What to Wear for Summer Hiking

Not sure what you should wear on warm weather hikes? I gotchuuuu. I’ve listed out some of my favorite items below. These are my top go to’s whenever the sun is shining and the mountains are calling. :)

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Hiking Socks

We’re going to start off with the single most important piece of hiking clothing. SOCKS. Yes, socks. Your old cotton gym socks aren’t going to cut it here. You need moisture-wicking, snug fitting, cushioned sock, or your feet won’t be happy. The best thing to do is to stick with wool or artificial fabrics. I also would recommend “light” cushioning for summer hikes so your feet don’t get too toasty. My lightweight favorites are Micro Crew Socks from Darn Tough (Bears) and Micro Crew Socks from Darn Tough (Mountains). How cute are they?! I also like the Smartwool Light Cushion Socks.

Hiking Shoes

Ok, I don’t want to brag or anything… but i have found the greatest hiking boots in the entire world! These Columbia Hiking Newton Boots are incredibly comfy out of the box, super lightweight, supportive, and don’t break the bank! Also, I just got these Hoka Anapaca Hiking Sneakers and I’m loving them! They are awesome for extra hot summer days and are super easy to pack for travel!

Sports Bra

You gotta hold them girls down for hiking… or ouchies. My faves at the moment are the lululemon Energy Long Line Bra (size 1 up for this!) and the lululemon Like a Cloud Longline Bra.

Hiking ShirtS

Of course, you can just hike in your sports bra, but your backpack strap might rub into your arms & back. I like to take a hiking shirt with me, and then I could always take it off on trail! But a shirt will also provide you with good sun protection. Same rule of thumb as socks, opt for polyester, nylon, or other moisture-wicking fabrics. Cotton will soak up sweat and stay wet for hours! My current favorite is the Patagonia Capilene Cool Short Sleeve Shirt & their Long Sleeve, and the lululemon Running & Training T-Shirt.

Hiking Bottoms

I pretty much exclusively wear leggings for hiking, but on very hot days, I’ll sometimes reach for shorts. I never wear pants because truthfully, I’ve just never found ones that fit well on my small waist and large hips. My favorite leggings are the NVGTN NV Seamless Leggings because they are compressive, moisture-wicking, and keep me surprisingly cool on summer days. Another great legging option is lululemon’s Wunder Train High-Rise Tight. For shorts, I’m currently obsessed with these Bearded Goat Summit Shorts!

Extra Layers

I always pack my rain jacket & windbreaker, just in case! I think it’s better to be over-prepared rather than underprepared. I love REI’s Rainier Rain Jacket and I use REI’s Flash Jacket as a lightweight, super-packable windbreaker! Please note, although the Flash Jacket is advertised as a light rain jacket, I use it exclusively as a wind-breaker, because the one time I wore it in a storm, I was soaked! I also think it’s worth having both a rain jacket AND a windbreaker, because a rain jacket can be quite warm because of it’s water repellent material. I love having the option to just wear a much lighter windbreaker on warm days in the mountains!

Sun Protection

Even on overcast days, I always carry a hat and sunglasses with me just in case the weather changes! I love the lululemon Baller Hat and Tilley’s Airflo Broad Brimmed Hat! For sunglasses, I usually wear my Ray-Ban Hexagonal Sunglasses or Mai Tai Polarized Sunglasses!

Smartwatch

The greatest investment I’ve ever made hands-down is the Garmin Fenix 7S Sapphire Solar Smart Watch. It gives you 24/7 health and wellness monitoring with wrist-based heart rate, Topo Maps, acts as a compass, can be charged by the sun, and is an irreplaceable tool for recording my hiking stats! The “S” model is a little smaller, so it fits womens’ wrists perfectly!

Backpack

And finally, the hiking backpack! My 2 favorite day hiking packs are lightweight, comfortable, and perfect for a warm-weather hike lasting a few hours. If you’re planning on winter hiking or backpacking, you’re gonna need a bigger pack. But these 2 are perfect choices for casual hikes! First up, the Osprey HikeLite 26L. It has a back panel frame which helps distribute weight and allows airflow so your back doesn’t get as sweaty! My next choice is the L.L. Bean Stowaway Backpack. It’s super comfy, comes in fun colors, and is easy to pack in your suitcase for travel!