The Outdoors: Three outfits for your next adventure

How should one dress when the plan is to spend time out in the nature? The answer is endless and depends on everything from where you are to what activity you are part taking in. By focusing on three different styles, we will guide you through the different types of outdoor garments, how to use them and styles. Everything to inspire you to slow down a bit, get out into nature and enjoy it.

Technology

Outdoor garments have always been linked to the latest technical fabrics. From the 1800s with cotton jackets to the modern synthetic materials, people have always liked the latest technology to protect themselves from the strength of Mother Nature. It is this constant striving towards inventing new technologies and innovations that has resulted in the modern outdoor style, whilst allowing everyone to get a taste of nature and being able to enjoy it in relative comfort, despite nature’s hardness. One doesn’t have to climb mountains to enjoy the comfort and flexibility that innovative garments offer.

When a group of Canadians launched Arc’teryx, it was precisely the pursuit of functional and technical garments that drove them, as few environments can be as extreme as a bare rock wall in a distant mountain range. Since the start, the brand has come to define the high-tech outdoor style with a focus on technical materials and innovative solutions. To keep the weight of their clothes down, they use fabrics with different membranes, such as Gore-Tex, which are laminated together in a structured layer. The result is clothing that can withstand extreme stress without weighing one gram too much. The style itself place safety and technology in focus, where colourful shell jackets and robust outdoor trousers are combined with waterproof trail shoes with the goal of keeping the wearer dry, warm and visible. At the same time, details such as drawstring hoods and waists ensure that the fit is optimal.

Japanese

Japan has a very prominent outdoor culture, where hiking has in recent years become very popular. The Japanese idea of hiking doesn’t necessarily mean hiking along lengthy and winding mountain paths, but instead places focus on discovering the local environment and getting closer to the nature in your day-to-day life. If you live in a big city, then perhaps you might take the train to the nearest park/nature reserve to get some fresh air. Or you cycle to your favourite café to buy a coffee before a visit to the nearby promenade. This urban outdoor culture is strong in Japan and has since the 1950s been accompanied by brands such as Snow Peak, where the aesthetics of the big city blend with the function of outdoor clothing.

Spacious silhouettes, many layers and lots of pockets are typical signals of the style, often in a toned-down colour scheme of earthy colours such as beige, green, khaki and black. Many accessories and gadgets are also something that belongs to the urban hiker. The water bottle can be hooked with a karabiner while carrying a small bag for keys and phone on yourself, while the camera and sunglasses hang in separate straps around the neck and the many pockets are full of nuts and berries

Old School

To experience nature on its own terms, you do not need to dress in the most high-tech materials or acquire the latest camping equipment. As long as you do not go out in any extreme environments, durable basic garments, comfortable shoes and a little common sense are often enough. This category includes the retro-inspired style that has its model on the American hiking trails and in national parks such as Yosemite and Yellowstone. Wearing a windbreaker, t-shirt and shorts with the wool socks pulled high over the boots, you are ready for everything nature has to throw at you. Preferably with a bandana tied around the neck as sun protection. The style is characterised by a focus on natural materials such as cotton and wool, often in the form of thick canvas or brushed flannel. Synthetic materials occur mainly in the form of fleece sweaters and windbreakers, with the possible exception being boots and shoes. This is an outfit for the campsite, the forest walk or an early spring day behind a fishing rod.