When you start hiking, you’ll quickly realize that there are lots of “gear snobs” who insist that you need to wear special pants. And, under no conditions, should you wear cotton clothes hiking. But how much truth is there to this – is it really that bad to wear jeans hiking?
Quick Answer:
While not the most comfortable pants to hike in, it’s perfectly fine to go hiking in jeans when the weather is nice. The problem is if the weather becomes cold and rainy. Your jeans will become drenched. If you don’t have anything dry to put on (and a way to stay dry), you will end up very cold, uncomfortable and possibly hypothermic. For this reason, quick-dry hiking pants are recommended.
*If you want hiking pants but don’t want to spend a fortune, check out REI Outlet. You can sometimes find good discounts there on last-season’s models. The brand Columbia also has good cheap hiking pants. Otherwise, expect to spend at least $50 for hiking pants.
Jeans Are Okay for Day Hikes in Good Weather
Hiking pants are definitely more comfortable than jeans for hiking. They are lightweight and breathable, so you won’t sweat like crazy. With the right base layer, you can regulate body temperature.
Despite this, I still sometimes wear jeans when hiking in good weather. Jeans are rugged, so I don’t have to worry about them ripping if I decide to tramp through a blackberry patch. Because jean material is so thick, they also protect against scrapes, scratches and stinging nettles too. And, if I go to a restaurant or café after my hike, I don’t stick out as much as if I’d worn my (admittedly dorky-looking) hiking clothes.
Jean shorts + long johns used to be my go-to outdoors outfit.
But Hiking in Jeans Is a Problem If It Starts to Rain…
Because jean material is so thick, it will absorb water like a sponge. Hiking in wet jeans is VERY uncomfortable. For starters, they are heavy. Wet jeans can easily weigh over 3lbs! They are also harder to move around in when wet.
This isn’t necessarily a problem in mild temperatures: you’ll be uncomfortable for the hike but it’s not life-threatening. The problem occurs if it is cold temperatures…
Wet Clothes Can Equal Hypothermia
As water evaporates, it steals heat from your body. So, if you are wearing wet jeans in cool temperatures, you will start to feel very cold. Not only will your hike be miserable, but you could end up with hypothermia. Yes, hypothermia can occur even at temperatures as high as 50F!
On a day hike in wet jeans, you probably aren’t going to get hypothermia. Hopefully you have dry clothes to change into so the trip home isn’t miserable. But there’s always the chance that you get lost on your hike and maybe even have to spend an unplanned night in the woods. In that case, the jeans could literally be the death of you.
By contrast, hiking pants don’t hold much water. They also dry insanely quickly. I’ve had a completely wet pair of hiking pants dry on my body after just 30 minutes of hiking in moderate temps.
Is It Okay to Wear Jeans Camping?
It is perfectly okay to wear jeans when camping but you must have backup pants. Keep in mind that it can take days for jeans to dry even in warm weather. If it rains for more than one day, you might need LOTS of backup pants – which means a lot of extra clothing to pack.
Let’s say it rains for the first 3 days of a 5-day camping trip. To stay comfortable, you’d probably need to change out of your wet jeans at least once per day – which means you are wearing 2 pairs of pants per day. That’s 6 pairs of jeans for just the first 3 days (and they aren’t going to dry by the 5th day)! By contrast, you could get by bringing just 2 or 3 pairs of hiking pants for the trip.
And it doesn’t have to be raining for your jeans to get wet.
I recently went on an overnight camping trip with a friend. I told her not to wear jeans. She didn’t listen. She ended up falling in the river and getting completely drenched. She didn’t have any backup pants, so she had to wear her pajama pants and ended up freezing her butt off.
My friend trying to dry her wet jeans next to the fire. She didn’t succeed :/
Backpacking in Jeans Is Definitely Not Recommended
Before I had proper gear, I did sometimes wear jeans when backpacking. Luckily I never got caught in any serious downpours (nor did I fall in any rivers). If the jeans got wet, they would take days to dry. I’d be stuck carrying the heavy jeans around. If my backup pants also got wet, I’d be really uncomfortable.
It’s pouring rain out but I’m comfortable and warm in my base layer with hiking pants on top!
The bottom line? It’s okay to wear jeans hiking on day hikes but you’ll be more comfortable in proper hiking pants. If you really have to wear jeans on camping or backpacking trips, you better bring lots of backups.
Sources:
https://groups.google.com/g/rec.bicycles.misc/c/wnI1q333Kzo
https://www.bowhunter-ed.com/alaska/studyGuide/Hypothermia/321001_11501/?__cf_chl_rt_tk=ceM1fv4dAvBUQk.rB1RHsw.kOsvoaKXJcIuS3It8KXI-1664882951-0-gaNycGzNCL0
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