Like hats, hardware seem to be one of the more “personal” pieces of gear. Unlike “hats”, fit and function rather than style seems to drive most people’s decision making. The fit of handwear is much more important than say, a jacket. Less than 1 cm of extra length in the fingers can be the difference between a glove that is highly functional and a glove that gets in the way and makes it difficult to to make the grabs necessary.
There is often a trade-off between “feel” and “protection”. Typically the more protective handwear is, the less “feel” they provide. My experience is the same as Andy Kirkpatrick’s: there is no perfect glove.
My Choices
I found that changing how I holding my hands affects my hand comfort: in the cold my hands are in loosely held fists while in the warmest conditions I keep my fingers spread open. Furthermore pulling my hands inside my sleeves or putting them in my pockets can allow them to warm up if feeling chilled. Even better is having hands under a poncho where they are dry and warm thanks to body heat. Of course there are activities like cycling, climbing and skiing where this isn’t an option. I haven’t found handware that I really love. Right now I am using a combination of gloves made from PowerStretch fleece and some EE Visp Rain mittens. Separately they keep my hands comfortable when active for to around 45F. Together they are ok to around freezing. In colder conditions I typically use a pair of OR Meteor Mitts.
Factors to Consider
Feel / Dexterity
The best “feel” are fingerless gloves which can keep the core of your hand warm while giving full dexterity to fingers. There are fingerless gloves with a mitten flap that can be overlaid when you don’t need to be using your fingers, traditional gloves, lobster claw gloves, and mittens.
Grip
The materials used on the palm and the fingers will effect what sort of grip you can have and how durable the handwear will be. The most grippy materials tend to be specially designed synthetic materials. Leather is reasonably grippy and long lasting. Plain fabric is often slippery and not very durable.
Water
Hardware can range from “sponge like”, to water resistant, to pull on waterproof. Related to this is how quickly the handwear will dry. Handwear which doesn’t have absorbent padding will dry more quickly. Handwear which separates insulation from the protective outer shell also has an advantage when it comes to drying out your hands.
Insulation
Primaloft and down are commonly used in warmest handwear because it is warm for it’s weight, while still providing good feel because the insulation will compress when pressed. The compressibility gives good feel, but it means that the compressed area isn’t as protected from the cold. So if you are going to be holding onto things for an extended period of time (say climbing with ice tools), then you want the insulation to be something that won’t compress like fleece or thermolite. Some handwear uses hybrid insulation… fleece on the palm and fingers, and primaloft across the back of the hand.
Handwear Options
There is a large number of companies that make high quality mittens and gloves. In the past I have found that I like hardwear made by Outdoor Research, Mountain Hardware, and Black Diamond. Your experiences might be differ. Since models change quite often and I am not regularly trying new gloves I am generally going to skip listing specific gloves or mitts. The exception to this are items which are somewhat uncommon,
Base/Liner
Base/liner gloves made from a wicking material like PowerDry, wool or my favorite PowerStretch. These are very thin gloves which can boast the insulation of other gloves, or be worn stand-alone in moderate weather. They provide little or not protection from wind or water. I have found in all but the most extreme conditions that liners can keep my hands warm enough down to around 20F. I have found that I can wear them up to around 50F.
Unlined Shells
Year ago Outdoor Research (OR) introduced an ultralight rain mitten which worked well stand alone in warmer weather and could be combined with a base or unshelled insulated glove or mitt when the temperature dropped. OR stopped making it, but there is lighter and more breathable mitts such as the MLD eVENT rain mittens and the ZPacks Vertice rain mitts. I found these lighter mitt are fine for light use, but I wouldn’t want to use them for rough activities or in abrasive conditions. BPL did an extensive guide to of rain mitts.
OR does make heavier duty unlined waterproof shell mitts such as the revel shell mitt. and shuksan mitts. I haven’t been really happy with most of the other mitts in this catagory. Many are too stiff for my taste (typically because of the tape used to seal their seams). Also, they tend to be smooth on the inside so an liner inside them slips around providing a less than ideal interface. There are a small number of modular gloves/mitts which come with an unlined shell, though most have a lined shell combined with an inner insulated glove.
Lined Shells, Softshells, Work Gloves
Lined shell gloves which have a water resistant shell and a light liner. These gloves often use what is waterproof breathable materials in the shell, but don’t seal the seams. As a result they are moderately protective in wet conditions, but after some time, moisture will start seeping in. These gloves tend to be very good feel and dexterity. The MH Plasmic and the REI Minimalist are examples of this type of glove. I really like these gloves for done in a day activities when the temperature is above 10F and where my hands aren’t buried in snow (e.g. skiing, snow shoes, etc) when NOT building snow caves
A number of companies are making light gloves made from soft shell materials like PowerShield. These are fairly protective from the elements, durable with abrasive conditions, while still providing very good feel.
For me, work gloves are either unlined or lightly lined with an emphasis of dexterity and durability.
Insulated with Shell
The most common “ski” gloves are typically made with a waterproof breathable shell and use either fleece or primaloft for insulation. Alas, most aren’t fully sealed, so after a full day in the snow they will be wet on the inside and are hard to dry out. Typically modular systems are a better option, though most modular systems don’t have as much dexterity as a glove that is fully integrated. Neoprene gloves such as those made by glacier glove provide very effective protection when dealing with very wet and cold conditions.
Modular Gloves/Mitts
Modular Gloves / Mittens are problems which typically combine a durable, waterproof mitten with an inner insulating glove. OR is the best known maker of modular handwear. Typically these will have extra long gauntlets for maximum protection & good sealing, extra durable shells made from waterproof breathable materials which are fully sealed, very grippy palms, and removable insulation.
If I am doing “snow work”, I bring a modular mitt, with a durable shell and a removable inner glove or mitt which is either 100% fleece, or has a fleece palm, with primaloft insulation on the back of the hand. While far from perfect, I most often bring a pair of OR Meteor Mitts.
High Loft Mittens
When spending extended time in the back country I have found high loft over mittens with a breathable shell very useful. They have a lot of warmth for very little weight and pack down. They aren’t useful when you are doing things because when you use your hands you compress the insulation. The shells should be highly breathable so if they get wet you can dry them inside your sleeping system. A good example of this is the Enlightened Equipment Torrid Mitts
Vapor Barrier Mittens
In theory, vapor barrier mitts allows the construction of mitts which have a very high warmth / weight for use in cold conditions. rbh designs makes a variety of nice mitts. I have found that the rbh mitt weight half as much as a conventional mitts providing equal warmth.
As of April 2024 the best rain gear in terms of performance have their membranes on the outside. They don’t wet out, and dry amazingly quickly, and have ok to superior breathability.
If you aren’t climbing, doing bushwacking, or facing serious abrasive conditions, can find one (or several if you can afford them) pick up a shell made from Gore Shakedry before they disappear from the market. It really is waterproof and breathable and does ok under a light pack which doesn’t have heavily abrasive fabric.
If you are going to face moderately abrasive conditions pick up a Columbia Outdry Extreme Mesh which is more durable that Shakedry with so/so breathability.
If you are on a budget pick up some of Frogg Togg UL rain gear (aka DriDucks) for something like $20, and bring duct tape to repair the holes you will put into them because the fabric isn’t durable. I have talked with numerous folks whose tape patched DriDucks were still usable after a full Appalachian Trail thru-hike.
Other reasonable options
If you want a traditional WP/B shell and are prepared to regularly refresh the DWR, choice one of the following (increase in price and durability): Marmot Precip-Eco (maybe), Montbell Versalight, Montbell Storm Cruiser, ArcTeryx Beta LT.
Go with a rain suit or poncho made from non breathable fabric which has options to ventilated. They can be cheaper than the above options, will last long, and don’t wet out. For example: antigravitygear, light heart gear, leve outdoors, timmermade.
Use an umbrella plus maybe rain pants / rain skirt provided wind isn’t high and you don’t need to use one of your hands (or attach your umbrella to your pack).
Don’t try to use a wind jacket like the Patagonia Houdini as a rain jacket. A real rain storm will soak through in minutes. There are some soft shells that can handle on and off drizzle, and will let you stay warm enough (but not dry) if you are working hard in real rain. Unless you are experienced, this is not a substitute for rain gear.
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Context
The purpose of rain gear is to protect you from “wet” environmental conditions. Finding the right shell is quite challenging because staying dry and comfortable requires managing external moisture from rain, sleet, and snow as well as managing internally generated moisture from perspiration and sweat. There is no perfect / magic material that does all this in all conditions. As a result, learning good techniques to manage moisture in sustained rain is as important as selecting the right rain gear. In many cases you won’t be completely dry, but you will be warm enough which is what’s most important.
Most rain gear is not only waterproof, but is also windproof and boasts the insulation of the garments under the shell. In warmer weather this is a serious problem because the wearer will overheat, sweat, and then find themselves almost as damp as if they were walking around in the rain without protection. Air permeability is typically a good predictor of a shell’s comfort.
I something hear people rave about the breathability of a garment that both laboratory tests and my personal experience suggestion are at best mediocre like the original Marmot Precip. I think this is often because the person raving about breathability has not used the garment doing heavy work in challenging conditions and/or are comparing the garment to a non-breathability alternative.
My Choice
I use a shakedry shell (favorite is a discontinued Sitka shell) most of the time. I can do zone 2 run (8 MET) for multiple hours in a steady rain with an air temperature of <50F. At the end of these sorts of runs I feel slightly damp around my neck. After a 10 minute cool down I am not feeling particularly damp. On one of these runs I weighed my shirt before and after and recorded just 1 gram of weight gain. I am comfortable in this shell when it <70F standing around, <60F bicycling zone 2, <55F light hiking, <50F zone 2 jog / general backpacking, and <40F when running hard, zone 4 cycling, or doing a hard push up a big hill while backpacking. Even when I exceed these ranges, the dampness tends to clear in less than 20-30 minutes once my activity level drops within these ranges. Above these temperatures I typically go without a shell using clothing that is comfortable when wet such a base made from Polartec Delta, Polartec PowerGrid, or absorbs little water / dries quickly. Shakedry isn’t for everyone: it’s pricy, $300 retail, though I found mine on close out for less than $100 and not that durable. Shakedry jackets are not recommended backpacking (except the GoreWear H5). My current Shakedry jacket has been used under a 8-22lb packs for ~500 hours with no issues, with an additional 500 hours without a pack running, hiking, and cycling. There are a couple of invisible “gashes” on the upper arm where I scraped a granite wall… no water leakage and the surface doesn’t look damaged, but when I hold that section of the jacket up to a lamp, I can see a line of light through the material.
I currently don’t have a system I would recommend when expecting highly abrasive conditions like climbing or bushwacking. The best system I have used was an EPIC shell combined with a power grid fleece which keeps me warm though damp. I retired my EPIC shell after 15 years of use because it was just too baggy after I lost weight.
I typically just let my legs get wet. When the temperature is below 50 F, or when facing very strong winds (>25mph) I sometimes use a pair of Zpacks Vertice Rain Pants which aren’t remarkable in any way and already leak a bit with just moderate use. I will eventually replaced the with pants made from a more durable material.
Ponchos make a lot of sense theoretically, but I keep drifting back to rain jackets. In 2023 I used a poncho system when walking the Camino and on several other trips. I really want to like ponchos, but most of the time I prefer a rain jacket and pants.
Forms of Rain Protection
There are a variety of options to
Rain Jackets/Pants
Most common approach and what I normally recommend. Typically made from some sort of waterproof material, though there is a growing number of people who use materials that are not fully waterproof in a system to keep the wearer’s micro climate comfortable even if they aren’t 100% dry. Most of this post will be about jackets.
Something + Chaps/Skirts
Rather than pants, some people use rain skirts or chaps which are typically easier to put on / take off than rain pants at the cost of area covered. These are typically made from non breathable, waterproof materials.
Rain Jacket/Pack Cover
The Packa pas elements of a pack cover and a rain jacket with sleeves, a front zipper, and pit-zips for ventilation. While it looks a bit like a poncho, I found it significantly more protective in heavy wind and rain. The pit zips provides much better control of side ventilation while the arms were were significantly better protection, especially when using trekking poles. The Decathlon Quechua 900 Poncho is a very similar design.
