Windproof Clothing --
The Final of a 3-Step Recipe for Backpacking Clothes

Our outer layer consists of windproof clothing that is also water resistant. Preventing wind chill and wetness from rain or snow goes a long way in making for a pleasant hiking experience.

We will continue with our wise choices of lightweight clothing items that “pay their way” in our backpack by providing versatile, excellent duty in exchange for their weight and bulk.

A good shopping list for our windproof clothing layer might include:

• One pair of nylon zip-off pants/shorts
• One set of water resistant outer shell clothing

Pants? Shorts? Both?

I used to carry one pair of long pants and one pair of shorts. However, the clothing industry did me a favor by making available pants that zip off at the thigh to become shorts.

I always choose the nylon variety because the long pants provide wind, bug, moisture, natural obstacles (sticks, thorns, poison ivy) protection, and they also dry almost immediately. Because they dry so quickly, the shorts can double swimwear in warmer weather.

Choosing Good Zip-Offs

When choosing your nylon zip-offs, be sure to notice the zipper area around the thigh. You will want a strip of material between your skin and the zipper to keep it from rubbing.

Another nice feature is zippers at the cuff of the long pants, allowing for easy removal over boots. This makes changing from your long pants to shorts on the trail very quick and easy.

Do I Need A Full Slicker Suit?

There are many choices for your water resistant outer shell clothing. Most people immediately think of a full Gore-Tex rain suit. Will you be hiking through a huge downpour? If not, this may be more than you need. Personally, I am going to pitch my tent and wait out the downpour.

Alternatives

A few choices that will give you protection through an unexpected shower or until you can get your tent pitched might be a soft-shell jacket, a wind jacket or a poncho. A poncho has the added benefit of being large and billowy allowing it to fit over you and your pack, keeping both dry.

Frogg Toggs--Glorified Paper Towels?

Another option is a waterproof, breathable pant/jacket suit called Frogg Toggs. The entire suit weighs just over one pound and is so compressible that it could be stuffed into a pocket.

Its texture is deceiving; it feels like a crumpled paper towel. While not nearly as fragile as a paper towel, the fabric wears and pills with continued use and one spark from the fire will melt a hole in it. However, it is windproof and waterproof at weight that is remarkably minimal.

If this is the route that you take, I would suggest that you purchase a size larger than you would normally buy so that it will fit easily over your other layers.

Taming Mother Nature

By pulling together our windproof layer, we complete our backpacking clothing. With the short list of items we have covered over the last few pages, you are ready to tackle nearly anything that Mother Nature can throw at you on a 3-season hike.

Return from Windproof Clothing to Backpacking Clothes

Return from Windproof Clothing to Ultralight Backpacking