Outdoor Wear

Choosing Suitable Outdoor Wear

Outdoor wear is a pretty broad category, and what is defined as outdoor wear will change according to the season as well as the activity that you plan to perform outside. This article will try and help you to discern which types of clothing you should look for based on the season.

The easiest seasons in terms of determining the kind of outdoor that you want to buy are the two seasons which bring the greatest extremes, summer and winter. Preparing for winter, of course, will mean purchasing outdoor wear that is designed to keep an individual warm and dry. When purchasing outdoor wear for winter, it is important to keep in mind the activities that you usually pursue in the winter time. If you are an avid skier or snowboarder, for example, you will want to purchase a winter jacket that is waterproof and light as well as insulated well with gortex or another such material. The lightness and flexibility will allow for greater maneuverability while participating in the sport without sacrificing comfort. Likewise, most carefully chosen jackets have aesthetic as well as practical appeal, and are also suitable for every day use.

Summertime pursuits outside require a much more creative mind when you are out looking for suitable outdoor wear. Summer is a great season for the avid hiker, but you have to keep in mind the terrain which you will be trekking over. Those who enjoy hiking in mountainous areas should keep in mind the temperature changes that occur as you go up in elevation, so that the tank top and shorts you started out in might not be the most suitable to a higher mountain climate. In the same vein, cooler altitudes will often mean more mosquitoes and other biting pests, and more exposed skin will mean more discomfort from these creatures.

Fall and spring require a bit more forethought when considering what to include in your wardrobe as far as outdoor wear. Both seasons offer a combination of weather. Spring time can present rain or snow, cold days and days that are unseasonably hot. A lot of the time you may find yourself setting out in the morning in spring and in fall dressed in warmer outdoor wear, only to find that by the time you are heading home in weather that is more reminiscent of summer. This occurs not only when you are hiking, but anytime you choose to walk to your destination.

The key for these seasons is to find outdoor wear that can easily fit into a backpack or other type of kit, or that is changeable. For example, one of the rages in outdoor wear a few years ago was the zipper pants. These pants could be worn as both full length pants or as shorts simply by zipping away the leg portion of the garment. Unfortunately, the functionality of these outdoor wear items has been called into question due to the fact that all zippers are prone to becoming stuck or breaking, thus the pants did not have a very long shelf life.

The best thing to keep in mind when purchasing outdoor wear is how easy it is to break down or fold into easy-to-carry packages in case of the weather changes. With the correct selection of outdoor wear, any number of outdoor pursuits will prove both rewarding and comfortable.