There are many factors to consider when deciding whether to wear pants or shorts when hiking. Both have their own set of pros and cons, which we will break down in this blog post.
The benefits of hiking in pants
Hiking in pants protects your legs from scratches, provides warmth in cooler weather, and can help ward off poison ivy and other plants.
Scratches can be a pretty obvious reason to wear pants, especially if you are hiking on trails that are not well kept. And I feel I don’t even really need to explain the warmth part, that’s pretty self-explanatory.
One of my hiking buddies used to wear pants solely for the reason of avoiding poison ivy. As he was pretty allergic to it. One might argue that you can just avoid hiking through it as a counter, but what if you need to hang your food bag or fill up water at night. Your headlamp can only help you so much. It can be pretty hard to avoid it.
Wearing pants also have the added benefit of allowing you to carry more, especially if you have cargo pants. Maybe you can stash away snacks or a headlamp for easier access than rummaging through your pack. Your trusty pocketknife could even have its own dedicated pocket!
The benefits of hiking in shorts
On the other hand, shorts have a few advantages of their own. For one, they’re much lighter and more comfortable to hike in, especially in warm weather.
I hike primarily in running shorts, specifically Patagonia Men’s Strider Pro Running – 7″. They are lightweight, quick to dry, and have a decent amount of pockets. I can stash away chapstick, keys, maybe some cash and my driver’s license if necessary.
With these specific shorts, I can stash my headlamp in one of the stretchy pockets. That comes in handy after I set up my tent, put away my pack and hang out or eat around a fire pit waiting for it to get dark.
Shorts also pack well. And most have built-in liners, so you do not need to pack underwear. A double whammy on space-saving right there!
Which option is better for you – pants or shorts?
Choosing between pants or shorts when hiking comes down to your preference. And maybe how allergic to poison ivy you are, or the temps. But even still, it’s up to you. The hiking buddy I mentioned previously was a hardcore pants wearer while hiking most of his life, but recently has jumped to the shorts train because of their benefits.
The biggest reason I’ll wear or at least bring pants is in the wintertime for warmth. And maybe if I know I’ll be doing a lot of off trail or bush-whacking. To prevent my legs from getting torn up. But I don’t think I’ve actually ever done that.
How to choose the best bottoms for your hike
Whether you choose pants or shorts. You will want a high quality, breathable fabric. Typically a synthetic or wool blend, due to it’s breathability and ability to wick sweat away, keeping you comfortable.
If hiking in the cold and feel that a pair of synthetic pants are not going to cut it, I’d pack a pair of liners or athletic tights. These can be wool or synthetic.
Consider pockets as well. How many do you see yourself using. Do you want big pockets or can they be small yet stretchy.
If you like the idea of hiking in shorts. Also consider the length of the shorts. I like 7in running shorts for hiking, but also have an old pair of 5in Patagonia shorts that I love. (Which I’m actually wearing now as I write this) They fit really well, they don’t ride up and don’t look too short, but they also only have a key pocket. So they generally aren’t the best if I need to carry a few items.
If going the pants route, you can always go the safe route and purchase pants that can zip into shorts. Get the best of both worlds. I have a pair or two in the past and generally don’t care to go through the effort of zipping on and off the pants section. But that’s just my opinion. I still see plenty of them out and about.