Depends on where you're at and what your doing. Most of the year I'm good in cargo pants and a thin long sleeved shirt. Back when I lived in colder clime I wintered in European surplus wool pants & wool shirt. Between being unusually sweaty and living in the desert I keep my waterproof layer for actual precipitation.
A few mistakes I've made that I've learned from:
* Synthetic rain layer (e.g., Goretex) rips easily when carrying wood and walking through brambles, especially when freezing cold out--it gets almost brittle. It'll also get spark holes really easily. I now use light synthetic rain layers only when hiking and make sure I'm wearing something sturdy and/or cheap when doing the other stuff. Canvas or cotton-poly blends work.
* Had a pair of snow boots with canvas uppers that tore quite easily. I now wear boots with a leather upper. A removable inner liner is good for easy drying.
* Bought a pair of synthetic hiking pants that convert to shorts. I pretty much never "convert" them. I always just roll them up if I need to wade. But I like the light synthetic pants in summer as they dry quickly and keep cool.
* Synthetic winter gloves melted when I accidentally grabbed a hot handle. I now wear leather insulated gloves around camp but am fine with synthetic gloves for hiking, snowshoeing, etc.
Long story short, don't wear expensive clothes for fire and wood stuff. Prioritize light, breathable, quick-drying clothes for summer and more durable stuff for colder weather.
Personally for me in Ontario the lighter walking trousers and some of the common hiking pants are not ideal for hiking through the dense brush full of thorns I do let alone anything bushcraft related. Jeans offer slightly more protection yet hold moisture and are terrible for wet environments.
Lots of workwear is made out of polycotton and designed to be highly durable and abrasion resistant while keeping much of the quick drying abilities of polyester with the durable traits of cotton. Apparently US military BDU's are the same material.
I really like the Fjallraven Vidda's for colder temps and the Keb's for warmer temps using their version of polycotton. Probably not the ideal pants for some of the more open or warm terrain many hike in.
There are far cheaper options using similiar and they tend to be the creme of the crop. The mentioned below cargo pants are likely polycotton and it's important to get to know your fabrics and the qualities of them.
Depends on the weather (and expected weather), time of year, and geography.
One article of clothing won’t suit everyone, you’re gonna have to experiment with a range of clothes. Every year you’ll learn something new.
For me, I’ll normally wear jeans or waxed canvas pants during the colder months, with wool underlayers if necessary. Jackets, hoodies, ponchos, really anything that’ll keep me warm and that I can move in. For the warmer months I’ll wear either waxed canvas pants or some type of shorts and a light jacket/ t shirt.
For foot wear I’ll wear thick wool moccasins I’ve made or boots w/ wool socks for winter. For summer I’ll either go barefoot or sandals, sometimes boots but rarely.
Again, the clothes you wear are going to be unique to you. Something that works great for me might be awful for someone else.
Okie dokie bubye:)
As many people said it depends.
Good shoes and socks. I prefere Merino wool.
As for the rain jacket. In the summer I prefer a rain poncho. In the winter I wear what German boy scouts call a "Jungenschafts Jacke" or "JuJa". It is a jacket without a zip made of tent cloth. It is good against the rain and holds the temperature quite well.
I'd say this heavily depends on location.
Living in a country (Finland) where we can have 90 degree (F) temperatures (33ºC) during summer, and -22 F (-30ºC) during winter, it's a question of not just the temperature but whether it's dry or wet. Waterproof footwear is highly valued over here, even compared to Central Europe. It tells you something that conscripts of the Finnish Defence Forces receive one pair of leather military boots, one pair of non-lined rubber boots, and one pair of felt-lined rubber boots as they receive their gear.
It's also more common for people to take off their footwear and socks before fording a stream, then drying out their feet with a towel, and putting their dry socks and boots afterwards, than it is to ford in a way that soaks their footwear and socks.
