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Best Survival Clothing

Last Updated: December 28, 2020

When faced with the harshest conditions, the clothing you choose for survival is essential. You must select the appropriate clothing ready to tackle all obstacles in various climates.

The best survival clothing on the market will protect you from extreme temperatures, whether it is hot or cold. It will also make you confident to confront the outdoors and have fun, all while experiencing ultimate comfort.

If you are unsure about what gear to buy, then you should check out our top five best survival clothing, and hopefully, you find an item suited to your preference and awaiting adventure.

Here at Survival Front, we have compiled a list of items that we believe are essential to surviving the rigors of the outdoor environment.

Our Reviews
1

281Z Military Boot Socks

These 100% polyester fleece liner boot socks offer survivalists exceptional comfort, that can be used in various climates.

Socks are a crucial component to your overall ensemble, as they keep your feet warm, provide comfort, and prevent any problems affecting the health of your feet. These boot socks will be an excellent addition to your kit.

The 281Z socks are ideal for various survival environments, but the high-quality Polartec fleece is designed for the winter. So, if you’re on a hiking trail or a modern battlefield in the harshest conditions, then you might want to slip these on.

You won’t have to worry about sweat when wearing these because the good insulation removes excess moisture and dries quickly and creates a comfortable temperature balance.

However, with light-weight and breathable material, you can wear these in hotter climates too. As always, consider the environment you’ll be accustomed to and then work from that.

These socks are budget-friendly, and although durable and made of quality fleece, the insulation may take a dip over time, creating issues with sweat and discomfort. It is recommended to have multiple pairs to cover you for larger periods of time.

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Pros

  • Budget-friendly
  • Lightweight
  • High breathability
  • Soft to skin, very comfortable

Cons

  • Sizes are questionable, reports of being too small/big
  • Feet can potentially overheat in hotter temperatures
2

Ceyue Durable Outdoor Hiking Pants

Quick-dry, durable, and lightweight – these are what you can expect in this Ceyue cargo pant. It is appropriate for various outdoor activities that you will undoubtedly take part in throughout your experience.

Its waterproof, windproof, insulated, and quick-drying softshell fabric means it will create a smooth sailing nature for you and allow you to survive with ease.

The material absorbs sweat and rain quickly and will keep you fresh even after a whole day on foot, breaking a sweat and tackling the unknown.

This cargo pant allows your survival to reach higher peaks even when hotter conditions demand your perseverance, with its breathable and lightweight material, it is ideal for all seasons.

Cargo pants, especially for survivalists, have evolved and come in varied designs – the Ceyue cargo pant features 3D cutting, which creates the perfect fit and has elastic and comes with a cloth belt as well. The 3D cutting adds comfort and increases its practicality.

Like most, if not all, survival clothing, pockets are plentiful to make space for other survival gear, and this cargo pant does not disappoint, with its firm and convenient to use zipper pockets.

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Pros

  • Lightweight
  • Waterproof/Quick-dry
  • Durable material
  • Suitable for all seasons
  • Budget-friendly

Cons

  • Sizes have been questioned by customers due to unreliability
3

Bars GORKA-4 Genuine Russian BDU Uniform

The Bars GORKA-4 Genuine Russian Army Special Military BDU uniform offers its customers a quality-driven and comfortable ensemble.

Made from 50% cotton and 50% polyester, and its water-resistant fabric tent, this item of survival clothing will see you through the windiest of days and protect you from rages of rain.

The extra pads on the hood, arms, legs, and back increase warmth and comfort throughout the body, as well as protecting you from the unknown of the outside world. However, it compromises by not providing the survivor with knee-pads, which is always a useful feature in survival clothing.

It also includes various pockets across the costume, with a significantly large kangaroo pocket in the front. While multiple pockets give room for storing other survival gear, the reported awkward pocket positionings could cause inconvenience to the survivor.

