Shorts in the desert

[yaduck9]

I started the AT sobo in June with pants, switched to a kilt in the whites and then shorts when the seam wore out on the kilt. Looking back I would have been most happy doing the whole thing in shorts.

Right now im sorting clothing out for the PCT nobo starting around may 18-21 (registered for the 21st). I have a good dash of Mediterranean in my blood and tan dark very quickly. However, I have no experience desert hiking. I plan on using a long sleeve shirt and am flirting with the idea of getting an umbrella. What I'm wondering is whether or not I should go with pants or if I can get away with shorts.

Dose anyone here HAVE FIRST HAND EXPERINCE that could lend a clue?

thank you!

From hiking in AZ and Utah, I have found that both ways will work. As always there is a But..............

Nylon shorts on open trails works well........but when the trail becomes more dense, the bushes will have needles that will scratch up our legs, the dried grass will stick to your socks ( dirty girl gaitors will solve that ).

After reading a post from a triple crowner, I did a 50 miler in long sleeve shirt and light, baggy, full length pants. It also worked well. Didn't use or need any sunscreen. Kept much cleaner. Socks stayed cleaner. Last two days were in the 90's and did not feel that the pants were a negative.

I would suggest that you give a pair of baggy convertible pants a try.

Either way will work.

[handlebar]

I hike in a Sportkilt Hiking Kilt. I wear Chopat knee braces which cover the backs of my knees, so those parts of my legs are protected from the sun (which hiking nobo is predominantly behind me). I did use sunscreen on my calves and the back of my arms (hiked in short sleeve lighweight wool t-shirt) for the first few weeks. After that I had sufficient tan and only used sunscreen when hiking on snow.

[Wyoming]

I do most of my hiking in AZ and the southwest.

I almost always wear the lightest Nike running shorts or swimming trunks. This is very cool and sweat evaporates quickly. I wear the ones with about 9 inch legs and go commando. I do this primarily because I like it and also because convertible pants weigh so much - many pairs are over a lb. Thus I save almost a lb. The shorts are the lightest option I know and you dry very quickly.

I don't burn all that easy but I do carry a very small bit of sunscreen in case I feel a burn coming on.

I also wear compression sleeves over my calves - this works great for keeping your legs fresh. And Dirty Girl gaiters. So not that much of my legs are uncovered.

I have walked through pretty extensive amounts of thorny bushes - like the AZT and one does get scratched up some. On the PCT I found no place where this was an issue. On the PCT you have to be careful not to rub against Poodle Dog bush as many react to it like poison ivy. But avoiding that was not difficult either.

I have also postholed and walked through a fair amount of snow in shorts and if it is really icy it will abrade your skin. So what I do in those circumstances is put on my lower base layer and that suffices for me. Soft snow is just cold on the skin but you also are generating a lot of heat so that is not too bad. Of course if it gets really cold you have the base layer and the wind/rain pants also.

Besides not liking convertible pants due to their weight I find I feel hotter in them. But who knows if that is real or because I don't like them in general.

I also only wear short sleeve wicking shirts unless it is quite chilly - then i add the base layer. I have some long sleeve hiking shirts but I prefer them around town far more than on trail.

I do carry an umbrella much of the time anymore and that does far more for keeping you cool than the pants and long sleeved shirts - but wind is an issue. btw if you are thinking of an umbrella don't fall for the super expensive reflective hiking umbrellas as it has been shown that they are not cooler underneath when moving than any old umbrella. Buy a small cheap one that you don't feel bad about having to replace as umbrellas often have short lifespans.

[Malto]

I used to hike with convertible pants but found that the combination of lightweight pants and super lightweight shorts are within the same weight as convertibles but far more versatile, think doing laundry. The main thing that got me away from convertibles was the zippers would be uncomfortable while sleeping.

[Dogwood]

What's finally being fleshed out desert hiking is not all the same to put it under one heading "shorts for the desert." For example, depending on the N American desert you're in say Great Basin verse Chihuahuan, if one is going off maintained trail, if scrambling, slabs, pour offs, bouldering, canyoneering, etc are involve,d doing much XC, what season, how one approaches hiking times, etc plays a role in what I do. So yes shorts can work or there may be added accessories or pants that are better options. As Wyoming or Handlebar related their wider apparel set ups play significant roles towards appropriateness

[HDLV]

I guess I could have been more clear. I figured puttting this in the PCT section would imply the desert section on the PCT and listing my start date would give people a good idea of what time of the year it would be.


Thank you to everyone for the helpful input!

[takethisbread]

I never wore pants on the PCT and I never got burned or poodle dogged. I wore a tshirt and my arms burned a bit one day near kern river

[TTT]

a light-weight long sleeve UV shirt and a sarong to wrap around your waist. Drown yourself in baby powder and you will be super comfortable

[AllDownhillFromHere]

I'm doing the sarong thing, as well as the kafiyeh.

[ImAfraidOfBears]

Going to try linen for the first time long distance, been using it in local overnights in the desert for some time and really love this material. It is a nice medium between cotton and nylon.

[ridehard]

I guess I could have been more clear. I figured puttting this in the PCT section would imply the desert section on the PCT and listing my start date would give people a good idea of what time of the year it would be.


Thank you to everyone for the helpful input!

HDLV: Urushiol is the same active ingredient in poison oak, sumac, ivy and Japanese lacquer finishes for a couple of millenia. Poodle dog bush is different mechanism, but kinda moot when the reaction is about the same.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urushiol

[ridehard]

HDLV: sorry, quoted the wrong post. You mentioned a problem with allergy to poison stuff.

[JRowan]

Running shorts (7" inseam) with liberal sunscreen applications did the trick for me in 2015. I barely even got a tan (let alone burned) between the sunscreen and the trail dirt sticking to the sunscreen. I used to hike in convertibles for years and eventually wound up hating them. It wasn't the temperatures (I have a pretty high heat threshold), it was the lack of freedom of movement for my legs compared to running shorts. When I was on the JMT in 2014, I was amazed at the way that the pants restricted my movement and increased my effort (something I'd never noticed on earlier, shorter hikes). It's not like there were chains around my legs or anything, but it was enough that running shorts felt a lot easier/better.

Note: I hiked in 2015 so no meaningful snow to speak of in the Sierra by the time I got there. If I did have to deal postholing (no real personal experience here), I'd probably consider pants, but more likely would just throw on my running tights (which I carry anyway) and see how that treated me.