High Sierra Topix

I don't know the temperature by its number but I do know by how it feels.

Pants impede movement for me. In the summer I don't even take them unless I'm rock climbing or in the brush, just rain pants (maybe). If it's cold in the morning I go with the dorky look already mentioned. If its raining or really cold and windy I have the rain pants (maybe).

I went into the Sierra just before the shutdown this year and it was snowing lightly at 9000 feet. I left the shorts in the car. It was frikkin' freezing. What temperature was that?

I wear shorts hiking when temps will be above 50 during the day, but always wear hat, long sleeve shirts and light gloves (when I don't misplace them) for sun protection.

At about the age of 60 I began to notice sleeping cooler. My 20° WM bag is good to 32° if I wear light long underwear, silk turtleneck, and light balaclava. It is good to 20° and below if I add extra long underwear, sweater, and thick fleece headgear.

My peripheral circulation is also going s. and sometimes I have to wear socks to get my feet to warm up early in the evening in my sleeping bag and my hands are getting hard to keep warm when cross-country skiing, even when wearing wool mittens with overshells.

Trust me, getting old sucks! (But it beats the alternative!)

Mike

<<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.