What to Bring and What to Wear

Packing List

Click here to download & print the Trek Packing List. All items must fit inside a 5-gallon bucket (except the sleeping bag, which will be in a separate, plastic bag).

Trek Clothing

Dressing in pioneer clothing can have a tremendous impact on the spirit of the trek. Wearing pioneer clothing takes us out of the everyday world and can help us relate better to what the pioneers experienced.

Where to Find Pioneer Clothing

We don’t want the trek clothing to be a burden. Most items can be borrowed or found at second-hand stores. If you’re willing to sew, patterns and tutorials can be found online, on YouTube and Pinterest. Amazon and Walmart have many items that are reasonably priced. There are also options such as Deseret Book and White Elegance that offer ready-to-wear pioneer clothing, however, this is a significantly more expensive option. The following information is to help you properly prepare your clothing needs for trek.

Men's Clothing:

Shirts: Men's shirts were worn loose. Plain colors were common, but stripes or plaids were also used. Choose something larger than a regular fit, with long sleeves. A simple method of cutting the collar off and removing the pocket will make any dress shirt pioneer style. No t-shirts.
Pants: Pants were also worn loose. Cotton pants work great. Choose rather loose fitting through the crotch and thigh area to add comfort in walking. No jeans or camo pants.
Hats: Men's everyday hats ranged from cowboy hats, straw hats, wide brimmed low felt hats, or round crowned hats. These styles will help avoid sunburns. Newsies style hats can also be worn. No baseball caps, beanies, or army style hats.
Compression Shorts: Compression shorts such as Under Armour should be worn under pants to minimize chafing.
Vests (optional): If desired, thrift stores are a great option to find a vest. Vests can also be sewn.
Suspenders (optional): Button style suspenders can be found at thrift stores, Walmart and Amazon. Suspenders are a great option for pants that are a bit too loose. Buttons can easily be sewn onto the waistband of pants to attach the suspenders.

Women's Clothing:

Dresses: Back then, women wore long dresses with full, long sleeves that had buttons or bands at the wrist. Necklines were usually high, with buttons up the front. Fabrics were cotton in solid colors or small print. To avoid a tripping hazard, dresses should be above the ankle, no shorter than mid calf.
Skirt: Skirts would be the same fabric and length as dresses. There are many simple patterns available and can be sewn at a very low price. Avoid knit fabrics and those with spandex.
Blouse: Blouses should be long sleeved and can be button down or peasant-style. A simple method of cutting the collar off will make any blouse a pioneer style. Blouses should be looser fitting with a modest neckline and not a t-shirt.
Apron: The standard apron was six to twelve inches shorter than the skirt length. Large deep pockets are helpful to carry things along the trail. There are many simple patterns and tutorials online and can be sewn for a very low price.
Bonnets or Hat: Women wore bonnets whenever they were outside. They were made of cotton with a deep stiffened brim and back ruffle to protect the neck. A straw hat or wide brimmed hat can also be worn.
Bloomers: Ideas range from shortening pajama bottoms or scrubs. Lightweight capri length pants, not jeans, are a good option. Leggings can be worn also, but can be hot. Needs to be below the knee. The main purpose of bloomers is to help prevent chafing, protect the legs, and for modesty.

All Trekkers:

Shoes: Comfort is most important! All trekkers should bring well broken-in shoes. Sturdy running or walking shoes are recommended. Do not wear hiking boots unless they are broken in. Can bring a second pair. Don’t wear new shoes.
Socks: Socks are very important to prevent blisters. Blisters make trekking extremely painful. A thin nylon sock or women's knee high nylons under a wool hiking sock or moisture wicking sock is recommended.
Nightwear: It can be cold at night. Sweatpants, t-shirts, pajamas are all appropriate. Nightwear is only to be worn when it’s time to go to sleep.
Haversack (optional): A simple, small crossbody style messenger bag. This can be made of cotton fabrics, canvas, felt or leather.

Patterns and Tutorials:

Skirt:
Not-So-Pioneer Skirt Tutorial
Easy Pioneer Trek Skirt Instructions DIY

Apron:
Aprons PDF
Pioneer Apron Tips

Bonnet:
Bonnet Pattern PDF

Bloomers:
Turning Pajama Pants into Bloomers
Drafting Drawers

Skirt, Apron, Men's Shirt:
Handcart Trek Reenactments Guidelines for Leaders PDF - Skirt (pages 28-29), Apron (pages 30-31), Men's Shirt (pages 32-33)

Men's Shirt:
15-Minute Pioneer Shirt

Vest:
Pinterest Vest Tutorial

Haversack:
Simon's Million Dollar iPad Messenger Bag Tutorial
Haversack Tutorial

Patterns:
Simplicity: www.simplicity.com
Women’s Simplicity Patterns – 5041 & 5375
Men’s Simplicity Patterns – 5023 & 5035
Butterick: www.butterick.com
Women’s Butterick Patterns – 4570 & 3992
Men’s Butterick Pattern – 3896
McCall’s: www.mccallpattern.com
Women’s McCall Patterns – 3669 & 4548

Pictures

5 Gallon Bucket:

Clothing and personal items will need to fit into a 5 gallon bucket. They can be purchased at stores such as Home Depot, Lowe's, Winco, and Amazon. The screw-on lid is easier to open and close. This doubles as a simple seat. You can make a cushion for your lid, BUT it must be removable and fit INSIDE your bucket while trekking. An option is to attach it to the underside of the lid and when being used as a seat, remove the lid and flip it over to access the cushion.
Pinterest Link for Bucket Cushion Idea

Preventing Blisters:

1. Appropriate Shoes: For best protection / prevention it would be wise to purchase new athletic shoes approximately 3 months prior to the Trek and wear them frequently enough that they become comfortable. Shoes that are too old will not provide sufficient protection. Shoes that are too new will not be comfortable. Hiking boots can be worn if preferred but they are not necessary. If this option is chosen, the boots should be broken in.
2. An extra pair of shoes: You’ll be grateful to have an extra pair of shoes to wear at the end of the day to give your feet some reprieve from the shoes you’ve been walking in. This also gives you a back up pair if your walking shoes become wet or muddy.
3. Appropriate socks, enough for each day of the Trek plus at least one extra pair: Cotton socks are not recommended. A thin nylon sock liner under a wool hiking sock is preferred. More info on the two-sock system here Hiking Socks and Sock Liners. Some people have had success wearing a woman’s knee-high nylon under a wool hiking sock.
An investment in good socks and shoes is the most important money you will spend in Trek preparation. Keeping your feet happy and blister free will make the most difference between a happy Trek experience and a miserable Trek experience.