Is dressing for camping,RVing, and boating really worth writing an article about? You might not think so, yet a lot of novice campers and RVers do have questions. I will try to address some of these questions in this post. First off, fashion shouldn't be your primary concern. You should be focused on choosing apparel that fits the weather and is comfortable, functional and suited to your planned activities. The casual environment of outdoor activities provides a lot of flexibility and can be a good place to make use of older, perhaps a little out-of-fashion articles, that can save money. Fortunately, there are a lot of options so that a lot of what works well for camping and other outdoor activities can be fairly good looking too. This is second post on this general topic. For additional information see Camp Clothing.
One of the first considerations for how to dress will be the local climate. You will need to consider average and immediate weather for the area you are heading into and the season of your outing. How you dress for a summer trip to the beach will be very different from a snow-camping trip in winter!
The second major thing to keep in mind is what kind of activities will you be enjoying? How your dress for a picnic in the park will be different from how your dress for hiking in the mountains or sunbathing at the beach. Some activities, such as riding dirt bikes or mountain bikes will demand special clothing and Personal Protective Equipment. DO NOT overlook wearing proper PPE for any activity for which it is prescribed! The safety and protection provided by proper PPE is worth its cost and deviation from fashion. And, it could be said, wearing proper PPE IS the most fashionable way to dress!
Some general guideline for choosing appropriate clothing for your camping trips will include bringing optional clothing to allow you to adapt to changes in weather and to dress in layers to accommodate changes in temperature during the day or as dictated by differing levels of activity. Optional clothing also gives you something to change into in case of any accidents that might soak, soil, or damage your clothing.
In general you will want to wear comfortable, sturdy clothing for most outings. Camping often involves sitting on the ground so you want something that is durable and resists dirt. Denim pants are a very common and popular choice for most situations. Thin slacks, not so much. Shorts might be a good option for trips to the beach or lake or other hot summer days, but not if you plan to be hiking where your may encounter brush that could scratch or scrape your legs. Short sleeved shirt are often preferred for hot weather but you might actually feel cooler in a loose-fitting, long sleeved shirt that will shade your arms from the sun and allow perspiration to evaporate to help keep you cool. Think about how desert nomads dress: loose fitting robes that shade them from head to toe.
Footwear should be chosen carefully to support the activities you will be involved in. Comfortable canvas shoes are usually adequate unless you plan to do a lot of hiking in which case good fitting, broken in hiking boots would be more appropriate. Of course you need proper boot for riding horses and OHVs. A lot of folks like sandals or flip-flops for beach trips, but I have seen way too many people with nasty sunburns on their feet from wearing them. Remember, your feet are probably fully covered by other footwear most of the time so the exposed skin will be particularly sensitive to sunburn.
Participation in water sports -- swimming, wading, diving, tubing, rafting, boating, water-skiing, and wake-boarding -- suggests appropriate swimwear. You may also want to wear some kind of water shoes to protect your feet from hot sand on the beaches and sharp rocks or debris in the water. You may need suitable deck shoes to avoid damaging the surface on you boat and providing adequate traction on the deck. In colder weather or when venturing out on cold water to wear a wet suit for extra protection if you fall into cold water. Of course many maritime activities will also require wearing proper Personal Flotation Device, such a life vest. You will usually need to wear deck shoes on any boat to avoid damaging the deck. Shoes worn elsewhere often have grit in the soles that can do serious damage to deck surfaces. Deck shoes are also needed to ensure proper traction on wet, slippery decks for safety.
Speaking of Personal Protection, you should ALWAYS wear the right Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) for the activity you are participating in. Just about all outdoor activities have specialized PPE -- helmets, boots, and body armor for off road enthusiasts, helmets and gloves for bicyclists, high visibility clothing for hunters, and flotation devices for boaters. But even less extreme tasks associated with camping really requires some PPE: gloves and eye protection when cutting firewood and lighting campfires, oven mitts or hot pad when handling hot pots and pans, even broad-brimmed hats, sunglasses, and sunblock for almost all outdoor activities.
An often overlooked aspect of camp clothing especially on short outings is bringing along alternate items to change into if something happens to your normal garb. You may be dressed perfectly for your planned adventure when you head out the door, but what happens if your clothing becomes damaged or even just wet? It is possible to become hypothermic when wet even in mild weather. You will loose body heat through wet clothing 25 times as fast as through dry clothing. Damaged clothing may or may not need to be changed. A small tear in the arm or leg of an item of clothing might not be much of a problem, but what will you do if you split out the entire seam of your britches or your shirt gets caught on something and badly ripped? It will be a really good thing if you have something in your RV, camper, or car to change into. Having a change of clothing is even a good idea for an afternoon picnic!
Planning for changes in the weather may prompt you to bring along things like rain suits, ponchos, jackets, and warm gloves. Rain gear may be especially necessary when headed into the mountains, even if rain isn't the local forecast. Many mountains are capable of producing their own micro-climates. I worked at a resort one summer where you could almost set your watch by the daily afternoon rain, even when the weatherman hadn't predicted rain for the general area.
Dress right!
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