Poncho
Ponchos have good ventilation and can are be very light weight. Many people like that a poncho can be put on without removing a backpack, there by performing triple duty: rain gear, pack cover and later shelter. Elsewhere I have written a bit about using a poncho as a shelter. Disadvantages of using a poncho are that many people find them ineffective in high winds, awkward when bushwhacking and impossible to use when climbing. My personal experience is that my chest get soaked in sweat from condensation (except with DriDucks). I have tried ponchos five times for 6 month or longer. After each poncho experiment I switched back to a rain jacket. Drew Smith makes the case to use a Poncho when Backpacking. My last experiment using a poncho (and AD as a “liner”).
The lightest ponchos are made from sil-nylon, sil-poly, or DCF. Several people on BPL seem to like SaphiRose ponchos with a zipper. No experience, but the Aricxi Poncho from AliExpresss looks like a good deal. The Trailbum Gnu Cape is less than 4oz made from sil-poly. The cheapest are typically fragile “emergency” ponchos made from plastic weighing just a couple of ounces. These can be effective in moderate conditions, but they are very easy to tear. The DriDucks Poncho is slightly more durable that plastics but is still fragile. It has the benefit of being somewhat breathable. Finally, there are vinyl / PVC ponchos which can typically be found as hardware stores. These ponchos are inexpensive and typically weight 8-16oz. They are durable enough to wear, but I won’t recommend using them as a shelter.
Umbrella
Some people like to use wind/water resistant jackets + umbrellas. Certainly very good ventilation. Winds or going off trail can pose significant challenges to the use of umbrellas. Some people have found ways to mount an umbrella on their packs so their hands are free. GoLite Chrome Dome umbrellas popularized using an umbrella for both rain and sun protection while backpacking. Several backpacking companies such as Six Moon Design and Gossamer Gear sell “Chrome Dome” type umbrellas today. If you use an umbrella, make sure it is sufficiently durable. Some of the best are made euroSchirm which is marketed under the brands such as Birdiepal and Swing Trek LiteFlex. I found the Montbell Trekking Umbrella has a decent balance between small/light and adequate canopy size to protect my upper body. Over the years I have tried to use an umbrella but it never stuck. It seems much of the time I encounter rain I am also experiencing strong winds which make managing the umbrella and maintaining coverage difficult.
Rain Shell Materials
There is a wide variety of materials used in rain shells. In a perfect world there would be materials which would prevent rain from entering but let you vent perspiration. This is the dream offered by waterproof / breathable (WP/B) materials. Alas, I have yet to see a WP/B material live up to their hype. The very best WP/B materials found in shipping products (eVENT DVL and Gore Shakedry) will be overwhelmed by extended aerobic activities but is up to lower activity levels. Many WP/B will be overwhelmed if you do much more than stand around. This is why many WP/B jackets have side or pit-zips which enable the wearer to vent heat and internal moisture when activity levels will overwhelm the materials ability to move the moisture. A survey of the breathability of 27 garments was recently published by Stephen Seeber found shells made from Shakedry to be the best (beating the MTVR of some wind shirts) and that the runners-up included the Marmot Precip Eco?!, OR Motive, MH Quasar Lite, and the ArcTeryx Beta AR which is the most durable jacket of the bunch. A new material I haven’t see any independent, in-depth reviews is Nike’s new aeogami.
Waterproof breathable jackets are breathable only so long as their DWR continues to function. Most forms of DWR “wet out” after a few hours in continuous rain, and many of the cheaper DWR breathable jackets wet out in less than an hour in continuous rain. The only WPB that doesn’t wet out is Shakedry, Driducks, and Columbia’s Outdry Extreme mesh.
Basic use will degrade the DWR over time. Rough conditions such as bushwacking can significantly speed up this process. This is why you rarely see WP/B being used by people who work in very harsh conditions like the Alaskan bush, Australian outback, fishing trawlers, etc. You will typically find them using very durable non breathable waterproof materials, or they use something that keeps warm and mostly dry such as the modern military layering system using EPIC fabrics. There are some reports that the Columbia’s Outdry Extreme meshmight but up to the rigors of the Alaskan bush and be fairly breathable.
Common materials used in shells today ordered roughly by their breathability.
Softshells: See my soft-shell post for more information about this approach. The use of soft shells was initially prompted by experienced climbers in the UK when facing cold, wet conditions while engaging in heavy work. These sorts of shells only make sense if you are wearing them continuously and working hard. If they are something you will be putting on only if it starts to rain, then you should go with a traditional rain shell which will be lighter weight and more waterproof. The classic British rain gear is Paramo.
Finetrack Photon looks promising. Better MVTR than Shakedry in the lab (but will wet out).
Gore Shakedry such as used in the Gore Gear R7 Shakedry Hooded Rain Jacket, ArcTeryx Norvan SL and Montbell Dry Peak. The Norvan SL (and later the Gore Gear R7) were the first rain shells I have found that are almost as breathable as an unlined windshell. Unfortunately the material is not rated for abrasive activities, so it’s not recommended for backpacking, climbing, going off trail, etc. I have used it for on-trail backpacking trips, hiking, trail running and cycling. After a two years of continuous use I have a number of pinpoint holes in the shoulders but so far I haven’t experienced any leaking. While I can overwhelm it’s ability to move moisture, it’s ability to clear out the moisture once my activity level drops has really impressed me. The Norvan SL had a design flaw which results in leakage through the zipper which the Gore Gear R7 doesn’t have. The Gore H5 Jacket uses a more durable form of Shakedry and Gore states it would be durable enough for light backpacking, but “H” jackets made from shakedry are not consistently in production. If you want one of these Shakedry jackets purchase it as soon as you see it, because Gore will drop it from the line up in 2023 🙁
Polartec NeoShell?: Polartec claim’s it’s around twice a breathable as eVENT. I have no experience with it. The people I know who have used it say when it’s dry outside it works well, but in a rain rainstorm it becomes much less breathable and wets out quickly. I would recommend skipping this material. Decode ring for NeoShell variants.
eVENT: used to be my favorite WP/B material, especially eVENT DVL until I used Shakedry. I used a Westcomb Focus LT Jacket for several years. I found that eVENT to be more comfortable than Gore-Tex PacLite, Propore, or any other PU shell I tried, but it wasn’t the miracle I had hoped. In particular, I found that when engaged in heavy work, I still need pit zips (which it doesn’t have) to avoid internal condensation. That said, I found that when my activity level dropped that the moisture was able to dissipate. I found I was equally comfortable in a jacket made from eVENT DVL without pit zips as I was wearing lesser breathable jackets that did have pit-zips. eVENT has not been innovating and is falling behind Gore. We can hope they will recover now that they have been spun back out of GE.
Microporous polypropylene WPB nonwoven fabric (Propore): Strickly speaking Propore is a specific formulation… but I going to use it as a generic term in this paragraph to save space. Propore is the cheapest water proof breathable material available today. In it’s lightest form it is also very breathable and doesn’t wet out. I have been more comfortable wearing a light Propore jacket in warm weather than a 40 denier eVENT shell and have experience wet clothing dry while being worn under a Propore Jacket. The first rain suit I discovered using the material was the Rain Shield O2, which I believe uses the lightest weight Propore manufactured. You can get a complete Dri Ducks Ultralite (jacket and pants, 11oz) for less than $20! There are also the slightly heavier, more durable, less breathable, more expensive Frogg Toggs. The down sides of Propore garments? First, the fabric is very flimsy. They are not appropriate for abrasive conditions: climbing and off-trail travel through shrub country is right out, though they have been fine cross country in relatively open conditions. Some people wear wind shells over their Propore rain gear to protect against rips. My Rainshield O2 jacket had several locations it had worn through after just 100 hours of use. With the aid of duct tape patches I was able to keep the garment alive for a couple calendar years. An odd place I see the fabric wear out is around the wrists. Another issue with Propore rain gear is that the cut tends to be awful: the DriDucks tend to be huge, with the Rainshield O2 cut too tight with uncomfortable seams.
Zpacks Vertice and EE Visp are reported by some to be as breathable as anything on the market. Some of the numbers look better than eVENT but I found eVENT DVL seemed more breathable in the field and was more durable. That said, the Visp has an option of pit zips. Downside with both is the DWR isn’t the most durable, expect to need to refresh often.
Gore-Tex Pro/PacLite/Standard: For the last twenty years, Gore-Tex Waterproof/Breathable (WPB) rain gear has been successfully marketed as the gold standard for outdoor activities in the USA. In theory Gore-Tex keeps the rain off you, but “breaths” so your perspiration escapes. Alas, if you are engaged in aerobic actives, you will find that Gore-Tex does not breath enough and you will likely get soaked in sweat. Gore Pro is the most durable version of Gore-Tex and surprisingly more breathable than PacLite. On the other hand PacLite is often bonded to lighter materials, so it can seem more comfortable and PacLites seem to buffer moisture well, so if you engage in brief aerobic activities, you are likely not to notice you have briefly overwhelmed PacLite’s ability to move moisture. I can’t imagine purchasing a Gore-Tex Classic jacket these days since there are a number of PU based jackets which are as breathable and less expensive.
Outdry Extreme mesh is reported almost twice as breathable as the version I tried several years ago so might be approaching Gore-Tex Pro. Doesn’t require DWR, won’t wet out.
North Face’s new FutureLight… no personal experience, but others with lab equipment found it not as breathable as eVENT, but provided solid performance.
Pertex Shield: one name, several fabrics, highly variable in terms of breathability and waterproofness. Not sure how to rate them.
Columbia Outdry Extreme is immune to wet out which makes it better than the typical WPB material. While the numbers look good, I didn’t find it as breathable / comfortable an the materials listed above. After using it for a season I switched back to materials above.
Air Permeable PU: Some versions of Toray’s Entrant and related materials like Montbell BreezeTec has some air permeability and are able to directly vent water vapor rather that requiring the vapor to condense and then be transported out. While not as breathable as eVENT, these materials are noticeably better than the earlier PU garments. Not only are they more breathable, but they tend to feel less clammy if you happen to have the material directly against your skin. Reports about the MemBrain Strata claim breathability similar to Montbell’s BreezeTech while being lighter and more durable, but I haven’t seen detail analysis which bears this claim out.
PU Coated Jackets: Most WP/B jackets that aren’t branded as GoreTex or eVENT are PU. The biggest issue with PU jackets is that water vapor has to condense before being transported across the material. This limits the speed the moisture can be move, makes the jacket feel a bit clammy, and when facing severe cold the water can end up such inside as frost because it freezes more quickly than it can be transported. Marmot PreClip which historically has been one of the better values when you factor price (<$100), design (includes features such as as pit zips and a good hood), quality (like fully taped seams), and reasonably light weight (~12 oz). The downside of the less expensive Marmot jackets is that the DWR is so/so… after a number of hours in hard rain they tend to wet out. Most PU coated jackets are not as breathable as Gore-Tex and can be easily overwhelmed by aerobic actives.
Non-Breathable Waterproof (NBWP) Jackets: Can be quite inexpensive, durable, and very light. Just make sure it has a high enough hydrostatic head to keep water out. Some variants of sil-nylon and sil-poly won’t keep water out in a heavy storm or when the water is being pressured by shoulder straps. I have experienced sil-nylon tarps “misting” in a storm (and simulation sending water from a hose) and have read reports of people having water penetrating so sil-nylon rain suits. Besides having a sufficiently high hydrostatic head, you also need to deal with condensation, especially if you are engaged in aerobic activities can soak you in sweat. Heavy duty NBWP Jackets are sold to boaters. Light weight are typically produced by cottage gear manufacturers since it’s a nitch market (Gore Tex Marketting machine has convinced everyone that waterproof breathable is a requirement).
More Info / Details
The Rain Jacket Guide at backpackers.com is a good overview of rain gear. There was a wonderful thread on BPL which which Bill Budney nicely summarized, resulting in a crowdsourced state of the market report on raingear.
I strongly agree with the BPL article Why You Should Spend a Few Ounces of Pack Weight on Rainwear Ventilation Features. In the last several years I have used rain shells which didn’t have pit-zips or venting pockets. This was not because I was trying to save weight, but that fabrics I wanted to use (Shakedry for example) was not available with better venting options from the manufacturers. I found that some fabrics performance in jacket which lacked venting options were superior to lesser fabrics which could vent. I only recently realized I could have the best of both worlds (best fabric + venting) by adding pit-zips to an existing jacket.
