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Do It in Jeans First

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Re: Do It in Jeans First

#41

Post by lxgr »

superconduct123 wrote: post #31

Why does it seem like everyone on the internet is an extreme safety ranger nowadays? Everything you do must follow the exact best practices and maximum safety protocols Someone in this very thread is saying OP could die from wearing jeans hiking Its honestly ridiculous the exaggeration that goes on in internet hobby forums And the risk acceptance is arbitrary anyway You can argue that wearing jeans hiking is taking a…

The incremental chances of dying from hiking in jeans are probably small, but those of having a bad time are non-negligible (and I say that as somebody who’s hiked quite a bit in jeans due to not knowing better). And why would you want to have a bad time?

It doesn’t need to be high tech activewear: Running shorts (weather permitting) can do just fine.

Re: Do It in Jeans First

#42

Post by garbagewoman »

rootedbox wrote: post #25

I didn't wear cleats until I was almost 14 playing baseball.. I just used tennis shoes.. some of my friends gave me a hard time about it. I could hit dingers all day so no big deal. But you know what. I wore a helmet at every at bat. Did I really need it for every at bat?? No; But I had it. There's a long list of dead people who went into the wilderness or hiking under prepared. Just because it didn't happen to you d…

Obviously your idea of safety coming first is based on your exact specifications, which are unclear and known only by yourself, which isn’t actually very useful

Re: Do It in Jeans First

#43

Post by munificent »

mikae1 wrote: post #28
analog31 wrote: post #6

Chances are, your first hike won't be under circumstances where it's dangerous to wear jeans or have the wrong gear. Also, the drawbacks of jeans can be experienced just going for a walk or being outdoors year-round. I hiked in jeans or shorts until I was about 50. Today, I wear hiking pants instead of jeans for everyday life. The benefits are noticeable. They last a lot longer, don't take stains as easily (bike chai…

Being synthetic, they also release microplastics into our freshwater when you wash them. I do my mountainbike trailriding in jeans. Have never experienced much of a downside. Also, big plus: jeans look rad when you patch and mend and dirty them!

A pair of trail pants that lasts you 20 years compared to a pair of jeans that lasts 4 and has to be replaced 5 times is probably a net win for microplastics when you factor in the amount of plastic used when manufacturing and shipping both items.

Re: Do It in Jeans First

#44

Post by trimethylpurine »

Lots of opposition to jeans here. I have plenty of synthetics and I've done some of the hardest trails. But honestly jeans are great in the fall in many places. Sure you don't want to be wet and lost in them. But that all depends on the hike, and that's the point of this article. When you're taking on hikes where you might find yourself wet and lost, start thinking about another solution. But you don't necessarily need another solution for baby steps.

Re: Do It in Jeans First

#46

Post by nixpulvis »

paulcole wrote: post #32
rootedbox wrote: post #25

I didn't wear cleats until I was almost 14 playing baseball.. I just used tennis shoes.. some of my friends gave me a hard time about it. I could hit dingers all day so no big deal. But you know what. I wore a helmet at every at bat. Did I really need it for every at bat?? No; But I had it. There's a long list of dead people who went into the wilderness or hiking under prepared. Just because it didn't happen to you d…

> But safety should always come first. No it shouldn’t. Safety is almost always a trade off of real (or perceived) risk and reward. If safety came first, you’d never swim, hike, or drive a car.

Used to raid 25 man World of Warcraft dungeons with a Death Knight tank. His slogan was: "Safety first, then teamwork." That really stuck with me.

Re: Do It in Jeans First

#47

Post by munificent »

I like the spirit behind this metaphor a lot: Make do with what you have until you know you need something better. Aggressively reduce activation energy.

At the same time, I shy away from the specific metaphor they chose. Hiking pants are a safety feature. Cotton will get wet and cold and increase the risk of hypothermia if you get lost or stuck. They will waterlog and make it hard to swim if you fall in water.

When it comes to safety items, I err on the side of prepared-ness because you may not get a chance to do it better next time.

Re: Do It in Jeans First

#48

Post by shanemhansen »

I've taken a similar approach to the literal problem. Look I've backpacked in Peru and Iceland and spent enough time mountain biking and hiking and stuff. I'm an adequate hiker.

There's probably not one sport where I haven't been shown up by someone in jeans or payless shoes.

Peru is a great example because when you are hiking the Inca trail to dead womans pass in all your fancy gear there are quite literally locals in jeans and payless shoes with a mattress on their back jogging past you.

I'm all for safety but the truth is there's a lot of "safety theater" with the pattagucci crowd. Signed: someone who doesn't wear jeans, just gets schooled frequently by those who do.

Re: Do It in Jeans First

#49

Post by garbagewoman »

lxgr wrote: post #41
superconduct123 wrote: post #31

Why does it seem like everyone on the internet is an extreme safety ranger nowadays? Everything you do must follow the exact best practices and maximum safety protocols Someone in this very thread is saying OP could die from wearing jeans hiking Its honestly ridiculous the exaggeration that goes on in internet hobby forums And the risk acceptance is arbitrary anyway You can argue that wearing jeans hiking is taking a…

The incremental chances of dying from hiking in jeans are probably small, but those of having a bad time are non-negligible (and I say that as somebody who’s hiked quite a bit in jeans due to not knowing better). And why would you want to have a bad time? It doesn’t need to be high tech activewear: Running shorts (weather permitting) can do just fine.

Getting into the weeds here, but being inexperienced in the outdoors and in running shorts vs jeans in North America could easily result in Lyme disease

The moral: know everything I do and be safe in the way I find acceptable

Re: Do It in Jeans First

#50

Post by florbo »

paulcole wrote: post #32
rootedbox wrote: post #25

I didn't wear cleats until I was almost 14 playing baseball.. I just used tennis shoes.. some of my friends gave me a hard time about it. I could hit dingers all day so no big deal. But you know what. I wore a helmet at every at bat. Did I really need it for every at bat?? No; But I had it. There's a long list of dead people who went into the wilderness or hiking under prepared. Just because it didn't happen to you d…

> But safety should always come first. No it shouldn’t. Safety is almost always a trade off of real (or perceived) risk and reward. If safety came first, you’d never swim, hike, or drive a car.

Safety first doesn't mean "don't do anything unsafe," it has a broad meaning. With your interpretation I suppose it could mean if you're going to do something, be sure to consider your safety tradeoffs first.
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