Hi everyone. Today we are going to do Bird Watching Feeling Like The Queen so I decided to make a post a little bit different than usual but also around our main subject: Recording of birdlife.
This time I am looking at an outdoor fashion, in a sense of comfort, durability, and style, why not? Thus the title Bird Watching Feeling Like The Queen. Appropriate, because if someone is stylish while outdoor is the royal family in general and the Queen in particular.
Starting Downunder – Shoes and Boots.
Well… The Queen is not very good in that department I reckon. Time to be better than royalty? Lets try.
The most important item of Bird Watching would be the feet… Apart the observation department, the feet are what takes us to conquer that extra mile. We walk on them, everytime we are standing they are down there supporting every inch of our weight. So lets treat them well. Rubber Boots are a NO-NO, unless you are gardening or fishing.
Shoes or boots, should be ultra comfortable. The feet have to feel great, and shoes should facilitate exactly that. Also means that shoes have to be all terrain, sand, rock, dirt, mud and whatever you find out there your shoes have to laugh at the face of terrain adversity.
So, comfortable is the first big thing, and the second? Resistant to weather. Rain, cold, hot, whatever weather throws at you the shoes should be indifferent to it and just walk all over it, carrying the great you to the next stage and to the next bird spot.
Also important, shoes like car tyres, are not forever, change it when they show deformation of any kind. Your body happiness depends on your feet.
If, at the end of your Bird Watching, your greater pleasure is taking the shoes off you better think on changing to new ones.
Going Up – Pants and Ankle Gaiters
This is a Royal area specially the Ankle Gaiters, very military look.
I have some memories of self experience shame in this area.
When re-started to do hiking I got a bit cocky and decided to forget everything I’ve learned over the years and just be a city boy. Big mistake.
One time in summer some friends went for a forest hike. My clothing was a basic walking shoes with a sport look, shorts and t-shirt. It was summer, what could be more appropriate? Well… not what I was wearing. At the end of the hike my feet were full of blisters where the shoes touched the foot and my low legs were all scratch by twigs and low bushes. I was burned… A mess.
Later that summer and still remembering the last unsuccessful hike, I decided to wear boots(city style) and blue jeans. Great until it started raining. Not a lot, just drizzling. At the end of the hike I had rushes caused by the jeans and I was cold and my feet were not with blisters but cooked. Hell. I was taking in consideration to give up. When younger I do not remember to suffer that much but I was young and foolish.
A friend told me once: there is no such thing as bad weather… there is only bad clothing. Absolutely.
When you go for a hike remember that a change of path can make a big difference on what you are wearing.
So, pants have to be, again, confortable. I highly recomend stretching pants with waterproof coating. The stretching capability on pants is one of the most amazing inventions on hiking confort. You can do absolutely everything, because the pants fabric allows you to. On top of the stretching if the pants are also waterproof is all positives. You’ll thank the creators later.
If you use shorts for hiking and, commonly in summer we all do, there is something called Ankle Gaiters. It is a weird thing at first but it is awesome in the practical sense. You can hike for whatever reason, bird watching for certain, and not have your lower legs all scratch up and your shoes filled with plant spines and other uncomfortable little hazards. It also offers extra comfort for the high grass areas still humid from night dew because it is waterproof.
So both solutions are great, believe me.
Protect your Head, Neck, and Shoulders – The Hat
There was a big jump here but I feel that for the upper body the solutions are immense and meteorology dependent.
I never, ever used a hat. I don’t know why but I did not feel comfortable in one. Nowadays every time I go outside I take my hat. I use what I call a modern farm hat because of the round shape and straw exterior, covering the waterproof fabric. Sometimes I wear a surf straw hat with extra brim for extra sun protection. The shape of it is original and kind of blends in the landscape, or maybe not.
I see a lot of us doing Bird Watching on baseball caps. Although it is a comfortable solution it is not the best one. Baseball caps were made like that to allow wide movements with the arms over the head without having a hat in the way. The movements on Bird Watching are all below eye line, so it is safe to use a hat with a brim.
The hat should be waterproof and have a brim all around. The brim will prevent the sun to touch any part of your head plus neck and shoulders. Also helps when using binoculars or spotting scopes giving extra shade to the lens if it is an extra large brim.
Why a waterproof hat? Because it rains. Sometimes the only protection you have while outside is your hat. Also the brim will prevent the water to get in through the collar…. and that is so wonderful.
Conclusion
Feet, legs and head are the royalty of our body when hiking. The equipment to use for these three body areas are the same in all seasons. Good shoes, good pants, great hat… You can use them throughout the year no matter the meteorology.
So, looking great and confortable, is how all kings and queens should feel while outdoors. Bird watching is physically demanding sometimes, get out well equipped and the journey will be a true walk in the park.
Roseriver.
Founder of BirdClubHut.com