The silent fabric is a useful addition for when you’re out hunting or fishing, particularly in pin-drop audible environments. When concentration is fundamental, any unnecessary background noise can distract you from a successful meal.

This survival costume is available in a generous amount of sizes, with different variations, which makes it inclusive to survivalists of all shapes and sizes.

The GORKA4 is of a premium price, so it’s best to know your budget to help determine your final decision.

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Pros

  • Water resistant fabric tent
  • Extra padding to increase warmth and protection
  • Silent fabric, useful for hunting and fishing
  • Protection from wind and water

Cons

  • Pockets have been reported to be too big and awkwardly positioned throughout
  • Not budget-friendly
4

Rothco ECWCS Mid-Weight Underwear Top

This Rothco underwear top, crafted from polyester and spandex material, has the breathability and right amount of warmth to be the essential baseline to your overall survival clothing ensemble.

This underwear top is known in the Army as a waffle top because of its waffle-like material imprint, which traps heat more effectively and leaves you feeling warm throughout the day.

Windproof and quick-dry, this underwear top can provide care-free comfort and protection throughout your journey.

It features thumb holes to keep the sleeves in place all day, all while improving your grip, bringing extra warmth to your hands, and maximizing overall comfort. When you’re layered up, you want the fitting and removal of other clothing to be an easy process and not slow you down.

Across the board, zips can be flawed, but Rothco has crafted a comfortable and practical zip. It zips all the way to the top of the collar and has a zipper protector built in so you don’t feel it on your neck.

Lightweight clothing is essential when experiencing the outdoor challenges, yet, this underwear top doesn’t offer lightweight material.

Instead, it offers a middle-range weight, which suggests it’s best suited to winter and colder weather conditions. The weight of this item is something to consider before making any potential purchases.

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Pros

  • High breathability
  • Anti-odor and anti-microbial properties
  • Features thumb-holes
  • Traps heat effectively with its unique waffle-like material imprint

Cons

  • Not lightweight
  • Reports of oversized sleeves
5

Condor Summit Softshell Tactical Jacket

The Condor Summit Softshell Tactical Jacket is a popular item in the outside world because Gadsden & Culpeper provide survivalists with things that can be used and worn in a varied host of conditions.

However, this jacket is more suited to colder climates. The three-layer integrated shell and water-resistant fabrics absorb moisture, all while maintaining body heat, which is ideal for when you’re faced with cold and wet conditions.

Wearing the wrong gear for the unsuitable conditions brings a great deal of distress and can have a massive effect on the quality of your adventure. The featured full front YKK zipper with double zipper pull adds efficiency to your overall survival.

For on-the-go gear you’ll inevitably use, this jacket has plenty of room for storage. It includes two shoulder pockets, two internal pockets, two high-ride slash pockets, and one forearm jacket.

The design is slick and the positioning of the pockets makes it convenient to go in and out regularly, without a struggle. This is a fundamental feature as you want to think and act quickly on your feet to face various encounters without delayed responses, potentially hindering your survival story.

This jacket is not budget-friendly, so make sure you know your price restrictions before getting attached to this product. However, for the price, it offers a great deal of quality.

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Pros

  • Multiple pockets
  • Water-resistant and protection from wind
  • Includes shoulder patch panels

Cons

  • Not budget-friendly
  • Sizes have been questioned by customers due to unreliability

Summer & Winter

The clothes that you will wear in the summer will differ from the clothes you wear in the winter. Therefore, you should consider the climate you will be exposed to in advance, as the temperature will ultimately determine what item(s) you choose to wear on your survival experience.

Your survival clothing, during the summer, should be made from thin and lightweight materials. Hats, eyeglasses, shirts, shorts, and boots can all be worn in hotter temperatures as long as they are well-ventilated and not hindering your comfort and as a result, affecting your survival chances.

Clothing during the winter should be appropriate for colder temperatures, with thicker clothes with insulation to protect yourself from the extreme cold. Face masks, goggles, jackets, pants, socks, and boots are all essential to endure the unthinkable temperatures with ease.

