Dealing with being a really sweaty person on backpacking trips

[Joey G]

I sweat a lot. Like, I soak my clothes.

Last year in Mt Rainier National Park, I soaked my sun hoodie, pants, and underwear. I laid them out in the sun when I got to camp and they were still damp the next day.

I’ve never been in the situation yet when my clothes are still damp from the day before and now it’s getting cold out. But I’m backpacking in Yellowstone next month and it could get cold some days. I don’t want to get in the situation where all my clothes are damp and now it’s freezing.

I say all this to ask if others have issues with sweating and keeping clothes dry and what do you do?

I’ve thought about bringing an extra pair of clothes and just switching every other day.  This would suck because of the extra weight, but it may be the solution.

I will say it could have been the clothes I chose to bring. My sun hoodie was a far point og powerwool sun cruiser, smartool undies, and Patagonia terraria trail pant.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

[David D]

Me too.  Skip the extra clothes, this works.

Adopt a pace where you can keep moving with minimal breaks to generate heat at a consistent level

Then hike as cold as you can, with the lightest clothes still comfortable

Use the most breathable options: summer weight top and pants, fishnet base layer, octa/alpha mid, Dooy wind break, lightweight poly gloves and a beanie.  Layer them as temps change

Be ready with something warm to throw on top at extended stops

Avoid wool, its a sponge

Have dry sleep clothes

I use synth quilt insulation so sometimes sleep in damp clothes and they’re dry in the morning.

[Dustin V]

How much ventilation does your pack backpanel have? I switched to one with a lot of space and it’s made a noticeable difference.

+1 on slowing down, too. I know it’s hard to be mindful of your skin temp when surrounded by beautiful scenery, rocks on the trail, birds… but it’s a good idea to check yourself periodically, maybe when taking a sip?

[Ray J]

I like merino wool.  Dries very quick.

I have sleep clothes to wear around camp.

I sleep in a hammock and so I take the pants, shirt, underwear and place them on the hammock, then the quilts go in.  I’m in the quilts so my body heat is on those damp clothes as they are under me.  They might not be dry by sunup, but they are warm to quickly put back on.

I carry 3 or 4 pairs of socks.  One is for sleeping only.  The other get rinsed out and hung on the pack to dry during the day.

[Link .]

This is an old BPL article but you might like it Comfort and Moisture Transport in Lightweight Wool and Synthetic Base Layers .

[Murali C]

I wear OR Echo full sleeve quarter zip, Kuhl Renegade convertible pants, Exofficio underwear and Injinji socks. I have separate sleep clothes (actually a wind pant and a wind shirt plus puffy, beanie, neck gaiter etc).

These dry pretty fast. Usually dry by the time I take it into the tent. I would think that by the time you set up tent, collect water, make and eat dinner etc, these clothes should have dried up on your body – as all these activities will be at least 45 minutes or so. I will eat dinner in my hiking clothes, then change into sleep clothes. The hiking clothes will be on top of my tent inside out to expose them to wind etc to get the smell out of the clothes – at least that is the attempt :-) Then I fold it and put it inside my tent under my legs.

I have tried the Icebreaker Merino wool tops (light ones) on 2 hour hikes – but find that they hold onto water when sweaty. Never liked that feeling. So I have never taken these for backpacking.

If it has been raining when I set up camp and clothes have become wet, then there is not much you can do if it is still raining after dinner and no place to dry. But again, overnight, these clothes do dry up a little if you let them air out inside the tent. Unless there is too much moisture. But, I have been in night long rain and don’t recall wearing damp clothes – as I always have rain jacket/rain pants to prevent the hiking clothes from getting too wet. Wetness from sweat usually dries up by morning as I try ti air them out inside the tent and I have separate sleep clothes.

[AK Granola]

Wool holds moisture, even thin wool. Save it for camp wear only, and hike in polypro or other synthetic next to your skin. It will smell like a beast, but it will dry fast. Rinse at night with water and a few drops of bleach in a 2 gallon ziplock; dump far from the water source onto open ground or rock, not vegetation, then hang to dry.

Wooden clothes pins are really light weight; clip your clothing to a line or branch so it can swing in the wind instead of laying it on rocks. Do this during breaks to dry it out a little. Laying it flat doesn’t work well.

Synthetic fabric will also dry on your body the next day if it’s not completely dry by morning; wool will stay damp.

Watch for chafing with synthetics. A tiny container of baby powder can go a long way. Some people like Body Glide, etc. Find what works for  your body.

I don’t buy the “hike cold” advice. It doesn’t matter if I’m shivering from cold, I’ll still be sweating if I hike at a decent pace and my clothes will be damp. I literally sweat at minus 20F. So I have to do some clothing care at camp every night, and ensure that my camp clothes stay warm and dry.