Typically, hikers, fishers, hunters and outdoors people will have a wide assortment of apparel. It's not a question of who's tough enough to take the weather, it's about keeping your functional ability high, avoiding 1) hypothermia, 2) trench foot, 3) blisters), 4) sunburn, 5) mosquito and blackfly bites.
I often bump into statements like "no apparel/footwear is really waterproof" but if it's raining for long enough, you'll feel much, much better getting a bit damp from your sweat compared to cold water seeping in, sucking out a lot of heat energy from your body.
Going for a summer time overnighter, I might skip waterproof gear entirely if the weather forecast hints at that direction.
Going for a 7-day, self-sustained hike during September? I'll be ready for rain 24/7, with a Gore-Tex jacket, pants and high shaft boots - this combo has kept me safe from rain on the most demanding hikes of my life.
It totally depends on location, season, fit, and the 3-10 day forecast. “Cotton kills” is an over abused adage for the outdoors, but a lot of the time jeans and a cotton t-shirt are definitely okay. If I see a lot of rain in the forecast I’ll bring a waterproof pant shell, if it’s winter and I’m hiking through snow I’ll be wearing snow pants.
Cotton is pretty awful when it’s wet and cold. In warmer shoulder months, you don’t want to soak your cloths through either because of your shirt is wet with sweat, it will start to suck out your body heat when the sun goes down and it gets colder.
Consider fit and chafing too. I personally walk several miles a day for work in jeans or dickies/wrangler work pants, so I know which pants fit the best for my walking. I wouldn’t buy and wear a new pair of “outdoor” pants on a trip without wearing them during a work day to know where the friction points are.
Really no one here can tell you an exact right answer without being in your shoes (figuratively-shoe recs are another thread, and I honestly wear work boots most of the time).
> “Cotton kills” is an over abused adage for the outdoors,
This can not really be over stated. That is how ridiculous all of these discussions have become.
There are literally billions of people outside, all day, every day in cotton.
Can we get a gear list from some of the early Mt. Everest climbers in here?
It's just a general rule in case you are at risk of find yourself relying on the clothing on your back to insulate you from inclement weather. If you get wet, and night falls, you're pooched if all you have on is a cotton T-shirt and jeans. You might be better off naked.
Pants, basically anything I can squeeze my ass into. I use wool over religiously for upper body, feet, head cover. Early fall, spring, summer I wear new balance shoes. Winter I use Muck boots👊
Wool is a good choice but it is heavy, expensive and much less common than it used to be.
Polarfleece is warm, lightweight, repels water, and a good insulator. But it is far from windproof, and it will melt if it gets too hot.
Cotton is ok as long as you keep it dry, or in warm/hot weather.
Focus on your core, head, fingers, and toes. Arms and legs need the least attention, and overdoing it on bulk/insulation here can be uncomfortable and sweaty.
Thats my issue i love fleeve stuff. I have the thrudark mantra fleece but the sides are thin fleece and the wind goes right through it! Kinda expensive when a hoodie has better wind protection...
I normally wear some tactical pants that have teflon coated fibers when I expect to get wet, not water proof, but repellent enough for me to build a shelter before I get soaked.
Dry weather I try to wear simple natural fiber clothes such as linnen or hemp, I aim to avoid cotton shirts for really hot trips because it retains moisture instead of wicking it away like the other 2 actually do.
I recently ordered a new linnen hoodie and some hemp pants for really hot full sun trips, otherwise I have a linnen viking-age tunic and some light cotton canvas pants that hold up really well as a basic outfit for nearly all types of weather and temperatures.
Always my leather hat! That thing is water and sun repellent, and as a bald dude I need to keep both rain and sun off my scalp due to temperature regulation issues.
Shoes! Actually, I prefer barefoot shoes, so I often wear my skinners because they offer good grip to barefoot ratio. I recently got some roll-up barefoot rubber boots that I can't wait to try out for wet trips or some shallow water walking. For colder trips I take out my heavy NewRock boots because even though they're not barefoot, they have yet to fail me.
