Last week we chatted about the ideal women’s fall hiking kit, but what about the guys? Never fear; we thought of you too. Below you’ll find our favorite pieces for men, layer by layer.
Smartwool Intraknit 250 Quarter Zip Base Layer
Smartwool’s new Intraknit series (exclusively at REI) dials in a performance fit with fewer seams and body-mapped ventilation. What does that mean? You can move freely while dumping heat from the sweatiest areas of your body. For men, the ventilation areas are in the chest, elbows, groin, and along the side of the thighs. The 250 layer is for chillier days, but if you want a thinner option, consider the Merino 200 series.
Patagonia Micro Puff Insulated Vest
Mid layers are meant to keep you warm, and the Micro Puff does just that. Thanks to PlumaFill synthetic insulation, the vest is extremely warm but also light. According to the brand, the Micro Puff rivals their down options in terms of warmth-to-weight ratio. Four pockets (two for hands, two internal drop-in pockets) up the livability factor.
Cotopaxi Palmas Active Jacket
An outer shell is meant to protect you from the elements, but the Palmas looks good while doing it. This 100%-recycled polyester jacket uses a DWR coating for weather resistance, and a back vent dumps heat in a hurry. It’s super compressible too; it even stuffs inside its own pocket.
Duer Performance Denim Slim Jeans
If you’ve ever wanted jeans to wear around town and on trail, consider today your lucky day. Duer’s Performance Denim is constructed from cotton, polyester, and lycra, so they have enough stretch for legit movement—even if you’re climbing a steep incline at your favorite trail. Plus, they use Silvadur, an antimicrobial treatment, so you don’t need to worry about stinking up the joint.
Injinji Spectrum Trail Midweight Crew Sock
Socks are socks, but some socks are better than others. For those who frequently battle blisters between their toes, Injinji toe socks can be a godsend. They fit like gloves for your feet—five individual toe sleeves—and use COOLMAX fibers to keep feet cool and dry on hard-charging days.
Lems Trailhead Sneaker
These minimalist kicks are deceiving: they look good enough to be a standard travel shoe but they have enough technical chops to pull double duty on steep-and-gritty hiking terrain. The four-millimeter drop takes some adjustment, but we love the wide toe box that offers plenty of space for toe splay. Plus, the 2.5-millimeter rubber lugs grip sandy terrain, so you don’t have to worry about slipping.