Thru hike clothing options

I’d probably wear Rail Riders Eco Mesh pants (with Insect Shield).  They are expensive, but they breathe really well, especially with the vents, and are durable.  Shorts are an option (and can be cheaper) but I’ve been wearing pants more and more with all the ticks and Lyme.

I like Ex Officieo Give N Go boxer briefs because they are nylon and don’t stink as much as polyester boxer briefs, but you can save money by going with a cheaper pair like Champion if you’re on a tight budget.

For socks, I really like Darn Tough Vermont thin running socks (I think my favorites were model 1700 but I think they’ve been discontinued.  I generally treat my socks with permeation to help with the bugs.

For my hiking top, In those conditions, I would go with a Outdoor Research Echo shirt, either a short sleeve or long sleeve.  I think I would treat it with permethrin for the bugs.  The Echo fabric is really thin and breathes better than any other fabric I’ve ever used.  If you are on a budget there are cheaper options.

For shoes – shoes can be so personal, so pick the trail runners that fit you well.  I like the LaSportiva Ultra Raptors, but I have a narrow lower volume foot with a narrow heel – I’m sure your foot is different.

For a thru hike, I would consider sending your clothes to Insect Shield for treatment.  You can treat your clothes yourself, and I’ve done that too, but the Insect Shield treatment lasts longer and would be worth it on a longer hike in my opinion.

https://andrewskurka.com/backpacking-clothing-systems-3-season-conditions/

For accessories, I’d probably carry a 100wt fleece beanie, a pair of liner gloves.  I have had a Mountain Hardwear Micro Dome for a decade, but any 100wt fleece beanie will do.  For gloves, I like the Mountain Hardwear Powerstretch gloves, but also have some 100wt fleece gloves from Lands End that are nice.

You will also want a insulated jacket – down is the best warmth for the weight but it’s expensive.  I like Mont-Bell for UL Down jackets, and I’d say the Alpine Light Down Parka might be an economical choice.

If you want a fleece layer for active use, which is nice in the humid east, but you probably won’t need at those temps, but a 100wt fleece is good for this.

You’ll want a rain jacket and pants – something with good ventilation – I like 3 Layer Gore Tex for Jackets – something Like the Mont-Bell Storm Cruiser, but if your on a tight budget, the Dri-Ducks jacket works OK too.

Thanks for the great ideas so far everyone. Andrew Skurkas write up on the Core 13 is incredible! I will definitely consider having everything he mentions for the climate zone I’ll be in. Bug protection will be very important and I will be permethrin treating my tops and bottoms for sure.

Any recommendations on decent 100wt fleece options? It seems to be a smart option to have for chilly mornings/evenings or as an extra layer of temps drop low.

I’ll use my regular (thin) baselayer shirt (Capilene Cool), running shorts (w/ExOfficio boxer briefs that can double at a swimming hole), and Darn Tough socks.  The beauty of the system is using most as baselayers below winter clothes too.

Down vs fleece depends on how long you plan to hang out in camp/town vs exerting  trying to get that last hour of hiking done .    My observations were the ones wanting to stay on trail with more high mileage days went with fleece (Mellies are revered), while those stopping in towns, in camps, etc.. went with down or other puffies.  Better warmth for weight obviously…
There’s something positive to be said for either approach.

Shell? Something lightwt if it will stay in the pack mostly.

Getting back to “approach”and midlayer choice (lightwt), even though it’s important not to overplan.  Some will  plan a quick and/or budget trip with few real town stops or zeroes-big neroes  (maybe a ~100 day itinerary on the long trails).  Camps are getting in as the sun goes down, everyone hitting the sack.  Those types usually go for fleece (mainly mellie).  Others will hit every town with an overnight stay, maybe hitting the beer hall in each out on the porch where it gets cool.  Camps are usually pretty social and set up a little earlier.  That’s probably when the full zip puffer comes into play.  Note it’s not a hard difference.  Just if planning on a lot of overnight town stops or hanging around the campfire …  go with the puffy.

Most go with the puffy, but another way is go with a puffy and a relatively UL fleece-like baselayer (like Patagonia Thermal Wt at several oz.) as a sleep/just in case layer.  Have some cake and eat it too.

The classic go to 100wt fleece is the Patagonia Micro D fleece.  It’s Polartec 100wt fleece which I think is better then the generic stuff.  There are others as well, like The North Face TKA Fleece and Mountain Hardwear Micro Chill Lite fleece, but at least the latter of those two is not Polartec Fleece.  Sometimes you can also find cheap deals on 100wt fleece – My most used fleece is a 100wt Polartec fleece from Land’s End that I think I bought for $20.

