Head to Toe Clothing Guide

This guide is to help you find the clothing you will need, from head to toe, to feel prepared for the vast majority of Crew 27 activities. It does not cover every piece of clothing for every possible trip, but rather provides a baseline that should cover your needs for typical outings 9 months of the year.

Layers

V27 believes in maximizing the flexibility of your clothing options by utilizing layering. On a basic level, putting a sweatshirt on top of a t-shirt is a form of layering. As conditions throughout the day change, you can take off layers to cool down and put layers back on to warm up. This guide is written with layering in mind.

REI has an excellent guide on layering and how to best apply it to different conditions, which you can find here: https://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/layering-basics.html

Head

The main goal is to protect your whole head from the sun to reduce the risk of sunburn and heat exhaustion. This makes a wide brimmed hat the preferred choice. A Sahara hat, with its back flap to protect your neck, is also an acceptable option.

In addition to a wide brimmed hat, having a beanie for colder days, and keeping warm at night, is a good addition to your gear. The main goal with this hat is to keep body heat from escaping from the top of your head. A knit cap, fleece cap, or knit cap with fleece liner are all good options.

Upper Body

Shirt

V27 recommends shirts made from quick drying materials. The best three materials are polypropylene (polypro), polyester (poly), and nylon, in that order.

Shirts of these quick drying materials are the most flexible since they handle sweat well in the summer and snow and rain well in the other seasons. They are also ideal for the kinds of outings the crew does, which include a lot of water activities like canoeing and rafting. Long sleeves are great for keeping the sun off your arms, while short sleeves are better for keeping cool on particularly hot days.

Quick drying shirts can be picked up from camping outfitters. While they often cost a bit more from these stores, they are designed with outdoor adventure use in mind, including many that take into account the need to switch between long and short sleeve options depending on the day.

Quick drying shirts can also be found from traditional retailers, frequently at a lower price but without the outdoor focused design, often as athletic wear from brands like Under Armor, PUMA, or Nike. Some normal T-shirts, made from the right materials, can also be just as good.

Fleeces

Fleeces are V27’s recommended middle layer for the upper body because they keep you warm even if they get wet. Wool does that better, but in our opinion fleece is more comfortable and typically available at a lower price.

Jackets

Jackets are a good final layer for providing protection from both wind and water. We recommend a water proof shell jacket, rather than a lined jacket, for greater flexibility. A shell jacket can be layered over just a shirt in times of warm rain to provide water protection without increasing heat. Additional middle layers can be added to cover for the lack of lining in the jacket when needed.

Lower Body

V27 recommends zip-off (convertible) pants made from quick drying materials such as polypropylene. Like the quick drying shirts, they provide the best flexibility in seasonal use and utility in water activities. The fact that they zip-off also lets them function as pseudo-layering, as you can switch between shorts and full length pants depending on the temperature. If you are particularly prone to getting getting cold you might consider adding poly or silk long underwear.

Socks

Hiking Socks

V27 recommends wool hiking socks. Wool is the most popular hiking sock material. It regulates temperature well and provides good cushioning. Since modern hiking socks are made from merino wool, there is none of the itchiness normally associated with wool clothing. Some brands we recommend are Smart Wool and Darn Tough.

Liner Socks (Optional)

For those who are prone to blisters, a pair of liner socks can be a great addition to your gear. Liner socks are typically an ultra-thin polyester or nylon sock that is put on before hiking socks and boots. They help prevent friction and wick away sweat, both of which are associated with a higher risk of blisters.

Shoes

Hiking Boots

The most important thing when picking a hiking boot is comfort. Hiking boots should fit your feet in a way where you won’t get blisters over an extended period of walking. Try on the shoes you are considering in the store to make sure they feel good on your feet.  If possible try walking in them up and down a slope.

After buying a pair, walk around with them to begin breaking them in well before the first time you intend to take them on a trip. Keep these walks short, but do them frequently, to get the best results.

Water Shoes

V27 does a lot of water activities and a pair of water shoes is an essential purchase. The main concern with water shoes is that they stay on your feet. In other words, no flip flops or loose slip ons. Snug slip ons are OK, but we recommend sandals with adjustable straps. We like brands like Teva, Chacos, and Merrill. All three are favored by river guides we have talked to in the past. Like with hiking boots, this style of sandal should be broken in, at least a bit, before wearing them on a long expedition.  You could also use old tennis shoes.

Camp Shoes

Sometimes a pair of comfortable tennis shoes are a nice addition to your pack list just to have something to wear around camp.  Hiking boots are stiff and water shoes offer limited protection for all but the bottoms of you feet, so camp shoes offer a nice compromise when appropriate. They take up space and weight, however, so consider only bringing them when that won’t be an issue. Also, they are bound to get dirty, so only bring a pair you don’t mind beating up.

Where To Buy

All of this gear can be purchased locally from stores like REI, Redwood Trading Post and Sports Basement or online from places like Sierra Trading Post, Campmor, and Cabelas. These options offer specialty gear for the outdoors, but as a result come at a slight premium.

For the non-specialty alternatives, try places like Kohl’s, Target, and Walmart. Knit wool caps, quick dry shirts, fleeces, and jackets should all be relatively easy to find this way. Just don’t forget to check the labels to make sure what you’re buying is made of the right materials.

Thrift stores can also be a good option, especially for fleeces and jackets, though they are less guaranteed to have what you are looking for in stock.