This is the type of question that would outrange many outdoor enthusiasts, but don’t worry I am not here to preach! You can effectively climb in anything but should you is the real question as sadly every action has consequences.
I imagine that if you are asking this question, you are not about to set off to climb Mount Everest but I am going to set some boundaries.
Climbing particularly high or challenging mountains requires expert knowledge and equipment. Find a guide or spend years training!
Here I will discuss whether it is OK to climb a relatively small (but not to be underestimated) mountain such as Ben Nevis (1345m) in the UK. Although no mountain should be underestimated, people have died climbing Ben Nevis.
The general consensus is that jeans are a poor choice of clothing for climbing mountains. As a cotton based fabric, although durable they hold onto moisture. This makes them prone to chafing and they feel heavy and cold. The lack of stretch in the fabric also can make climbing a challenge.
That being said, it is not normally the jeans that are the be all and end all of a climb. I will cover some of the aspects to debate before deciding to head off on your climb in jeans.
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What’s So Bad About Jeans?
Jeans are fundamentally made of cotton, just weaved a different way. Cotton is unanimously agreed to be a bad choice for outdoor clothing despite jeans being designed to be durable for working life.
Climbing a mountain, however easy is not a walk in the park. Weather changes by the second, the terrain may get steep and rocky even on the main trails and even the fittest will break into a sweat at some point.
The denim jeans, at one point was an excellent choice compared to other flimsy cotton trousers but technology has come a long way since then.
1) Jeans Are Heavy
Wet jeans weigh a tonne (figuratively speaking of course). Whether this is pulling down from your belt or when you finally chuck them back in your backpack if you have a change. They are bulky and they are heavy, especially compared to specially designed garments or even gym wear.
This extra bulk will make your climb less enjoyable. The longer the distance the more this will add up and remember, mountains are not a walk in the park.
Not including altitude (looking at above 2000m for effects to start) climbing a mountain is uphill, probably on rocky paths so steps and exposure to the weather will make the hike considerably more challenging.
2) Wet Jeans Feel Cold
I can’t imagine anything worse than wet jeans stuck to my legs for hours. I have been there and it suck’s and that was a city trip.
Jeans may feel nice and warm when they are dry but as soon as they get wet they suck the heat out of you. This is true for all wet garments but the amount of water jeans can hold onto means this is for a very long time. It will ruin your trip.
It’s a dry day? What’s the issue? Mountains like to mock the weather forecast, and that’s even the mountain specific ones. It could be any weather at the top and even if you are gifted with good conditions, jeans can get wet other ways.
Long dewy grass or as I have done before slipped into a lovely muddy puddle I was trying to avoid. Within the first 5 minutes of a hike!
3) Jeans Chafe
Again this is an issue with jeans. Wet jeans stick to you and rub. Sweaty jeans also rub. So unless you want thighs the colour of lobsters I suggest this is avoided.
Again, I have hiked with a friend, up Mount Schiehallion (1083m) in Scotland who decided to do it in his favourite jeans. The weather was on our side and it was overcast at the summit but dry.
It was also not particularly warm up this mountain especially due to the wind but despite all this, my friend experienced chafing. I very much enjoyed telling him I told you so!
4) Jeans Do Not Stretch Easily
Is it even a hike if you haven’t crossed a stile or a boulder pretending to be a step? I would say if you can’t step up onto your bed in the jeans comfortably, you will likely find minor obstacles a challenge.
Again, I am going to shame my friend here. He managed it but it was not graceful!
5) Jeans Are Hot
Not always in a good way! Jeans are thick and they are not known for being breathable. This means that you will feel the heat on the climb even when it’s not scorching outside. Also the sun beating down on darker colours will also add to suffocating heat.
Being too hot on a walk is just as dangerous as too cold. Not to mention needing to carry even more water to ensure a safe climb which is heavy, again adding to the increased sweating you will do lugging those jeans up that mountain.
What Are The Benefits Of Climbing A Mountain In Jeans?
Jeans used to be the outwear garment of choice. Worn by the workers in all conditions so there are some positives to the good old denim.
1) You Likely Already Own A Pair Of Jeans
The outdoors should be accessible to everyone and you do not need the latest high tech equipment to get out there and climb smaller mountains. Most people own a comfy pair of jeans in the cupboard and if this is what you have then go for it.
I would test these out on shorter walks, which should include a hill to make sure there are no hot spots for chafing. Try wearing lycra shorts under them too to avoid that chafing.
Also when you do head out, bring a pair of waterproof trousers to put over the top should the weather turn. The main issue with jeans is when they get wet. Don’t get them wet and there will likely be no issues.
2) Jeans Are Durable
Jeans historically were made to be durable. From the way they weave the cotton to the fastenings. Also as a fabric made for work, the blue colour is pretty good at hiding stains and they take a lot to get overly smelly.
This is great for getting muddy whilst you climb a mountain or brush through the brambles and sit on rocks. The jeans will be very forgiving whether its grass strains or your lunch making them very useful.
In comparison I have some expensive hiking trousers (which I love) but the material seems to hold onto mud despite going through the wash which is not ideal.
3) Many Find Jeans Very Comfortable
End of the day, there is no point hiking up a mountain in anything you feel uncomfortable in. You will be working hard for a fairly long time and therefore if jeans are the only clothing that gives you a good fit then go for it.
Just bear in mind how they will be with a larger range of movement and moisture than what you would be used to in town. Bring waterproof trousers just in case and you should be ok. Just prepare for judgement from the hard core enthusiasts!
What Are The Alternatives To Climbing In Jeans?
I have basically told you not to wear jeans and some caveats should you choose to ignore me anyway! So only fair I just you some ideas that will be suitable.
