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Re: Shorts in Low Temps

Posted: Mon Dec 23, 2013 10:12 pm
by giantbrookie
I don't wear shorts while hiking at any temperature. Around town in the warmer months in Fresno (say April to October), I always wear shorts, but in the mountains I don't, primarily because my legs get pretty beat up from brush, rocks, etc and I am one of those folks who is a mosquito magnet (and/or a tick magnet when at lower altitudes). In fact I wear a long sleeve shirt, too, even on warm weather hikes. I am in fact fairly sensitive to cold and have become more sensitive as I've gotten older, but even in my younger days I avoided hiking in shorts because of the bugs and because of the all the things that can and will abrade, cut, or irritate the legs (poison oak isn't the only plant that can do this to me). When I was recovering from the 1st knee operation in 1978 I didn't like the feeling of long pants over my swollen knee, so I hiked in shorts for a couple of backpacking trips, but I switched back as soon as the swelling had gone down sufficiently after my operation.

Re: Shorts in Low Temps

Posted: Tue Dec 24, 2013 12:04 pm
by oldhikerQ
I am still a dyed in the wool shorts guy. I will start walking on 30 degree mornings in shorts. Just don't like the feel of long pants on my legs when hiking. In camp, its a different story. Now that I'm starting my 7th decade, I find myself more easily chilled in periods of inactivity. Once in camp, the Marmot driclime pants come out as soon as the sun starts to drop. These are followed by the down puffy that has accompanied me.