My thermometer recorded this morning’s low at 36 degrees; no, I haven’t transposed the numbers. Four degrees above freezing on July 30, I wasn’t amused. Though cold fronts are a bummer, there is a way to cope: layers. Our mothers always told us to dress in layers in the winter, and the same philosophy applies to being outdoors in the summer as well.

Whether backpacking, biking, hiking or just having a picnic, wearing layers can keep you warm when it’s cool and allow you to shed as the temperature climbs. I always start out with a tanktop as my base layer, then pull on a long-sleeved T-shirt. If it’s still chilly, I wear a jacket or hooded sweatshirt over the top of that. The sweatshirt can be tied around my waist or lashed to my pack; the T-shirt is usually small enough to fit inside the pack. When dressing in layers, you can keep the different articles of clothing lightweight. No need for a bulky coat, just a couple layers of lighter-weight material will do a better job of keeping warm without overheating.

For those variable-weather days, I also like hiking pants with zip-off legs, which convert from pants into shorts in seconds. If I’m hiking, I also keep a disposable rain poncho and extra socks in my pack. Remember that wet socks can give you blisters, so switching to a dry pair after being soaked in a rainstorm is a smart idea. Lastly, for those really chilly mornings, a beanie and gloves feel good and help you warm up faster.

This entry was posted on Thursday, July 30th, 2009 at 2:06 pm and is filed under Clothing, Hiking, Weather. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.