What Should I Wear for a Hike
Layers that wick, a shell for rain and shoes that grip, with a row for a high peak.
All 55 things to wear
Next to the skin
The warm layer
The shell
Legs
Feet
Head, hands and in the pack
For a high peak
Leave at home
Next to the skin 7
Cotton shirt, in desert heat only Grand Canyon’s park guide calls cotton great in the desert. Soak it at each water stop. Lightweight, breathable shirt for heat What a Smoky Mountains park guide says to wear on hot days, with rests in the shade. Long-sleeved shirt against insects The park service counts sleeves and long pants among the best ways to keep bites off. Moisture-wicking T-shirt American Hiking Society says to wear items that wick, so sweat leaves the skin. Sun-protective shirt The park service lists sun-protection clothing beside the hat and the sunscreen. Thin thermal top, on a cold day Layers manage sweat in cold weather, a Smoky Mountains park guide notes. Start thin. Wool base layer One park guide suggests wool because it helps keep you warm even when it is wet.
The warm layer 6
Bright-colored outer layer The park service suggests bright clothing, so that searchers could spot you. Fleece jacket On New Hampshire’s Hike Safe list for a day trip, as a jacket or a vest. Fleece vest The lighter choice from the same list. It leaves the arms free on a climb. One more layer than the trailhead needs The Forest Service’s figure: often three to five degrees cooler for each 1,000 feet you climb. Packable insulated jacket Pack a layer for the most extreme conditions you could meet, the park service says. Wool sweater A Colorado park’s packing list names wool and synthetics for insulation, and rules out cotton.
The shell 5
Lightweight weatherproof jacket From the same list, as an extra for the pack on a fair day. Poncho Grand Canyon’s list takes a poncho or a jacket, most of all in the summer monsoon. Rain jacket in the pack, whatever the forecast A Smoky Mountains park guide says to put rain gear on before you get wet, not after. Rain pants On the Hike Safe day-trip list, next to the rain jacket. Windproof layer A Colorado park asks for windproof clothing on its high route. An open ridge is why.
Legs 5
Long hiking pants Long pants are one of the park service’s defenses against mosquitoes and ticks. Quick-drying synthetic pants Guides say to choose fabric that wicks. These dry on the walk after a shower. Sun-protective pants The park service names pants, with long-sleeved shirts, as sun-protection clothing. Synthetic leggings Fine on a maintained trail. The fabric rule is the same: wicking, not cotton. Thin layer under the pants, in the cold Layering works on legs too. A Colorado park’s list asks for layers of pants as well as jackets.
Feet 9
Boots you have already broken in The Forest Service asks for sturdy boots that are broken in and comfortable. Hiking boots with ankle support The park service’s pick for dirt and gravel trails: sturdy, with rubber soles. Shoes kept on for a stream crossing A Smoky Mountains park guide says to wear shoes in the water, to protect your feet. Sneakers, on a paved path The park service says tennis shoes suit paved, urban pathways. Spare pair of socks The park service’s reminder: do not forget to bring an extra pair. Synthetic hiking socks The other sock fabric the park service names. Thick ones cushion a long day. Traction devices over the boots, on ice High trails may be icy in winter, one park warns, and it says to use them. Trail shoes with good traction Grand Canyon accepts trail shoes or boots that grip on rocky, steep and uneven ground. Wool hiking socks Thick wool socks that wick moisture are the park service’s choice for longer hikes.
Head, hands and in the pack 8
Bandana to soak Grand Canyon’s park guide suggests a hat or bandana you can soak again and again. Dry top to change into If your clothes get wet, a Smoky Mountains park guide says to change as soon as you can. Gloves On the park service’s list of extra clothing, with a jacket, a hat and a rain shell. Hiking pole The Forest Service suggests a pole or a walking stick for balance on uneven ground. Sun hat Sunglasses, sunscreen and a hat are the sun kit on the park service’s essentials list. Sunglasses On the Forest Service’s short list for a day hike, with a hat. Sunscreen, in every season American Hiking Society says every season, whatever the temperature or the cloud cover. Warm hat in the pack American Hiking Society says to carry one. The forecaster is not always right.
For a high peak 8
Boots with ankle support and a treaded sole What the park’s bulletin says to wear on the way to the summit, with extra socks. Clothes chosen for the summit forecast The park says to get a forecast for elevations from 8,000 to 14,000 feet before you set out. Headlamp for a start in the dark The park’s bulletin sets 3 am as the latest start, so climbers are off the top early. Insulating layers of wool or synthetic From the park service’s packing list for Longs Peak in Colorado, 14,259 feet high. Storm gear for rain or snow Storms at that height often bring snow, sleet and hail, the park’s answers say. Sunglasses with UV protection On the park’s summit list with sunscreen and a hat, for cloudy days as well. Warm hat and gloves, in summer too The park warns of ice, snow and winter weather on that route in any month. Waterproof outer layers The same park’s bulletin asks for them, with extra layers for warmth.
