Purpose of Netting in Hiking Pants

A combination of day-to-day clothing such as sweatpants, sweatshirts and sneakers was once the preferred choice of the outdoor enthusiast. Nowadays, clothing that is specially designed for outdoor activities is preferred. Many outdoor clothing companies advertise the three-layer system, which incorporates a base layer, an insulation layer and an outer layer. For example, specialized hiking pants serve as three layers in one with the netting sewn inside acting as the base layer.

  1. Purpose

    • Unless you are wearing long thermal underwear, as many hikers are prone to do during the winter months, the netting inside hiking pants is usually the layer that comes in closest contact with your skin. It is important that the fabric touching your skin while you hike allows you to cool down as needed. Therefore, the primary purpose of this inside netting is to help facilitate this cool-down process.

    Function

    • This lightweight and durable netting facilitates the cool-down process by absorbing only a small percentage of its weight in moisture (usually less than 1 percent), which means that it wicks away moisture from your skin but does not absorb it.

    Additional Benefits

    • This netting is also generally treated to reduce the potential for itchiness and smell associated with sweating. So, if you tend to sweat a lot while exercising, than net-lined pants would be a good choice.