The cheapest rain gear for short periods of rain are those cheap ($1) and light weight (2 ounces) plastic emergency ponchos or a plastic garbage bag with a hole cut in the bottom. You can also find more durable ponchos made from thin PVC for around $3 (weights around 8oz) at hardware or outdoor stores. The cheapest water proof breathable option I know of are Dri Ducks which are less $30 for jacket and pants (sometimes $20 from Amazon)
Often people will have a single layer of clothing for their legs. Generally legs need less protection from weather than the torso for several reasons. Moisture management is typically less challenging and in most activities, your legs generate more heat than your arms because you are using your legs to propel yourself. Legs also tend to be more sheltered from rain than your upper torso except when climbing. All these factors means that the comfort range of pants will tend to be wider than clothing for your torso. The most significant challenge presented by legs is that they tend to get abraded more than your torso, so pants generally need to be more durable for an equivalent lifetime.
My Choices
I use the same clothing for around the town, at work, while traveling, and for outdoor activities like backpacking, camping, and hiking. My requirements for pants are they are made from a quick dry material than is reasonably durable, no giant cargo style pockets, no obviously reinforced bum/knees, no zip-off legs, good cut, and has pockets that are deep enough that things don’t fall out when I sit down in a chair that slopes back. Extra credit if the material looks like classic chino twill on the outside, lightly textured inside for comfort, doesn’t have “discreet” pockets on the thigh, no prominent logos, and doesn’t have a built in belt.
I really like Outlier Slim Dungarees. They fit me perfectly, the fabric is excellent. I have had women in the fashion industry come up to ask me “Where did you get those pants. They are great. I want to buy some for my husband.” The only downside is that when it’s above 75F and I am physically active they tend to chafe my inner thighs.
In warmer weather I switch to OR Ferrosi Transit Pants which don’t look tailored and aren’t as durable, but aren’t excessively baggy, and perform very well with great mobility. Both are styled like jeans, but made from a breathable, stretchy, and fast drying synthetic technical material. They can be used the the back country as well as in a business meeting with a blazer.
When shorts are appropriate I wear Outlier New Way Shorts which fit me perfectly, or Patagonia Hydropeak Hybrid Walk Shorts which dry more quickly. When engaged in high energy activities I often use a pair of Tri-Shorts. They dry quickly, are comfortable when wet, don’t normally chafing, and work for swimming, biking, running, or hiking. When doing long, hot hikes/runs I use a pair of Xoskin Compression shorts which have always prevented chafing.
“Hiking” / “Travel” Pants
Outlier, Bluffworks, Makers and Riders, and Wool and Prince makes expensive, but nice pants designed for an active (primarily urban) lifestyle. When Western Rise first started making pants I recommended them, but over the last few years they have had inconsistent quality, fit, and generally poor customer service. I no longer feel comfortable recommending them.
The best value tends to by whatever nylon hiking pants are sold at Costco. There are a number of moderate cost pants made by more mainstream companies that market to “active / outdoor lifestyle”. Most of these pants are made from supplex or other light but durable nylon fabric. Examples of companies that sell these sort of pants are: Columbia, Eddie Bauer, Kuhl, Mountain Hardware, Patagonia, prAna, REI, Royal Robbins and TNF. Ex Officio used to make clothing made from lighter fabrics which were nice in the summer. Alas, they stopped making these after they were acquired. Lululemon ABC pants are popular with some, though they don’t feel right to me.
Nylon pants have a number of variances. You will likely be able to fine a pair of pants which will check all your boxes. Example of features / variances:
stretch: no, 2way, 4way
cut: slim, standard, baggy
pocket configuration
zip off legs?
integrated mesh briefs
built in belts
I would suggest going with whatever pants fit well and have a design you like. PackHacker did a decent list of Best Travel Pants for Men. While I don’t agree with their rankings, OutdoorGearLab.com Best Hiking Pants tends to list many of the decent pants made by mainstream companies. It seems most hiking / travel pants end up with a thigh pocket which I dislike. There was a good thread on BPL in 2023 about durable trail pants.
Some people like convertible pants since they can worn as pants when it is cool and then convert to shorts when it warms up. I wore a pair of Ex Officio convertible pants at least twice a week between 1992 and 2006, plus many successive days on every backpacking trip I took between 1996-2004. They were still in good shape (ignoring a few pine sap stains) when they were retired, I just stopped using zip-offs. Part of the reason was my wife really disliked them, but I also found the zippers could chafe on extended trips.
I would recommend checking out the follow pants. Most have slightly textured fabric which is better looking than the classic smooth / swishy nylon hiking pants and I also find more comfortable against the skin
Prana Brion better fabric than the Brion II, the best easily found pants
Patagonia Quandary good mobility and durability, but has a thigh pocket (at least reasonably discreet)
Patagonia Terrebone Joggers for casual wear, drys in less than 2 hours when hung up after washing, comfortable in hot weather, a ding: things fall out of the pocket when sitting down.
Pants I regularly see others recommend but I don’t have personal experience
Soft shells have been gaining popularity since they are comfortable over a wide range of conditions and tend to be made from durable materials. I have a general post about softshells. A quick caveat, I have yet to find softshell pants that I am happy to wear in hot weather, unless OR Ferrosi are considered soft shells.
There are a number of quality travel friendly softshell pants. Maker and Rider also makes some nice soft shell pants as well as some very nice 4 season pants made from wool. I am not fond of the Huckberry Proof Nomad pants. The fabric is too stretchy without any texture. In recent years the gap between soft shells and “nylon hiking/travel pants” has really shrunk. I am not sure how useful this distinction is these days.
If you don’t mind more “outdoors” styling, there are a number of excellent softshell pants made specifically for climbing, skiing, etc. Many of these are make from Schoeller Dryskin. For many years I used a pair of Marmot ATV made from a heavy version of Dryskin for cool to cold outdoor activities. The ATV pants were comfortable when I was active down to 15 F (skiing, snowshoeing, hiking, moderate duration ski lift rides) and still acceptably comfortable when it was 45 F and I was engaged in demanding activities. They were even comfortable when I was inactive in 70 F (eating lunch inside a lodge). If I expect conditions to be below 20F, I add a mid-weight base or a wind shell.
Rain Pants
I have a general post about rain gear. As for rain pants, there are a variety of theories. Some people believe that legs work hard enough that rain shell for legs is typically not needed. In warmer conditions this works well for me, but when the temperature dips below around 45F I found that I don’t like soggy pants on my legs and started to carry rain pants. I am using a Zpacks Vertice Rain Pants which have been ok. My experience is that my legs produce less moisture than my torso, so I don’t have to be as picky when it comes to breathability for rain pants. Pretty much anything that is sufficiently durable would work for me.
Shorts
When I am engaged in high intensity physical activities, I can shorts down to 40F. “Around town”, I typically switch to using shorts when the daytime stays over 70F. When active, I find motion keeps my legs warm enough when it’s 30F or warmer, though I often switch to pants when I need to protection from strong winds, bug bites or abrasions from vegetation / rocks. If it rains, I often just let my my legs get wet because the heat my legs generate keeps me warm enough to be comfortable.
Kilts / Skirts
I know a number of men and women who like using kilts, skirts, or even full dresses when traveling, hiking, and backpacking. Mountain Hardware makes a Kilt designed for outdoor use which seems to be a cult favorite. I intended to experiment with hiking in a kilt, but could never bring myself to use one in real life. I guess I was afraid the fashion police would get me.
One think I did use for awhile was a rain kilt. I found these pretty effective, but ultimately switch back to rain pants because I found them more versatile.
Insulation
Many people require little insulation for their legs to feel comfortable while being active, but it’s also important to remember that your body is a system. Your upper thighs come just after your core torso and head/neck areas in the amount of heat you can lose. So even though you legs tend not to be as affect by cold, insulating your upper legs can be a big help if you are trying to stay warm. Several companies including Mountain Hardware and Montbell make insulated skirts / kilts.
There are several ways to keep legs warm. For most people a base layer plus a shell work well or one of the warmer softshell pants. There are a number of companies which make down or high loft synthetic pants. As mentioned above, there are companies that make insulated skirts.
Managing Chafing
Chafing = Wetness + friction. Something to keep in mind is that you want to minimize chafing. One of the most effective solutions to minimize friction against the skin is to wear tight fitting boxer-briefs, biking shorts, or tights which are made from nylon or polyester with lycra. A number of people I know really like Under Armor compression shorts. Some people apply products like Glide as a preventative measure. I found that Glide did significantly reduce chafing, but I thought it was a bother to use, especially on trips which are more than a day or two. Wearing light, open, well breathing pants/shorts helps minimize accumulated moisture.
There are some new products which are base layers with stretch sections designs to compress and support your muscles to enhance performance such as those made by CW-X. I have no experience with theses, but they have gotten some good reviews.
Low Cost
Nylon hiking pants, warm-up pant, or running shorts from Costco are typically the best value. You can also look at Target, Walmart.
The purpose of the insulation layer is to keep you warm. (I have brief notes about layering clothing). There are a number of factors which affect how much insulation a person will need to be comfortable for a given set of conditions. The most significant is the level of activity, or what researchers call Metabolic Equivalent (ResearchGate PDF / PA Compendium). Below is a table from Hal Weiss’s Secrets of Warmth which summarized the results of US Army study to determined recommended insulation (expressing in terms of inches of loft) for various effective temp (which include wind chill):
Effective Temp
Sleeping
Light Work
Heavy Work
+40F
1.5″
0.8″
0.2″
+20F
2.0″
1.0″
0.27″
0F
2.5″
1.3″
0.35″
-20F
3.0″
1.6″
0.40″
-40F
3.5″
1.9″
0.48″
As the table indicates, the amount of insulation you need is inversely proportional to your activity level. One of the most common mistakes is using too much insulation during heavy work that results in sweat and then feeling chilled. In cooler conditions, if you are sweating, you are wearing too much clothing. I think it’s good to feel cool (even slightly chilled) while active. So long as you have adequate food are rested, your activity will warm you up. When engaged in high energy activities I will wear clothing that I initially feel cold. After around 10 minutes I am cool but ok. Around an hour into the activity I am comfortable to a bit warm at which point I ventilate a bit. I add insulation when my activity level drops. Doing this avoids sweating. Sweat makes it much harder to keep warm long term. It is often useful to have multiple insulation layers which can be varied to match conditions and activity levels.
Inches of loft is a decent approximation of warmth, but there are other factors that govern how warm a garment feels. For example, there have been a number of tests which indicate that down garments that are overfilled provide more insulation that standard fill and that often synthetics lose more loft than insulating ability as they age. There are also other elements that can be incorporated that boost warmth without changing the garment thickness such as vapor barriers and reflective barriers like Columbia’s Omni-Heat.
My Choice
I live in the San Francisco Bay Area which has particularly mild weather. I have found that a hoody made from 90gsm Polartec Alpha Direct (Macpac Nitro Hoody) is the perfect insulation for our conditions. It offers very little insulation when uncovered (especially when the wind is blowing or even air movement from walking) but can be surprisingly warm when worn with a wind blocking shell, making it an excellent active insulation for stop and start activities when combined with a shell. Merino tee + Nitro Hoody + Shell, hoods on, keeps me warm to around 40F when static, in colder conditions when I am active, and comfortable in warmer weather by venting the shell. I believe it’s around .8iclo. I have a Montbell Plasma 1000 Vest (Cumulus Minilite much better value) which extends my comfort range to cover all the conditions I regularly encounter. I also have a Patagonia Micro Puff Hoody (iclo ~1.3, 2x a basic fleece, about the same as MH Ghostwhisper, around 2/3 Montbell Plasma Alpine Parka) which extends my comfort by roughly 25F. I layer it over it my hoody in colder conditions such as winters in the Sierras or when I am dressed up in the city and need something that easily goes over a suit. I used to do a lot more winter trips which used a similar but warmer system. The biggest difference was bringing a down parka rather than the the MicroPuff.
Down
Down is still the premier insulation material. Down offers more warmth / weight than nearly any other material. It’s also amazingly compressible for easy packing. When properly cared for, down can last decades. Down is more expensive up-front, but cost competitive over the long run. The biggest issue with down is that moisture significantly impacts insulation performance.
