Tuesday 16 April 2019

Womens tramping clothing

What gear do I need for tramping in New Zealand

Here is an interesting pictograph that JETNZ a fellow Kiwi tramping enthusiast has drawn up and forwarded to me. This is a diagram showing the clothing a woman needs for tramping in New Zealand conditions. 

Obviously, the clothing worn by males and females is made from the same materials but usually differ in cut and styling. Women's outdoor clothing tends to be colourful and more finely cut than menswear, shaped for a women's figure although increasingly outdoor clothing is multisex in nature.


Mostly female tramping group from the Welington Tramping and Mountaineering Club or WTMC


Most guys I interact with outdoors look like a bunch of hobos.....dirty and dishevelled and there is nothing wrong with that. Outdoor women tend to look like they would on the street...tidy. If you are going to see a dirt bag tramper its usually going to be a dude.


The clothing in the diagram is made of either synthetics or merino wool and follows the time honoured layering principles. No cotton clothing because cotton is very hard to dry and leeches heat from your body when wet.

You have options here for all climatic conditions: warm and dry, cold and wet, cold and dry and warm and wet. You 'mix and match' the items to regulate your body heat and to keep yourself dry.


Here is my tramping clothing laid out for a post I made in 2015

The only thing I might add to the list is underwear...both tops and bottoms should be merino or synthetics preferably with good breathable qualities. A sports top and a couple of pair of underwear seem like a goodly amount. You might also consider a swim suit unless you are willing to swim in your underwear. Maybe some hut/camp shoes/sandals if that is your thing...

BTW...thanks for the pictograph Janey......much appreciated! I'm sorry it took so long to post it...


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