What to Wear When Backpacking in Yellowstone
Dressing for success takes on a whole new meaning when your day includes backpacking in Yellowstone. The backcountry wilderness of this national park includes some of the most scenic, wild areas of America, but if you’re not dressed appropriately, your enjoyment could be short lived. Learn how best to dress for a day spent on a Scenic Safaris hike into the picturesque wilds of Yellowstone.
Shoes Make the Man, Woman and Child
Our Grand Canyon hike takes you on a four-mile trek along the gorgeous Yellowstone River and into the wilderness of Grand Teton National Park. Here, you’ll experience magnificent waterfalls, some of the most amazing geology you’ll set eyes upon, and a varied terrain that requires comfortable shoes with superior traction. For guided tours like these that take place along established trails, there’s no need for boots. Simple, ventilated hiking shoes are best because they’re lightweight, they offer a breathable feature to help keep feet cool and moisture-free, and most importantly, they feature heavy tread that helps prevent slips and falls. Pair them with specially manufactured hiking socks and/or hiking insoles, and aching feet will be the last thing you’ll have to worry about.
If Not Jeans, Then What?
It does rain in Yellowstone National Park. And if you’re smack in the middle of your 4-hour hike wearing jeans when it happens, you could expect to spend the next two hours, weighed down, wet and miserable. Denim is the heaviest of cottons, and once it’s wet, it stays that way. That’s why it’s a good idea to leave the jeans back at the hotel and opt for regular hiking pants or shorts instead. These feature alternative fabrics such as polyester, spandex or nylon that not only stretch and move with you but that dry quickly and help to wick moisture away from skin. They also have the added feature of being lightweight.
Moisture-Wicking Technology Rules
Temperatures vary on our Old Faithful Geyser Basin Hike. Superheated water and steam that erupts from the ground at regular intervals make this tour interesting, but it can also make for a range of temperature changes that you should be prepared against. Again, a shirt that’s specifically designed for hiking is one that wicks sweat and water away from your skin. This helps you stay cool (or warm) and dry for the duration. Layer that over or under a long-sleeved hiking shirt to accommodate most ranges of temperature while backpacking in Yellowstone in the summer.
The bottom line? Dress for your Scenic Safaris backpacking hike as though your comfort depends upon it because it does. It really does.