Trail-Ready: What to Wear on Your Next Hike
This is the gear you’ll wear in downpours. It'll be whipped by branches, wind, even ice. You’ll clamber over rocks, over fallen trees, and hop over streams in it. You’ll sweat, your muscles will burn, and you’ll curse the trail.
But you’ll love it too.
Hiking shoes and hiking clothing are highly specialised performancewear. At its best, this gear makes your adventures better - more comfortable, more focused, more stable.
Not sure what to wear hiking? Read our guide to understand the key principles of hiking layering, key considerations when choosing what to wear, and examples of essential gear.
What you need to know about hiking clothing and boots
Planning on an off-road trip? It’s essential to understand some of the essentials of hiking gear.
While trekking is generally safe, it does come with risks - particularly around hypothermia and heat stroke. You also don’t want to be uncomfortable on a long walk in the wild. Choosing proper gear means you can avoid these issues and get the most from your adventures.
The golden rule: always layer
The most important thing to remember when choosing hiking gear is the three layer rule for upper body wear. Why? It’s basically about giving you control over your body temperature and comfort, by letting you add or remove layers as needed.
Baselayer: Fits close to your skin, is comfortable, breathable and wicks sweat. Typically, a t-shirt or long sleeve shirt. Try the men’s or women’s ColdGear® mock.
Insulation layer: Keeps you warm in cold weather or at high altitudes. Often a lightweight fleece material. Choose women’s or men’s UA Expanse Fleece with ½ zip to control body temperature.
Outer layer: This one’s for protecting you against the elements. Expect water-resistance and wind proofing. The UA Stormproof Cloudstrike 2.0 Jacket for men and women has you covered.
Dress for the weather and terrain
When choosing hiking gear, do some research and planning in advance - that means you’ll have the right gear:
Walking somewhere with high rainfall? You’ll need waterproof hiking shoes, trousers and a hiking rain jacket.
Hiking in the heat? You’ll want super breathable baselayers, shorts, a sun hat and clothing with UV protection.
Climbing in the cold? More insulated baselayers, padded hiking jackets, a balaclava and gloves will have you covered.
Walking somewhere with high grass or brush? Choose gear that covers your skin to protect you from ticks and scratches, and tough boots to protect your toes against unseen obstacles.
What to wear when hiking
As you take your hiking to the next level, you’re going to want to start building out your gear. Here are the essentials.
High quality, water resistant hiking shoes
This is the bedrock of your trekking. You need outdoor footwear that offers ankle support, has seriously reliable grip and which will keep your feet dry. It should also be comfortable and breathable - no one wants to develop blisters on day one of a week-long hike.
What’s it like?
The UA Valsetz Tactical Boots are some of the best water resistant hiking shoes for women. Offering serious ankle support, anti-fatigue Contoura® Support footbeds and durable Vibram XS Trek outsole, they can tackle anything the trail throws at you.
Our UA Stellar Tactical Boots are some of our most advanced men’s waterproof hiking shoes. They have slip resistant outsoles, EVA midsole cushioning and breathable yet water resistant uppers. You’ll be set for anything.
Baselayers
You need baselayers that are breathable, sweat wicking, lightweight and comfortable. You’ll want UV protection too. Hiking in heat or cold? Choose gear that’s built for the conditions.
What’s it like?
HeatGear® Fitted Long Sleeve for men. Featuring our unique HeatGear® baselayer, which wicks sweat insanely fast, it helps avoid chafing and keeps you comfortable for hours on hot days.
The women’s ColdGear® Authentics Crew gives you a dual layer baselayer for added insulation, but without compromising on breathability or the ability to wick sweat.
Insulation layers
This gear keeps you warm, even when it’s cold. Choose materials that offer high levels of insulation, but which remain lightweight and don’t add bulk.
What's it like?
The women’s UA Rival Fleece ½ Zip is lightweight and keeps you warm. The ½ zip front helps manage body temperature, while ribbed cuffs and bottom hem keep the warmth in, and the cold out.
Our men’s UA Unstoppable Fleece Hoodie is super stretchy and warm, but it still wicks sweat fast. Binding on the cuffs and bottom hem keep the heat in.
Hiking rain gear
It's pretty much guaranteed you’ll get rained on in the great outdoors. You need outer layers that are genuinely water resistant. But they also need to be breathable - no one wants to feel clammy in their gear.
What's it like?
Try the men’s or women’s UA Stormproof Cloudstrike 2.0 Jacket. We engineered it using our UA Storm technology that repels water without sacrificing on breathability. It’s totally waterproof, and comes with adjustable cords on the hood and hem to keep you dry.
Hiking trousers, leggings and shorts
Hiking legwear needs to be super flexible for scrambling over rocks, breathable and sweat wicking for comfort, and hard wearing so it can handle whatever the path throws at it.
What’s it like?
Our men’s UA OutRun The Storm Pants are built with water-resistant UA Storm tech, so you stay dry in downpours. We built them with four-way stretch material to give you complete range of motion, and they’ve got ankle zips for easy on and off after a long day on the trails.
Hiking in summer? Try the women’s HeatGear® Rib Leggings. They wick sweat super fast, give you total coverage, are incredibly flexible and feature an exposed elastic waistband with side drop-in pockets.
Underwear, socks and bras
Don’t overlook these key pieces of hiking clothing. After hours on the trail, proper hiking underwear will keep you supported, comfortable and will help you avoid chafing.
What’s it like?
Specially-built men’s and women’s sports underwear is the way to go. It’ll wick sweat and prevent overheating. Seams are moved away from places that rub.
A low impact sports bra will be suitable for most kinds of hiking, offering support, comfort and preventing sweat build up.
And don’t forget hiking socks either. The Unisex UA ArmourDry™ Playmaker Mid-Crew Socks give you extra cushioning on the sole, and we use two-way grip ArmourGrip™ yarns in the forefoot to prevent slippage.
Hats and gloves
Don’t forget these crucial pieces of hiking performancewear. We build ours with tough, technical materials you can rely on.
What’s it like?
The UA Storm Run Liner Gloves fit to the shape of your hand. They’re water resistant and keep your fingers warm on cold-weather adventures.
So much heat escapes your body via your head - our breathable unisex ColdGear® Balaclava keeps you warm when you’re climbing mountains, without adding bulk.
The best hiking gear for the best adventures
Proper hiking clothing, hiking shoes and accessories can have a massive impact on your comfort, enjoyment and even safety when you go trekking. Explore our men’s and women’s hiking gear, and discover performancewear that’s built to help you walk, scramble and clamber better.
