Backpacking and Hiking: Layering

My first hike during winter was something to remember! For this hike my friend, Gaby, and I headed up to Little Mount Si. This was a 4.7 mile round-trip hike and was the perfect distance to enjoy the hike and still be able to do other things later in the day. The hike did take us longer than we expected though due to us talking and stopping to take in the views. In fact, my book states “to account for this natural slow down add an extra 10 minutes for every mile when calculating the time needed to complete the hike” (Stevenson 22). Even with the extra time this hike was very enjoyable especially since I layered my clothing due to the chilly temperature. In this blog post I will be explaining how I layered and how it let me have a more enjoyable hike.

Layering is very important to all hikers, going any distance. By layering, you can have interchangeable layers to have more flexibility with your outfit while hiking (Stevenson 146). I learned this first hand while I on this hike. At the start of the hike I was very cold but after hiking up a few switchbacks I was warm and needed to remove my coat. By layering I was able to adjust my outfit to my temperature and have a more comfortable hike

Gaby and I at the top of Little Si

By the time we reached the top of the trail, the wind had really started to pick up. Due to this, I put my coat back on which helped a lot. In fact, my book states “outerwear layers like jackets and rain shells block wind and rain” (Stevenson 147). The coat I was wearing not only protected me from the wind but was waterproof which would be helpful if it rained. Underneath my jacket I wore a long-sleeve thermal shirt to help keep me warm. This worked very well and I would highly recommend using one if you get cold easily. By wearing all of these layers I was able to complete our hike successfully and not be too hot or cold throughout the hike

View from the top

Overall, layering helped me significantly and I would highly recommend it to anyone going on a hike. Do you wear a waterproof coat while hiking, if so is it helpful to you?







Thanks for reading, make sure to read my next posts to see how my next hike goes!

Stevenson, Jason. The Complete Idiot's Guide to Backpacking and Hiking. Indianapolis, IN: Alpha Books, 2010. Print.

How to Keep your Closet Clean and Organized

I've always been interested in fashion. Not directly the sewing part, but the part where you put outfits together. Recently this year, I've been more into my style. The only issue is, I need room to put everything. But due to my new findings of The Cheap Chica's Guide to Style by Lilliana Vazquez, I have learned how to effectively organize my closet and my style, along with many other useful tips and habits.

Today, I will be focusing on how to keep a clean closet and buy only what you need for your wardrobe.

Now, when I first read this book, Lilliana talked about how "Twice a year- during the winter-to-spring and summer-to-fall seasonal transitions I'll outline in this chapter, I'll purge my closet" (Vazquez, 94). Due to it being that summer-to-fall transitioning time, I decided to clean out my closet.

At first, It seemed like an impossible challenge. I used to stuff everything in my closet that didn't look good in my room, so this would take some work. I started with clearing out any trash, ripped clothes and random items that didn't belong in a closet like miscellaneous boxes, socks and trinkets. This already cleared out a lot of room for opportunity.

The "keep" pile when sorting 

Next, I took all of my clothes out of my closet and set them in piles of need/like, don't need, and donate. In the book, Lilliana explains what you should discard. "Anything you haven't worn in a year... anything that doesn't fit you anymore... anything that was once trendy but isn't anymore... and anything that isn't flattering or makes you feel anything but fabulous." (Vazquez 98). This all made perfect sense to me "Why would I keep anything that I'm never going to wear?" I thought to myself. This and some music made the process go way faster than I expected.


I ended up having a good amount in each pile. I continued by taking my donate pile and putting it all in a trash bag to let my sister look though. She ended up finding some things she liked before I donated it to a Value Village near by along with my don't need pile.

My jewelry storage organized by type, mostly earrings 

The next step in the process was to put everything back. This was the easy part. I divided up my remaining "keep" clothes into what i needed to hang up and what could be put in a drawer. Vazquez talks about on pages 216 through 221 that you should fold sweaters in a drawer, store shoes in a shoe rack, loop belts through a hanger, place scarves in a bin, hang purses on a wall hook, necklaces on a decorative wall hook and rings on a small ring holder or cute display, I took all of these tips into consideration when re-putting-back-together my closet.

My closet put back together arranged by use and necessity 

In the end of the final process, I donated and cleared out around 2 full garbage bags full of clothes and other things I didn't need. It felt good that i cleaned out my closet, knew how to properly store everything, and possibly gave someone a new shirt or coat that was once mine. I hope that you can benefit from my learning experiences and prioritized your closet too!

Have you tried to ever clean out your closet? What are some things that you could've changed or gone better? Will you use these tips the next time you do a spring or fall cleaning?

Source: Vazquez, Lilliana. The Cheap Chica's Guide to Style: Secrets to Shopping Cheap and Looking Chic. Gotham, 2013.

Designing Clothes: Clothing , Fashion, and Society #1

Hello Bloggers!
My name is Reddick and this is my first blog post. This blog is about clothing, how fashion is developed, and society. The book I chose is "Designing Clothes". I chose this book because fashion is something I'm very passionate about. I'm passionate about fashion because fashion gives you an outlet to express yourself anyway you see fit. For my first post I'll be showing how to find an outfit and different ideas for different occasions. Styles of dress "are consciously manipulated to assert and demarcate differences in status, identity, and commitment"(Hilda Kuper 3.). This book taught me different things that I'm delighted to teach you.

The first outfit below is an example for boys of a matching outfit (the sweater, shoes, belt, backpack) this outfit is also an example of a slightly dressy, casual outfit. This outfit would be appropriate for school, a casual party etc.

The second and final outfit for this blog is an example for girls of a nice outfit that matches (from the dress to the shoes to the bag etc.). This outfit is more dressy. This outfit would be appropriate for dinner at a nice restaurant, a semi-formal party etc.
What did you learn about dressing for occasions?

The purpose of this blog (as previously stated) is about finding outfits and dressing differently for different occasions.

THANK YOU FOR VEIWING MY FIRST BLOGGER POST!!!