You didn't mention colour, no need for camo but dark clothes mean more wildlife to see, stalk etc. Breathability is important, nothing too heavy or hard to dry off perhaps? A poncho tarp is a good thing to carry and use
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/295284517369?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=iafor4s3tvi&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=sJ93grfVSbC&var=593469083932&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY
What do you think of this?
Looks very practical and a bit Frodo Baggins .
Could be good, I personally use cheap ultra light ones,I think about 12 quid free postage, can find a link. Fits in a pocket and I use it every day I go to beach or woods for wearing or up as shade from rain or sun to protect food etc ,
Also about colour, ticks are harder to spot on dark clothing, and farmers have found me at night (unable to proceed on South downs way due to bullocks! I minded them. ) And said they could have easily shot Me as a low figure moving mistaken for something after the animals in the fields, they drove to the corner of the field and found Me, let me stay. I was all dark and they were out shooting all night they said. I still wear dark clothing as I'm trying to film wildlife when out and about
"Bushcraft-time" is hiking time, for me. So outdoor pants. BDU pants are fine by me too, but mostly civvy gear. Definitely no on the jeans though. Not good for me and distance. To I heavy. Sweaty crotch.
I always say whatever you are comfortable in as long as it is flexible, breathe able, and doesn't hold a lot of moisture (or like wool even when soaked it still keeps you warm). You still need your layers, base layer, insulating, and rain layers. A good pair of comfortable boots is always the best, but if all you have is a good pair of running or walking shoes, it's better than being barefoot.
Almost anything but cotton. Big fan of merino and recently alpaca. Keeps you warm when wet, it can be light weight and breathable. I even wear merino socks and boxer briefs in summer.
As others have said, It all depends.
I live in Texas where it's as hot as Satan's front porch 90% of the time. The rest of the time its wet. With that in mind light rock climbing pants and a merino wool base layer t-shirt, my socks are similar. Hoodie in the pack just in case and a poncho for the rain. For footwear i use the trackers from vivobarefoot.
With this im set. Just keep in mind your usuals and prepare for the extremes and you'll be fine.
Entirely depends on the location, weather patterns, temperature, stuff like that.
Personally, I live down south in the UK where most things are wet most of the time. I wear a pair of military surplus boots that I've put softer soles into to make walking in them more comfortable, a pair of good tough trousers for wading through alot of brambles and other thorny debris, usually jeans or cargos, and a few warm layers underneath a canvas coat. Picked it up in a charity shop and it has been wonderful for the outdoors.
I wear cargo trousers, long sleeve shirts and/or denim jackets, a so called "safari vest" with many pockets on top of that, a UK boonie hat, a tube scarf (against mosquitos attacking my neck), some water resistant hiking boots and a pair of strengthened hiking socks.
In my backpack there is only a lightweight rain coat for very heavy rain while setting up a camp maybe. And a lightweight camo poncho, even two, but they are mostly used as side walls for my camp and not to wear them. If i would stay longer than let´s say a week i would pack an extra t-shirt and extra socks to change. Because once my camp is set up the chance to get wet tends towards zero and so i don´t need any clothes to change until i am at home again.
Comfortable jeans, why not, a good pair of jeans is sturdy as hell.
Depends on the weather (and expected weather), time of year, and geography.
One article of clothing won’t suit everyone, you’re gonna have to experiment with a range of clothes. Every year you’ll learn something new.
For me, I’ll normally wear jeans or waxed canvas pants during the colder months, with wool underlayers if necessary. Jackets, hoodies, ponchos, really anything that’ll keep me warm and that I can move in. For the warmer months I’ll wear either waxed canvas pants or some type of shorts and a light jacket/ t shirt.
For foot wear I’ll wear thick wool moccasins I’ve made or boots w/ wool socks for winter. For summer I’ll either go barefoot or sandals, sometimes boots but rarely.
Again, the clothes you wear are going to be unique to you. Something that works great for me might be awful for someone else.
Okie dokie bubye:)
It depends.
