Hikerkind tested its Ultralight Trail Dress over 1,500 miles on the Appalachian Trail. In March, it released the second version, tweaked from athlete Claire “Marmot” Dumont’s feedback.
Dumont took the initial version of the Ultralight dress on her humid journey from Georgia to Maine. She said she returned with little to no signs of abrasion, and pretty minimal staining for 1,500 miles.
If your initial thought was, “Why would anyone hike that kind of mileage in a skirt?” you’re not alone. I did, too. Specifically, my thighs wanted to know Claire’s secret to avoiding chafing while hiking in a dress.
Why are hiking dresses, skirts, and skorts so popular, and more importantly, why should I wear one?
It’s Hiking Skirt Season
Hikerkind isn’t alone in the hiking dress arena, although they did make it into Vogue.
Patagonia showcases the Maipo dress (complete with liner shorts) and the Fleetwith dress (sans liner) in its latest hiking collection. The North Face offers a fashionable cutout back design in its Arque Hike Dress. Backcountry designed a full-zip front on its Destination Trail Dress, allowing you to wear it as a cover-up, mid-thigh vest, or easily ventilated dress.
There are a few cult classics in the hiking dress realm, too. Jolly Gear designed its Triple Crown Button Down Sun Dress for the long-distance namesake Triple Crown hikes: the Appalachian Trail, the Pacific Crest Trail, and the Continental Divide Trail. Melanzana’s Microgrid Dress, which can only be purchased by appointment at its one location in Leadville, Colo., remains a highly coveted cold-weather adventure layer. I personally had someone try to buy the years-old Melanzana Microgrid Dress off my body in Japan’s Narita International Airport.
‘Better Fit, More Fun’: Guides and Athletes Sound Off On Hiking Skirts and Dresses
I spoke with several outdoor professional women, including Hikerkind athlete Claire Dumont, Alaskan backpacking guide Nikki Baran, and outdoor gear tester/writer Sara “Socks” Kruglinski. Each of them has hiked significant mileage (we’re talking 8 to 30+ miles daily) in skirts, skorts, and dresses.
Common themes arose from each conversation. Liner shorts and chafing cream are key, and hiking in a skirt is just fun.
Long trails veteran Claire Dumont said she didn’t like the texture of hiking pants or the constriction of leggings. In her treks, she wanted the airflow, ease of peeing (a hot commodity on a busy trail), and feminine spirit that comes with hiking in a dress.
“Wearing a dress is a way for my femininity to take up more space in a male-dominated sport, especially on the AT, ” Dumont said. “If I’m going to wear the same thing every day for 5 months, I want to like how I look.”
She said the Hikerkind Ultralight Trail Dress was magic. It dried quickly, even in humidity, and didn’t pill or wear out by the end of the AT. “As long as they’re making it,” she said, “it will be my go-to hiking dress.”
Alaskan glacier guide Nikki Baran lauds the thermoregulation a skirt affords her. While hiking 8 miles round-trip to the Laughton Glacier outside of Skagway, Alaska, temperatures could still reach 60 degrees at treeline. Mostly, she said she loves the playful confidence it gives her as a female outdoor professional in a state known for rugged mountain men.
“There’s just something about guiding in a skirt,” Baran said. “People don’t take you seriously at first. Then you blow their minds with some knowledge, a 60-pound pack, and bare calves.”
Thru-hiker Sara “Socks” Kruglinski said she started wearing a skirt 1,000 miles into her first Pacific Crest Trail hike. It was an immediate game changer. She said the leggings and shorts she used to hike in would wear out between her thighs. Sometimes, seams would fall apart mid-hike. “Switching to a skirt was partly fashion, partly getting pockets, and partly wanting something more durable,” Kruglinski said.
She’s now hiked around 5,000 miles on trails like the PCT (in both directions) and the Tahoe Rim Trail — all in a skirt.
She built up her tolerance for skirt-only, bare-thighs hiking by alternating between leggings and using a body balm stick to help with the worst chafing areas. Eventually, she said, she built up a callous and could hike all day in a skirt without issue. “Skirts themselves stay much cleaner and less stinky than shorts,” Kruglinski explained, “since they don’t get as much direct skin and sweat contact.”
Hiking Skirts vs. Skorts: Why It Matters
If your thighs haven’t built up a tolerance for skirt-only hiking like Kuglinski’s have — mine certainly haven’t — then a skort (skirt + shorts) might be your best alternative.
Thighs rub, get sweaty, get dirty, and chafe. It happens. You can counteract those effects by opting for a skort with built-in shorts. Or, create your own by layering bike shorts or leggings under your skirt. You can keep the fashion, the function, and the femininity of a skirt without losing a layer of thigh skin.
Shorts underneath a skirt also add a layer of modesty and comfort. Dumont said compression shorts came in handy for her in windy conditions on the AT. For Kruglinski, the ability to quickly add leggings for warmth or to prevent flashing her friends over log crossings was vital.
Baran and several other female hikers lauded the skort for the built-in ease of everyday wear and thigh chafe prevention. However, each noted that the ability to pee more easily off-trail is lost with built-in shorts. As a shorts alternative, though, all preferred the function and fashion of a skort.
Trail Tough: Wear That Hiking Skirt
Whether you’re looking to tackle an after-work jaunt or a long trail, a skirt might be your next best gear investment.
Find a skirt with durable materials, like the Hikerkind Ultralight Trail Dress 02, made with quick-drying materials and abrasion resistance. Deep pockets, like those on the Purple Rain Adventure Skirts, are a substantial feature. (I have not personally tested these items, but will do so soon.)
Above all, find a skirt that feels comfortable to you. If you plan to hike long distances, you may need to size down to accommodate weight loss on the trail; adjustable waists may prove more useful.
Why wear a skirt, skort, or dress hiking? Nikki Baran said it well: “It’s the best feeling, wearing something super feminine and doing traditionally masculine activities. I love showing the next generation that we can be more than one thing.”
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