Leave at home 7
No brand-new boots Wear them around town first. The Forest Service asks for boots already broken in. No cotton on a cold or wet day Cotton holds water, a Smoky Mountains park guide warns. Pick wool or synthetics. No cotton socks The park service asks for wool or synthetic socks that wick moisture. No flip-flops or open-toed shoes The park service says they are not ideal for hiking. No heels They are on the park service’s list too, beside the flip-flops. No jeans on the trail Denim is cotton. Once wet, it stays wet for the rest of the walk. No strong scents The park service says not to wear them where there is wildlife.
How this list was compiled
The 55 things to wear, to carry or to leave at home, and the line under each, were written for this page on 2026-10-12; no list was copied. Each row follows guidance that a land agency or a hiking organization publishes itself, read on 2026-10-12: National Park Service, Hiking Safety (https://www.nps.gov/articles/hiking-safety.htm ) and Ten Essentials (https://www.nps.gov/articles/10essentials.htm ); USDA Forest Service, Hiking (https://www.fs.usda.gov/visit/know-before-you-go/hiking ), for broken-in boots, the hiking pole and the figure of three to five degrees for every 1,000 feet of elevation gain; American Hiking Society, The Ten Essentials of Hiking (https://americanhiking.org/resources/10essentials/ ); Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Hiking Safety (https://www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/hikingsafety.htm ), for cotton, wool, rain gear, traction devices and stream crossings; Grand Canyon National Park, Hike Smart (https://www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/hike-smart.htm ), for trail shoes, the poncho, and cotton and a soaked bandana in desert heat; Glacier National Park, Hiking the Trails (https://www.nps.gov/glac/planyourvisit/hikingthetrails.htm ); Hike Safe, Know Before You Go (https://hikesafe.com/know-before-you-go ), a program of New Hampshire Fish and Game and the White Mountain National Forest; and, for the high peak row, Rocky Mountain National Park's Longs Peak page with its Keyhole Route bulletin and its questions and answers (https://www.nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/longspeak.htm ). The park calls that route a climb, not a hike. That a fourteener is a peak of at least 14,000 feet is from Wikipedia, Fourteener (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fourteener ). Trails and seasons differ, so read the page of the park or forest you are visiting. Left out on purpose: brands, prices and anything about altitude or heat as a matter of health, which is for a doctor or a ranger to advise on. Licence: own work
How it works What should I wear for a hike? Layers that wick, a rain shell and sturdy shoes that grip. All 55 things, from the first layer to a row for a peak over 14,000 feet, follow park and forest service guidance.
Read the full guide
Cotton is the fabric to check
Great Smoky Mountains National Park tells hikers to avoid cotton, which retains water, and to choose wool or clothing that wicks. Grand Canyon National Park says the opposite for desert heat: cotton is great there, because it holds the water you soak it with. So the fabric depends on whether the day will be cold and wet or hot and dry.
It gets colder as you climb
The Forest Service gives a figure: for every 1,000 feet of elevation gain, the temperature often drops three to five degrees. A trail that starts warm can end cold, so carry the layer you do not need at the car.
Start the walk a little cool. You warm up once you are moving, and a layer you never sweat in stays dry.
Tell someone what you will be wearing as well as where you are going. Glacier National Park says it cuts response time in an emergency.
Questions and answers
What should I wear for a 14er?
A 14er is a peak of at least 14,000 feet, so dress for winter in any month: insulating wool or synthetic layers, a waterproof shell, a warm hat, gloves, sunglasses and treaded boots. That is the park service’s list for Longs Peak.
What pants should I wear hiking?
Long, quick-drying pants in a synthetic fabric. The park service counts long pants among the best ways to keep insects off, and park guides warn that cotton, which includes denim, holds water. Add rain pants if showers are forecast.
What shoes should I wear for a hike?
Sturdy boots with rubber soles and ankle support on dirt and gravel, the park service says, and sneakers on a paved path. Whichever you pick, wear them in before the day, with wool or synthetic socks.
What should I wear hiking in hot weather?
Lightweight, breathable clothing, a hat and sunglasses. In desert heat, Grand Canyon National Park suggests cotton and a hat or bandana that you can soak again and again.