Man hiking

What are hikers and why do you need them?

You’ll often hear about hiking and hikers if you spend enough time with dinghy sailors, particularly keen racers, but what does it mean? Unsurprisingly, it has very little/nothing to do with long, hilly walks.

What is hiking?

When sailing, a flatter boat moves faster through the water, so it’s necessary (on windy days) to get your weight as far out as possible to counter-balance the wind against the sail. By hooking your feet under the toe straps, you can sail with your bum over the side and your upper body extended away from the boat – this is called hiking. The downside of this is that it can get pretty uncomfortable over long periods of time, as you’ll find the edge of the boat will dig into the backs of your thighs. This is where hikers come in.

What are hikers?

Hikers (also known as hiking pants) have stiff battens with a padded covering positioned on the back of the thighs, which spreads the weight load over a larger area and also supports your legs, meaning you can hike harder for longer. For light winds, you’re unlikely to need hiking pants, but on a windy day, they’ll make a world of difference to your upwind sailing.

Different types of hikers

Hiking pants are made of neoprene with additional reinforcement on the backs of the legs. This means they’re stretchy and insulating, as well as offering a bit of protection from scrapes and bruises without being bulky. You can mix up how you wear them depending on the temperature as well – layer up with a neoprene top or even put a wetsuit on underneath in winter, or wear them on their own with a rash vest and maybe a spray top during the warmer seasons.

Hiking pads

The most versatile option for hikers is to buy hiking pads that either Velcro onto compatible garments, or that are essentially a sleeve that you can slide up your leg and wear underneath your wetsuit, often referred to as hiking pads. The benefit of these styles is that you can easily adjust the positioning of the hiking pads, and leave them on the shore on light wind days to give you more flexibility in the boat. The downside is that they’re more liable to slip around while you’re on the water.

Short hikers

Best for summer, these are essentially neoprene shorts with padding in the back. For cooler days, you can wear these over a normal wetsuit, as they will also protect the seat of your wetsuit if you don’t have a sailing wetsuit with added grip or reinforcement on the seat. 

Full-length or ¾ hikers

Probably the most popular choice amongst sailors, this style has suspenders to prevent them from slipping down meaning you can adjust your layers on top to suit the weather. Try wearing the hikers over all your other layers (except your buoyancy aid) for extra warmth in the winter, as this stops any chilly air from sneaking in. If you prefer full-length legs, opt for hikers that are designed in a similar style to a skiff suit, but with reinforcement on the backs for the thighs to improve your hiking. For a little more versatility, ¾ length hikers are very popular. These will be cooler in the summer, but can also be worn over a wetsuit in winter for additional insulation.

Shop all sailing hikers here.

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Written by Eliza Tilbury

If you need any more advice on buying the right pair of hikers for you, feel free to give our friendly customer service team a call.

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Updated on 29th June 2023

Originally published on 21st October 2019 in Sailing

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