Clothing

No Cotton - Cotton is not your friend when backpacking.  When it gets wet (sweat, rain, dew, condensation, etc), it stays wet forever.  That makes you cold.  Check your tags.  If it is made of cotton - leave it home.  Polyester, wool, and nylon are our friends.

Layers - We all hear talk of layers for good reason, but we need to make sure we have the correct types of layers.  We don't always wear all the layers at the same time, but sometimes we need to.  We mix and match depending on physical activity, temperature, precipitation, and wind. 

 - Base Layer - This is the layer next to your skin.  It can encompasses everything from your underclothing to your shirt and pants.  The goal here is to have something that is comfortable and that wicks sweat away from your body.  Polyester and wool do this well.  Polyester gets stinky faster, but it is cheaper than wool and it dries faster than wool too.  In summertime, we aren't really going to be counting on our base layer to keep us that warm (though sleeping bag ratings all assume you are wearing full length base layers).  Focus on comfort and the right material for this category. 

 - Mid Layer - This is your insulation layer.  I am a huge fan of down and personally take a down jacket that packs  to the size of a large grapefruit.  Down packs small and is very light.  It is also more expensive than synthetic insulation.  I pack something that I don't mind sleeping in.  If the night is cold and my sleeping bag isn't cutting it, I put on my midlayer/insulation layer.  A fleece is a great choice for this layer.  They insulate well even when a bit damp.  Fleece is bulkier (will take up more room in your pack) and heavier than down, but a lot cheaper. 

 - Outer Layer - This is often referred to as a "shell" because it functions that way.  It keeps the wind from blowing through our fleece (fleece without a shell struggles to provide insulation in the wind) and keeps us dry when it rains.  It makes sure our mid layer/insulation layer can do its job.  It also makes sure that our base layer stays dry when it is warm outside, but raining.  This can be a rain jacket, a poncho, or whatever works to keep wind and rain from stealing your hard-earned warmth. We have had great success with Marmot Precip jackets for our kids.  

Where to buy backpacking clothing?  Doesn't matter.  Goodwill often has a great array of clothing that works fantastic for backpacking.  It is economical and you don't care if it ends up getting beat up.  It doesn't even have to be made specifically for backpacking (though make sure you pay attention to what it is made out of).  A word of caution - make sure your rain jacket is truly waterproof, not just water resistant (good way to end up wet).  Test it in the shower or outside with a hose.   

Comfort Balance - There is a balance between being comfortable while backpacking (how much weight you are carrying) and being comfortable when you aren't backpacking (i.e., in your tent, while standing around at  camp, etc.).  Most serious backpackers don't take many (often any) changes of clothing or short trips.  It is just too heavy to justify carrying it all day long.  We make sure we have the right clothing to stay warm and dry, but we use that same clothing on multiple days.  Yep - it can get stinky.  Yep - it can be a little annoying, but not as annoying as lugging a bunch of clean and dirty laundry around the mountains for a few days.  We will all smell a bit funky and that is OK.  We are going backpacking, not to a hotel or even camping.  I do keep a designated pair of socks for sleeping in.  I prefer to only go two days with the same pair of socks.  On multiple day trips, I will sometimes bring a designated base layer to sleep in.  That same base layer will often turn into what I wear during the day on the latter part of the hike.  Ultimately, you will need to decide what extra clothing (if any) you want.  We aren't necessarily saying not to take any changes, just to carefully consider what you do take.   

Example - Check out the microadventure summary for Mitchell Lake The same system (base layer, mid/insulation layer, and outer layer) applies to winter and summer trips.  The primary difference is that the mid layer (insulation) is a lot warmer and gets worn more often.  Because snowshoeing with a backpack is a lot of work (i.e., you end up sweating while wearing just a base layer even when it is 20 degrees, then you stop moving and freeze in your sweat) I took a complete change of upper base layer (in this case long underwear and a shirt).  I packed a fleece and a down coat for insulation layers, which can be overkill, but I'm not a fan of being cold.  Sometimes I needed both, and sometimes I just wanted the fleece.  Finally, I packed a waterproof shell as an outer layer to provide moisture and wind protection.  This would all certainly be overkill for a summer trip.  It just shows that the designated layer system (not just layers, but the right types of layers) works in summer or winter.