Backpacker Magazine – September 2008

Extreme Layering: Hot-Weather Clothing

From the Grand Canyon to sunshine-pounded Colorado peaks, stay cool and comfortable with this ultralight system.

by: Annette McGivney, Photos by Sethhughes.com

Tags:
• Rain gear
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• Gear
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• Jackets
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• Apparel
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• Base layers
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• Soft shells
|

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SHORTS

Sierra Designs Boundary Short
Cool, durable, comfortable. We want that and nothing more from our shorts, and these deliver. But what really sets SD's quick-dry nylon shorts apart from all the other quick-dry nylon shorts on the market is the fabric's amazing four-way stretch, which allows for unlimited range of movement and prevents chafing. The fabric proved rugged enough for desert scrambling but it feels soft against the skin and didn't get hot or sticky even when daytime highs reached the mid-90s. The men's version (pictured) is roomy but not baggy and falls just above the knee. The guys' only complaint: the hand pockets are shallow. The womens' version has a flattering, feminine style with a shorter, mid-thigh cut and belted, hip-hugging waistline. At the end of a hard season, test pairs had a bit of surface pilling in the hipbelt area, but otherwise hardly showed wear. $60; men's 28-40, women's 4-14; 8 oz.; sierradesigns.com. Reader service #109

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