Lightweight but Make it Cute.
Tips for Backpacking apparel that’s both lightweight and NOT UGLY!
If you know me, you know the most important thing to me is fashion (followed distantly by friendship and then safety.) These priorities, however, are in direct conflict with backpacking. Have you TRIED to find a cute mid-layer lately? Oh, is it black? Or navy? I know. What about your rain shell? Oh, it’s orange! Like a traffic cone…
Now, we at Peaks & Geeks, are Leave No Trace certified and the 7th LNT principal IS ‘be considerate of others in nature’. I argue that the lack of fashion forward options available for hikers aren’t helping with this. It took far too long for backpacking companies to start designing gear specific to female bodies. Yes, we have boobs! They fed you and now you’re SMASHING them?! (shout out to Symbiosis Gear— we see you) Even sleeping bag temp ratings were based solely on men’s bodies until recently. Can we AT LEAST wear outdoor clothing that doesn’t make us look like ‘Alaskan Bush People’? Would it kill us to inject a little color into our outdoor clothing?
A Print, A Print, My Kingdom for a print! - Shakespeare
Sarah, lightweight fashion victim, 36 miles into the backcountry of Wyoming. She has clearly given up on life and in this outfit? Who could blame her.
To make matters even worse, ultralight backpacking apparel is often the worst offender in this war against fashion. And I get it, ounces matter but I’ve been on the hunt to find the allusive, fashionable, backpacking clothing that won’t weigh us down spiritually or literally. I’m talking, lightweight apparel with a nod toward fashion!
*NOTE in the outdoor world, as things get ‘lighter’ they get more expensive (google Kelly Ripa if you don’t believe me.) This list is not necessarily considering costs (that will be a different blog), this list is considering weight and most importantly, aesthetics.
What you wear on the trail will obviously vary based on season, but I am going to focus on winter/cool weather items as they tend to weigh more and add more bulk.
If you’re new to the outdoors, here’s a quick rundown on layering. Dress in layers. For every 1,000 ft of gain you lose on average 4 degrees Fahrenheit. Depending on where you are and what time of year, you’re spending mornings chilled and afternoons hot or you need to de-layer as you have long uphill climbs. Regardless, a good backpacker dresses in easy to remove, quick drying layers.
Baselayers: Honestly the most fashion forward pieces in a backpacking wardrobe tend to be, in my opinion, the base layers. AND NOBODY GETS TO SEE THEM. It’s a crime. When it comes to super cute base layers, a few of my favorite brands are Helly Hansen - Smartwool, Patagonia, and Kari Traa. Helly Hansen and Patagonia have the best options when it comes to the lightest weight (~4.5oz to 6oz). I’m obsessed with this herringbone from Helly Hansen, These colorways are super cute by Smartwool, This option from Patagonia makes you look like you’ve joined a cult (live your truth) and all of these ‘cool’ options from Kari Traa are adorable.
Moving onto midlayers - these tend to be fleece and that can lead to bulk and weight quickly. One excellent choice is the Arc’teryx Kyanite Jacket. It’s full zip which is great to adjust heat retention/ loss and weighs about 10oz. But maybe most importantly, it comes in pink (Alpenglow) and purple (Azalea). Why can’t we have more outdoor gear in pink?? My go to in this category however, is the Patagonia R1 Fleece. There are so many options, whether you prefer a full zip, hood or no hood, quarter zip, crew neck pullover, or even a vest (which many prefer for their midlayer). These come in many cute colors as well (including pink), and are comparable in price and weight to the Kyanite Jacket. Sarah says she’s got a great light weight Columbia backpacking fleece but it’s black and boring. Maybe check them out but I can’t speak to that.
Another major piece of the cold weather trail outfit is your jacket. I can’t recommend a down jacket (including synthetic) enough. Aside from considering allergies and humidity, down jackets are typically very light weight and packable. One of the lightest (maybe the lightest at about 8oz) down jackets is the Montbell Plasma 1000, but guess what, it’s not cute. For about .4oz more you can wear the Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer Hoody. This zip up jacket comes in several cute colors and contains 800-fill goose down (the Plasma is 1000-fill but that is not what we are here to talk about). Both jackets also pack down into their own small stuff-sack. I’d be remiss not to mention Cotopaxi and their iconic colorful clothing. The Cotopaxi Fuego Hooded Down Jacket is one of their lighter options (~14oz) and contains 800-fill down; and when it comes to fashion, Cotopaxi takes the cake. This isn’t a jacket but the Fuego Down Overall might be the cutest cold weather staple and I will own a pair someday.
Down is really superior when it comes to cutting gear weight, so let’s look at some items you didn’t know you needed: down accessories. I have a down beanie from Outdoor Research that is very warm (35g and 650-fill down) and very light and very ugly – I sleep in this backpacking in the winter. A much cuter option comes from Mountain Hardwear with the Ghost Whisperer Cap (weight not provided). It’s a little pricier but contains 800-fill down (and Mountain Hardwear if you’re reading this, please make this in more colors). The Ghost Whisperer Cap is pretty minimalist similar to the Coldfront Outdoor Research beanie, so if you want to look super cute I’d recommend the Fjallraven Expedition Padded Cap (65g) or Fjallraven Expedition Down Heater (100g and 700-fill down). The Down Heater is a classic flap cap and comes in Fjallraven’s iconic colors (hello Patina Green).
Keeping with this same theme I appreciate a down boot for sitting around camp (or even sleeping in if I’m that cold). Two of my absolute favorites are the Outdoor Research Tundra Aerogel Sock and The North Face Thermoball Traction Mules V. The Tundra Socks cover the ankle and have a cinch top to keep them secure (19oz). They don’t have a proper ‘tread’ bottom so they pack down really nicely. The Thermoball Mules do not cover the ankle, but have more traction on the sole, and are fleece lined (14oz) – these also come in the most color options.
And don’t even get me started on down mittens…my favorite are the Patagonia Nano Puff Mitts or The North Face Montana Puffer Mitts. So cute. So warm. A note - the Nano Puffs run large which is actually great because it’s easy to fit a liner glove under them if that’s your jam.
And finally, no outfit is complete without the perfect shoe. One of the favorites (not mine) when it comes to lightweight backpacking boots are the Altra Lone Peaks, specifically the All-Wthr Mid 2 weighing in at 12oz a boot. The Lone Peak 9 is 13oz a boot, and has a few cute color options. The Xero Scrambler Trail Mid is a very minimal hiking boot and maybe the lightest weighing in at just 10oz a boot. The Xero boots are very cute, but I’d only recommend these if you’re comfortable wearing a ‘minimal’ shoe. Moving on to the ‘Cotopaxi’ of the boot arena, hands down the cutest but maybe not the lightest, goes to Hoka. I wear Hokas and can’t say enough good things. They are frequently coming out with new designs and colors – if you’re looking for high fashion on the trail look no further than the All Gender Mafate X Hike boot weighing in at about 16oz a boot; they can’t be beat.
Everyone backpacks differently and what’s important to one person won’t matter at all to the next— did you SEE the picture of Sarah up there? I talk a big game but I am not an ultralight backpacker. Not even close. But it’s important that my gear is light so I can carry more of it (my down aerogel socks from Outdoor Research are non-negotiable).
For me, it’s most important that it’s cute - looks good, feels good.
For our more technical blogs, come back and Sarah will tell you all about less cute things.