Some survivalists even recommend layering up, depending on the product’s overall quality.

Although not essential, wool survival blankets are an added item to the survival kit breeze through struggling conditions.

Clothing for Different Activities

The activities you find yourself doing determines the survival gear investment you make, as the survival clothes you buy and wear should complement what activities are included in your adventure.

The Importance of Socks

Before you face the unknown of the outdoors, make sure you have excellent quality socks to provide warmth and comfort throughout the various challenges to come.

When it comes to outdoor socks, prepare to pay more than the price of your standard everyday socks, as these socks are mostly made from wool, and are designed to endure all weather conditions.

Longevity is what you want from a pair of outdoor socks, as you don’t want to continually replace them, which could lead you to sacrifice the quality. However, budget-friendly alternatives are on the market, usually made from acrylic, which is durable enough to tackle a range of obstacles.

What Are The Best Pants?

You should try to see the importance of insulation for all parts of the body as equal, especially if you’re in a colder environment. The lower body needs to receive the right amount of insulation to keep warm and to feel comfortable throughout.

The thickness will vary depending on preference and circumstance, although pants during the winter will have a thicker material to increase insulation and protect your body from potential problems. During the summer, or in hotter climates, try to find pants that are light-weight.

If the pants are waterproof and quick-dry is also something to consider because if you’re facing cold temperatures with wet clothes, it will cause a great deal of discomfort.

Pockets are essential for survivalists out there who are well equipped with the ultimate survival kit. As well as your bag and coat, why not invest in maximum storage in the pants you wear.

Pants with pockets throughout the lower part of your body are often positioned nicely, so you grab whatever, whenever.

Material

The material used for any survival gear will differentiate on the item of clothing and for which climate it is most suited. However, there is one thing that applies to all, and that’s the material’s quality.

Excellent quality leads to having the best protective clothing in your survival kit. It is important as it has you covered to meet the various elements and greet any disasters or emergencies that can happen (hopefully not!) during your outdoor experience.

Polyester is capable of keeping moisture out and at an affordable price, this material suits a vast majority of survivalists out there who are on budgets and looking for conveniently priced items.

Layers are Vital

Layering clothing is an effective way of increasing insulation and making your match with the wild as successful as possible. It is also a clever way of working with various climates, dealing with different temperatures.

If you have a set of layered survival clothing, then it’s more likely you will survive the most extreme conditions, and with the layering technique, you will know what each layer will bring to your overall performance.

The Three Different Layers:

  • The base layer (innermost layer) – This helps keep you dry as it regulates moisture, whether that be sweat or water from your surroundings.
  • The middle layer (insulating layer) – The core of your layer protects you from hypothermia by trapping your body heat and keeping your body at a thriving temperature.
  • The outer layer (shell layer) – The shell ultimately protects you from the elements.

Recap

The clothing you choose before pursuing the unexpected is arguably an essential factor in how your adventure turns out, without preparation, your survival situation can crumble.

Survival clothing, over the years, has evolved, and there are more and more items being released all the time. It can be challenging to maintain knowledge of the best of the best, for each of the elements and the activities you’ll be performing.

However, after reviewing the top five picks, my pick for the best survival clothing is the Ceyue Durable Breathable Lightweight Outdoor Athletic Quick Dry Snow Ski Hiking Pants.

These durable pants are a must-have for the survivalists out there who find themselves in different weather conditions. They are suited to various outdoor activities that you’ll no doubt be taking part in throughout your experience, and you’ll feel comfortable throughout.

However, all of the items we have explored would make excellent options for survival clothing. After assessing our top picks, we hope you find the best survival clothing that best suits you and your future journey, and one that will take your survival skills to the highest level.

Please leave feedback in our comments section. If you have any review recommendations, please get in touch with us via our social media pages, which are linked below. We’d love to hear your thoughts!

Good Luck and Happy Prepping from the Survival Front team!

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