The introduction of hydrophobic treatments such as DriDown, DownTek, Nikwax Hydrophobic Down in theory addresses the problem of moisture. These treatments are amazing in the lab, but there isn’t consensus as to whether these treatments are superior to high quality down in the field. For example, an experiment done by BackpackingLight.com folks found that even when you soak a well designed ultra-light down garments with highly breathable shells such as the Western Mountaineering Flash Vest, that in less than an hour the Flash vest will have more loft than any synthetic vest which weights the same as the Flash when dry. Of course, that hour would be miserable and you would need to be a condition to generate enough heat to avoid hypothermia.
Besides external moisture, one needs to manage internal generated moisture: sweat and perspiration. As a result, down is typically not ideal when engaged in high energy activities because moisture tends to accumulate in the down, and the shell which contains the down tends to have low air permeability. This suggestions that down is best suited to static “activities”, such as sitting or standing.
I think concerns about moisture are typically over-blown. It’s only an issue if you are caught in a rain storm without real rain gear, if you are doing heavy work which has you sweating for an extended period of time (hours), or are in sub-zero F conditions for many days where your perspiration can freeze on it’s way through your insulation. In the last 30 years I haven’t had my down clothing significantly impacted by moisture. Of course, I have spent most of that time the the relatively dry “Western United States” and the few trips where there was a high risk of moisture (like climbing in bad weather) I did opted for a synthetic belay jacket.
Montbell has been my recommended supplier of down garments due to their wide range of features and fill amounts at competitive prices. The Montbell Inner Down Jacket (now called the Superior Down) followed by the Ex Light and Plasma ignited the market for ultralight down garments. I have recently been impressed by products come from Cumulus Equipment though don’t own any personally. If you want something perfect for you, check out Goosefeet Gear and Timmermade that will make a customize a garment to your exact specifications using excellent quality materials. I often recommend the Mountain Hardware Ghost Whisper as an easy to find light down jacket. For people on a tight budget I recommend Uniqlo, Costco, or Decathlon ultralight down garments.
For a good list check out ultralight dandy’s down jacket guide. I do wish he would use real measurements of iclo rather than estimating “warmth” from his equation, but it’s still quite useful and arguably the best data that can be easily found. The lists maintained by Adventure Alan, greenbelly, and switchback travel seem pretty good summaries of decent options.
Synthetic High Loft Insulation
In most cases I would recommend using down insulation over synthetic high loft garments. High loft synthetic insulation used to have two advantages over down which are largely gone: the cost gap has been shrunk due to improve market efficiencies for down and water resistance is less of a worry thanks to hydrophilic treatments for down. There are two applications that synthetic high loft insulation I believe still has a place. The first is when you are regularly transitioning between high and low activity levels in wet conditions. The second is when engaged in aerobic activities (aka heavy work) in conditions which are too cold for a base layer with a shell. BackpackingLight wrote a good but now somewhat dated Market Summary of Synthetic Insulated Jackets (2018). The other reason some people will choice synthetic insulation is because they are vegans or are concerned that the ducks or geese are not treated humanely. There are a few companies that use down which is harvested from nests or other means which avoid plucking the animals. Many companies are using down from animals that were killed for their meat… the down would have been wasted if not collected. Today, I think the Patagonia Micro Puff Hoody and the EE Torrid are two of the best options.
The Belay Garments for Activity Transitions
Andy Kilpatrick’s The Belay Jacket is a nice explanation of an idea popularized by Mark Twight. Simply put, you have a warm garment than is layered over all the clothing you are wearing while active to warm up during periods of lower activity level or when you have become too cold to function effectively. By putting the garment on over the rest of your clothing means you don’t lose heat by removing your shell to add additional insulation. You also create an environment which can allow the inner garments to dry out from your body heat.
These sorts of garments are typically made from materials like Primaloft, Climashield Apex, or Polarguard. See comments on various insulation material. Belay clothing are coming on and off in the middle of an activity, so it likely to be exposed to more moisture than down can handle which is why high loft synthetics are ideal.
Fleece
Fleece (typically 100, 200 or 300 weight) have been the most commonly used insulation layer for the last forty years. Reasons to use fleece include: price, durability, breathability, and low water absorption/retention. Finally, compressed fleece retains it’s warmth which is very useful in pants that you might use to sit on a cold surface or gloves when holding ice tools. 100wt and 200wt fleece were designed to be used as active insulation.
Polartec Thermal Pro High Loft (which first appeared in the Patagonia R2/R3) is the nicest fleece material in terms of comfort and warmth / weight. I found that Thermal Pro which was the same weight as a traditionl 200wt fleece, was warmer than a traditional 300wt fleece. There was a nice discussion about fleece as a staple for backpacking. I am fond of combining a light fleece with a high loft vest.
WindPro is one of the few forms of fleece that is somewhat wind resistant while still being adequately breathable. I generally do not recommend using WindStopper and Windbloc fleece because they don’t breath well and aren’t as warm for weight as other fleece when using a shell.
“Active” Insulation
In the last decade a number of garments have been released which make use of high loft synthetic insulation which have been designed for high energy activities. These garments are typically worn rather than fleece providing similar warmth and breathability at a lower weight, better mobility, and is more compressible.
Polartec Alpha Direct combined with a separate highly breathable shell is excellent active insulation layer (IMHO the best). I have been using a Macpac Nitro Hoody since 2021. It’s lighter and warmer than Patagonia Thermal Weight Capiline which uses Polartec PowerGrid as well as 100wt fleece like that Patagonia R1. A downside compared to these is AD is more fragile… best as a middle layer. On the plus, it dries super fast because the fabric doesn’t absorb much water and the open weave lets water drain out easily. The other advantage as a mid-layer is its high air permeability which is its secret for being useful over a wide range of conditions. When uncovered or heavily ventilated it provides almost no insulation, but when fully covered with a shell it is surprisingly warm. I can feel air flow at walking speeds in still air. I am comfortable sitting in 68F wearing the Nitro and a tee-shirt, but when I pull the hood up and layer on a shell I am warm enough down to 40F when static, colder when active. I expect when combined with an EPIC shell it would provide excellent cold weather rain protection when active in highly abrasive conditions that would kill the typical WP/B shell. There are a number of pullover/hoodies made by cottage gear companies such as superiorfleece, senchi designs, farpointe, timmermade (garage grown gear stocks AD from a number of vendors). There are a few jackets with zippers, typically using heavier versions of Alpha Direct including the Rab’s Alpha Flash, OMM Core, and the Ursus-UL Jacket. I have seen a 90gsm full zip from Ursus at no-W, but don’t see it on Ursus’ website. For more info about AD, listen to a podcast discussing Alpha Direct history and use. A materials not quite a performance at Alpha Direct, but more durable and often cheaper is Teijin Octa (called AirMesh when used by Mountain Hardware). See JCH’s brief write-up comparing AD and Octa.
There are a number of other active insulation layers which sandwich a high loft synthetic like Apex between a light shell such as Pertex Quantum Air. Jackets that have had good reviews include the ArcTeryx Proton, Montbell Thermawrap, and Patagonia’s Nano-Lite Air.
Other Insulation Options
Several companies have tried making products which would let you vary insulation by changing the amount of air in a garment. None of these products have lasted more than a year or two. This include Gore’s Airvantage the Aerovest designed for emergency insulation, and a jacket made by Klymit which uses compressed Argon rather than human blown air. I would be highly skeptical of any products like this.
Another emerging solution is micro heaters (or coolers) being developed by companies like Aspen Systems primarily for military applications. I think there is a lot of development left before these sorts of systems would be good for light weight, or even “normal” applications.
There are materials like aerogel (first created in 1931) which often incredible insulation for a given weight at stratospheric pricing. I have seen several clothing items made using aerogel, but so far, none have had staying power in the marketplace. Time will tell if this can be made sufficiently durable and affordable while delivering performance benefits in the real world. My experience with a sleeping pad and boot inserts which made use of aerogel were disappointing. I found these items offered no advantages over more conventional materials at a higher price. The latest attempt is to use aerogel formed to mimics polar bear fur. Time will tell if this formulation can make it out of the lab into products that actually work.
Several companies are reportedly making “graphene” jackets with claims of amazing performance. I know graphene has some amazing properties, but I am skeptical. The only independent review I found for an earlier Graphene jacket had a disappointing user reviews. The Graphene-X Aerograph Puffer sounds interesting, but it’s very heavy.
It’s also worth noting that different parts of the body might need different levels of insulation. For example, when I am doing just moderate activity my legs are comfortable with 1/2 the insulations I need for my torso. Several manufacturers are starting to use body mapping to create garments which vary insulation and breathability.
People’s base metabolism level varies which is often reflected in people talking about running “hot” (me) or “cold” (my wife). The amount of insulate listed above should be considered “average”. You might find that you need more or less. For example, I found that I need and 1/2 the listed insulation doing “heavy work”, 2/3 the insulation listed for “light work”, and I need the listed amount for sleeping. If you haven’t had adequate food and water, you are short on sleep, or if you are physically exhausted, you will need additional insulation because your metabolic systems will not work efficiently. Activity levels can shift your metabolic rate, even after the activity has ended. For example, I have found that after backpacking for 15 miles with a lot of elevation changes that I need less insulation in camp that evening, even though I am no longer hiking.
For an insulation layer above to freezing I encourage people to consider a vest rather than jacket. Vests tends to provide more warmth / weight, leaves your arms unencumbered for better mobility, and make it a bit easier to vent heat when you are too warm.
Strategies for Clothing and Sleeping when Backpacking
As the table at the top of this post indicates, it’s important to consider both activity level and target temperature when selecting clothing. There are three common approaches used by people when engaged in multi-day activities such as backpacking:
Go as light on clothing as possible. Typically this means bring a clothing system that is slightly warmer than what’s needed for heavy work. This is an approach often embraced by dedicated thru-hikers. It’s an effective strategy when hiking all day with minimal stops and where you can keep moving. When stops are short and the metabolism is still running hot little insulation is needed. Eat dinner early before it has cooled too much, and then hike at a moderate pace (avoid sweating) until bedtime. Stop and immediate get into the sleep systems. The sleep system (bag or quilt) will be warmer / weight than clothing at any given temperature. The early morning cold is overcome by immediately hiking (hopefully up hill… think about this when selecting a stopping location) and eating breakfast later. The sleeping system can be worn like a cape if warmth is needed during the day. This is my approach on solo trips or when I am with other ultralight folks that embrace hiker’s midnight. This approach didn’t work for me when I was doing technical climbing, going cross country, or other activities which required me to slow down/stopping longer than the warmth from earlier activity would keep me comfortable.
Bring clothing that are warm enough to be comfortable doing light work in the coldest expected conditions and sitting (static) when you plan to be awake and out of your sleep system. Bring a sleeping bag/quilt that is warm enough to be comfortable for the expected night time conditions. This allows someone to do camp chores at their leisure, be comfortable most nights using just their sleeping bag, and allows their clothing to supplement their sleeping bag if the night turns out to be surprisingly cold. When low temps are near or below freezing, insulation is at least two pieces (typically a light fleece and a puffy) so the insulation isn’t too much during the day when active. This is my approach when I am with groups that will be sitting around late into the night talking and/or are very slow to get going in the morning.
Have your clothing provide the majority (if not all) of the warmth, even when sleeping. The theory goes that insulation in the form of clothing is more versatile than just a sleeping bag or quilt because you can make use of it anytime. Often an elephant foot sleeping bag is used. In very cold conditions where activity level is low this can work. Generally though I don’t recommend it. A sleeping bag / quilt will provide more warmer / weight than clothing, and clothing that is warm enough to keep you comfortable when sleeping will be way too warm when you are active. I have experimented with this approach but not done it on any serious trip.
You most likely already have a fleece. If not, it is possible to buy a fleece at discount stores for around $20 which will be adequate for cool-moderate temperatures. You might also look at using the US Army’s M-65 Field clothing liners which can often be purchased for less than $20. For colder weather add a good wool sweater under your fleece, or get a slightly oversized fleece which will over your first fleece. Costco sometimes carries low cost down or synthetic garments, and there are a number of reasonably inexpensive jackets from Decathlon. Uniqlo down garments are fairly inexpensive and sometimes go on sale. L.L. Bean, Eddie Bauer, and Lands End sometimes have specials which make their puffy jackets and vests very reasonably priced.