A merino t-shirt smells better than most other kinds of shirts. Sometimes they are cheaper if you buy them as shirts for cycling. I usually wear a Columbia fishing shirt. Cheaper than a hiking shirt.

I wore a tank top under my fishing shirt. When I got cold I bought a long sleeved shirt from a thrift store.

I wore pants for the whole PCT. It was hard at the time to find non-zipoff pants. I only zipped them off when I had to wear my rain chaps because I would get hot.

Other than what I wore, I carried two extra pairs of socks that were of varying thickness so that if I wanted more cushion one day or less I had a choice. I carried a pair of fleece sleeves I could wear as leg warmers, a Patagonia Houdini, a fleece balaclava, a pair of gloves (random kinds because I kept losing them). I had a pair of Full Moon rain chaps and an umbrella for rain gear. I had one of those Sunday Afternoon sun hats, and later a ball cap with a neck cape. I hauled around a Patagonia down sweater until Cascade Locks. I only ever wore it around town in So Cal and thought it was stupid to have carried it for a thousand miles without wearing it so I mailed it home. Then I froze in Washington (I was there in August) but whatever. I just walked faster. I also got rained on and wet because the umbrella didn’t work very well. I tried wearing a plastic bag but that was too sweaty so whatever, I just pressed on. I used a lawn and leaf bag for a pack cover and a compactor bag as a pack liner.

I remember I bought a new tank top in South Lake Tahoe. People didn’t recognize me because they knew me from the green one I had before and my new one was red.

^ x2 on the merino shirt: it keeps the non-Parliament funk at bay.  I also like a merino sock for the same reasons.  I like my alpaca hoodie for active insulation down to about 30°.  Same goes for an alpaca beanie.

Merino is my latest obsession – I do not like smelling like a stinky nether region, and merino helps with that – the synthetics I have and use do a less good job. Having at least one change of underwear and socks is also necessary, IMO, one for wearing and one to clean and dry for the next day. I try to clean up and change out before bed, clean clothes help me sleep easier, and keep my sleep system cleaner. I also keep a pair of L.L. Bean rag wool socks for sleeping in on cooler nights, anything below 50F, the socks come with me. Would def be a good use of weight on a thru hike, or a pair of downs if you need warmer. I haven’t yet.

I like wearing shorts and tights with long sleeves (merino) for my hikes. I also keep a full brim hat and light insulated gloves (I use some full finger cycling gloves by Castelli). This keeps sun off me without having to bathe in sunscreen (which I hate and avoid if possible). I’ve had too many times where I thought I was ok and then felt baked for several days after getting home – that feeling would suck on a thru hike.

Insulation will vary by region and season, but my base (above) is the same for almost every hike. I just add midlayers and outers as appropriate. There are a billion ways to skin that cat.

You were also asking for where to shop without breaking the bank – I’ve had success with some of the stuff from Decathlon, and they have very reasonably priced clothing, but YMMV depending on how rough you are on your stuff, as well as fitment – I’ve found some of their sizing to be a little weird, but it is easy enough to exchange either at the store or through the mail. You can sometimes find some great deals on stuff at Costco, but they are NOT consistent in what they carry. Darn Tough socks are the best deal going, I’d not skimp on those – they are higher up front cost than the cheaper synthetics, but they are robust, comfortable, and guaranteed for life. I’ve been using an old Cordillera 700FP puffy I picked up at Campmor way back in the day and it has worked for me, but you can score great deals on better stuff here on the classifieds if you look for a bit.

A 100% nylon long-sleeve fishing shirt is almost part of my ensemble.

It protects my arms and neck from the sun (which is even more important at elevation).

It takes a beating from bushes, rocks, etc.  I find they last 2 to 3 DECADES.  Not true of merino wool.

They have large cargo pockets for sunglasses, granola bars, DEET, etc.  That usually lets me avoid a fanny pack for that kind of stuff.

The cargo pockets are also handy while treating water and doing kitchen chores – a place to put the bottle cap, UV Steripen, a spoon I just licked clean, etc.

One of mine has buttoned epaulets  on the shoulders that let me secure my Chrome Dome sun umbrella hands-free.

My other upper-body layers vary widely with the conditions and climate.

For my lower body, usually nylon shorts (by themselves or worn outside of), expediation-weight polypro thermals, and long, thin nylon pants.  Then I have one thin, one warm or two layers over my legs.

Here in Alaska, I never go out without a nylon LS shirt and long pants because bashing through the alders and especially the dead blow-down spruce is rough on my bare skin.

I’m curious what about my post is inappropriate?

