Clothing

on day 1 2015, above Hendaye. Rohan top, White Sierra trousers.

The full equipment list for my trip along the Pyrenees is available here. I don't want to do extensive reviews of all the clothing I took, but there are some useful comments to make.

I did not expect the Pyrenees to be particularly cold in July and August, but in fact there was quite a wide range of temperatures at different times, including overnight frosts. Above 2,000m if it is windy, it can get pretty nippy. On the other hand, it was boiling hot at other times. So I adopted a layering system, and took nothing padded or heavy, but I did take two very thin and light fleeces. I reckoned that with them and a windproof layer (my trusty Berghaus waterproofs, see below) I should be warm enough for most things, and so it proved. I tend to run cold, so I took some gloves too but I only wore them a few times. Having two fleeces was also useful, since it meant I could wear one during the day and one in the evening, it's always nice to be able to dress for dinner...

Quantities: I took two fleeces, two pairs of trousers, 3 knicks and 3 baselayer tops, two short sleeve and one long. Another time I might take two long sleeve and one short, the extra 33g would soon be recouped in lower sunblock use.. three pairs of socks and a pair of liner socks, a waterproof top and trousers. For a week's walking you could get away with a bit less I think, but for 55 days that seemed pretty reasonable to me, the whole lot including what I was wearing weighed under 3Kg (6.6lb).

The knicks and baselayer tops were Rohan Ultra Silver (no longer made! But the ones they do sell are still pretty light.) and they were very, very good. If you can find lighter baselayers, do let me know, they are the lightest I have found. They dried literally in an hour or two after being rinsed through or washed. Mine are an attractive blue colour, comfortable to wear and (unlike my Paramo baselayers) completely free of pong, no matter how much misused. Top class. Not cheap (but then nor is the competition) but they do have regular sales.

My fleece jacket was also a Rohan, a Microrib Jacket. Also not cheap but I only paid £39 for it, keep an eye on their offers page. It was also excellent, very good in warm or hot weather but also good when it is cooler. When cold it was still sufficient under a windproof layer, as it traps lots of air. I also took a Campagnolo half-zip fleece which was even lighter.

I took two pairs of zip-off White Sierra Teton trousers, sourced with some difficulty from the US Ebay site. I can't use Rohan trousers since even their long length is only 33" - most, these days, are 34". I like the trousers (recommended to me by an efriend) but if you plan to take zip-offs, it is worth thinking about how much zipping-off you are likely to do, since there is a modest weight penalty to pay. In the end I did none to speak of, and probably wouldn't bother taking them another time. The trousers had rather a hard time. One pair got so badly ripped on barbed wire that I had to replace it, and the other pair though still in use has some amateur stitching on a small tear. Not the fault of the trousers though, they are comfortable and light and i might well buy some more, in due course. They are remarkably cheap, although shipping to the UK can mean that you don't save very much. I bought them from the Outdoor Gear Loft, who were good to deal with.

I bought my Berghaus Paclite waterproof jacket and trousers years ago, in 2009 and am still using them now. For pretty much all that time they have been fully waterproof but on this last trip they did let water in, after a while. I have reproofed them and hope that might fix it, otherwise it may be time for new ones. They are light and comfortable, and somewhat breathable but could do better. If it is hot and wet you will get wet, one way or the other! I am wondering about a poncho but they have their own drawbacks...  I've not found a system I'm completely happy with, yet. Good waterproof kit is so expensive! It is difficult to experiment.

Update 2024: For my 2024 Pennine Way traverse I treated myself to new waterproof jacket and trousers from Ultimate Direction. As you can see from my gearlist they are very light indeed. They did well, no damage or abrasion, and they were pretty waterproof. I am not quite so sure about how breathable they are but I have not found anything that performs better.

Not sure there is much else to say about clothing.. socks have already been covered, here. Overall I was happy with what I took, both in terms of amount and quality. Pretty much everything would dry overnight, except for the 1000 mile socks which needed two days.

I will put a word in finally for my Paramo cap.. see pic below. The first piece of technical clothing I ever bought, and it has survived many years of maltreatment. Not made any more, this is  probably the closest equivalent. Needless to say it didn't cost anything like that much! You can see it peeping out from under the waterproof hood in the bottom pic too, when it was still more or less its original colour..

At the Fontaine de Roland, near Roncesvalles, 2015. The rohan top is more stylish than I am making it look!

At Banyuls, day 54 2015, job done (via the HRP, not the GR10)...

In full Paclite wet weather gear, and feeling none too happy after 14 days of continuous rain and mud, near Cauterets July 2010