Everyone has their own definition of “softshell” which makes the marketplace quite confusing. My definition of soft shell is any single layer garment which is designed be worn in a wide range of conditions putting an emphasis on breathability over absolute protection from external conditions. I consider unlined windshirts a part of a softshell system. Contrary to what some manufacturers would like you to believe, soft shells have been around a long time, predating hard shells by several millennium since full waterproof didn’t exist until the 1800s. These days there are a number of man made wonder materials that are attempting to beat what has been found in nature (e.g. animal skins). I would suggestion that people who are just working out their clothing systems skip softshells until they are fully comfortable with a more traditional layering system.
Andy Kirkpatrick (aka psychovertical) identified four types of soft shells in the post real soft-shell story:
Pile/Pertex
Stretch Woven
Encapsulated
Laminated Stretch
My experience suggests stretch woven and pile/pertex style soft shells are significantly more performant than laminated stretch materials such as PowerShield and Encapsulated such as EPIC. That said, I would recommend EPIC in the face of multi day rain in high abrasion conditions due to it’s durability and low water absorption / fast drying nature.
Rational
The primary advantage of soft shells is that they offer adequate protection while doing away with the typical layer on/off dance when people are varying their activity levels. Additionally, many softshells offer better mobility than a classic hard shell and will be less noisy because the shell isn’t encumbered by a stiff membrane. Classic hard shells are very effective at keeping wind and water outside the shell. Unfortunately, no hard shell is sufficiently breathable avoid significant internal condensation during aerobic activities. Since many outing don’t face serious deluges, the classic hardshell has the wrong balance of breathability and protection. If you are facing wind and a light drizzle or snow, why not take a garment that will keep you comfortable while avoiding the pain of taking off and putting back on your shell.
Soft shells work by using a durable water resistant fabric that shed precipitation and wind while still being highly breathable. Light rain, slush and snow rolls right off the shell. In an extended shower or when in constant contact with snow, moisture will soak through the outer surface, but the combination of your body heat and the wicking action of the soft shell will provide a comfortable micro climate next to your skin.
This approach was first popularized by British climbers who regularly face notoriously wet conditions in cooler temperatures. For this system to work well you need to be engaged in sufficiently aerobic activity to be generating heat, and the conditions need to be cool enough that the soft shell doesn’t cause you to overheat. I think the best soft shell materials has some air permeability which helps keep the wearer from overheating, and allows the modest air flow to move water vapor away from your body.
Slightly related. Patagonia used an interesting percent naked system for rating clothing.
If you aren’t working hard or need to keep clothing under your shell dry you should use real rain gear.
My Choice
I no longer own a classic soft shell, I use two items to make a soft shell system. In cooler weather I use either a BD Alpine Start Jacket or another unlined windshirt combined with either a Patagonia Capilene Thermal Weight base or a Macpac Nitro Hoody made from Polartec Alpha Direct which functions much like a classic pile/pertex soft-shell but is a bit lighter. I use stretch-woven pants made by Outlier or OR. In the past I have used a number of other soft shell garments.
Pile/Pertex
Pile/Pertex soft shell first appeared in the 1980s, and are still one of the best options because they provide good performance at a reasonable price. The Buffalo SystemsMountain Shirt was the first modern soft shell, and it reminds largely unchanged from its original form. The Yamatomichi Alpha Anorak seems like the best modern version of this jacket. For more information I would suggest taking a look at Andy Kirkpatrick the best soft shell in the world. I was first introduced the the idea of using a soft shell by Michael’s Ultralight Clothing (RIP) page available via to the Internet Archive.
My favorite pile/pertex type soft shell was the Rab Vapour-Rise line which upgraded the shell from Pertex 6 to Pertex Equilibrium or Air. I have found the “light” version of the Vapour-Rise breaths well, had just right amount of warmth for when I was active, and kept me comfortable (a bit damp, but warm enough) in all day drizzle, short lived rain storms, and in wet snowfall. For done in a day activities in cooler conditions I haven’t found anything better for high energy activities, whether it’s dry or wet. On multi-day trips with continuous rain I am not so happy, prefering a shell made from EPIC which can dry completely over night.
When it’s a bit warmer, the classic Marmot DriClime Windshirt was very effective having switched from pile to a lighter bipolar wicking fabric and using a shell which is more breathable but less protective than Pertex 6. The Mountain Hardware Kor Warm Shell looks promising.
Finally, there is Paramo. I find Paramo garments too warm unless the the temperature is hovering around freezing, and I think they are also rather heavy in terms of weight, but there are many from the UK swear by these garments. There is also Cioch Direct which custom makes jackets using Nikwax Analogy.
Stretch Woven
Stretch Woven soft shells are great when you need an a garment that can stand up to a lot of abuse without binding. They are more air permiable than pile/pertex making them ideal when you want protection with minimal insulation. Softshell materials work best in cool or cold conditions when highly active. They work well in moderate to warm conditions provided the wearer isn’t too active. Schoeller fabrics such as Dryskin, especially with the Nanosphere treatment, is one of the nicest materials for this sort of application. The downside of most stretch-woven materials is that they can absorb moisture in an extended rain, and can be a bit heavier than a traditional three-layer system which doesn’t need to stand up against serious abrasion.
Encapsulated and Membrane
I think membrane soft shells make little sense. They are typically quieter than a full on WP/B shell, but are no more breathable, and don’t provide the same level of protection from external moisture. Encapsulated shells (such as those made from EPIC) aren’t as breathable as the Pile/Pertex or Stretch Woven soft shells, but they have one big advantage. They absorb almost no moisture.
For almost 15 years I found a heavy base (Thermal Weight / R.5) or a light fleece (R1, MB Chameece) + a Patagonia Essenshell Pullover (unlined EPIC) was my go-to system when I needed durability and I expected to face snow/rain on extended trips. I wasn’t necessarily “dry” but always was warm enough when I was active and found it dry and ready to go each morning. I retired the Essenshell when weight lose made it too baggy and am still trying to figure out the best replacement. The BD Alpine Start is amazing, but the current generation DWR (Schoeller NanoSpheres) wears out when facing abrasive conditions.
Nylon “Hiking” Clothing
While many people might not think of the classic nylon hiking pants and shirts as a soft shell I think it’s making similar trade-offs, it’s just not quite as performant as the hi-tech stretch woven materials. In particular they aren’t as water resistant as top fabrics from Schoeller. They are more air permeable then a hard shell and more resistant to water than a classic base layer while protection the skin from abrasions, biting bugs, sun burn, and scratches from vegetation.
Shell Materials
Here is a list of “soft shell” materials I have encountered with a brief summary of my experiences using them. Temp range is my comfort range when engaged in aerobic activities going from lightest to heaviest. Often these materials will be paired with some sort of liner
Light weight Schoeller fabrics used the Black Diamond Alpine Start and the Outdoor Research Ferrosi. Especially nice with the Nanosphere treatment. There are several materials no longer made such as Inertia used by Cloudveil, Extra Light Pertex Equilibrium used in the BPL Thorofare clothing.
Supplex Nylon/Taslan (and other light, nylon materials) using in “hiking” pants and shirts. Best with a bit of elastic added improve mobility. Even with DWR they tend to get soaked pretty quickly, but when lightly calendared on the inside are acceptably comfortable when wet in moderate conditions provided activity level is high enough to stay warm. They dry quite quickly.
Schoeller Dynamic is decent in cool weather when facing abrasive conditions but for general use, I find that the optimal comfort range is smaller than other soft shells. It is a bit more wind resistant that Dryskin, but doesn’t wick as well and is less insulating. Dynamic started leaking in less than 10 minutes during a hard rain storm. I overheat in conditions that would be OK in an unlined wind shirt, and find myself feeling chilled at approx the same time as a wind shirt. On the other hand, Dynamic is significant more durable in abrasive conditions that many materials. Useful for Spring skiing over light insulation or heavy base, and moderate weather climbing. The ArcTeryx’s Alpha Comp was a brilliant combination of Dynamic in the body with a Gore-Tex yoke.
Pertex Equilibrium is fairly wind resistant (CFM 10), decent water resistance, a bit of stretch. Not a durable as Dynamic but better at shedding rain. The surface will pill when in area of high wear. Appropriate for spring and fall conditions, high output aerobic activity in the winter. Used in the light version of Vapour Rise, The Westcomb Crest, and a short lived shell from REI.
Nextec EPIC is a good wind shell in cold to cool weather. Layered over a wicking base layer (with light insulation in colder situations) is where EPIC shines. EPIC doesn’t absorb much water, even if it gets soaked, so it dries more quickly than most soft shells. You can restore the DWR by washing it and running it through the dryer. I found that it resists light sprinkle for several hours, leaks after around an hour in a moderate rain storm, and really lets the water in after 15 minutes in a real storm. Seems that there are several weights of EPIC which variety is wind and water resistance. Good as wind shirt over a light base layer when the temp is <45 F. Patagonia Essenshell, Dimension Shell, part of the US military clothing system.
Schoeller Dryskin is ideal for pants when it was between 0-30F over a medium base layer so long as I wasn’t facing really serious winds, or 20-45F as a stand-alone garment, and usable up to around 60F. I also used a Dryskin jacket for several years. I remember it being useful over a large range of temperatures when I was active. I think Dryskin garments might have had the widest comfort range of any soft shell I have used. I have been dry after being out for multiple hours in a light rain storm. Wicks and breaths really well. ~30CFM? One down side is that it will absorb water over time. Great for for spring and fall, high output winter activities.
Sporthill SP3 and Swix seemed like it would be similar to heavier weights of Dryskin at a lower price.
Paramo makes a number of materials which have a range of warmth and protectiveness. I have little experience with them, but they have a cult like following in Europe which touts it’s great breathability. Noted outdoorsman Chris Townsend indicated that he uses Paramo for continuous rainy cool conditions which is what I have heard is Paramo’s sweet spot.
Windshirts, sometimes called windbreakers or wind-shells are one of the most versatile pieces of clothing you can use. A simple, unlined windshirt can ounce per ounce provide more warmth than many other clothing items because it helps prevent convection cooling which increases significantly as the wind speed increases. In many cases a windshirt over an appropriate weight base layer is all you need to keep comfortable when active. Windshirts can protect you from biting insects. Wind shirts slow evaporation a bit (they are not perfectly breathable) which moderates flash-off cooling. Finally, a good wind shirt can keep you comfortable (but not necessarily dry) in a light drizzle when a full rain shell would be too much. Ideally you want some air permeability to maximize breathability while still providing protection from convection cooling.
My Choice
I mostly use my shakedry rain shell for wind protection. I have found shakedry fabric is approaching the breathability of a windshirt, though it’s not as air permeability as I would like when I am highly active. When starting out from home, I often use a Black Diamond Alpine Start which is a ultra-light softshell that’s fairly air permeable (listed as CFM 40, but feels more like 60) when biking and running in Bay Area winters. It is more durable than most wind shells, the Schoeller NanoSphere treatment lets it shake off light rain (and dry very quickly). I have a 2012 ArcTeryx Squamish windshirt which has an air permeability around 30 CFM. It’s more durable than many of the lighter wind shells, and it’s slight textual feels better against the skin than many other options. It lives in our car to be pulled out when the weather changes unexpectedly (or friends failed to prepare for the weather). Note: my understanding is the current Squamish isn’t as air permeable. Finally I have a Montbell Ex Light windshirt which weights less than 2.5oz and packs into a space smaller than a cliff bar. Not as comfortable against the skin as the other options. I put it in my pocket when doing day hikes when I am not carrying a bag, and bring it I am using a poncho for backpacking or trekking. If I was purchasing a windshirt today it would be a Mountain Hardware Kor Airshell. Looks decent, comfortable against skin, reasonably light / packable, has hand pockets, and around 30 CFM.