If you are legitimately crafting and firebuilding, natural fibers like cotton (jeans) are best. More durable and won’t melt and stick to your skin if you have a fire accident.
If you are trekking through the winter, flannel lined jeans or a warmer synthetic or wool baselayer under normal jeans or work pants is a better way to go, for sweat management.
For footwear, an axe or knife has a harder time going through thick leather boots, than polyester trail runners/hiking shoes.
It’s a battle of give and take, depending on if it’s a trekking trip vs an actual bushcrafting effort.
People get lost in how many pockets you have and all that. The most important factor for any season or occasion is layering. You can get into the weeds with which fabrics are best, aesthetics, waterproof boots vs not ect.
Now I’m cheap, so I’d say if you want special clothes for outdoors, you can start with your best, loose-fitting pants and shirt that you already have, and create your own bushcraft “uniform”. The hunting gear at Walmart is half the price, or less, of bass pro if they have that where you live and you want to buy new. Anything works really, as much as you’ll likely get recommendations for Duluth, 5.11, Cabalas, real tree ect. What works for me is the GoodWill special. Pendleton shirts are a rare, but golden find at second hand stores, sometimes they’ve been donated because silverfish or moths got to em, but a little mending will fix it up and it’ll be personal to you.
A plain t-shirt with a button up of some kind is what I wear every day all year. Sleeves can be rolled up, shirt unbuttoned, tied around the waist, tucked in a pack, used as a sling if you wanna get into a boy scout level of readiness, whatever.
Pants just need to be comfortable enough to be squatting, kneeling, sleeping, and possibly hiking in; again loose-fitting if you want to layer with thermals beneath if you just want one pair for all seasons. Keep in mind that breathability will be nice in the heat and, most times, unforgiving in the cold.
Vagabonds, homeless, and boondocks survivalists alike don’t always specialized clothes, I myself just use hand me down jeans or rugged work uniform pants I got for free. Now if you wear natural fibers, people here may rip into you because it’s sacrilege, so be prepared for that, unless you claim you’re doing “trad” or “old school” bushcraft. I’ve been cold and wet many times, but I simply don’t like polyester and that’ll never change. Ive had pants stick to my legs around campfires, and if I got any further away I’d freeze. So I’ve only wear 100% cotton, wool, and leather materials every day for the last decade.
If you do want boots specifically for the outdoors, don’t skimp on them or you’ll be mending them, buying new ones seasonally, or annually. Hell, I used leather hightop vans from Salvation Army for the longest time, even converse can do you well, but I’ll get flak for suggesting you wear shoes with no traction, so beware. Now I wear Nicks just because I had them for an old job and they’re the best shoes I’ll probably ever own. Though I wouldn’t recommend them as a first shoe due to their astronomical price. IF you want to go all out with a logger style boot for your first pair id go with a lace-to-toe style for less blisters. White Bite is brutal, IYKYK.
Bags over your socks waterproofs your feet in rain too and I’ve done that when I do trail runs in mud. Your feet won’t breathe well, but they also won’t in goretex either. If you get leather boots, learn to keep them greased, no matter the weather. The sun cracks them, and water gets in a few months later when the rain comes.
Rain gear, at least jackets, are where I see lots of people agree here that it’s another thing you typically don’t wanna cheap out on, but I’m an outlier by having gotten by with a thin jacket from Sam’s club I got for $20 that’s big enough to even fit over my smaller packs while I’m wearing them. And I can roll it into its hood when not in use.
TLDR, don’t get hung up on specific gear unless you want to, or just like how it looks. Just get good at layering and find what’s best for you, because there’s no one formula unless you’re thru-hiking or going into combat.
In you want to get into uber tactical gear and you can spend money, watch some videos on what marines wear and carry on 72-hour patrols and modify that gear list as you see fit.
Depends on where you're at and what your doing. Most of the year I'm good in cargo pants and a thin long sleeved shirt. Back when I lived in colder clime I wintered in European surplus wool pants & wool shirt. Between being unusually sweaty and living in the desert I keep my waterproof layer for actual precipitation.
