High Sierra Topix

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.

Count me as another one that wears shorts although it probably helps that my high sierra backpacking season is approximately late June to mid September. Anyway, I have some light weight Ex Oficio shorts that I love; they come down to just below my knees…super comfy, not at all constricting, etc. Plus they have front pockets that are perfect for carrying my Panasonic Lumix P & S.

39 this morning walking out the door just before dawn in shorts to go to work - of course, now its 72 degrees

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.

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.