Classic Windshirts
Classic windshirts are ultra-light, ultra-breathable unlined nylon or polyester jackets which block the wind while being highly breathable. I am particularly fond of windshirts with hoods and full zippers such as the MH Kor, REI Flash Jacket, ArcTeryx Squamish, and Montbell Tachyon. I have heard good things about the EE Copperfield but not personal experience. I used to like the Patagonia Houdini, but in recent years it seems like the cut isn’t great, they aren’t breathable enough, the the fabric is kind of noisy. It seems many of the manufacturers change the materials in these wind shirts almost every year… I have a hard time following them.
Stretch woven softshells can be a good alternative to wind shirts. They tend to be more air permeable and more durable than a classic wind shirt. This makes them great for high energy activities and/or when engaged in activities that are hard on clothing like climbing.
Some people use rain gear for wind protection. In warmer weather, most rain gear is not sufficiently breathable and tends to retain too much heat. They block the wind too well, the wearer will often overheat and get wet from sweat. A counter point is that if you either manage you activity level and/or are in cool weather rain shells can work.
Low Cost: The cheapest solution is a cheap nylon windbreaker found at Target, Walmart, Dooy on Amazon (though it’s air permeability seems very high – more like a everyday shirt), and it seems to only be UPF 15-25)), the women’s windshirt on ebay, etc. Discussions on BPL about Fauxdini. Personally, I don’t get the dooy/fauxdini love. They seem to have about the same air permeability as a supplex hiking shirt (e.g. too much when I really want protection from the wind). There are a number of articles with lab test by Stephen Seeber, properties that effect air permability, and an articles which compares field and lab results.
You’ll wear it when the rain comes down, You’ll wear it when the wind blows ’round. You’ll wear it when the temps are low, You’ll wear it when it starts to snow. You’ll wear it while the flies do swarm, You’ll wear it when the sun is warm. So skeeters, wind, rain, snow, or sun, A wind shirt is for everyone.
I used to believe a good base layers will move moisture away from your body. In warm weather a wicking base will help keep you cool by provide more surface area than your skin to promote evaporation of your sweat. In cold weather convection cooling tends to be the bigger issue than evaporation… so a wicking base layer which pulls water away from your skin helps you stay warm. I don’t believe this anymore. Generally I think you want a base which retains little moisture.
First, most base layers aren’t particularly good at wicking. This has been my experience in the field and demonstrated in lab tests by people like Stephen Seeber. There are many materials which are very good at absorbing moisture. This is a bad attribute except when in hot and low humidity environments.
In warm weather, I want my sweat near my skin so when it evaporates my skin is close to the cool effect. This suggests that in hot weather clothing which encourages air circulation near the skins will provide the best performance. The clothing either needs to be very air permeable (which limits its ability to provide protection from the environment) or to it needs to be loose enough to move air by a bellowing effect. This requires the base layer retains its structure when wet. Many fabrics, for example, cotton knits, collapse when saturated making them feel hot and sticky.
In colder weather you don’t want you base layer to absorb any moisture. Ideally the base layer is hydrophobic and is air permeable enough to let convection move the warm, damp air away from your body and escape into the environment rather than be trapped in your clothing. The best way to achieve this is for the base to be a mesh, or to be made from a fabric with an open grid pattern. Having a base layer which absorbs / buffers / wicks sweat in colder weather is counter productive because if your sweat is wicked / buffered, you don’t realize you are wearing too much insulation.
Somewhat counter intuitive is that when the temperature is significantly below freezing, vapor barrier clothing which traps moisture providing a moist micro climate for your skin while keeping moisture out of your clothing system can be highly effective.
In all cases, want your base layer to minimize water retention.
Besides dealing with moisture you need to manage friction which will irritate your skin. In most causes this isn’t an issue with shirts unless engaged in extreme sports like ultra marathons, but it tends to be an issue on the lower half. There are two strategies. One is to have lose fitting clothing that provides a lot of ventilation and minimizes contact. The other is tight fitting base which hugs the body like a protective layer. The protection might be from external clothing (one of the reasons people like boxers) or from skin on skin rubbing, particularly needed when people are either over weight to have very muscular thighs.
A few other meta issues: A long sleeve base layer with a deep front zipper or a long sleeve button-up provides maximum flexibility. In warm weather you can push/roll the sleeves up and open the neck. While not a “critical” issue, odor retention is also a consideration for many people. Besides assisting in managing thermal conditions base layers are often selected to provide protection from the sun and biting bugs.
My Choice Bottoms
For general use I love Icebreaker Anatomica briefs. For me they are the most comfortable underwear I have worn. They dry overnight in most conditions, and resist odor. I get around 600 days of wear before the waist band deforms and small holes appear. They are minimalist and don’t get bunched up around my legs. The downside is that they do get shifted around a bit in hot weather when carrying a backpack. I sometimes need to re-position them.
In the past I found the synthetic briefs from Ex Offico were pretty good but their quality has reportedly dropped. Tommy John’s air mesh have an extra thick waist made them much less susceptible to bunching up due to the pack hip belt but dries a bit slower. Saxx’s patented Ballpark pouch wasn’t any better for me than more traditional underwear, but they are reported wonderful for men who have particularly thick thighs and/or balls that hang low. I have heard Uniqo Airism, 32 degree mesh, and Duluth Trading Buck Naked are good values, but no personal experience.
In cold weather I use 20 year old Patagonia Capilene 2 (modern equivalent is mid-weight). If I regularly was in cold conditions I would pick up some Capilene Thermal Weight/
When backpacking or engaging in vigorous activities I like running tights or tri-shorts. My favorite right now are XoSkin compression shorts. When engaged in hight energy activities I typically wear them stand-alone. They don’t have pockets, but I can stash items like my phone under the fabric on my legs… the compression holds them securely. In colder conditions I layer with either rain pants or Patagonia Terrebonne Joggers.
My Choice Tops
I normally wear an Icebreaker 150wt Anatomica tee-shirt as a “base” in town. I find the Anatomica shirt very comfortable, looks nice enough that I can wear them to work, and can be worn many days in a row without starting to stink. If I am planning to engage in very high energy activities such as running I will sometimes switch to a Xenith “Under the Lights” shirt made from Polartec Delta. This shirt has decent air permeability, is UPF 30, dries more quickly than cotton or wool, but slower than the typical fast dry synthetic shirts. It has a 3-dimensional texture which allows it to be comfortably worn when damp, and it doesn’t get as stinky as most synthetic materials.
If I am going to be in the sun for more than a couple of hours I use a loose fitting UPF 40-50 shirt. Often this is a button up shirt made from light nylon or polyester. Currently this is an Arcteryx Cormac Hoody or an OR Astroman Button up.
In cool to cold conditions I often wear Patagonia Capilene 4 hoody (now called Thermal Weight Capilene) or a hoody made from Alpha Direct. When combined with a windshirt to control how much air is allowed to pass covers a huge range of conditions because these fabrics very air permeable. In colder conditions I manage vents to minimize / eliminate sweating. I have been reasonably comfort doing a big uphill push when it was 55F and ok with sleeves pushed up and zipper fully open up to 70F. With it zipped up, hood up, and a windshirt worn I have been comfort running to around 10F, hiking hard to 25F, walking/active to 40F, stand around to 50F. Because the the grid holds much of the fabric off the skin it is quite comfortable even when wet. I have started to experiment with Alpha Direct against the skin (or with featherweight base) which has had positive results.
Synthetic or Wool?
One of the more contentious issues is whether wool or synthetics are the best material for base layers. The folks from backpackinglight.com created custom shirts which had wool on one side and synthetic on the other for real-time, side-by-side comparison. Their results were reported in comfort and moisture transport in merino wool and capiline. The reviewers concluded that wool vastly superior when it comes to odor control and feels less clammy when wet, while capilene dries more quickly (~50%), and is warmer for the weight. My more casual experiments had similar results, though I think that if the BPL folks had been using a heavier base layer (such as the Patagonia Thermal Weight, Polartec Power Grid), the synthetic would have dries more than 50% faster and a grid pattern would have been less clammy. The comparison failed to note that wool is not as durable as most synthetics of comparable weight. I would also note that for periods up to a week, I have found synthetic with decent treatments keeps stink down to an “acceptable” level backpacking. Less days in the city around other people. There was a post of reddit about the science of odor control. My experience is that in moderate to hot conditions while I am engaging in “light” work wool is superior. In cold condition, or if I am working hard and sweating a lot, high performance synthetics are better.
Wool
Wool has started to make a come-back last few years. There have been a number of articles such as psychovertical’s The Wonders of Wool encouraging people to reconsider a wool base layer. Many people have discovered high quality Merino wool can be comfortable against the skin and to resist odor when worn days (if not weeks) in a row. I have good experience with wool clothing from Icebreaker and to a lesser extent Smartwool and Patagonia. Note: I don’t “baby” my wool clothing. Wear them for activities that sometimes are abrasive, machine wash my wool with normal detergent, and use a drier on “low”. My biggest complaint is the featherweight (<=150wt) 100% merino wool shows wear out fairly quickly. I typically found these garments would develop a hole after 80 days. Many manufacturers have been adding a bit of nylon which greatly increases the durability of wool. For example the same “model” of garment which was changed to 85% merino with 15% from nylon started to look “tired” after around 500 days, and got the first small hole after 600 days of wear. The shirt was still wearable (around the house) for many more “wears”. Some people talk about how wool is “too expensive”. I get around 600 days out of a $60 shirt. That’s 10 cents / day for the most comfortable shirt. The best performing synthetic shirts got at least 1200 days of wear and cost around $60 which was around 3 cents / day. Budget synthetic is around $20 which works out to 1.6 cents / day. The synthetic is 8.5 cents / day cheaper… but I think that’s a reasonable cost to pay in moderate to hot conditions for significantly better odor control, thermal regulation, and over all comfort. For a bit more about how wool works, follow the links on reddit post lets talk about wool and enjoy the story of shrek the merino sheep.
In recent years wool from alpaca have become popular. In cold weather, alpaca is superior to merino wool as it absorbs less water, and is more insulating for a given weight. There was a BPL Podcast that contrasted performance of alpaca to merino wool.
Polyester
Malden Mills Power Dry and Polartec Power Grid is my favorite polyester base material because it’s soft against the skin, has a reasonable amount of stretch so it moves with me, and it moves moisture effectively. Better yet, the moisture handling is based on the bipolar fabric that that uses the physical prosperities of a combination of materials rather than a chemical treatment which can wear out. Besides moving moisture more effectively than most of the other synthetic wicking technologies, bipolar materials tend to feel less clammy when wet. A nice refinement to Power Dry is the x-static treatment which embeds silver to reduce odor from microbes. Different companies use different amounts of silver. Looks like you want >8% silver for effective performance. If you are up for an adventure, you could try a DIY silver treatment. The Polygiene treatment seems pretty good. Outdoor Research treatment seems pretty good. Power Stretch is not as soft as Power Dry, but more body hugging and durable with a fuzzy inside and a smooth outside… great for cool-cold weather climbing and other abrasion prone activities. Marmot DriClime might be better than anything else when it comes to moving moisture away from the skin, but it tends to grab anything that isn’t baby smooth and is not as stretchy or soft as PowerDry. There are a number of “in-house” base layer brands which are good. VisaEndurance often sold through Campmor seems like a pretty good material at a reasonable price.
In moderate to hot weather when I am going to be outdoors all day I will typically use a sun hoody. There are a number of sun shirts that are beloved by others like the OR Echo which feels cooler than most hoodies I have tried. I have also burned through it because I have very sun sensitive skin. Of the UPF 50 hoodies I have tried, the Arcteryx Cormac and the MH Crater Lake Hoody are my favorite.
Tightly Woven Synthetics
Shirts made from tightly woven (not knit) nylon or polyester such as Supplex, SolarWeave, Solumbra, or Talsan can be useful in moderate to hot weather. These sorts of shirts work best if they are somewhat loose with some ventilation. That way the sweat on your skin evaporates near your skin maximizing the cooling, These shirts provide protection from sunburn and biting bugs, dry very quickly, and are very durable. The four downsides of tight weave shirts are that in hot weather they blocks more airflow than many other bases (so feels warmer), they tend not to wick so sweat sticks to your skin, the fabric is a bit rough (my elbows get irritated after a several days of wear), and they will get stinky after a day of heavy sweating (though if the shirts are primarily Nylon the smell washed out easily). If I am expected really bad mosquitos I have been using a discontinued Outlier Air Forged Nylon Oxford button up shirt and am now trying the OR Astroman. I loved my (discontinued version) of the Adventure Shirt from Rail Riders but had to retire it when I lose weight and it was way to baggy through the torso. Some female friends seem to like Lightheart Gear’s Hiking Dress.
