Gear and Clothing

Pioneer Attire

Individual participants will need to prepare for Trek by acquiring and/or making pioneer era attire. Resources for making clothing will be provided on the Asheville Stake Trek Website. Each participant will need two to three sets of pioneer attire.

For Young Women

• 2-3 skirts

• 2-3 long-sleeved shirts

• 1 apron

• 1 bonnet

For Young Men

• 2-3 pairs long pants (no jeans)

• 2-3 long-sleeved shirts

• 1 pioneer-style hat (straw hat or any wide-brimmed hat in the style of the 1850s)

DIY Pioneer Attire Resources

• Ladies' Bonnet Tutorial

• Ladies' Prairie Bonnet Pattern Part I

• Ladies' Prairie Bonnet Pattern Part II

• Ladies' Skirt Tutorial

• Cotton Doll Pattern

Undergarments

Young women will need to pack underclothing to wear under their skirts. These should be long enough to prevent chafing while they walk and should be more than just regular underwear—biker shorts or basketball shorts will work but no short shorts that fail to protect the inner thigh from the friction of walking in a hot, humid, and possibly rainy environment.

Sturdy Shoes and Socks

Each participant should have two pairs of sturdy shoes, appropriate for hiking. Both pairs of shoes should have enclosed toes and substantial treads and should support the feet and ankles. Participants should also wear socks with their shoes and should pack at least four pairs so they can change them frequently if necessary. Socks should wick moisture away from the feet, as a good wool or wool-blend sock will do.

Gear Space Allowance

Because space on the handcarts will be limited, each participant must pack all their belongings into one five-gallon bucket. You’ll have to be careful about how you pack it and what you choose to include.