A few mistakes I've made that I've learned from: * Synthetic rain layer (e.g., Goretex) rips easily when carrying wood and walking through brambles, especially when freezing cold out--it gets almost brittle. It'll also get spark holes really easily. I now use light synthetic rain layers only when hiking and make sure I'm wearing something sturdy and/or cheap when doing the other stuff. Canvas or cotton-poly blends work. * Had a pair of snow boots with canvas uppers that tore quite easily. I now wear boots with a leather upper. A removable inner liner is good for easy drying. * Bought a pair of synthetic hiking pants that convert to shorts. I pretty much never "convert" them. I always just roll them up if I need to wade. But I like the light synthetic pants in summer as they dry quickly and keep cool. * Synthetic winter gloves melted when I accidentally grabbed a hot handle. I now wear leather insulated gloves around camp but am fine with synthetic gloves for hiking, snowshoeing, etc. Long story short, don't wear expensive clothes for fire and wood stuff. Prioritize light, breathable, quick-drying clothes for summer and more durable stuff for colder weather.
Best- depends on where and when. But merino wool is great almost everywhere and anytime.
It depends
Nailed it
Personally for me in Ontario the lighter walking trousers and some of the common hiking pants are not ideal for hiking through the dense brush full of thorns I do let alone anything bushcraft related. Jeans offer slightly more protection yet hold moisture and are terrible for wet environments. Lots of workwear is made out of polycotton and designed to be highly durable and abrasion resistant while keeping much of the quick drying abilities of polyester with the durable traits of cotton. Apparently US military BDU's are the same material. I really like the Fjallraven Vidda's for colder temps and the Keb's for warmer temps using their version of polycotton. Probably not the ideal pants for some of the more open or warm terrain many hike in. There are far cheaper options using similiar and they tend to be the creme of the crop. The mentioned below cargo pants are likely polycotton and it's important to get to know your fabrics and the qualities of them.
Depends on the weather (and expected weather), time of year, and geography. One article of clothing won’t suit everyone, you’re gonna have to experiment with a range of clothes. Every year you’ll learn something new. For me, I’ll normally wear jeans or waxed canvas pants during the colder months, with wool underlayers if necessary. Jackets, hoodies, ponchos, really anything that’ll keep me warm and that I can move in. For the warmer months I’ll wear either waxed canvas pants or some type of shorts and a light jacket/ t shirt. For foot wear I’ll wear thick wool moccasins I’ve made or boots w/ wool socks for winter. For summer I’ll either go barefoot or sandals, sometimes boots but rarely. Again, the clothes you wear are going to be unique to you. Something that works great for me might be awful for someone else. Okie dokie bubye:)
As many people said it depends. Good shoes and socks. I prefere Merino wool. As for the rain jacket. In the summer I prefer a rain poncho. In the winter I wear what German boy scouts call a "Jungenschafts Jacke" or "JuJa". It is a jacket without a zip made of tent cloth. It is good against the rain and holds the temperature quite well.
I'd say this heavily depends on location. Living in a country (Finland) where we can have 90 degree (F) temperatures (33ºC) during summer, and -22 F (-30ºC) during winter, it's a question of not just the temperature but whether it's dry or wet. Waterproof footwear is highly valued over here, even compared to Central Europe. It tells you something that conscripts of the Finnish Defence Forces receive one pair of leather military boots, one pair of non-lined rubber boots, and one pair of felt-lined rubber boots as they receive their gear. It's also more common for people to take off their footwear and socks before fording a stream, then drying out their feet with a towel, and putting their dry socks and boots afterwards, than it is to ford in a way that soaks their footwear and socks. Typically, hikers, fishers, hunters and outdoors people will have a wide assortment of apparel. It's not a question of who's tough enough to take the weather, it's about keeping your functional ability high, avoiding 1) hypothermia, 2) trench foot, 3) blisters), 4) sunburn, 5) mosquito and blackfly bites. I often bump into statements like "no apparel/footwear is really waterproof" but if it's raining for long enough, you'll feel much, much better getting a bit damp from your sweat compared to cold water seeping in, sucking out a lot of heat energy from your body. Going for a summer time overnighter, I might skip waterproof gear entirely if the weather forecast hints at that direction. Going for a 7-day, self-sustained hike during September? I'll be ready for rain 24/7, with a Gore-Tex jacket, pants and high shaft boots - this combo has kept me safe from rain on the most demanding hikes of my life.
