What To Wear Hiking In Hot Weather: Experience-Based Tips

I live in a hot climate, so summer is a challenging season with hiking clothes. I try to wear functional hiking clothes that are also good for hot weather, but still, sometimes I find myself tired and sweaty. I compiled 11 tips on what to wear when hiking in hot weather, that I think will help have an enjoyable trip.

1. Wear a broad-brimmed hat

One of the most important things when hiking in hot weather is wearing a hat. It protects your head from the sun and reduces the chance of sun damage and dehydration((Preventing Sun Damage and Dehydration)).

A broad-brimmed hat is also useful to protect your face, ears, and neck from being sunburnt, and protect your head from the heat, which can cause a heat stroke.

Wearing a baseball cap is better than nothing, but a wide hat is best for hiking in the heat.

2. Choose breathable, thin synthetic fabrics

The fabric of your clothes really affects how hot you feel when hiking. Breathable clothing allows sweat to evaporate through the fabric, without soaking up too much of it. Airflow also helps cool you down.

Generally, synthetic fabrics like nylon and polyester are recommended, because they are breathable, quick-drying, and cheap((Ravandi, S. H., & Valizadeh, M. (2011). Properties of fibers and fabrics that contribute to human comfort. In Improving comfort in clothing (pp. 61-78). Woodhead Publishing.)). It all depends on the blend. Merino wool is a natural option that’s known to be good as well, mainly because it’s breathable and doesn’t feel hot. It generally absorbs a lot of water rather than letting it evaporate, but it doesn’t feel damp until very wet.

Cotton is known as a bad choice for clothing in the heat because it soaks a lot of water (around 24 to 27 its own weight((ref:2))) and dries extremely slowly. It doesn’t feel good to walk with wet clothing, and it can cause chafing.

3. Cover your skin as much as possible

While it does feel natural to wear short-sleeved T-shirts when it’s hot, these shirts don’t provide good skin protection against the sun. Skin coverage protects your skin from the sun’s UV rays. Synthetic fabrics generally provide better protection than natural fabrics((Saravanan, D. (2007). UV protection textile materials. AUTEX Research Journal, 7(1), 53-62.‏)).

This is especially important for people with skin types sensitive to sunburns((ref:4)).

UPF-rated clothing can also be helpful in protecting your skin. Though all clothes block some UV light, UPF-rated wearables are tested to ensure they block as much as possible.

UPF clothing blocks UV rays very effectively. For example, UPF-30 clothing blocks over 96% of the sun’s rays, and UPF-50 blocks 98%((Sun-Protective Clothing)).

If you still decide to wear short clothing, it’s important that you apply sunscreen on your exposed areas. Use high UPF-rated sunscreen, and remember to apply it every few hours.

4. Wear breathable socks that fit well

Heat and moisture create blisters, which make walking pretty uncomfortable. To reduce the risk of blisters when hiking in the heat, you’ll need to wear the right type of socks.

The sock material should be light and breathable, like wool or synthetic fabric. A merino blend is known to be great for hiking.

It’s important that the socks will fit your feet properly. Tight socks can create pressure on your toes, which adds friction and eventually causes blisters. Big socks can have folds that also cause friction and blisters.

5. Choose light-colored clothes, like white, yellow, and tan

Light clothes generally absorb much less radiation than dark clothes – they reflect them instead. Absorbed radiation creates heat, meaning dark clothes become much hotter than light clothes, in direct sunlight.

This means if you wear light clothing, you’ll feel significantly less hot than you would in dark clothing((Kenny, N. A., Warland, J. S., Brown, R. D., & Gillespie, T. G. (2008). Estimating the radiation absorbed by a human. International journal of biometeorology, 52(6), 491-503.)).

6. Avoid tight clothing that blocks airflow

Tight clothing doesn’t leave enough space for air to circulate between the clothes and your body. This airflow is essential to reduce the temperature of your skin. Loose-fitting clothes are then best for hot weather.

Many female hikers like hiking in tights because they’re thin, but they’re usually very tight on the body. Loose pants will usually feel better in summer.

7. Wear convertible pants with a belt

Convertible pants are comfortable and functional. They can be used as long pants during hikes and can convert to short pants when you need to air your legs out, or when taking a dip.

Related to the previous tip, you can partially open your convertible pants, creating a ventilation hole and increasing air circulation.

It’s important that you wear well-fitted convertible pants, preferably with a belt. If the pant doesn’t fit well around your hips, they might move up and down during the hike, chafing your legs.

8. Wear breathable sports underwear

Sports underwear and designed to be used when you’re hot and sweaty. They’re optimal for hiking, because they’re usually very breathable, reducing chafing and sweat.

Synthetic fabric is also optimal for underwear. I really like wearing dry-fit underwear when hiking, and feel that it reduces the chances of chafing significantly.

Synthetic sports underwear is usually quick-drying as well, optimal for taking a dip at the end of the day.

9. Protect your eyes with a pair of sunglasses

Wearing sunglasses in bright areas, common in hot weather, can be very important for protecting your eyes from UV radiation((Sliney, D. H. (2001). Photoprotection of the eye–UV radiation and sunglasses. Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology B: Biology, 64(2-3), 166-175.‏)).

Our eyes are very sensitive to UV light((How to Protect Your Eyes from UV Damage)), and it’s important that we protect them, just like we protect our skin.

Large-framed sunglasses protect against sunlight better, but even average-sized glasses still do quite well. The style of sunglasses you choose is mostly up to preference.

10. Bring warm clothes for the evening

If you’re planning to hike for multiple days, you should definitely bring warmer clothes for the evening, even if it’s very hot outside during the day.

Based on the location, temperature variation between day and night can be as low as 10 degrees Fahrenheit and as high as 50 degrees Fahrenheit, based on the location((Wikipedia contributors. Diurnal air temperature variation. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia.)).

If you only hot weather clothes, you might find yourself cold during the night.

11. Bring a hydration pack

While not exactly wearable, a hydration pack is essential when hiking in hot weather. It makes drinking on the go much easier since you don’t have to stop to pull out your bottle every time you want a sip of water.

When I carry a hydration pack I find myself drinking a lot more water, reducing the risk of dehydration. I usually carry a 3-liter pack – the exact model I like is Source Widepac (link to Amazon).

Final thoughts

We’ve covered a variety of tips for hiking in hot weather.

I really like hiking throughout the year, but especially during the summer. Wearing the right clothes makes the experience much more fun.

I hope these tips were helpful, and have fun hiking!