Chemicals For Bugs
Tight woven shirt provides protection from biting bugs but are very uncomfortable to wear in hot weather. Columbia and Ex Officio make woven shirts with a more open weave for more air permeability combined with a long lasting permethrin treatment which I have found effective, especially the Dryflylite which seems to be discontinued. Another approach which I have been experimenting with is to treat more traditional base with with permethrin at home, or to to sent to InsectShield for a longer lasting treatment. I will note that when facing heavy bug pressure, say bug force >6 permethrin only slows down the bites, doesn’t prevent them.
In cold weather fishnet style bases that are hydrophobic are extremely effective. Norwegian Brynje mesh was one of the first products. It’s a great base layers for cold weather: dry quickly and give a lot of warmth for weight provided the next layer restricts air flow… just don’t let the fashion police catch you. In the US you can find Brynje sold a few places such as reliableracing. Other mesh base layers include Finetrack Elementals, Svala, Castelli, and Montbell zeo-line cool mesh. Personally, I think Patagonia Cap4 with its high void spacing provides most of the advantages of Brynje in a much nicer package.
Low Cost
CoolMax base layers can often be found for around for slight more money than a cotton tee-shirt. Dupont has licensed CoolMax to multiple suppliers which has resulted in competition that keeps the price down.These shirts aren’t as well finished as more expensive base layers but they are much less expensive and are very usable. For warmer weather you might already have some shirts that would work well: a biking jersey, running shirt, a soccer jersey, or light weight woven synthetic button-down. Uniqo AIRsm and 32 degree airmesh base layers seem well regarded but I haven’t personally used them.
In extremely cold vapor barriers can be part of an effective clothing or sleep system. According to the book Secrets of Warmth by Hal Wiess, the human body gives off moisture for three reasons: (1) as a fear response, (2) as sweat to cool us down when overheating, (3) to maintain adequate humidity (~79%?) for the skin. There is some debate in the backpacking community as to whether the insensible perspiration (aka transepidermal water loss) is directly related to keeping the skin at a fixed humidity… but there should be no question that the micro climate near the skin effects rate of transepidermal water loss. This is alluded to in numerous scientific articles such as Eero Lehmuskallio’s thesis Cold Protecting Emollients and Frostbite. [I will do a more complete literate search later… most of the article I found were about care for premature babies.].
The most important reason to use a vapor barrier is to keep moisture out of your insulation. If you are out for more than a couple of days when the conditions are constantly below freezing, moisture from your body will condense and then freeze in your insulation. This will result in your insulating jacket getting heavier, stiffer, and be less insulating. A vapor barrier prevents this from happening.
I found vapor barriers useful on some extremely cold trips in northern Canada. When I was active, I found that vapor barriers didn’t seem to help me until the temperature was below 10F. I found that vapor barrier socks are great, pants and mittens are fair, and that shirts were useful but hard to get right.
I found when I was inactive or sleeping vapor barriers worked very well when the temperature was 20F or lower and I was using appropriate amounts of insulation (e.g. don’t overheat or you start sweating and it doesn’t have anywhere to go).
Very few companies make vapor barrier clothing. I would recommend checking out rhdesigns and warmlite. The cheapest way to try out vapor barriers is wear light polypro liners, with bread bags or better “roasting” mylar bags as a vapor barrier followed by wool socks (your insulation), try some liner gloves, plastic food service worker gloves or industrial dish washing gloves over your hands and insulate your insulated gloves or mittens, and/or a plastic trashbag around your torso. If this works for you, take a look are some of the better quality materials. These days I am not doing extended winter trips and am not using vapor barriers.
I recommend clothing that can be comfortably worn day after day for a wide variety of activities while still looking good. When in the outdoors no one cares how you look, but in urban environments it can make a difference in how people treat you. When in doubt, dress up rather than down. My packing / traveling light page has a section about selecting clothing for the journey. I have a number of posts with a clothing tag that have more detailed recommends including:
My clothing is typically made from technical fibers or merino wool which provides good mobility, light weight, fast drying, and odor/stain resistant. I use mostly the same clothing for daily urban life, travel, done in a day outdoor activities, and extended time in the backcountry. Given my mixed use, I generally constrain clothing styles and colors to be something that would be considered “business casual”, acceptable in a typical business meeting or at a nice restaurant. For example, no cargo pockets on the thigh. I use some specialized clothing when engaged in vigorous exercise because these activities benefit from more specialized clothing.
I use my everyday “urban” clothing on trips that mix cities with the backcountry. When my backpacking trips leave and return from home my backpacking clothing tends to be hand-me-downs from daily life. When a clothing item is looking a bit too worn or stained to wear to a nice restaurant, they get relegated to my “backpacking clothing” bag. I can get more use from the old clothing in situations no one cares about apperances, and avoid excessive wear on newer items which is caused by many outdoor activities.
Layering
Conventional wisdom is that you should dress in three layers: a base to manage moisture, a middle to provide insulation, and a shell to protect you from the elements such as wind and rain. In colder conditions it is common to have multiple insulation layers which can be added or removed to maintain comfort over a range of conditions.
A slight variant of this system is to use a windshirt over the base layer. When people are engaged in high output aerobic activities the combination of high breathable base layer like the Patagonia’s Thermal Weight Capilene Hoody and a light weight unlined windshirt such as the ArcTeryx Squamish or a rain shell that has high MVTR such as those made from Gore’s Shakedry fabric can keep the wearer comfortable for a surprising range of conditions. When activity level drops or if the conditions turn harsh (significantly below freezing), insulation and/or a heavier shell can be placed over the wind shell. Softshells are the cold weather variant of a base + windshirt, providing more insulation while maintaining good breathability. Softshells work well when the wearer is highly active facing variable conditions
Minimize Moisture Absorption
Managing moisture is critical to comfort and safety. Heat loss when immerse water is 24 times more effective than if you are standing in still air. While a soaked garment isn’t as effective, it can chill you more than standing naked. Ideally, you want clothing to stay dry. It’s not always possible to keep clothing dry, so the best mitigation is to select clothing which minimizes water retention and dries quickly. Polyester absorbs the least water, followed by nylon (which is a bit more durable) and then wool which has the bonus of resisting odor. There are a variety of wools including sheep (merino particularly nice, icelandic warm), goat (cashmere – luxury but very fragile), alpaca (warmest/weight), and possum (found in AU and NZ). Cotton is an inappropriate material for highly variable conditions. Cotton can absorb more than four times of its weight in water and can take five times as long to dry as some synthetics! Silk, Rayon, and a host of other fabrics are better than cotton but not great. I have more on the page Water Retention In Clothing.
A nice side effect of quick drying clothing is that on extended trips in the back country or when you are adventure traveling you can wash your clothing in the sink or river and be able to wear them almost immediately. This reduces the amount of clothing you need to carry without being grubby or smelly. All of my clothing normally dry overnight if spun dry or squeezed with a towel after washing. The exception is when it’s >90% humidity and <65F… some items are slightly damp after 7 hours.
Select the Right Amount of Insulation
There are four things which effect how warm you feel: your base metabolism (do you run “hot” or “cold”), the environmental conditions you are experiencing (temperature and wind), the amount of insulation you are wearing, and your activity level! Richard Nisley posted a wonderful graph illustrates how these factors are inter-related as does his revised paradigm for estimating garment comfort limits. I found Richard’s graph very helpful in selecting the right set of garments for a trip or event. My caveat is that I seem to require around 1/2 the insulation Richard recommends except when I sleep. When your activity varies so does the amount of insulation you need. You want to avoid wearing clothing which is too warm. Most people take 10-20 minutes to “warm up” from their activity. If you are going to be highly active like going for a run or an uphill hike, you want to wear clothing that will be comfortable once you are “warmed up”. Either you need to plan to remove a layer after a short bit, or be prepared to be chilled / cool at the beginning. When engaged in multi-day activities like wilderness backpacking I often bring insulate which is warm enough for “light activities” in the evening, but does not keep me warm enough in the middle of the night. I will often eat “dinner” early and then hike at a moderate (no sweating) pace until dark and then immediately get under my quilt. In the morning I immediately start hiking and eat breakfast once it warms up a bit. This means I need clothing that are much less insulating than something that would keep me comfortable when sitting around at the coldest time in the day. I have also found Richard’s graph is a great reminder that besides adding or removing clothing layers, a highly effective way to maintain a comfortable temperature range during the day is by altering activity level.
Know How Much Durability is Needed
People are often concerned about the durability of clothing that will be worn in the back country or for an extended period of time while traveling. Many manufacturers encourage people’s fear and sell seriously overbuilt clothing, often labeled “Expedition Proven” or some such thing. The truth is, very few people, even those on expeditions, need clothing that is so overbuilt. Unless you are facing continuous hard-wearing conditions, lighter weight clothing will have close to the same lifetime as the over-built clothing. There are many advantages to selecting items which aren’t overbuilt: you save weight, save space, often get better performance and spend less money. It is possible to go so light that durability is effected. Several manufacturers make clothing which is aimed at extreme athletics looking for the lightest weight performance, which comes at the expense of durability.
How “Dressy”?
In the outdoors, no one cares about what your clothing looks like. Function, not form or style matters way more. Stains are often a badge of honor indicating you actually got “out there”. When we come back to urban environments you will often be judged by the clothing you wear. Clothing covered in dirt, stains, or holes (that weren’t fashionably applied) often results in the wearer being treated less well than they would if they were “dressed up”. It’s useful to have some clean clothing, or be able to clean your outdoor clothing before engaging with “polite society”. To some extent, people who are considered particularly attractive or powerful/high status can “get away” with more casual clothing. You can almost never be too dressed up, but you can easily be not dressed up enough.
There are many areas in the US and SEA where clothing can be very casual: sandals, shorts and a tee-shirt are normal and acceptable for both men and women, and won’t get a second look in sophisticated restaurants and important event. On the other hand, there are many places where this sort of attire would be perceived as inappropriate if not disrespectful. It’s important to know what are the expectations of the environments you are in. For example, in some locations, men don’t wear shorts, only boy do this.
It used to be that in nicer venues men were expected to wear closed toe leather shoes, nice slacks and a blazer, women nice shoes or sandals, a nice skirt / blouse or dress. Venues / events which have higher expectations explicitly state their requirements: semi-formal, formal, black tie, etc. Since COVID I have noted that in most situations men and women can get away with a loose business casual.
Men can be as informal as clean running shoes, nice jeans or slacks (but not joggers), and a button up shirt. Some places a polo shirt is ok, but personally I won’t “risk it”, and I find button down shirts more versatile. I love these evolving standards because well styled high performance clothing appropriate for outdoor adventures are also acceptable for more urban activities.
Standards in many place have also loosen for women. Nice sandals or shoes, attractive slacks or skirt, and a nice top. I am not specifying top… women seem better than men at understanding what looks nice. My wife has found a sleeveless hiking dress which can optionally be combined with a blouse works really well. In some countries, especially when a distance from “international class” cities, women are expected to be “modest”. This means wear skirts or dresses which go below the knee and tops that at least cover the shoulders. Women not so clothed are assumed to be prostitutes or “loose” and could find themselves harassed by locals. In many Muslim countries women are expected to keep their heads covered with a scarf or a hat.
In cooler weather, a nice sweater is often perceived as being more dressy than wearing a shirt covered by an outdoor jacket / fleece. A blazer is better still. I recommend suits and blazers made from super 140 wool and for people who travel a lot, or the clothing from Bluffworks. Recently the “Chore Jacket” has become fashionable alternative to a blazer, though I don’t really “get it”.
Price / Performance “Tiers”
My experience is that clothing (and most other products) comes in a number of “tiers”. Generally they go up in performance and cost. In my experience “value” products are the best products in terms of number of uses / cost. Generally the ratio of performance / cost starts to go exponential as you approach “the best” performance. With expensive products I generally look for the “knee of the curve”, were I am getting the best performance before the prices start to raise exponentially. Often the price difference between cheap and best clothing is small enough for me on an absolute scale, that I am willing to go for “the best”.
