Pants or shorts?

I prefer shorts.

It makes everything seem more "lighter".

 

Shorts are fine for swimming, but not for hiking through the brush. I live in the Pacific Northwest and we have poison Ivy all over the place. If you are wearing shorts and you expose your legs to poison Ivy, you'll be itching the rest of the time.

 

They do make pants with zippered legs that make shorts. I've never tried a pair but they look handy but I bet they would be awfully fiddly to get back together.

 

Yes it makes perfect sense to wear jeans/pants. Especially with insects that can bite and cling to your skin. We were living in a very wooded area years ago. And thank goodness my boys were wearing pants because we found ticks on both of their jeans. And they were the deer ticks too. Even if it is warmer out. You should ask yourself if it is worth it to be a litttle bit more comfortable. Or risk getting bit or getting a poison from a plant rubbed on your skin.

Even if you were shorts, you should bring pants with you when you pack for your camping trip.

 

I never wear shorts in the woods. Poison ivy, thorns, bugs, all kind of stuff. I have no problem going barefooted around camp, but shorts are just a wast of time to me. If I'm in camp or wanting to go swimming I just strip down to my boxers. or go bare assed depending on where I am and the company I'm with. But generally speaking non denim (never ever wear denim in the woods, that stuff gets wet it doesn't dry for so long) pants with cargo pockets for me.

 

Many types of cargo pants have loops and buttons that allow them to be converted into shorts of various loops. That's the best compromise that I've yet seen for this sort of discussion. Really though I prefer to keep my legs covered on account of ticks, sharp edges/points, various irritants, and assorted horrible accidents waiting to happen.

 

I've always thought along the same lines a you. I prefer to wear pants for outdoor activities (such as hiking) even in hot weather, just because they offer more leg protection.
I've hiked among some mountain trails, and taken a few falls as well, and I can only imagine what my legs would've ended up looking like had I worn shorts!
You made a good point about the bugs too. Those bothersome creatures are plentiful in the outdoors.

 

A couple of summers ago I went hiking for a summer in Algonquin, and I remember wearing shorts for one of the trails because it was awfully out outside. I came back with insect bites and scratches all over my legs. I find that the bug bites and the scratches aren't really a good trade off for remaining cool during hiking activities. Since then, I always wear some form of pants into the woods, unless I know that the hiking trail has a wide path or is more "open," meaning not covered by immense brush.

 

Well, if the area is shaded, it could work. I would only wear shorts if it was extremely hot because of all the bugs and ticks out there. - especially mosquitoes that seem to disobey bug spray.

 

In my opinion, it really depends what kind of activity you'll be doing. If you know ahead of time that you'll be hiking on well-cleared trails, as in a very well-developed state park, shorts are probably fine. (Especially if it's 105 degrees F instead of 92 degrees F-- "hot" is not just "hot"! Those last few degrees can make a big difference in the ease of staying cool.) If you're going somewhere where there will be a lot of vegetation, long pants that are lightweight and cool are probably a better bet. Pants will also make better sun protection. You should also factor in the likelihood of mosquitoes and ticks. Pants that zip off into shorts are probably the ideal option.

 

For hikes, we were pants. Just being out in summer, we wear shorts.
Ticks are very prevelant here. Sad. My daughter got lyme disease from one. Even with pants on, we always have to check for ticks.