[David D]

+1 on the 2 gallon ziploc but instead of bleach I use camp suds.  After rinsing, I do a dilute water/camp suds mixture, soak the clothes in it and then wring out and hang that to dry.  The dilute soap in the fabric seems to help keep it getting too rank when worn and I don’t even notice it when wearing

Makes a big difference for stinky socks

[David D]

>I don’t buy the “hike cold” advice.

[editing out my grumpiness]   The following is misunderstood.  “Then hike as cold as you can, with the lightest clothes still comfortable”

Which means wear as little insulation as necessary to avoid being cold, while taking advantage of the the heat generated by your hiking.  Good old “be bold, start cold”.  Which is why I also recommended having a warm layer to throw on at stops, and to hike at a pace that minimizes stops.

This works down to -30F to minimize sweat, tried tested and true for me with no doubts.  I still sweat at -30F but wearing the least insulation possible and the most breathable materials possible, its minimized as much as possible.

MVTR is a champ at low air temps

[Daryl and Daryl]

Joey G, I too sweat a lot.  If I’m moving with a backpack I’ll be wet and soon to be soaking wet.  No way to prevent it.

So here’s my protocol.

(1) I only wear clothing that dries quickly (nylon socks, synthetic undershorts, loose uncoated nylon wind pants, polypro top, fiberfill coat if needed, loose uncoated wind breaker)

(2)  I avoid getting chilled while hiking.  Regaining that heat loss can take a long time.

(3) When I reach camp I replace wet undershorts and polypro top with dry ones I keep in a waterproof bag.  If I leave the wet ones on they will chill me and it may take hours to warm up again.  I usually leave the loose windpants and windbreaker on.  They don’t have the chilling effect of the wet garments right next to my skin.

(4)  I do the best I can to dry the wet garments.  A fire is great.  Hanging might do it.  I put these garments back on the next morning, even if damp or wet, and return the dry garments to the waterproof bag.

(5) I’ve modified my closed cell sleeping pad so I can wear it .  If all my clothes get wet (and sometimes to prevent them from getting wet) I’ll wear foam.  I retains its heat when wet.

[Mark Verber]

People vary so this might not work for you.

For me, when it’s over 60F I will sweat, especially there are uphill sections unless I slow down to a pace I am just unwilling to go at. If I have a pack that doesn’t have a large air gap, my back will be sweaty.  When under 50F varying my exertion level, and being sure not to wear too much insulation, venting (or removing wind shell) keeps be from accumulating too much moisture.  I will sweat on a big uphill push, but my clothing doesn’t absorb much (light polyester) and  I dry out fairly quickly.

My protocol is to continue to wear my hiking clothing once I get to camp until they dry which typically <1 hour.  If I am moderately chilled, layer insulation over them.  If really chilled, I take them off, put on clothing to get to an acceptable warmth, hang them (if it will help) until bedtime.  At bedtime I put them in a waterproof bag and bring them under my quilt.  Once they are warmed up (but still wet) I pull them out of the waterproof bag and lay them over me under a quilt to let them dry overnight.

My issue.,. you might be different, is that I used to under estimate how much less insulation I need when active.  If it wasn’t for needing to protect my skin from sun and bugs, I discovered that once I am moving I am comfortable in shorts and long sleeve featherweight shirt down to 35F when highly active when I am dry, down to 55F when soaked in rain.  These days whenever possible I start my hike feeling cold… in 10-20 minutes I feel chilled… around 1 hours I am often wondering if I am wearing too much.

[Paul McLaughlin]

I do not have this issue but I do have a trick for drying clothesthat are not going to get dry before morning. This assumes you have the fastest drying shirt and pants you can find. I have alpha direct pants and hoody – the lightest version of that material- and i put those on next to skin and then put the damp shirt and pants on over them, so that i do not feel the dampness but my body heat helps dry them. If you need more warmth, then the layers you put on over probably should be synthetic.

[Sarah Kirkconnell]

I used to hike with a male partner who sweated more than anyone I have ever met. He never wore rain pants or jackets—he was a poncho dude. While he hiked light, he always had a spare set of clothing.

 

Unlike me, who only brought spare underwear, spare socks and a shirt for bed. I know I’d rather wear wool than synthetic – at night and early morning. It just feels better. I itch uncontrollably in damp synthetic clothing.

 

But there is nothing wrong with a spare set of clothing if you need it. It’s OK to carry a bit of weight if it means your comfort. And if you are always a sweaty dude, that’s just your body doing its thing to protect you.

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