Fast Fashion: All about the “style” TODAY and quickly becomes dated. Cheap (almost disposable) fabric, poor workmanship. Great if you want something that looks like the cool kids and will be worn out by the time the new style comes out. H&M, Zara, Shein, Boohoo, etc. Bad for the planet and the workers. I never buy these.
Value: Typically use classic style, decent material, decent workmanship maximizing performance/price. In the 1980s this was Land’s End and L.L. Bean. These days I think of Muji, Uniqlo, Kirkland brand at Costco, Everlane, maybe Old Navy. This is what I historically purchased and still do if I am going to put excessive wear on the item.
Name Brand: Clothing that used to be good quality materials, good workmanship, that are designed for a specific application, performance characteristic, and are stylish. The first company that comes to my mind is Nike but there are many. I rarely see an advantage of name brand these days. It used to be it guaranteed better quality than value priced items, but that is not alway true now. A lot of name brands attach their logo to clothing which doesn’t have the same quality are their core / original productions… especially items sold at “factory outlets”.
Top Performance: Clothing that uses top materials, excellent workmanship, and great design. When you put it on it just feels right and the garment feels tailored to move with you. The seams are a thing of beauty. Often uses innovated techniques. Many products from Arcteryx exemplify this level of clothing. I often find there are numerous little details that they pay attention to that other companies don’t. Taken together it elevates a piece of clothing from something that gets the job done to something I love every time I pull it out. I am lucky enough to be able to afford these items when I really care.
Luxury: The logo makes the item cost >5x what any normal company would charge for an equivalent product of the same quality. Prada, etc. I never purchase these for myself nor would I normal wear them.
My Choice
I go into greater detail in each of the above posts and in my personal gear page, but a quick summary of my clothing:
Icebreaker Anatomica Tee-Shirt (Merino Wool). Comfortable wide range of temps. UPF 20-30. Dries overnight. Very odor resistant. Adequately durable.
OR Astroman Button Up. UPF50+ shirt that is reasonable comfortable in hot weather, keeps bugs from biting me, and looks like a dress shirt when under a jacket. A jack of all trades, master of none.
Outlier AMB Merino Wool Button-up. ~UPF30, resists wrinkles, looks like a traditional dress shirt, very comfortable, dries overnight.
Icebreaker Anatomica Briefs. Most comfortable briefs I have found.
Outdoor Research Ferrosi Transit Pants: Decent looking pants made from nylon but don’t have that “swish” of some technical fabrics. Durable, reasonable fast drying. Can wear with a sport jacket or on the trail.
Xoskin Toes Socks: No blisters!
Smartwool Socks: Durable, Comfortable
Luna Sandals: Light, comfortable, durable. What I would wear all the time if I could get away with it.
Inov-8 Trailfly G 270 Trail runners in all black: when the route is too technical for the Luna or when I have to wear close toed shoes. I get 1500 miles / pair, about triple most trail runners. Has been accepted in 3-star Michelin restaurants and at many dressy events.
Outerwear
Macpac Nitro Hoody (Polartec Alpha Direct) Comfortable in a huge range of conditions depending on how much you block air movement. Dries super quickly. Reasonable warmth/weight ratio. Reasonably compressible. If never going into backcountry would likely replace with a cashmere sweater which is more dressy looking.
Gore Shakedry shell. Most breathable waterproof material I have used. Doesn’t wet out in long rains. Can double as a wind shell.
Montbell Plasma 1000 Vest (Down) Light and compact insulation for core.
Patagonia Micro Puff Hoody Jacket. Keeps me comfortable 25F lower than whatever clothing I am wearing. Typically layered over other clothing when in sub-freezing conditions.
Exercise
When engaged in vigorous physical activity (running, bicycling, fastpacking, etc) items are part of my mix
De Soto Mobius Tri Shorts or XoSkin Compression Shorts + Sun Protection Leg Sleeves: reasonably comfortable when wet, minimized chafing, pockets on the thighs and hips which keep things from bouncing when running.
Xenith Delta Tee + sun protection arm sleeves. Dries perfect speed to help keep me cool. Very good odor control for a synthetic. Doesn’t bind when soaked.
Black Diamond Alpine Start Jacket. CPM somewhere between 40-60 making is perfect for high output activities. NanoSphere treatment makes it quite water resistant. One of the highest MVTR measured in a wind shell.
I wonder if clothing which makes use of graphene such as graphene-x and vollebak could be a game changer… but for now I am highly skeptical. I am unlikely to spend my own money to test it out given I think it’s just hype. The only real user review I found was not exactly positive.
My Stay warm notes might provide some insight into clothing choices. Finally, I would recommend the tips in winter running for people who engage is very high energy activities in cold weather. See my others posts with clothing tag for specific recommendations.
There is some very sophisticated science being applied to clothing material. Examples include Schoeller’s nanospheres which virtually clean itself, a treatment from Avelana and Roudiere which is first being applied to wool which has some thermoregulation properties much like Outlast, several Japanese companies are making garments that generate heat when they get wet, materials which are normally soft but stiffed to provide protection during an impact developed by d3o, and clothing as a battery. Some folks are claiming that high concentrations of some metals speeds recovery time which I am somewhat skeptical of. There is also a trend toward mixing different materials using tools like thermal mapping to guide the level of insulation, moisture transfer characteristics, etc to different parts of the body. There was an interesting article comparing Sir Hillary’s Clothing on Everest to what we wear today. While this comparison is interesting, his system wouldn’t fair as well against a more careful selection of modern clothing. There was an interesting thread about Clothing Science and Folklore on backpacking.net. There is a classic article called General Principles Governing vSelection of Clothing for Cold Climates by Paul Siple of the U.S. Army from 1951 which provides useful background information. Many of Richard Nisley’s postings on BPL are filled with useful, science based information.FabricLink has a decent index of high performance materials and Keith Conover wrote up his experiences with different clothing materials. The US military has spent a lot of time and money working on clothing materials. You also might be interested to look at a discussion about the performance characteristics of the new protective combat uniform and a review of the PCU.
Low Cost
Performant clothing doesn’t have to be expense. Most of my pages identify reasonably priced options. If I was asked to build a modestly priced wardrobe to handle a wide ranges of conditions I would recommend:
Trail running shoes (all black)
Costco Merino Wool Socks (6) $22
32 degree mesh boxer briefs (6) $25
32 degree airmesh tees (4) $20
Nylon or Polyester Hiking Pants (2) – $25/pair at Costco, Sierra, etc
Long Sleeve Nylon Button Up Shirt – $45 from Sierra
100wt Fleece – $25
Down Puffy – <$80 Uniqlo, Costco, Decathlon, Sierra
Either a light rain shell with pit zips or a wind breaker + poncho – <$100
Make sure that you use footwear which is comfortable and appropriate for your chosen activities. Nothing has the ability to spoil your entire activity like wearing uncomfortable footwear! Shoes are extremely personal. Just because a shoe is well regard doesn’t mean that it will be good for you. There is no substitute from trying on a pair of shoes/boots, and then wearing them for an extended period of time. Even if your footwear doesn’t need to be “broken in”, you should spend time wearing them before you take them for some extended activity / adventure. Most people find running shoes to be be the most comfortable footwear. As sensibilities and product offerings have expanded, running shoes are appropriate in many situations.
I will note that for outdoor activities, hiking, backpacking, etc I strongly recommend using trail runners rather than traditional hiking boots or shoes. If you look at the experience of people on long distance trails, you will find the majority of people are using trail runners and the percent using trail runners increases each year. For example, here is a review of shoes worn on the AT in 2022.
I have a number of posts related to selecting and using footwear:
Barefoot and Minimalist Shoes – Fair bit of science suggests a very good approach but you have to build some muscles and transition slowly
Trail / runners – best shoes for most activities though needs to be replaced after 400-1000 miles
I have found that “barefoot” style shoes that have minimal soles and zero drop heels work best for me. Around 2005 a friend encourage me shift from landing on my heel to the front of my foot and use minimalist shoes. The transition produced some soreness as the leg muscles I used changed, but once I made the shift I found that my knee pain disappeared and the number of miles I could comfortably walk more than doubled. For several years I used ultra minimalist shoes (Vibram 5fingers and Luna Sandals), but I kept stubbing my toes. For several years I switched to trail runners and Keen sandals thanks to their toe cap. My foot placement is better these days, I am back to Luna Shammas Sandals. Today my footwear is:
Inov-8 Trailfly G 270. Trail runners: Near perfect fit for me. Toe box is a bit smaller than ideal, but large enough. Good traction. Have gotten ~1500 miles on several pairs before they need to be replaced. Original was available is all black.
Shammas sandals: Good traction, super light weight. Great trail feel. Use them hiking, running, and everyday life.
Vivobarefoot Gobi 2 Desert Boots: ok traction and acceptable looks even if I have to wear a suit while traveling
I often wear light weight Darn Tough wool socks, but use Xoskin xo-toes in conditions that might produce blisters (long runs / extended hiking). In cool, wet conditions I sometimes use a Rocky Gore-Tex over-socks. When I was doing a lot of sub-freezing outdoor activities I used coolmax liner toe socks combined with insulated vapor barrier socks. I am no longer climbing or doing hard core winter trips so I have no need for specialized shoes and boots for these activities. The last pair I had were some insulated Keen boots which worked quite well.
Good Fit
More than most other clothing types, the “best” foot wear varies a great deal person to person because feet are quite different, and these differences have a direct impact on how well a shoe would work for you. I used to have a terrible time finding shoes which fit me because I have a very narrow heel, a small volume foot which a modest arch, and need a large toe box because I have both hammertoes and morton’s toes.
Backpacker had a nice article which is still on archive.org about understanding feet and footwear which is oriented toward boots, but has a lot of valuable information such as the wet foot test. You might try to find a local store that has been trained in the FitSystem by Phil Oren. Or go all the way and get a gait-analysis.
The sites runrepeat.com and sizesquirrel.com can help you sort through a variety of shoes to find one that matches the criteria, particularly size / shape you are looking for.
Weight
The weight of your shoe ends up making a big difference in the amount of energy you expend when walking or running. I recommend people wear shoes that are as light as practical.
for every 1 lb of footwear, it’s like carrying an extra 6.4 lb of weight on your back
A number of my friends swear by Superfeet inserts, but they are not for everyone. Some people have issues with overlapping toes. There are a number of products to keep toes separated.
Blisters
Jackie and I have been blister free, even for extended journeys like 500 miles of the Camino from SJPP… but we seemed to be exception. Many (most?) people get blisters on extended trips, especially people wearing hiking boats. Most people were able to manage their blisters and continue to walk. A significant number of people we met on journeys like the Camino needed to add a zero day and/or take a taxi or bus to shorten their daily walking to give their feet time to recover.
The first step is to try to prevent blisters. Blisters develop when your skin is exposed to friction, especially when wet or hot. Most important is to remove friction, specially lateral shear forces (good short video). This means that you shoes need to be roomy enough for your toes to splay without being so large that your feet slide around. If you shoes / boots are stiff, you will need something that provides a cushioning. Wearing two socks, a thick wool sock turned inside out, and a thin synthetic liner sock is one of the most effective solutions. More information about this on my recommended socks page. You also want to keep your feet dry when possible. This is typically best achieved by wearing fast drying, well ventilated shoes or sandals. Avoid waterproof shoes and boots. In rain they don’t really keep your feet dry due to feet sweating, and they hold moisture when it’s dry.
Second, as soon as something doesn’t feel right apply treatment, don’t wait for a blister to appear. Sometimes changing your laces or adjusting your socks is all that is needed. Most of the time adding something to protect you skin. My experience is that KT-tape and Compeed blister bandages are the most effective treatments. Duct tape works pretty well. Some people swear by “hiker’s wool” but I have no experience with it. I don’t find Moleskin very effective.
Third, if you develop blisters treat them. Start by draining them and then clean gently. Next you need to make sure they don’t get worse. One option is to leave a small thread in the blister to allow it to drain and then put a breathable protective bandage over them. The method I use is to squirt a bit of superglue (I bring some single use tubes) into the blister. This keeps the loose skin from tearing and makes a durable barrier which protects the tissue under the blister.
For more information about caring for your feet, read the book Fix Your Feet.