Hot Weather Clothing
Naturally, you’re not going to worry as much about maintaining body heat in warmer weather. In fact, you might be most comfortable if you dress to shed as much excess heat as possible: shorts and a T-shirt. In extremes of heat, however, you may find you’ll feel better wearing lightweight trousers and a long-sleeved shirt, providing shade from the heat of the sun.

Hot weather clothing, in general, should be thin and loose fitting to allow cooling air to circulate around your body. Remember what desert dwellers usually wear: billowing robes. Light-colored clothing reflects the sun’s heat while dark clothing absorbs sunlight and increases the chance of discomfort. Loose-fitting clothing also prevents biting insects from reaching your skin, and light-colored clothing seems to attract fewer insects than dark clothing. Trousers can be tucked into socks to prevent easy access for ticks, and ticks show up better on light-colored clothing, allowing you to discover and remove them sooner.

A wide-brimmed hat is strongly recommended to protect your head, face and neck from heat and sunburn. A wide-brimmed hat allows you to drape mosquito netting over your head and keep if off your face, ears and neck. If you can’t part with your baseball cap, wear a bandanna under the cap, allowing it to hang down over your ears and neck in the tradition of the French Foreign Legion.

Your pack should contain rain gear (see Wet Weather Clothing) and a stocking cap, since, even in desert environments known for intense heat, wind and temperature drops are not uncommon. And, rain can make you miserably cold even if the temperature stays the same.

Hot Weather Clothing List

1. Shorts
   
2. T-shirt
   
3. Lightweight trousers
   
4. Lightweight, long-sleeved shirt
   
5. Wide-brimmed hat
   
6. Rain gear