As many of you may know, as part of being a travel blogger, I take travel photography for a living, and one of the key ingredients in composing a great photo is the subject and how it contrasts with the landscape.
When I first started looking for hiking gear for my initial trip to Nepal, I was overwhelmed by the many options available and the price tags that came with them. Brands like The North Face and Columbia dominate the market, and without much knowledge about hiking, many people spend a lot of money on highly technical and unnecessary gear that doesn't even look good on them.
In this guide, we will explore all the options for hiking gear that are cheap, functional, and stylish.
Why is it so important to look good when hiking?
Which one looks better? Left or right?
I've had many arguments with travelers about this, and the conclusion I've reached boils down to people's priorities. Some people do not care about how they look in photos, while others do. As I do travel photography for a living and more often than not, am the subject of my own work, spending a little time seeking color-matching jackets, pants, and non-ugly hiking shoes seems like a good investment to me.
"It's all about the experience" and "It's comfortable" are a few sentences thrown at me when I talked about this.
I completely agree, but your gear can have all the functions and comfort you want without being ugly or expensive if you know where to look. This guide is all about making this process easy for you, to find the best gear that is comfortable to hike in, cheap, and actually looks good on you.
Rules of Thumb
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The Three Layers Rule is all you need to get for most hiking trails.
- The first layer is the base layer which can be a t-shirt or long underwear sets. The function of this layer is to wick sweat away from your skin to control your body temperature. Stay away from cotton because, as the saying goes, "Cotton is rotten," and it can smell bad real fast.
- The second layer is the insulated layer, and a fleece jacket is perfect for this. The function of this layer is to maintain the heat your body creates. This layer is what keeps you warm.
- The last layer is the outer shell layer, which can be waterproof or water-resistant shells or down jackets. The purpose of this layer is to protect you from bad weather that could penetrate and affect your body temperature.
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Pick bright-colored outer shell jackets for better photos and improved visibility in case of an emergency. The bright colors stand out against natural backgrounds such as forests, skies, snow, and rocks, and people can spot you easily in both your photos and from afar. Not convinced? Outdoor Research has more examples on their blog.
Colors like orange, cyan blue, and pink are great for most situations.
- Weather resistant pants are recommended for longer than one day hike or you can use any pants you have with weather-proof light-weight outer shell on top.
- Keep your pants, head gear and gloves in dark shade of colors like black, navy blue or dark gray. You don't want to be overly colorful when hiking and the jacket should be enough.
- Don't buy the 3-in-1 jacket that are overly expensive (400USD) since you can get all of them separately cheaper and you have more flexibility in different types of weather.
- Go with wool for beanie, gloves and sock to keep yourself warm in cold climate.
- Find a backpack with good back support, enough space for at least 2 liters of water, snacks and necessary camera gear you have. I found 25L bag to be the perfect size for a full day hike.
- Shoes are one of the most important part that can make or break your hiking trip. Investing a bit more on shoes are recommended.
- Don't bother with the highly technical shoes equipped with the anti-gravity technology from the 21st century advertised in most magazines. Of course it will depends on the types of trail you are doing, but mostly the low ankle, non-performance shoes with good grip are more than enough for most trails. Plus, it is lighter to carry in your backpack and looks good while walking in cities.
Clothing
Wicking Thermal Shirts (Grey)
Any wicking shirt will do. These shirts are lightweight and dry quickly, making them perfect for light travelers like you. I usually have five of them in different colors and sleeve lengths in my backpack for a six-month-long trip.
FOG Fleece Jacket (Dark Grey)
The fleece jacket is essential for regulating your body temperature, so the warmer it is, the better. I carry only one fleece jacket for a six-month-long trip.
Buy FOG Fleece Jacket ($29.99)Columbia Evaporation Jacket (Orange)
The outer shell is the layer that endures the toughest weather, and it's the piece of clothing people see the most. I highly recommend investing a bit in a jacket, hence why I chose Columbia. I carry only one outer shell for a six-month-long trip.
Buy Columbia Evaporation Jacket ($68.80)Waterproof Rain Pants (Black)
The great thing about these rain pants is that you can wear them over any pants you have on to keep your inner pants dry. They dry easily and are as light as a feather. I usually have two to three pairs of regular pants along with one pair of these rain pants for a six-month-long trip.
