Clothes for mountain hiking should be selected so that you would be comfortable, warm and dry, while things should not duplicate each other. Maximum functionality with minimum quantity and weight is an ideal to strive for. We dress on the principle of "cabbage": you can take off the excess in the heat or, conversely, put on something if it got cold.
For simple hikes it is possible to manage with inexpensive equipping. Requirements for clothing increase in proportion of the complexity. No need to buy “cool” equipping if you go hiking for the first time in your life without having a difficult route. Membrane jacket is sounds good, but in a simple campaign, you can quite manage with a common inexpensive windbreaker jacket. But if you are in hiking along serious mountains and amid snow-then you need to approach the selection of clothing much more carefully, because poor-quality equipping can turn out to be only uncomfortable, but also a big problem.
Clothes for mountain hiking: trousers
Trousers for walking — with these trousers put on you will have to walk all the day long on the route. They are needed in almost any hiking. It is best to have such trousers made of synthetic materials: they are light, dry quickly and easily washed. Keep in mind that on a rainy day the trails will get wet and the bottom of the trousers will be very dirty. To wash cotton fabric by hand in the campaign will be extremely difficult. If there are trousers with detachable legs (these are the ones that “trousers turn out to be shorts”) —that is very good. Jeans as trousers for walking are not suitable: a lot of weight, wet cannot be dried.
Wind/moisture proofing trousers. It is useful to have them in any campaign and in water hiking or difficult mountain hiking -it is necessarily. These trousers are made of synthetic materials, lightweight, windproof and waterproof. Sometimes there are zippers from top to bottom on the sides-then these trousers are called “self taking off” and they can be removed without removing shoes, it is very convenient.
Fleece trousers are useful to walk in the evening at the camping area, as well as you can sleep with them put on. They are needed in hiking conditions when it is chilly in the evening, and at night the temperature is slightly above zero or it is freezing (there are lot of such journeys on foot in summer!), and if you are afraid of frost. Fleece trousers are interchangeable with wool leggings (but the fleece ones are still better in terms of properties, and they are lighter).
Insulated trousers, winter or ski ones, the requirements for them in different approaches are somewhat different, but the essence is the same: these are warm trousers, windproof and / or waterproof. While in rafting the north you can take any warm trousers, and for climbing ski trousers or similar winter windproof ones are suitable. For hiking lightly dressed in summer there is no need for winter trousers.
Bicycle trousers or shorts — they are for doing sports, fitting your leg completely. In the capacity of bicycle trousers you can use any leggings or tights. On a bicycle it is inconvenient to ride with dangling trousers: you can catch on the gears, chain or just get dirty in non-washable oil.
Whether men's shorts or women's shorts- they should be light, can be knitted, but not cotton ones. Choose comfortable shorts, so that they would not rub between your legs (sounds funny, and can be very unpleasant). Those made of light synthetic fabric will be suitable