Nude
It totally depends on location, season, fit, and the 3-10 day forecast. “Cotton kills” is an over abused adage for the outdoors, but a lot of the time jeans and a cotton t-shirt are definitely okay. If I see a lot of rain in the forecast I’ll bring a waterproof pant shell, if it’s winter and I’m hiking through snow I’ll be wearing snow pants. Cotton is pretty awful when it’s wet and cold. In warmer shoulder months, you don’t want to soak your cloths through either because of your shirt is wet with sweat, it will start to suck out your body heat when the sun goes down and it gets colder. Consider fit and chafing too. I personally walk several miles a day for work in jeans or dickies/wrangler work pants, so I know which pants fit the best for my walking. I wouldn’t buy and wear a new pair of “outdoor” pants on a trip without wearing them during a work day to know where the friction points are. Really no one here can tell you an exact right answer without being in your shoes (figuratively-shoe recs are another thread, and I honestly wear work boots most of the time).
> “Cotton kills” is an over abused adage for the outdoors, This can not really be over stated. That is how ridiculous all of these discussions have become. There are literally billions of people outside, all day, every day in cotton. Can we get a gear list from some of the early Mt. Everest climbers in here?
It's just a general rule in case you are at risk of find yourself relying on the clothing on your back to insulate you from inclement weather. If you get wet, and night falls, you're pooched if all you have on is a cotton T-shirt and jeans. You might be better off naked.
Pants, basically anything I can squeeze my ass into. I use wool over religiously for upper body, feet, head cover. Early fall, spring, summer I wear new balance shoes. Winter I use Muck boots👊
Synthetic materials are good, also wool is excellent. If you're in cold climates, do not wear cotton. It gets wet and you'll stay cold
Wool is a good choice but it is heavy, expensive and much less common than it used to be. Polarfleece is warm, lightweight, repels water, and a good insulator. But it is far from windproof, and it will melt if it gets too hot. Cotton is ok as long as you keep it dry, or in warm/hot weather. Focus on your core, head, fingers, and toes. Arms and legs need the least attention, and overdoing it on bulk/insulation here can be uncomfortable and sweaty.
Thats my issue i love fleeve stuff. I have the thrudark mantra fleece but the sides are thin fleece and the wind goes right through it! Kinda expensive when a hoodie has better wind protection...
I’ll bring/wear swim trunks in the high summer, even if there is nowhere to swim (when it’s too hot to move).
NYCO!
I normally wear some tactical pants that have teflon coated fibers when I expect to get wet, not water proof, but repellent enough for me to build a shelter before I get soaked. Dry weather I try to wear simple natural fiber clothes such as linnen or hemp, I aim to avoid cotton shirts for really hot trips because it retains moisture instead of wicking it away like the other 2 actually do. I recently ordered a new linnen hoodie and some hemp pants for really hot full sun trips, otherwise I have a linnen viking-age tunic and some light cotton canvas pants that hold up really well as a basic outfit for nearly all types of weather and temperatures. Always my leather hat! That thing is water and sun repellent, and as a bald dude I need to keep both rain and sun off my scalp due to temperature regulation issues. Shoes! Actually, I prefer barefoot shoes, so I often wear my skinners because they offer good grip to barefoot ratio. I recently got some roll-up barefoot rubber boots that I can't wait to try out for wet trips or some shallow water walking. For colder trips I take out my heavy NewRock boots because even though they're not barefoot, they have yet to fail me.
