Mike,

My first backpacking trip was a four day hike in southern Virginia. I brought a clean pair of jeans for each day -- that's three pair in my pack, plus maybe a ton of other clothing, none of it particularly well thought out. This went a long way toward making my pack weigh 65+ pounds. (What can I say, I learned how to live in the woods from Uncle Sam....) We got lucky and had perfect weather -- I hate to think what would have happened if we had cold rain the whole time.

Warm weather hiking in the arid Southwest is different from my usual deep-South hiking. Around here (NC, VA, GA), I wear nylon hiking shorts with a built-in mesh liner (swim trunks would work fine), and the lightest synthetic short-sleeve top that I can find. A mesh ball cap, mesh trail runners, and lightweight synthetic socks round out my hiking clothes. I add some light synthetic layers as the weather cools down -- a 3-oz wind shirt, a long sleeve zip-tee, that sort of thing.

Last summer we did some hiking in the Southwest, and it was different (and beautiful!). Covering all my skin was a really good idea -- not many trees -- and I liked the lightweight nylon fishing shirts and very light zipoff nylon pants. I also liked a wide-brimmed hat. Given the weather, jeans won't kill you, but they weigh a lot, and I find them too warm to wear in summer. But a lightweight cotton long sleeve shirt would certainly work well under those conditions. However, when you start hiking in seasons and places where you can get wet and cold, it's time to leave the cotton at home.

Good luck and happy trails,

--Ken
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--Ken B