big_load wrote:
I know cotton is much more practical in AZ than most other places, but it gets downright abrasive when wet.
I prefer to wear a heavy cotton "boonie hat" style on my noggin when I need sun protection and cooling. Dunk that puppy in a pond, stream or douse it with your water bottle and it'll keep my head cool for hours (or minutes if it's over 110 - but then i just shouldn't be outside). There seem to be 2 consistent problems with this, however:
1. Most places only carry the non-cotton, quick wicking, quick drying lightweight type hats these days. Ol' fashioned canvas just ain't cool no mo' I wish they'd figure out is actually IS really COOL!
2. My noggin is roughly the size of a smallish planet. Good for thinkin and winning head-butting competitions. Not so good for finding good looking, relatively inexpensive hats. A man's size large is usually about right in the heat on the trail - though some have shrunk in the wash to be too small. I mean, come on folks - just because I'm a girl, doesn't mean I have a tiny head! (wait...wrong thread...)
One big switch I've made recently is to special hiking underwear. I hope that you all don't scream TMI and run away - because we're all grown ups
, and i think we can talk underthings here. Particularly for girls on multi-day hikes, having the right undies can be the difference between a miserable week when you get home, and feeling like a new woman each day. I have finally decided that the fancy ones sold by exofficio and patagonia are actually worth the extra $$. Just easier to deal with and more suited to heavy duty activity than the ol' cotton standbys.
on and on and on...
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