{"id":4582,"date":"2020-12-23T12:28:33","date_gmt":"2020-12-23T18:28:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/decideoutside.com\/?p=4582"},"modified":"2023-08-08T20:57:41","modified_gmt":"2023-08-09T01:57:41","slug":"can-you-hike-with-jeans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/decideoutside.com\/can-you-hike-with-jeans\/","title":{"rendered":"Can You Hike With Jeans? Sure! (But See Why I Don’t Anymore)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
When you get into any outdoors activity, sometimes it’s difficult to find answers that make sense for your situation. I used to hike with jeans, but now I don’t… does that mean it’s not okay to hike with jeans?<\/p>\n\n\n
You can hike successfully in jeans and many people do. Jeans are often thick and durable and provide more protection but many choose to use more lightweight pants with synthetic fabrics to cut down on weight and increase comfort<\/strong>. From our numbers, 20% of people hike in jeans while 69% will not.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Does anybody wear jeans anymore while hiking? Well, for one, my dad still does. I’ll tell you some reasons why people have jumped ship from hiking in jeans and hopefully give you some insights as to whether you need to invest in a new pair of pants or not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you search on the internet you’ll see a lot of people saying that jeans are terrible outdoorswear and that you’re crazy for wearing them while hiking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I wanted to set the record straight. <\/p>\n\n\n\n You can definitely hike while wearing jeans. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n You can go backpacking for 18 miles in a single day with a 60 lb pack wearing jeans.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n I know this because my dad does it every year we go backpacking. My dad’s relaxing clothes <\/strong>is a pair of jeans. <\/p>\n\n\n\n I know my dad prefers a good pair of jeans for a lot of reasons, but I was curious what other people felt. I decided to ask over 70 camper and hikers whether they wear jeans when hiking. <\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n 19-25% of respondents said they hike in jeans<\/strong> (roughly 6% said they only hike in stretchy jeans). I learned a lot about people’s preferences, and I even learned that some people are actually passionate about this subject.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Growing up when going on these backpacking excursions I would also wear jeans, or often my dad’s old army fatigues<\/strong>. Those pants were indestructible. I can tell you there are <\/strong>some advantages to jeans and other tough pants. Let’s get to them:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jeans take a lot of abuse and are ideal for grimy tasks because they just seem to magically absorb dirt. This has its disadvantages, but if you are looking for something that will stand up to thorns, brush, or whatever comes your way during a hike, then jeans will do that for you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This isn’t quite verified, but I think my dad has worn the same pair of jeans for the past 100 years. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you’re walking in brush with a lot of undergrowth, then jeans are actually much better for that task since jeans won’t tear at the first thorn. That’s why on a ranch or other undeveloped regions of the U.S. where you have to do a lot of walking you’ll often find Wranglers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n I can’t say that jeans are comfortable for everyone, but I do know for a lot of people jeans are the clothes they relax in. If you’re used to wearing jeans while relaxing and hanging out<\/strong>, you may find that hiking long distances is no problem at all. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This has even improved over the past few years.<\/strong> Jeans now are made with a mix of stretchy materials. I for one when I wear jeans appreciate the extra elasticity when squatting down to pick up something or something like that. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In general, jeans for gals are more stretchy than jeans for guys, although that is changing over time. The stretchier jeans will be be more comfortable for hiking in than others. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In fact, when I asked my question about jeans several passionate respondents explained that they feel most comfortable in jeans<\/strong>. If you grow up with your casualwear being jeans than that makes a lot of sense. <\/p>\n\n\n\n I want to sum this up because sadly there is a lot of shaming of other people for what clothing they decide to wear. The hip and modern hiker might not wear jeans but several people do and it’s not a problem. If you’re hiking in mild weather, you really won’t have any exceptional problems (although there are some downsides I’ll talk about in a minute). <\/p>\n\n\n\n In short<\/strong>, if you have jeans and you are considering a hike in the summertime, you are going to be fine. <\/p>\n\n\n\n There are a few scenarios where it can make a lot of sense to try other types of pants, though–in fact jeans can actually be dangerous. I’ll explain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So hiking in jeans is definitely possible and it’s definitely still a thing. And I used to hike in jeans often growing up. But, I don’t now. <\/strong> I won’t say “I’ve seen the light”, but I definitely have experienced more activewear and I now know my preferences. <\/p>\n\n\n\n I know now, since I asked, that 69% of campers and hikers say they will not hike in jeans. The reasons given match up with what I’ll explain, here:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Obviously this depends on the type of jeans, but in general jeans are heavier than other types of activewear pants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I weighed my adventure clothing and came up with these numbers:<\/p>\n\n\n\nCan You Hike In Jeans? Yes! <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Do People Wear Jeans While Hiking? Let’s Ask the People!<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Jeans Are Durable<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
For Some, Jeans Are Comfortable<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
If You Have Jeans, They’ll Work Fine For Hiking<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Why You Should Consider Different Pants For Hiking<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Jeans Are Heavy<\/h3>\n\n\n\n