Spare clothing is essential while on your D of E expedition but it is also important to travel light so try not to carry anything you don’t need.

When selecting the clothing to take out on expedition with you, ask yourself a few simple questions:-

• Will it keep me warm?
• Will it keep me cool?
• Will it keep me dry?
• Do I really need it?
• Is it comfortable?
• What’s the weather likely to be? (remember this can change very quickly and you will still need to be prepared for any weather that may be thrown at you).

These are all key points that will help you select the right clothes while out on the hill. Remember that some of this clothing will be worn but some will need to be carried in your rucksack so light is quite important but however light you go it still needs to do the job or there is no point in carrying it.

I would suggest one complete change of clothes is adequate. If I got wet during the day I would change into the dry clothes to be comfortable during the evening and night, hopefully by the morning they wet clothes may have dried out a little and I would put them back on in the morning in the hope that they may dry out during the day if the weather is better, if the weather is wet  then at least you will still have your dry clothes for your next evening. If you wear your dry clothes and get them wet during the day then you will be wet all night!

In addition to the complete spare set of clothes I would carry a couple of really light fleeces for layering should you find yourself cold, these can be worn day or night to add a further layer of protection if required, fleeces tend to dry fairly quickly so even if they get wet there’s a good chance they will be dry in the morning.