Blog

The great outdoors is where many of us long to be and with a little planning and preparation it can be a hugely enjoyable experience. Everyone loves a good hoodie. They are comfortable and warm but like the old saying goes, there is no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing so are hoodies a good idea?

Traditional hoodies are not suitable for hiking. These cotton blend hoodies hold onto water making them cold and heavy and are difficult to layer. Fortunately, there are sun and travel hoodies which are designed for hiking and make a better choice for a mid layer.

Layers are essential to a good hike. They come in three general categories: base, mid and outer layers. The ‘hoodie’ will fit into this mid layer type. In this article, I will cover why I choose not to wear a hoodie hiking (albeit I used to!) and the alternatives if you cannot go without the good old hoodie.

To help fund this blog, this page may contain affiliate links. This is where I may earn a small commission from any sales as a result of clicking my links without any additional cost to you.

Why You Shouldn’t Bring Your Favourite Hoodie Hiking

The hoodies I am considering here are the cotton or cotton blend type materials. The nice, big, comfy jumper than you pull on at the end of the day. Of course, there is no reason (apart from the additional weight and bulk) why you can’t take this jumper for the evenings or city day trips if you’re backpacking but for hiking it is not the best choice.

1) They stay wet

Cotton is a big no no when it comes to outdoor activities. When cotton gets wet, it absorbs water. Wet cotton then stays wet for ages.

This means that you either have to wear wet clothing for the rest of the day which will result in you feeling cold even in warm weather or you change and are stuck with a wet hoodie weighing down your backpack. Even if you try to ring it out and hand it up in the evenings, without a tumble dryer it will certainly still be damp in the morning.

Trust me, I forgot my waterproof trousers on one trip and six hours of constant rain in wet leggings clothes was NOT fun.

You will likely get away with a hoodie for shorter walks in a mild climate if there is no rain forecast but for day long hikes there is little point in gambling with the weather. Many amazing places to hike will have the four seasons in one day.

2) They are hot

Hoodies are made to be nice and cosy. This may seem like a good idea on a cold hike but when you start moving the hoodie will trap too much heat, and if you remove it then you will likely be too cold.

The trick to being comfortable during a hike is multiple thin layers to adjust according to the activity levels and breaks. By all means, chuck the hoodie on when you stop for lunch, but you will probably find a hoodie to be an ineffective layer.

3) Hoodies are heavy

Even a light backpack will start to feel heavy after hours of hiking. Traditional hoodies are heavy (in comparison to other clothes) and take up a lot of valuable space in the backpack should you take it off and unless you want a really sweaty back, you wont be tying your hoodie around your waist! Trust me, I have done it and regretted it!

Below are the clothing I have which I use for mid layers when hiking. I do not take the hoodie with me as you can see, it’s large, bulky, too hot and is not good in the rain. Whereas, the fleece is warm and quick drying and the wind shell partners perfectly as another layer as it keeps this wind off. Even carrying both these layers, it is still smaller than the hoodie.

4) Hoods are bulky

I used to wear hoodies all the time but putting a coat on over the top, effectively having two hoods became incredibly annoying. I now much prefer sweaters and jumpers without the hood as I always will be carrying my raincoat if I need it a beanie if it’s cold.

Unless the hood is small, easy to roll up and flexible I will be surprised if you don’t find it annoying. Remember, if you testing this out to test where it all fits with your backpack on as it can change the way clothing sits.

Also the hoods on outdoor clothing tend to come with some level of fastenings and adjustments to stop the wind blowing it down. Most hoodie hoods are just a flap of fabric, and thus useless in a gale.

If you are a hoodie lover, I am sure this was not the news you wanted to hear! Fear not because there are a few caveats to the no hoodie rule I have created. The great outdoor designers of today have come up with some very useful garments that can fill your hoodie needs!

Hoodies For Hiking

Wait a minute, I hear you say. You said hoodies were a bad idea, that I will get cold, wet and miserable if I wear one. Yes, you will if you wear a cotton blend one, however, there are some outdoor specialists which are taken the traditional hoodie and made it superior on the hiking scene. There are two types to consider; the sun hoodie and the travel hoodie.

What Are Sun Hoodies?

Sun hoodies are a jumper with a hood which are used to protect the arms, neck and head from the harmful UV rays from the sun.

These are usually thin, loose hoodies with varying levels of UV protection, up to the equivalent of spf 50. They are designed to keep the damaging rays off your skin whilst still keeping you cool through the long sleeves and hoods to protect the head and neck.

Even with one of these, suncream is still an essential to the packing list but the sun hoodie means less skin to slather. Sun hoodies also doesn’t need reapplying as it wont rub or sweat off. Covering skin where you can is a much better approach (and less slimy!).

The materials chosen are normally lightweight, moisture wicking and some have ventilation panels to help you maintain a comfortable temperature.

Given that these are meant to be worn in hot weather, some people may find these too hot and they can function as a good layer cooler hikes too.

Another concern people have with these hoodies are some are not as durable. The thin fabric to keep the user cool can, especially in poorer quality hoodies show damage on the shoulders due to the hikers backpack.

On the whole, there are a huge range of these hoodies so finding one to suit your needs and budget should be fairly easy. If your considering buying one the Roadbox men’s sun hoodie covers all the boxes with UV protection and wicking technology. It is a similar story for the Bassdash female sun hoodie and both have excellent reviews.

What Are Travel Hoodies?

Travel hoodies are clothing specifically designed for hiking and backpacking. They are normally made of a breathable, lightweight, moisture wicking material which will keep you warm in the cold and dry quickly once wet. This material is similar to other hiking fleeces, which travel hoodies may also be referred to but the main difference is the hood.

Another bonus of travel hoodies is that they normally come with zipped pockets which are a lot more useful than traditional hoodie pockets as items will not fall out.

These hoodies are the closest to the comfortable lounging hoodie but are designed to ensure functionality whatever the weather.

Conclusion

So your favourite hoodie you wear every day may not make the cut on the hike, but you still need a mid layer. This layer will depend upon what conditions you will be hiking in. Sun hoodies are excellent on warmer days, whereas a travel hoodie will be a closer replacement to your lounging hoodie that you’re used to.

These hoodies are for a warmer mid layer than a sun hoodie would provide. Although having both in your backpack would give you a huge range of versatility for every condition.

I hope you found this useful. Happy Hiking!