The Best Family Hiking Clothes for Outdoor Adventures
fall 2022
Hiking in the fall is hard to beat. In most places, for most of the autumn season, it’s cool but not cold, it’s relatively dry, and the outdoors can be glorious, given the changing leaves, the crisp blue skies, and the gentle autumn breeze. All that noted, hiking in fall can mean contending with weather and temperatures that change quite a bit from day to day and even hour to hour. Fall days can be quite cold in the mornings and evenings but warm during the days, chilly rain showers and even snow are a potential, and the shorter days mean contending with rising and falling winds and changing temps as the sun spends less time warming the land.
Not to worry, though: with the best fall hiking clothes for families who love the outdoors, even hikes in a season of unpredictable weather can be predictably fun.
If you’re wondering “what should I wear hiking in the fall?” or “what should kids wear for a hike in colder weather?” you’re in the right place. We’re featuring selections from brands we know well and have tested in autumn weather – the cool, the warm, the chilly, the downpour, and beyond – and we have done so everywhere from lofty mountains to inland forests to coastal sea level trails. From head to toe, here you’ll find go-to family fall hiking clothing tested and approved by the DGR team.
The best fall hiking apparel for men
Men’s Hiking Pants - Columbia Silver Ridge Convertible Pants
Close your eyes and picture a pair of men’s hiking pants and chances are good they look just like this. Which is to say maybe not highly fashionable, but superbly functional. Lightweight but wind-blocking, they will add enough warmth for cooler days while still breathing well, so excess heat gets released. And if you start to warm up too much as you huff along, or if it’s one of those milder fall days, you can zip the Silver Ridge pants’ legs off and turn them into cargo shorts, thus cementing your legendary dad status. Legendary hiking dad status, that is.
THE BEST MEN’S HIKING T-SHIRT FOR FALL - PROOF 72-HOUR MERINO TEE
This t-shirt feels great with the first wearing and only gets better with each wash, softening a bit each time, but never losing its fit and feel. The shirt is a blend of natural merino wool and nylon, so it wicks moisture away and dries fast, keeping you from overheating, but it’s also a great layering shirt for cooler weather. On a day when you start with a t-shirt, baselayer, and jacket and gradually shed layers as the day and your body both warm, you’ll be glad this is the last layer you have on. And yes, it really does resist odor buildup, so if you needed to wear it for a few days in a row, you could – thus the whole “72-hour” of it all.
THE BEST MEN’S HIKING SHIRT FOR FALL - JANJI HELIO TECH LONG SLEEVE SHIRT
This long sleeve tee was designed for top-level trail runners, so you can count on it as being a great choice for the more moderate demands of a family hike in the fall. Flexible and soft, it won’t hinder your movement in any way, yet it also contours to and moves with your body, providing a close fit without feeling clingy. That fit allows for good sweat wicking as well as good insulation. It’s a great baselayer for cooler days and can be your only layer in milder weather.
Men’s Hiking Jacket for Warmer Weather - Janji Thermal Zephyr Running Jacket
On cooler fall days, or if you will be gaining some altitude, or if you’re hiking on an autumn afternoon or evening – especially if some light rain is in offing – pack this jacket along. And indeed the Zephyr packs down small. On your torso, however, it’s a superb lightweight layering piece that can offer a bit of warmth when worn open with its chest hook, that will keep you much warmer when zipped shut and layered, and that will shed moderate rain with ease regardless of temperatures.
Men’s cool Weather Hiking Socks - ScentLok Ultralight Merino Sub-Crew Socks
ScentLok was started as an outdoor apparel company for hunters, with the odor-trapping properties of the clothing meant to mask a human’s scent from animals. But frankly, the fact that these socks trap and neutralize odor is merely the icing on the cake: we love them because they are soft yet supportive, they breathe well and wick moisture reliably so your feet stay cooler and drier, the socks have a reinforced, cushioned area around the heel, they stay in place even during long hikes (or cold weather jogs or trail runs, by the way), and they hold up remarkably well even after multiple seasons of use. (In fact, while I’ve introduced a few pairs of the same ScentLok socks into the mix in the past four or five years, my first pair is still in the rotation!)