1) Leggings
If you are starting out, try and use what you already have in your wardrobe. I do a fair bit of walking in leggings. Ideally you should avoid cotton varieties but I find even the slower drying versions of leggings because they are thin aren’t too much of an issue. They also are already skin tight to it doesn’t feel like they are sticking.
The best option if you have them would be work out varieties or those designed to be hiking leggings. They are designed to wick sweat away, dry quickly and allow a wide range of movement so they can be perfect on the trail. Gym leggings also tend to have anti-microbial properties and be small. Perfect for chucking in a backpack for space and smell!
I believe six hours is my record for being in wet leggings but they were in constant rain so they didn’t have a chance to dry out. I was loosing the will by the end of it. Lesson is to always, even on a city break bring waterproof trousers!
Another downside of leggings is that they rip so easily. All it takes is one bramble thorn to catch and that’s the fabric gone and your leg scratched.
2) Hiking Trousers
It is worth doing some research into hiking trousers as they can be an expensive investment especially compared to basic jeans. You can do the job with a fairly cheap pair. I have seen some starting around £30. They tend to be durable and come with pockets. As a female, clothing with large enough to be useful is amazing.
Of course, the range increases up to several hundred pounds. These tend to come with more complicated design and may not be what you need anyway. Although I really do love my Fjällräven Women’s Abisko Tights because the pockets are large enough to fit my phone in one and my map in the other. I do also have their trousers which are amazing too but I wear my leggings far more. If you want more options including men’s options then Amazon has a Fjällräven store to browse.
Mine has ventilation zips and some zipped and some popper pockets. It took me ages to find a pair of walking trousers I liked that suited my female form.
Not that looking good is paramount on the mountain, but I simply did not like many pairs I tried on in the shops due to shape, fit and feel of the fabric.
3) Specialised Hiking Jeans
There is obviously a market for style and functionality in the climbing and hiking world. There are a few companies now which design fashionable garments that look like jeans but have all the functionality of the hiking trouser. The materials tend to be lightweight, water resistant or stretchier than a normal pair of jeans.
You can check out a range of options here. Countryfile reviews a few options but although they may be better than the traditional jeans, none of them despite a hefty price tag match up to the capabilities of technical trousers. Where they may improve one aspect, they tend to lack in another so it is worth looking into what a priority is for you.
Personally, unless you insist on climbing in jeans for photos, these are worth saving for backpacking through cities and towns than on the mountain. If the gram needs to look the part, then carry you’re jeans in your backpack and change for the photoshoot! You will be much better investing in technical hiking trousers for mountain climbs (or grabbing your gym leggings!)
How Long Does It Take A Pair Of Jeans To Dry?- The Comparison
The main argument against jeans are when they get wet. So I put drying time to the test and the results are in! In order of fastest to slowest drying you have; hiking trousers, gym leggings, jeans and finally thick winter leggings. If you want quick drying trousers for your mountain climb get hiking trousers. They won by a land slide.
Keeping reading for more details about my little experiment.
I dipped all items into the sink to knee height at the same time. I did not ring them out as you wouldn’t be able to if you were wearing them and hung them up in the same manner.
Admittedly, this way would not have dried them the fastest but it was the only way I could do a fair comparison. Clothings on the body, whilst in the wind whilst unpleasant does dry them faster.
The Table Of Results
| Time Taken/ Hours | Hiking Trousers | Jeans | Leggings | Gym Leggings |
| Stop dripping | 0 | 0.5 | 1 | 0.5 |
| Look dry | 1 | 5 | 3 | 1 |
| Feel damp | 1 | 11 | 13 | 6 |
| Completely dry | 6 | <22 | <22 | 10 |
I have put less than 22 hours for the jeans and leggings to dry because they dried overnight so I do not have an exact time. When I last inspected them the jeans were doing better than the leggings so it would be fair assumption that they dried first but I doubt it would have been by much.
I did also notice some interesting things during this experiment (other than justifying my splurge on hiking trousers!). The winter leggings predominantly sucked up water like a sponge. The water even soaked up higher than when I dipped them.
I have worn these leggings exploring Dubrovnik in torrential rain before and forgave them because it kept raining. Now I realised they were probably the worst choice even if it did dry up. I should have worn the jeans!
Jeans were the most obvious item of clothing for looking wet. That clear line of wet and dry was visible up until the five hour mark. The rest, except the gym leggings had a kind of sheen to them.
I also regularly felt the clothing to see how it felt, unsurprising the hiking trousers had the top parts dry by the two hour mark. It was only the ankle cuff which took it to 6 hours. Incredible when the rest of the clothing took considerably longer.
I could still ring out the winter leggings at the 4 hour mark even though they looked dry. Another part to touch is how cold the garment felt to touch. The hiking trousers barely had any difference wet or dry but the jeans felt considerably colder than even the soaking wet leggings. The same was true when the items were damp. You will feel cold if wore wet jeans even if this variety dried quicker than my winter leggings.
There we have it, jeans may not be the worst garment for outdoor activities but you will likely feel more comfortable in hiking trousers should you get wet!
Conclusion
People who climb mountains in jeans do get a lot of bad rap. They are not a good choice of clothing but they also aren’t the worst as I showed above.
You are not going to get into difficulties purely due to wearing a pair of jeans. Sensible choices and knowing vital skills are way more important than exactly what you are wearing.
That being said, wet jeans cooling your temperature down can lead to hypothermia. Hyperthermia if you get too too hot. This can be life threatening, which is why more experienced climbers will give you the eyebrow look for it. They care about you really!
Should you choose to climb a mountain in jeans then still be prepared to follow all the good guidance out there for that mountain. Check the forecast, pack enough food and water (with a reserve) and keep to the designated trails. Also know when it is time to turn back. Follow good practice and you should be fine to climb in jeans (although I still think you will find it uncomfortable!)
Happy Climbing.
