High Sierra Topix

<<It was frikkin' freezing. What temperature was that?>>
Frikkin' freezing, who cares what the number is, it's frikkin' freezing.

I used to wear shorts exclusively when hiking. Now, my mind is shifting toward long pants. Two years ago, I burned up one side of a leg hiking out. Last year, I got scratched to hell bushwhacking. I like the freedom, but I seem to be just as comfortable with light weight long pants, so I'm going for protection and reduced bug juice.

Many years ago, a friend of mine hiked in thermal underwear with short over them. He got eaten alive by mosquitoes. He'd have been better off with shorts and bug juice or proper long pants.

Yes, in my 50's, I get cold faster than I used to. I used to run hot, not anymore. Less fat.

Since I surf fish all winter in trunks and booties, my legs are impervious to cold. I wear shorts almost 365.

I do go with thermals under shorts when necessary. And occasionally long pants.

John

Never wear shorts anymore. With shorts I mange to draw blood even on trails! I wear knee high gaiters nearly all the time too. I hate the "swish" you get from pant legs, rather wash off gaiters at night than wash pants- also keeps socks cleaner. Occasionally I am a bit hot, but I am chronically cold, so it is not a real problem. I also wear long sleeved fishing shirts. I can always roll up the sleeves if too hot. Like others, I do not like the sunscreen-bug dope required for shorts. Pants that really fit do not restrict movement. You need to find pants made for function rather than style.

Wandering Daisy wrote:Pants that really fit do not restrict movement. You need to find pants made for function rather than style.

The thing with pants is that there is fabric mass below the knee pulling on fabric that goes over the knee. This results in some degree of back and forth movement of the fabric and associated friction. Maybe you don't notice this but I do. It is an issue for me on long, long days, in the same category as heavier shoes. I can be quite happy in big boots up to a certain distance/time of walk and then it become a noticeable drag. Same with every type of lightweight pants I've tried.

While style is never an issue for me, other than a dislike of the colors orange, neon yellow and pink, and anything with Hello Kitty on it, I have yet to find pants that are completely massless below or friction free around the knee. Where can I find these magical pants?

I would bet that a big reason my pants do not bind at the knee is that I wear the high gaiters. This naturally makes your pants fluff out at the knee (provided that the pant leg is wide enough). I think it does depend on your body build. I also buy pants that have "articulated knees". Currently I use men's Arcterex light weight climbing pants. They are expensive, but worth it. The woman's pants are too tight in the legs.

I wear shorts until it gets down into the '30's, then it's acrylic thermals under shorts. It just feels good. I don't even pack a pair of pants--I never use them, so why carry them?

Daisy, yes I know what you mean about the gaiters as I have sometimes had the same experience while wearing them. I don't need gaiters in most places in the summer but perhaps there is another way to support the lower pant legs?

I would experiment at the sewing machine if I didn't like wearing shorts.

I've never noticed the lower pant tug your talking about. Maybe because I always have pants on but I'm a bit confused about this complaint with pants.

You could be right that it's a lack of comparison.

One thing that happens is that fabrics change as they absorb sweat, salt and dirt. Lightweight synthetics may be worse in this regard than cotton or wool. I notice binding at my knee a lot more on day 5 than on day 1.

And by shorts I don't mean the current fashion of baggy knee length basketball shorts. I'm talking about running shorts.

Boots and pants and a 50lb pack -or- runners and running shorts and a 15lb pack?

Well... ski season is just around the corner. Pants it is!

I am good in shorts to about 50 degrees, I can extend that temperature range if my core and head are layered up, but it depends on the terrain as well. In the Los Padres NF, I never ever wear shorts, in the High Sierra, I regard shorts as part of my layering system. I also prefer the feel of natural fabrics against my legs for all day, everyday wear, but in pants that equates to lots of weight compared to synthetics. So, its synthetic shorts till the sun goes down, then into merino long johns, then a pair of light weight synthetic pants until bed time. In the morning, I reverse that order.