THE BEST MEN’S COOL WEATHER HIKING HAT - TILLEY T3 WANDERER
The Tilley T3 Wanderer isn’t just the best hiking hat for men for fall, it’s simply the best hiking hat, period. It features the lifetime durability and understated styling you expect from a Tilley, along with a sturdy brim, built-in chin and back-of-the-head cords, a sweat band, a little stash pocket at the top, and an option to pin up each side of the brim. A T3 sheds water well, so rain is no problem, and it offers UPF 50 sun protection, so you’ll be safe from burns, too.
The best fall hiking apparel for women
THE BEST WOMEN’S HIKING PANTS - SHEFLY WOMEN’S GO THERE PANT
These are hands-down the most innovative women’s hiking pants we’ve ever seen, and we’ll tell you why in just a moment. But first we’ll tell you they are lightweight but add decent insulation for cool days while still releasing excess heat and wicking moisture. The Go There Pant sheds light rain and resists scratches and punctures, and they’re so flexible you can by all means use them for climbing and bouldering. With five full-sized pockets, they allow for gear stashing, while an adjustable waistband and adjustable cuffs allow for a comfy fit. And OK, here’s the true selling point: SheFly’s Go There pants feature a discreet zipper between the legs that allows a woman to answer nature’s call without removing her pants. That means less hassle, more comfort, more efficiency and, on cold days, less chill.
THE BEST HIKING BASELAYER SHIRT FOR WOMEN - PAKA WOMEN’S BASELAYER
Made from Tencel derived from the natural eucalyptus fiber and all-natural alpaca hairs, this women’s hiking baselayer is 100% earth-friendly and so comfortable you’ll likely end up wearing it off the trail every bit as much as you wear it while hiking. Or skiing, snowshoeing, mountaineering, jogging, or running around town on a chilly day. As a good baselayer should, Paka’s shirt conforms to your body without feeling at all restrictive or clingy as it’s highly flexible. And because it stays snug, it provides both great insulation and great moisture wicking.
THE BEST WOMEN’S SHORT SLEEVE HIKING SHIRT FOR FALL - HELLY HANSEN WOMEN’S VERGLAS SHADE T-SHIRT
Yes, you will often need a short sleeve shirt for cool weather hikes. Proper layering is critical in a season when the temperature can see a 20-degree shift in a single day and where you may start the day chilly and bundled up but soon be warm and shedding down. The Verglas T-Shirt from Helly Hansen is light and soft and wicks moisture well, critical for the garment that will be against your skin. And it’s Bluesign® certified and made from more than 50% recycled materials, so you can feel good about wearing it even as it feels good on you.
Women’s Hiking Jacket for cooler Weather - Cotopaxi Teca Half-Zip Windbreaker
First things first: yes, this jacket has Cotopaxi’s awesome semi-retro/semi-current color block styling. But the looks are not why you wear it, good as they may be. You wear this jacket to shed an autumn afternoon rain shower and to take the sting out of chilly gusts of wind. You wear it because of the half zipper that lets you control your level of insulation. And because of the large kangaroo front pocket and an interior stash pocket. And also because it’s made of 100% recycled fabrics.
Best Women’s Hiking Socks - Ably Apparel Pilchuck Women’s Hiking Socks
These socks are soft but supportive, gripping your arches and ankles and staying in place well whether you’re moseying along a level trail or charging down a rough mountain scramble. They breathe well, releasing excess heat and moisture and keeping you cool. And they look good. But that’s not what’s truly cool about Ably socks: that honor belongs to the fact that they are all but waterproof. Thanks to a proprietary Fillium treatment, they shed water so well you can literally step into a puddle and, if you draw your foot out fast enough, not a drop will penetrate through the fabric. (Now, if you neglected to take your boot off first and it’s now filled with muddy puddle water, that’s another story…)
Women’s cool Weather Hiking Hat - Columbia Escape Thrive Cap
Light, soft, and elegantly simple, this hiking cap keeps the sun off your face, it wicks sweat and releases heat, and its understated design won’t cramp your style. A pair of mesh panels allow for cool breezes to drift in while body heat wafts out, reflective details provide some safety after dark, and an easy-to-adjust band assures a secure fit for various head sizes and hairstyles.
