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The Best Hiking APPAREL
Spring 2024
Hiking CLOTHES FROM HEAD TO TOE
for Everyone in the family
Spring hiking can take you through some of the most beautiful nature imaginable. Picture yourself traversing a meadow in which wildflowers have just come into bloom while far above you the mountains remain capped with snow. Picture cool, quick-running streams winding through forests just now graced with budding green leaves. Imagine those cool mornings, mild days, and languid evenings spent trekking along at easy pace, no rush to get back to the campsite and even less to get back to everyday life.
The catch is that spring hiking can also mean sudden rain showers, gusty winds, unexpected snow, and, ironically, surprisingly warm and muggy days. In other words, go ahead and imagine the idyll we talked through above, but when you’re selecting spring hiking clothing for yourself and everyone else in the family, know the conditions may not be quite so sublime.
To help ensure that your springtime hikes are as comfortable, safe, and enjoyable as possible, we have tested and written about the best family hiking clothing choices. We have you covered from head to toe and with options for layering, for inclement weather, and for those mild spring days, too.
Men’s Hiking Apparel
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Hat: brooks Base Hat
Lightweight and breathable, this stretchy one-size-fits-all hat was made for runners but is perfect for hikers. It will keep the sun off your face and can even shed light rains, and it releases excess moisture built up from sweat. And if you’re hiking on an early spring morning or later evening, it’s easy to see, too.
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Outer layer: Columbia Loop Trail Windbreaker
Warm enough to fight back a chill when worn with layers but light and breathable enough for use on sunnier, warmer days with minimal layering, this packable windbreaker is perfect for the transitional spring hiking season.
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Short Sleeve Top: Proof 72-Hour Merino T-Shirt
This impressive tee proves how excellent a performance material wool really can be. It handily draws excess sweat off your body, releasing it and keeping you drier and cooler when conditions are warm, yet it’s a great layering piece when there’s a chill in the air.
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Long Sleeve Top: Proof 72-Hour Merino Long Sleeve T-Shirt
The long-sleeved version of the 72-Hour tee also covered here, this merino wool shirt is an ideal base layer when temperatures throughout the day may change from cool to warm or even hot, and it can be worn as your only top on mild days.
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Pant: Janji Transit Pant
Whether you’re hiking or trail running, the Transit Tech pants have enough flex to offer full range of motion and enough durability to protect your legs from brambles. The water-resistant finish sheds light rain with ease, and several pockets keep sundries stashed within.
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Socks: Feetures Elite Light Cushion Mini Crew Sock
Your feet will appreciate the many clever design aspects of these socks as you log miles on the trail. They have arch compression which adds comfort and support, a seamless design that reduces friction, and they are tailored for right and left feet for maximum comfort.
Women’s Hiking Apparel
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Hat: Sunday Afternoons Sunward Radar
Lightweight, water repellent, and rated at UPF 50+, this is a perfect spring hiking hat that you’ll probably keep wearing right through summer and on into fall. The sweatband traps and wicks excess moisture and ventilation eyelets release excess heat and just above the brim there are slots to hold your sunglasses when you don’t need to be wearing them.
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Outer layer: Cotopaxi Teca Half-Zip Windbreaker Hoodie
As functional as it is fun, this colorful windbreaker takes the sting out of the breeze, sheds light rain, and adds a much-needed layer on cooler days. When the weather warms up, open up that half-zip and toss back the hood and keep on trekking.
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Short sleeve top: Helly Hansen Verglas Shade
Just loose enough to allow for comfort and breathability yet with a fitted cut that prevents bagginess (and friction), this Helly Hansen tee is great as your only hiking shirt on warm days or as a layer when the weather is likely to vary.
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Long Sleeve Top: Patagonia Capilene Cool Daily Graphic Shirt
Warm and wicking when worn as a baselayer yet light and breathable when used as your only layer, this long sleeve tee is an ideal choice for spring hikes. Or for fall hikes, too. It easily flexes and stretches and it comes it lots of colors, too.
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Pant: Janji Transit Tech Pant
Stretchy and flexible no matter how fast your legs are moving over the terrain, these pants are perfect for hikes or trail runs on cooler days. The slim, tapered cut reduces snags on branches and thorns and even adds some style.
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Socks: Feetures Elite Light Cushion Quarter
Tall enough to be worn with most hiking boots but low enough to be worn with trail runners or hiking shoes (and shorts), these supportive and friction-free socks are a great choice for springtime treks, which wick moisture and release heat for mile after mile.
Kids’ Hiking Apparel
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Sunday Afternoons Ultra Escape Boonie
Lightweight but so durable your kids’ kids may well wear them one day, these hats are perfect for spring hikes when both sunshine and rain may be a factor. And they pack down so small you can bring them absolutely anywhere.
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Outer Layer: Hannah Anderson Colorblock Wing at Your Back Anorak
The mesh lining of this raincoat/windbreaker from Hanna Andersson keeps little hikers warm while still releasing extra heat, so it’s a great choice for spring adventures which can indeed see wind, rain, chilly temps, and hotter weather, too. This colorful anorak jacket comes in colorways that lean boy and girl, but of course any kid can wear any style.
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Short Sleeve Top: Hannah Anderson MadeToCool line
Soft and flexible and breathable, too, this tee is a great choice for the young outdoor adventurer to wear as his or her only top on a warm spring day or to use for layering in milder or cooler weather. The fabric is designed to move with an active body, never restricting motion. The fabric is available in another cut too – a boxy tee skewing towards girls in its cut.
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Long Sleeve Top: Primary FlexKnit Half-Zip Pullover
A perfect layering piece for spring weather, this half-zip pullover will help young trekkers moderate their temperature. It quickly wicks away sweat and releases excess heat (especially when that zipper is lowered), it adds insulation against chilly air temps, and it’s soft and flexible for all-day comfort. Plus, as with all of Primary’s clothing, it’s cut for any gender and available in colors to suit every kid.
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Pant: Primary Flex Knit Jogger
A blend of polyester and spandex fabrics (the former being more than 80% recycled, FYI) allows these pants to be as flexible as even the most active young hiker/jogger/boulder climber could need. A drawstring waist keeps them securely in place, while zippered pockets help keep little treasures from being lost on the trail. And as with its coordinating half-zip top, it’s available in a variety of colors that have a universal fit.
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Socks: Darn Tough Quest Quarter Hiking Sock
The tight weave of these superb kids’ hiking socks ensures a comfortable, secure fit without friction and rubbing, while the natural wicking properties of wool keep those feet dry and comfy even as your family crushes mile after mile of trail. The tall collar keeps ankles covered while on the trail and the nature-themed designs keep the trail on the mind.