That “inappropriate” labeling is another dud feature of this website. It should never label any post like that when reporting to admin. There is nothing wrong with your post, unless the “full moon” phrase caused something. Sometimes it is labeled that in error by another poster.

I just reported my own post above. If someone clicks it in error, it can’t be reversed.

Yeah…the report and reply links are too easily confused or tapped by accident on small screens. It’s really easy to build a bad UI. BPL didn’t create one, they just bought one.

You’ll want a head net, a wind shirt and picardin – all for protection from the black flies at that time. They are nasty if you are not familiar with them.

About all I can add is sleeping wear, and rain gear.  I really like sleeping comfortably, so I use a lot of cashmere (maximum warmth, comfort, coziness, excellent wicking, no smell). Cashmere lounge pants/joggers ($30.00 ebay, men’s are hard to find, but women’s large works fine for me with a 38 in waist) cashmere beanie 8-ply, cashmere balaclava 4-ply, and cashmere arm buffs that can double as head wraps and socks (head wear and buffs made from cashmere sweaters). For socks I like “Heat Holders”, and for a sleeping top, I like a silk/cashmere sweater, and one or two cashmere vests (ebay) Brooks Brothers 3-ply Scottish cashmere are pretty amazing ($280.00 new, but $30.00 on ebay).

I hate a wet pack, with rain running down between pack and rain jacket, so I love my poncho ground-cloth combo. Also makes an excellent wind break. I use Tyvek because I can get it free, but the system below works with any ground-cloth fabric. Mini ping-pong balls ( $6.00 Amazon), and trashed racing bike inner tube (free-bike store)

Photos from a 10 day hike on AT this past December. Consistent Rain, freezing rain, and snow. Hundreds of trees sagging onto trail so we had to duck down and bull through them.

Decathlon MH500 (grid) or MH100 are good  budget options. I’d size up, they run small.

I like light long pants, lately Prana Stretch Zions, but they might be a bit heavier(warmer). You can use cheaper ones.

It will be warm at times so you want a good t-shirt. I second Dave’s suggestion of a lighter nylon long sleeve.

Now the tricky part. How cold will it be if it rains all day? In Alaska I have a light fleece just for wearing under my rain coat. It keeps the inevitable sogginess at bay. Now if its warmer I would replace the fleece with a stretchy long sleeve of some kind. The theory is body warmth will push water to the outside if you get soggy and it will dry fast. My Nylon fishing shirt gets clingy and dried slower.  I tried a ratty old wool sweater on the CT.  It soaked up water and dried slower.  A fleece would have been better. Of course if its really warm just wear the rain coat over the t-shirt.

I’d probably keep a puffy or an extra fleece for camp only use. Get wet hiking, put on the dry layer and be happy. The extra weight won’t slow you down but it might improve morale.

Some ideas to save money:

Jockey Underwear – Polyester and Spandex.  Work better than my north face and 1/3 the price.  I take two on thru hikes.  I prefer briefs boxers too warm.

uniqlo – ultra light down jacket with hoody.  Sometimes on sale for 40 bucks!  Google reviews it’s pretty positive and good for the money.  They are a budget item but workable.  Also try with Costco/Macy’s/Eddie Bauer light packable down jackets.

Exofico button up shirts are always on sale if you don’t mind funky colors.  I like the airstrip shirts.  Amazing vents and fabric.

don’t skimp on socks.  Get Darn Toughs or  injini toe socks if that’s your thing.

Patagonia lightweight layers are really good.  I have cheap alternatives but they are just not as good.  Might consider spending here.

+1 for Rail Riders Eco Mesh pants (with Insect Shield).

Long sleeve “fishing shirt”. I have MANY miles on my Rail Rider Journeyman Shirt (with Insect Shield)

OR Sun Runner cap

Darn Tough HIKER QUARTER MIDWEIGHT HIKING SOCK

I hike mainly in running shorts and a cotton t-shirt.    I hiked the northern half of the AT in 1995 starting late August in Maine and finished in Harpers Ferry in early late November.

I have always hiked in running shorts and a cotton t-shirt.    I have hiked for decades in that combination and I only put on something different based upon need.    I let temperature regulation, not rain dictate when I put on a shell.

So… don’t feel like you need to buy expensive outdoor gear choices.   I literally have $30 invested in my shorts t-shirt combo that I’d take if I headed out on a thru-hike.    My shell is a Frog Toggs, my laying pieces are all Amazon cheapo synthetics, although I’d favor wool for a long-hike due to the smell resistance.    My only “expensive” clothing choice is a custom-made goose-down puffy.