In this post I figured I would shed some light on my clothing arrangement strategy. Since I will be away for 30 days with nothing more than I can fit on my motorcycle I've had to be very selective about what things I bring, especially clothing. Clothing can take up a lot of room in your pack but nothing is more vital for a comfortable trip.
So during all my research on backpacker.com , oustide magazine , andrew skurka , geartalkwithjasonklass.com , and gearjunkie.com , etc...I have discovered the one vital theme for clothing....Layering. And out of all those instructional videos and "gear talks" I have condensed it down to one simple thing to remember for a 3-4 day camping trip. That is the rule of "3-2-1" ....
3 base layer clothing ( 2 wicking short-sleeve shirts, 1 long-sleeve shirt/fleece)
2 pairs of pants/shorts (could even go 1 pair,better safe than sorry)
1 outer "shell" (hard/soft shell for warmth / protection from wet climate)
So armed with this information and all my choices from REI I purchased the following:
3 base layer ( 2 Columbia Omni-Dry 1 REI Lightweight Power Dry)
2 pairs of pants/shorts REI Sahara Convertible Pants
1 outer "shell" Patagonia Torrentshell
After trying on all the clothing at REI I think these are all solid picks for my trip and the climate I might encounter in the National Parks. Your choices may vary depending on the time of year and the climate. Now bare in mind this isnt all the clothing I will be taking on my trip, just when I go backpacking away from my bike in the Park. I did pick up some extra Columbia Omni-Dry shirts because they are so awesome and I am sure are going to be a lifesaver in the summer heat. But this list is definitely the bare essentials.