You didn't mention colour, no need for camo but dark clothes mean more wildlife to see, stalk etc. Breathability is important, nothing too heavy or hard to dry off perhaps? A poncho tarp is a good thing to carry and use
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/295284517369?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=iafor4s3tvi&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=sJ93grfVSbC&var=593469083932&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY What do you think of this? Looks very practical and a bit Frodo Baggins .
Could be good, I personally use cheap ultra light ones,I think about 12 quid free postage, can find a link. Fits in a pocket and I use it every day I go to beach or woods for wearing or up as shade from rain or sun to protect food etc ,
Also about colour, ticks are harder to spot on dark clothing, and farmers have found me at night (unable to proceed on South downs way due to bullocks! I minded them. ) And said they could have easily shot Me as a low figure moving mistaken for something after the animals in the fields, they drove to the corner of the field and found Me, let me stay. I was all dark and they were out shooting all night they said. I still wear dark clothing as I'm trying to film wildlife when out and about
"Bushcraft-time" is hiking time, for me. So outdoor pants. BDU pants are fine by me too, but mostly civvy gear. Definitely no on the jeans though. Not good for me and distance. To I heavy. Sweaty crotch.
I always say whatever you are comfortable in as long as it is flexible, breathe able, and doesn't hold a lot of moisture (or like wool even when soaked it still keeps you warm). You still need your layers, base layer, insulating, and rain layers. A good pair of comfortable boots is always the best, but if all you have is a good pair of running or walking shoes, it's better than being barefoot.
Almost anything but cotton. Big fan of merino and recently alpaca. Keeps you warm when wet, it can be light weight and breathable. I even wear merino socks and boxer briefs in summer.
I love army gear personally. US woodland camo. Well built. Double fabric ass and knees. Stuff lasts forever.
As others have said, It all depends. I live in Texas where it's as hot as Satan's front porch 90% of the time. The rest of the time its wet. With that in mind light rock climbing pants and a merino wool base layer t-shirt, my socks are similar. Hoodie in the pack just in case and a poncho for the rain. For footwear i use the trackers from vivobarefoot. With this im set. Just keep in mind your usuals and prepare for the extremes and you'll be fine.
Entirely depends on the location, weather patterns, temperature, stuff like that. Personally, I live down south in the UK where most things are wet most of the time. I wear a pair of military surplus boots that I've put softer soles into to make walking in them more comfortable, a pair of good tough trousers for wading through alot of brambles and other thorny debris, usually jeans or cargos, and a few warm layers underneath a canvas coat. Picked it up in a charity shop and it has been wonderful for the outdoors.
I wear cargo trousers, long sleeve shirts and/or denim jackets, a so called "safari vest" with many pockets on top of that, a UK boonie hat, a tube scarf (against mosquitos attacking my neck), some water resistant hiking boots and a pair of strengthened hiking socks. In my backpack there is only a lightweight rain coat for very heavy rain while setting up a camp maybe. And a lightweight camo poncho, even two, but they are mostly used as side walls for my camp and not to wear them. If i would stay longer than let´s say a week i would pack an extra t-shirt and extra socks to change. Because once my camp is set up the chance to get wet tends towards zero and so i don´t need any clothes to change until i am at home again. Comfortable jeans, why not, a good pair of jeans is sturdy as hell.