Buy Waterproof Rain Pants ($13)Footwear
Timberland Men's Jackson's Landing Shoes
Timberland is the perfect choice for footwear because it's durable, comfortable, and looks good everywhere, unlike the high-performance hiking shoes out there. This is the shoe to rule them all, no matter where you are, mountains or cities. Gone are the days when you have to carry both your casual shoes and hiking shoes in your backpack. I only had this one pair the entire time I was in South America for six months.
Fun fact: I have hiked to the Everest Base Camp, the Alps, Patagonia, and many volcanoes in South America with Timberland shoes.
Accessories
Wool Beanie (Black)
Any wool beanie should be able to keep your ears warm in strong wind. I carry one wool beanie for a six-month-long trip.
Buy Wool Beanie ($7.99)Wool Gloves (Black)
A pair of wool gloves should help keep your hands warm in most cold-climate hiking environments.
Buy Wool Gloves ($9.99)Backpack
Herschel Supply Little America Daypack
Of course, I cannot go without mentioning my Navy Blue Little America Herschel Supply backpack. Stylish and functional, what more could I ask for?!
Buy Herschel Supply Little America backpack ($99)Total Cost: US$ 386.76
What do you think about the guide? Did I miss anything from the list? If so, please don't hesitate to let me know in the comments below.
Disclosure: Please note that some of the links above are affiliate links, and every purchase you make here will help support us through the commission we earn, at no extra cost to you.
Further Reading for Resources
Looking for more articles to help you with your travel, whether it's about camera gear or clothing? Here's a collection of articles you might like:
- Ever wondered what a full-time travel blogger like myself carries in my camera bag? Check out: What's In My Camera Bag in 2025?
- Traveling light with camera gear is all about balancing between what you need and what you want. Here are the 8 Best Tips For Traveling Light With Camera Gear.
- After years of research, I finally found the most beautiful camera backpack of all! Check this out: A Traveler's Review: Langly Alpha Globetrotter Camera Backpack.
- Wondering which Sony Mirrorless camera is right for you? The Best Sony Travel Cameras to Buy in 2025.
- Wondering which lenses to buy for your Sony cameras? Check out The Best Travel Lenses For Sony a7III, a7C, a7RIV, and More.
- Full-frame or APS-C Cameras? Here’s my take on which camera format to pick for travel: 5 Reasons Why I'm Sticking With a Sony APS-C Camera
- GoPro is good and all, but did you know that there are many other GoPro alternatives that are better and cheaper? Here are the 8 Best GoPro Alternatives You Should Buy in 2025.
- You can't travel without a backpack, and if you are looking for one, check out my guide on the best Herschel Supply backpacks for travelers.
- If you like hiking and going on adventures for weeks on end, you are going to need a bigger backpack. Here is Why the Osprey Atmos AG is the Best Hiking Backpack to Buy.
- Planning to go on your first-ever hiking trip? Here is How to Pack for Hiking and Camping.
- If you are a light-weight traveler and are looking for powerful gear to go with your setup, check out the extremely light-weight photography gear guide.
- Looking to plan your first backpacking trip around the world? Check out: How To Plan A Backpacking Trip.
- For more resources like this, visit my Resources page.
- Want to learn how I was able to take so many good pictures of myself while I travel solo? Check out: How To Take Great Pictures of Yourself.
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links.
4 Comments
great post. This is very helpful for my Iceland trip. thanks for sharing.
Thanks man! :)
Hello, excellent blog and post. However, I am looking for clothes for hiking in summer and hot weather, and I was seeing that you were wearing jeans in a photo, it is not recommended. And regarding the colors there is a problem, there are colors that attract insects / bugs ... I love the orange color, but I am scared by the insects theme and maybe I will look for other colors, although I love taking photos of myself with flashy clothes ...
Hey Rocio,
Thank you for taking the time to check the article out. :) Oh, jeans in hot weather is definitely not great for hiking. I only use jeans when it's cold outside especially at higher altitude. I would not wear it hiking in hot weather myself. I have yet to have problems with orange but then again, I often hike in high altitude which there are no insects. Pink, bright green, and turquoise blue are great colors as well and you can often find them on North Face or Colombia jackets so make sure you check those colors out. :)