What to wear camping may be obvious to some of you but the subject deserves a word or two for those who have never been camping before.
Camp clothing is worn for it's functonality, not for its ability to make us look good. Clothing protects us from the elements, insects, noxious plants and some critters.
If you keep these key points in mind, your selection of what to wear camping will be easy to decide and useful.
Here are some guidelines:
1).You most assuredly will get dirty so don't bring valuable clothes unless thay are specifically made for the outdoors such as well made cargo pants/shorts, high quality flannel shirts,
and good hiking shoes/boots etc.
2).Don't bring a lot of white clothing unless it can be easily washed and dries fast.
3). It may get cold at night depending on your location and time of year. We are not covering winter camping as that is a special kind of camping all on it's own.
But you will want to bring a hoodie and a jacket, socks, and long pants for sitting around the campfire even in the prime of summer.
4). I always bring a pair of gloves.
5). Layers of clothing are the best choice for outdoor dress. It is often quite chilly in the early morning when fixing breakfast, especially in the mountains or in a valley.
The temperature can soar by mid-morning to become quite uncomfortable and then you can just take off a layer or two.
6). You can sleep in your clothes but we prefer to change into nightwear for sleeping in the sleeping bag. It is more comfortable and keeps your sleeping bag cleaner.
7.) Best to wear darker clothes because they are less attractive to insects
8). What to bring your clothes in is up to you. We use duffel bags because they have more room than a backpack. A duffel has more room for clothes with enough room for sundries and essential hygeine products.
9). Comfortable and sturdy shoes are a must. Don't wait until you go camping to break in shoes/boots.
10). Heed our advice: leave your tight or stiff vlothing at home. Camping is for relaxation and comfort and you will be miserable, especially in hot weather if you wear tight clothing.
11). We mention raingear in our list of essentials and a simple waterproof poncho will suffice.