Looking the part

Does how I dress in the outdoors change how people treat me?

The short answer is yes. The long answer however is pretty interesting.

It’s only in the last year or two that I’ve had access to technical hiking clothing. All my walking before then - including my biggest trips like my two weeks solo hiking and camping in Norway - was done wearing a mishmash of sportswear, normal clothes and mens outdoorswear. I was constantly treated like I was inexperienced and patronised by people who assumed I didn’t know what I was doing. I didn’t know how much of this was because I am plus sized and how much was because of how I was dressed (which of course was a direct result of me being plus sized).

Now I’m incredibly fortunate to have some great hiking clothing from recognisable brands like Alpkit, Rab and Mountain Equipment. And the sad truth is that it has changed how people treat me. Don’t get me wrong - I still get some patronising comments and the odd microagression, but it’s definitely less than I used to receive.

The reality is that this isn’t true across the board. My partner is an enthusiastic long distance cyclist, but he doesn’t go in for technical cycling gear. He cycled to and from Italy on a Raleigh Shopper bike and didn’t even wear padded shorts. When we cycled the Tour of Flanders Sportive, he did it wearing a pair of wool trousers and a hoody, riding a bright yellow 1980s mountain bike (potentially quite a good choice given how muddy the cobbles were…).

As a friend pointed out to me recently though, as he’s a slender white man, he’s seen as being a little eccentric. If I, as a plus sized woman, had turned up to do the same thing with the same clothing and equipment, I would have been judged as being unprepared or ill-equipped.

In the same fashion, if a slim person climbs a mountain wearing a pair of jeans and trainers, there’s possibly a bit of an eye roll from the Gore-tex crowd, but that’s nothing compared to the judgement that I would receive if I tried doing the same.

I’m a firm believer that outside of a decent waterproof jacket and boots, you don’t need much ‘kit’ to go hiking - it doesn’t need to be expensive or a high end brand, as long as it wicks moisture and keeps you warm! However, it sucks that as a plus size person, this inevitably will affect how you’re treated and how welcome you feel in the outdoors.