Fall hiking apparel for kids
THE BEST KIDS’ HIKING PANTS FOR FALL - REIMA HIKING PANTS WITH ZIP-OFF LEGS
When you think of classic hiking pants, it’s a pair with legs that zip off turning them into shorts, right? Shouldn’t kids have the same functionality in their gear as adults? We have always very much thought so, which is why we love these kids zip-off leg hiking pants from one of our trusted outdoor brands, Reima. Chilly weather? Pant legs stay on. Getting warmer? Zip ‘em off. And either way, your little hiker will have fabric that wicks moisture, dual side pockets and one zipper thigh pocket (cargo pocket, e.g.), and a durable, made-to-last pair of pants. Or shorts. Or pants with one leg long, the other short, if that’s what he or she wants…
THE BEST KIDS’ HIKING SHIRT FOR FALL - PRIMARY FLEX KNIT PULLOVER HOODIE
A superb layering garment but also one that can be worn as a top layer, this flexible, soft hoodie from Primary is a great choice for young hikers. It’s made from a blend of poly and spandex so it releases excess heat well, but with a hood, thumbholes, and that kangaroo pocket, it’s also great for adding warmth on chilly outings. And yes, it’s a great everyday sweatshirt, too.
THE BEST FALL SHORT SLEEVE HIKING SHIRT FOR KIDS - COLUMBIA TECH TREK TEE
Here is a classic example of our ethos on how kids’ outdoor gear should be just as good as the gear and apparel outdoor moms and dads use. Columbia’s Tech Trek hiking shirt for kids is just a smaller version of a great wicking, quick-drying, excess heat-releasing garment. It’s a great layering piece and, should the day get warmer and the autumn sun shine bright, it’s light enough for mild to warm days and it’s rated at UPF 50+.
Kids Hiking Windbreaker - Hanna Andersson Recycled Colorblocked Windbreaker
Styled rather like that awesome Cotopaxi jacket, what with the bold color blocks, the coolest thing about this jacket isn’t the looks, it’s the function. Very lightweight and packable, this jacket is tough enough to take the fangs out cold gusts, helping kids keep warm in milder temps with nothing but a tee underneath and serving as a great outer layering choice when a few more layers are needed. The fact that it’s made almost entirely out of recycled materials is also great.
Kids Hiking Rain Jacket - Hanna Andersson Recycled Wind at Your Back Anorak
This jacket is a bit warmer than the Colorblocked Windbreaker, offering plenty of insulation in mild temps and even suitable for use into the fall. Where it really serves, though, isn’t in modest to medium chilly temperatures but in rainfall. The coated (and recycled!) polyester exterior of this coat will stay dry even in a downpour. The coat has a soft lining (even featuring a lined hood) and tapered back hem, all of which ensure your little hiker will be protected against inclement weather and will be ready to log another few miles.
Kids’ all Weather Hiking Hat - Sunday Afternoons Ultra Adventure Hat
These are, hands-down, our favorite hiking hats for kids from summer well into fall – until the kids need a hat that adds lots of extra warmth for winter, these are the go-to. And that’s true even when it gets a bit rainy. They are amazingly lightweight (as in just 2.2 ounces!) and can be rolled or folded for packing, yet the brims hold their shape well when in use, creating a generous area of shady, dry protection for a little hiker’s face. The fabric is rated UPF 50+, including the broad neck cape that hangs down to keep the sun off young necks, yet still lets the breeze get under and allows for copious heat release. A built-in sweatband keeps drips from rolling and neckband keeps the hat in place even in gusts or when the little adventurer is running about.