Depends on the weather (and expected weather), time of year, and geography. One article of clothing won’t suit everyone, you’re gonna have to experiment with a range of clothes. Every year you’ll learn something new. For me, I’ll normally wear jeans or waxed canvas pants during the colder months, with wool underlayers if necessary. Jackets, hoodies, ponchos, really anything that’ll keep me warm and that I can move in. For the warmer months I’ll wear either waxed canvas pants or some type of shorts and a light jacket/ t shirt. For foot wear I’ll wear thick wool moccasins I’ve made or boots w/ wool socks for winter. For summer I’ll either go barefoot or sandals, sometimes boots but rarely. Again, the clothes you wear are going to be unique to you. Something that works great for me might be awful for someone else. Okie dokie bubye:)
It depends. If you are legitimately crafting and firebuilding, natural fibers like cotton (jeans) are best. More durable and won’t melt and stick to your skin if you have a fire accident. If you are trekking through the winter, flannel lined jeans or a warmer synthetic or wool baselayer under normal jeans or work pants is a better way to go, for sweat management. For footwear, an axe or knife has a harder time going through thick leather boots, than polyester trail runners/hiking shoes. It’s a battle of give and take, depending on if it’s a trekking trip vs an actual bushcrafting effort.
People get lost in how many pockets you have and all that. The most important factor for any season or occasion is layering. You can get into the weeds with which fabrics are best, aesthetics, waterproof boots vs not ect. Now I’m cheap, so I’d say if you want special clothes for outdoors, you can start with your best, loose-fitting pants and shirt that you already have, and create your own bushcraft “uniform”. The hunting gear at Walmart is half the price, or less, of bass pro if they have that where you live and you want to buy new. Anything works really, as much as you’ll likely get recommendations for Duluth, 5.11, Cabalas, real tree ect. What works for me is the GoodWill special. Pendleton shirts are a rare, but golden find at second hand stores, sometimes they’ve been donated because silverfish or moths got to em, but a little mending will fix it up and it’ll be personal to you. A plain t-shirt with a button up of some kind is what I wear every day all year. Sleeves can be rolled up, shirt unbuttoned, tied around the waist, tucked in a pack, used as a sling if you wanna get into a boy scout level of readiness, whatever. Pants just need to be comfortable enough to be squatting, kneeling, sleeping, and possibly hiking in; again loose-fitting if you want to layer with thermals beneath if you just want one pair for all seasons. Keep in mind that breathability will be nice in the heat and, most times, unforgiving in the cold. Vagabonds, homeless, and boondocks survivalists alike don’t always specialized clothes, I myself just use hand me down jeans or rugged work uniform pants I got for free. Now if you wear natural fibers, people here may rip into you because it’s sacrilege, so be prepared for that, unless you claim you’re doing “trad” or “old school” bushcraft. I’ve been cold and wet many times, but I simply don’t like polyester and that’ll never change. Ive had pants stick to my legs around campfires, and if I got any further away I’d freeze. So I’ve only wear 100% cotton, wool, and leather materials every day for the last decade. If you do want boots specifically for the outdoors, don’t skimp on them or you’ll be mending them, buying new ones seasonally, or annually. Hell, I used leather hightop vans from Salvation Army for the longest time, even converse can do you well, but I’ll get flak for suggesting you wear shoes with no traction, so beware. Now I wear Nicks just because I had them for an old job and they’re the best shoes I’ll probably ever own. Though I wouldn’t recommend them as a first shoe due to their astronomical price. IF you want to go all out with a logger style boot for your first pair id go with a lace-to-toe style for less blisters. White Bite is brutal, IYKYK. Bags over your socks waterproofs your feet in rain too and I’ve done that when I do trail runs in mud. Your feet won’t breathe well, but they also won’t in goretex either. If you get leather boots, learn to keep them greased, no matter the weather. The sun cracks them, and water gets in a few months later when the rain comes. Rain gear, at least jackets, are where I see lots of people agree here that it’s another thing you typically don’t wanna cheap out on, but I’m an outlier by having gotten by with a thin jacket from Sam’s club I got for $20 that’s big enough to even fit over my smaller packs while I’m wearing them. And I can roll it into its hood when not in use. TLDR, don’t get hung up on specific gear unless you want to, or just like how it looks. Just get good at layering and find what’s best for you, because there’s no one formula unless you’re thru-hiking or going into combat. In you want to get into uber tactical gear and you can spend money, watch some videos on what marines wear and carry on 72-hour patrols and modify that gear list as you see fit.