuff under your sleeping pad. What does that do?

[Sara]

I put wet stuff under the vestibule. I don't like to have muddy shoes or wet things in my tent with me. Each morning I dance the wet clothes wiggle. :banana

[rhjanes]

sometimes I place them under my sleeping bag (OK, actually a Top Quilt in my hammock). So I'm laying on them overnight. they MIGHT dry a little. But they are at least WARM and wet in the morning and not COLD and WET.

[wornoutboots]

the closest nail if your in a shelter, while tenting on a clear night, the closest branch to my tent, on a damp night I lay them as flat as possible inside my tent, normally hang wet socks, a shirt & bandana in my tent.

[Glogg]

I've heard some say put the wet stuff under your sleeping pad. What does that do?

If you're in a shelter with a wood floor, wring out your wet stuff with a packtowel/shamwow. Then lay the clothes out flat on the bare wood. Cover with your sleeping pad, sleep on top in your dry clothes in your dry sleeping bag. Some of the moisture will be wicked into the wood floor itself, and the pad will keep your bag from getting damp. Sounds wacky but it has actually worked for me.

[Dogwood]

http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/images/icons/icon1.png What do you do with your hiking clothes at night? Any good tips?This really isn't the question you are asking. Not to be nit picky, but more to the pt., this is the question you want answered: What do you do with your hiking clothes at night when they are wet?

After saying that, Starchild is correct. Not trying to make things more complex than they need to be but it depends on the scenario. FOR ME, and maybe FOR YOU, it depends on if it's still raining when I get to camp, what type of shelter I'm employing or if any shelter at all, or shelters exist where I'm hiking, what type of clothing I'm wearing or if I have dry clothing in reserve, what trail I'm hiking, what the anticipated weather is going to be during the night or the next day/couple of days, how cold it is at night, what type of sleeping bag I'm employing, if I'm on a LONG hike or just out for a few days, how acclimated to long distance trail life I am, my tolerance level, how far away my next in-town stop is, etc. So, there are many possible correct answers FOR ME, and possibly FOR YOU, when this occurs. You'll understand this when/if you start experiencing these different scenarios. I know this doesn't specifically address your question but it does depend on other details that you fail to mention or consider.

[mrcoffeect]

wear them dry. if your cold go gather some fire wood. I found that by the time I had enough for a small fire for the night,it was just enough work to warm me up and start to dry out my clothes. It really doesn't take much wood to have a small fire for the evening, just don't stoke it like your having a keg fire.

[JansportD2]

I wear them right up to bed time then change into sleeping shorts and shirt. I spread my hiking clothes on my pack which is right under my hammock. I've never had critters go through my pack as it looks and smells like a sleeping hiker (i.e., bad).

[Malto]

I wear them day and night. The only time I would not wear them to sleep is if they're wet then they would be under my bivy and above my pad to help dry them.

[1Greywolf]

Hold on to them, you will need them in the morning. Sorry, could not resist.

It depends. If it's a rainy night and you are tenting put them in your tent's vestibule. I would not place them in the tent with you, The moisture will get every thing else wet, especially your sleeping bag.
If you are in a shelter hang them and hope they dry. Remember wet clothes will dry as you walk and get wet again as you sweat. On long hikes your clothes will usually get wet and stay wet from sweat or rain or both. If you are doing a day hike, not a relevant question. The answers to these and other persistent questions will be revealed to you on the trail. If you have an answer for every question there is no reason to go on a thru-hike. Have fun and don't sweat the small stuff.