Desert Hiking Clothing: The Backpacker’s Guide

W.hen you hike through the desert, you’ll likely face intense sun, heat, and rugged terrain. The right clothing can help you stay comfortable and, more importantly, safe. This guide covers key considerations for choosing what to wear on your next trip to the desert.

Staying comfortable on a desert hike

When choosing desert clothing, focus on three main factors: sun protection, ventilation and durability.

Sun protection: The intense sun can cause sunburn and long-term skin damage, even through some fabrics, so look for clothing with an ultraviolet protection factor (UPF) of at least 30. You’ll also want a good hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, and SPF lip balm. Accessories such as sun gloves or an umbrella are also popular.

Ventilation: High temperatures require fabrics that allow sweat to evaporate quickly and loose clothing that helps air circulate and keeps you cool.

Durability: Finally, desert landscapes are often rocky and have thorny plants, so your clothing must be able to withstand harsh conditions.

Finding the right balance between these categories can be difficult. Some hikers prefer to cover up completely with long sleeves and pants to protect their skin from the sun and brush, while others wear as little as possible and compensate with more sunscreen. Many hikers choose the middle path: a long-sleeved hoodie paired with shorts and sunscreen.

Desert Hiking Clothing: Essential Items

A hat with a wide or long brim is essential. While a baseball cap is better than nothing, a truly wide-brimmed cap will benefit you by shading your face, neck, and ears. A hat with a dark brim can also help reduce glare, especially around lighter colored sand.

In the case of shirts, long sleeves offer better sun protection than short sleeves. Light-colored clothing helps keep you cooler by reflecting heat and sunlight. Shirts with vents or mesh panels also improve airflow.

Sun hoodies have become very popular lately in the desert hiking community. Pairing the hoodie with sunglasses and a long-brimmed baseball cap provides excellent coverage and leaves very little skin exposed.

For pants, a loose fit allows for better air circulation and versatile options with zippered legs are useful. Some hikers prefer to wear shorts and sunscreen, but you’ll probably want to pack a pair of pants for cooler times of the day and especially for brushy conditions.

Because nights and higher elevations can be cold, a lightweight windbreaker or thin wool jacket can provide warmth without taking up much space in your pack.

Some popular sun hoodies: Patagonia Capilene Cool Diary, Jolly Gear Triple Crown Button Down Shirt, city ​​shirt, REI Sahara Shade Hoodie

READ NEXT – How to Choose the Perfect Sun Hoodie for Your Next Hike

Fabrics for hiking in the desert and the case of cotton

The material of the clothing you choose also matters; Conventional wisdom points to merino wool or lightweight synthetics like polyester or nylon. These materials absorb moisture and dry quickly. But there’s another textile you should consider for desert hikes: cotton.

The old saying «cotton kills» applies primarily to cold, damp environments where soaked cotton holds moisture against the skin and increases the risk of hypothermia. In the desert, the story is more nuanced.

Cotton feels cooler when it’s damp, and that might be a good thing in the grueling heat of a desert afternoon. Some hikers even wet cotton shirts or handkerchiefs to take advantage of evaporative cooling. It’s also soft and comfortable for camping or hiking at a slower pace.

That said, cotton has real drawbacks: it retains sweat longer, can cause irritation on long days, and dries much more slowly than synthetics. As hot as the desert can be during the day, it is still very cold at night, when a damp cotton shirt could increase the risk of hypothermia.

For short desert hikes or intentionally cooling off, cotton can work well. But for longer backpacking trips, most prefer synthetic materials or merino wool.

A baseball cap with a cotton bandana underneath is a great way to protect yourself from the sun on the back of your neck while staying cool. Photo

Underwear and Footwear

For socks and underwear, synthetic or merino wool helps prevent chafing. If you’re walking on sand or loose dirt, which is likely if you’re in the desert, bring an extra pair or two of socks. No matter how hard you try, you won’t be able to shake all the sand out of your socks, and having new pairs will be huge when it comes to avoiding blisters.

Low gaiters can help keep dirt and pebbles out of your shoes, but nothing will completely prevent sand from entering.

As for shoes, trail running shoes or lightweight, non-waterproof hiking boots are usually better in terms of breathability than heavy leather or waterproof boots.

Light sun gloves can protect your hands from the sun and minor scratches.

Do you need a waterproof jacket when hiking in the desert?

Yes. Rain is less common but not unheard of in the desert, and rains in the desert can be very cold. Going into the backcountry without some form of rain protection is irresponsible and leaves you vulnerable if you get caught in unexpected weather.

Even if it doesn’t rain during your trip, a raincoat can be useful as an extra layer to keep you warm on cold nights. An ultralight rain jacket or at least a backup rain poncho will suffice.

Rain gear ideas: Frogg Toggs UltraLite² (Men’s/Women’s), Outdoor Research Helium, Gatewood Cape by Six Moon Designs

Umbrella for hiking in the desert

Lightweight umbrellas have become a popular desert hiking accessory in the long-distance community in recent years. An umbrella has the advantage of keeping the intense desert sun off your skin, resulting in dramatically cooler temperatures and less risk of sunburn, all without having to be strapped into hiking clothing. Umbrellas are also useful in light rain when you need some protection but don’t want your raincoat yet.

The downside is that you have to hold the umbrella in one hand the entire time (a no-brainer for trekking pole users) or attach it to your backpack, which can be a hassle and is difficult to do well. They also don’t do well in windy or brushy conditions, for obvious reasons.

Popular umbrellas: Six Moon Designs Silver Shadow Ultralight, Gauze Gear Lighttrek, Ultralight Snowpeak

Final Tips: Layering

Dressing in layers is a practical approach to managing temperature fluctuations throughout the day. While desert heat can be intense during peak sunlight, temperatures can drop significantly at night or at higher altitudes.

A layering system allows you to add or remove clothing as needed, regulating your body temperature to prevent overheating and getting cold. When it’s hot, it’s easy to wear as little as possible, but covering exposed skin as much as possible will go a long way toward preventing burns.

Once the sun sets in the desert, especially at higher altitudes, the temperature drops quickly. Photo

I’ve said it before, but it’s worth repeating: Prioritize clothing with a high UPF rating (30 or 50+), like a good, lightweight hoodie. Once you open the door to a sunburn down the road, regulating your body temperature and protecting your exposed skin becomes exponentially more challenging.

Hiking in the desert poses its own set of challenges and discomforts, many of which are unavoidable, but choosing the right clothing can keep you as safe and comfortable as possible.

Example Layering/Sun Protection Checklist for Desert Hiking

• long brimmed hat
• Sunglasses with 100% UVA and UVB protection
• UPF Rated Sun Hoodie
• Lightweight Hiking Pants
• Optional: hiking shorts.
• Merino or synthetic underwear
• Merino or synthetic socks (+ extra pairs)
• running gaiters
• Trail runners (not waterproof)
• SPF lip balm
• Sunscreen lotion
• Optional: sun gloves
• Optional: Parasol
• Warm hat and gloves for cooler temperatures.
• Mid layer and/or windbreaker for cooler temperatures
• Ultralight raincoat or backup poncho

Cover image: Photo by katie jackson; graphic design by Zack Goldman