People have their own ways of doing things like some people are wearing rubber gloves to clean their own house, and having a coffee break at the same hour every day because that’s how they have done it for years until it became a habit. Also, hikers have their own habits, like taking a special charm for luck, or collecting things from their trips, but what about clothing? Some people like to hike shirtless but how many people are doing it? Is hiking shirtless even legal? Can hiking shirtless be dangerous? Those and many other questions we will answer in this article.
Often we can see on a trail a person not wearing anything on their upper body except their backpack, it also is more common to see in summer, but you have to know that there is no rule that prevents you from hiking shirtless but there are some consequences that you will have to face. “What are the consequences?” is the most often asked question about hiking shirtless, but before that, we have to understand some basic concepts.
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Why people are hiking shirtless?
People who are hiking shirtless are most often men because the community accepts when men are not wearing a shirt, unfortunately for women, it is the opposite.
People decide to take off the shirt while they feel hot which is pretty common in summer, especially during a long hike. While we are moving, the temperature that we can feel is slowly rising, that’s why taking off a shirt can lower that temperature.
Is hiking shirtless safe?
While your body is moving you are feeling hot but without protection, your body is more vulnerable to wind and sun, and both can give you a hard time.
After a few minutes without any cover like a shirt, your skin can become red and painful, that is what we call sunburns. There is a solution to that problem and it is called sun cream, they are cheap and will let take off that shirt for a few minutes to cool down a bit.
The wind can be a bigger problem because while it is windy your body can get sick pretty easily. That’s is why you should protect your body, and especially your neck and head from the wind.
Also while you are wearing a backpack it can rub your shoulders and leave painful scratches on your skin.
How often do people hike shirtless?
That trend is often practiced in summer, but there is surprisingly a lot of people who are hiking shirtless. Often guys are willing to show off by taking their shirts off, but it is most often due to the heat of their own bodies.
Is hiking shirtless legal?
In most states and countries hiking shirtless is totally legal, but there are some exceptions to that rule, so check it out for yourself before you try it out.
Even if you will have to pay the fine for it don’t worry too much because it should be very low.
In conclusion – Can I hike shirtless?
Hiking is one of those things that people do for freedom so you should not be bothered about small things like taking off your shirt, if you are feeling like it is too warm for you then take it off, but also be aware that there are some consequences related to that as we have mentioned above.
Remember what sun and wind can do to your body while you are walking without protection, and for that, we have also created a more in-depth article about “Is Wind Worse Than Rain While Hiking? – (2022 Comparison)” so make sure to check it out.
