Spring and Summer Clothing Tips

Camping Tips For Spring and Summer Clothing  

Every tent camper wants to have the right camping clothing on while camping.  Choosing the right clothes can help protect your body from scrapes and abrasions, allow your body to be better ventilated, and reduce your overall carrying weight of your pack.  In the spring and summer certain items are more important than the fall and winter.  Here, is our list of items to bring and what you should look for in your camping clothing for the spring and summer: 

Hat 

1.  Choose a hat that has a good brim to it to keep the sun out of your face and avoid getting sunburned. 

2.  A good baseball cap will work just fine although other hats can work well in the field as well. 

Shirts 

1.  Long sleeve cotton shirts work great in the summer because they breathe well.  In spring, you can choose other fabrics. 

2.  Avoid wool shirts as they will scratch you and do not breathe. 

3.  Find shirts that have several pockets.  These come in handy to store smaller items like a map or compass. 

4.  Choose durable shirts that a tear resistant and unlikely to rip when they are hit by a tree branch or brush rubs up against them. 

5.  Pick out darker colored shirts as they are less likely to attract insects. 

Pants 

1.  Choose pants that come all the way down to your boots.  This will help protect your legs and keep your socks from getting burrs and briar stuck in them.   

2.  Get a very durable and flexible fabric for your pants.  Avoid blue jeans as they are not flexible enough.  Cotton can work well if it has been made tear resistant.  Other fabrics can work well also.   

3.  Just like shirts, pick darker colored pants as they are less likely to attract insects. 

4.  Avoid getting shorts as their value is very limited in the field.  Since they fail to provide protection against brush, always opt for full length pants.  If you absolutely must have shorts, opt for convertible pants as this will reduce your pack carrying weight. 

5.  Make sure pants have deep pockets to them.  This is to ensure items like your pocketknife do not fall out while sitting down.  In the field, it is easy to lose things so be sure your pockets are deep and do not have holes in them. 

Belt 

1.  Pick one out that is rugged and durable and could double for other uses if needed. 

2.  A good durable leather will work great here.   

Socks 

1.  In the summer and spring only one layer is needed. 

2.  Opt for socks that provide extra support for your heel and will dry out fast if they get wet.  2.  The brand Thor-lo makes good quality socks that provide support and dry out easily. 

3.  Avoid wool in the summer as it is itchy and does not breathe. 

Bandana 

1.  Always bring along one or two of these.  They can serve several purposes including a pot holder, handkerchief, bandage, and a sling.   

Underwear and Undershirts 

1.  Stick with cotton here as it will breathe.  In the summer, bring a few extra as they are easy to sweat through. 

Sleeping clothing 

1.  Have a steady supply of undershirts and a pair of shorts.  A basic pair of sports shorts or swim trunks will work great here.  You are looking for something that feels good here as you will only be sleeping in these.  It is a good idea to wear sports shorts or swim trucks as you can also use these to go swimming. 

2.  Another tip is always have clean clothes to wear to bed especially in the summer.  It will make it easier to adjust to bed and you will feel better getting into new clothes. 

As you can imagine there are other items you could add to this list and depending on your area of the country, it may be more prudent to add additional layers of clothing to compensate for colder climates.  Regardless, this list should get you well on your way to having the right camping clothing in most camping areas in the spring and summer. 

*For tips on winter and fall clothing, check out Fall and Winter Clothing Tips.