Choosing Outdoor Clothing for Hot Weather

For most people, summer weather is a time for beach clothing, board shorts and light trendy dresses. For those in the agricultural business, where getting out in the Sun is just an everyday routine, the hot weather can pose a number of challenges; particularly in old unpredictable England. Working safely should always be a top priority, but with the varying changes in weather and humidity you'll also want to make sure your essential farming tasks, plus any country sports like horse-riding, shooting and walking, are as stress-free as possible. In this entry of the Waterman's Country Supplies blog, we'll list the best method for choosing outdoor clothing for hot weather, and how you can enjoy the Sun whilst keeping your cool.

The Different Varieties of Summer Weather

Despite being a temperate marine zone, it can feel like the climate of the British isles fluctuate with a mind of its own. Sometimes it rains with the intensity of a tropical rainforest, and other times it's as hot and dry as a desert. Altogether it makes a pretty standard English summertime, but trying to anticipate your various working conditions makes for interesting pre-planning. Here's some of our 'favourite' of these typical weather turn-arounds, and how best to dress for each occasion.

Windy and Humid

A conundrum of high-blown proportions, it can be downright frustrating when you walk out all lightly suited up for a hot, humid day, only for the wind to be in full force. The heat makes you want to wear something light and loose, but with the wind you probably also don't want to be fighting your own clothes throughout the day. The essential choice for this type of weather is any type of long pants, mixed with a long sleeve sweater (ideally a stripy one - the most universal of all outdoor clothing!), and a cardigan over a sleeveless shirt is also a winning combination.

The Uncertainty of Summer Rain

As the currently queuing attendees of Glastonbury festival are soon to find out, the English summer time presents a lovely mix of lashing rain and bright sunshine often in quick successions. The result is a minefield of mud that needs to be traversed carefully in order to see the end of the day, and for this task no footwear works better than wellies. To take on a mountain of slurry and post-deluge slush, you'll want a pair of boots that are quick-drying, have a good grip on uneven terrain and are designed to last as long as the rain does.

Bone Dry

On that rare occasion where Britain feels like a viable summer holiday destination, it can be extremely arduous to work out in the field or to traverse the countryside. The favourites of outdoor clothing for hot weather differs vastly, as this terrific illustrated article from Modern Farmer explains, but some of the examples most applicable to our climate include the token fishing vest of Cross Keys, Pennsylvania, and the long breathable cotton pants of San Sebastián in Spain.

There are many other essential items of outdoor clothing for hot weather that should be donned whenever possible, a few of which include...

Sunglasses: Not concerned about UV? You will be.

Layers: If you're still trying to catch the early worm, then it's recommended you wear an extra layer (like a wool or flanel shirt) that you can shed when the sun begins to greet you.

Jeans: The always reliable pair of pants, make sure yours aren't there as a fashion statement - you want something, rugged, loose and comfortable.

Working Boots: If the weather's not turned muddy, you'll still need appropriate footwear to take on hard, dried up ground. A good pair of boots will ideally fit comfortably with no slippage, else you'll have blisters to contend with later.

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