How hiking shorts became acceptable apparel

News and Adventure from Glacier National Park

The following is an excerpt from Ramble On: A History of Hiking.

Generally speaking, the apparel that was available to hikers remained virtually unchanged until the 1970s. Until then, most published guides continued to recommend wool clothing in all its various forms, fabrics, knits and weaves as the basis for most hiking outfits. In his book, Vacation Tramps in New England Highlands, published in 1919, Allen Chamberlain bluntly stated that “The standardized ideal hiker’s outfit does not exist. He who would attempt

to furnish specifications for one would at once be suspected of greenness in the art of walking.” One notable exception to what was being recommended at that time came in 1913, when The Boy Scout’s Hike Book declared that it was perfectly suitable for boys to wear shorts during summer hikes. As noted by the author, the idea of wearing short pants while hiking wasn’t shared by everyone at that time. By the end of the decade, however, the acceptance of shorts began to shift. While The Boy Scout’s Hike Book was specifically geared towards boys, Going Afoot, published in 1920, was geared towards the general population. The author, Bayard Christy, acknowledged that some men might prefer wearing short trousers while hiking. Prior to this timeframe, most men in Western societies seldom wore shorts, as they were mostly viewed as appropriate only for young boys. Societal views on grown men wearing shorts began to change after British soldiers stationed in Bermuda during the First World War began wearing them for relief from the stifling summer heat. “Bermuda shorts,” as they would become known as, soon spread to London and the United States. Though Christy recommended wearing army-style khaki shirts and breeches during the summer, it’s not clear whether his brief mention of shorts was directly influenced by the British military fashion. While there’s some photographic evidence of adult male hikers wearing shorts prior to 1920, the numbers began increasing by the mid-1920s.

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Virtually no one went hiking before the 19th century. What occurred that inspired ordinary people to take a walk through the woods for pleasure? Ramble On: A History of Hiking explores the rich history of hiking, and how it evolved into one of the most popular pastimes in the world.