Fat man Swimsuit? No says I...

In 2008, I began hiking the Appalachian Trail knowing very little about actually hiking.  I started a flip/flop hike mainly to pick up on what others have been doing that worked for them for the past three months of being on the trail.  I vividly recall a fellow thru-hiker looking at me and immediately picking apart all that I was carrying.  It was right then that I realized it wasn’t about what you were carrying,  but what you didn’t have to carry.

I began the hike with a pair of zip off pants/shorts where the portion of pants below the knee could be zipped off to allow a more comfortable hike in warmer weather.  What I had not learned was that these pants were completely unnecessary during the warmer months of hiking. Instead, I opted for a different route.  I stopped into a Goodwill in Pennsylvania and purchased the only pair of swimming trunks I could find that remotely came close to my size (all other pairs were kids sized and no way my waist would fit). On the rack was a garnet off-brand swim suit with a 46” waist…for $2. With my waist being 32, I had to synch the drawstring tightly to fit my size.  They originally came with inner webbing, which I quickly cut out as the webbing seams created too much friction for hiking.  Now I had waterproof Nylon hiking shorts for $2 that lasted me months.  After the third month, the material began to tear away from the waist band, so large holes started to come through. I figured for $2, I definitely got my money’s worth.

Much like the Eat This Not That series (where a consumer opts for a similar food that is healthier than the alternative), if you’re in the market for hiking shorts and are on a tight budget, instead of opting for the newest North Face hiking apparel, check out your local thrift store for nylon swim trunks.  They’re waterproof, breathable, extremely light, and get the job done.  Just don’t get upset when that hiking fashionista comes along and doesn’t give you a second glance.