Why Koreans Hike in Full Gear (And When You Need It)
The First Time a Client Asked Me About the Hiking Pants A British couple I was dropping off at Bukhansan last May pulled on their shorts and trail runners while a group of Korean retirees shuffled past in Gore-Tex jackets, gaiters, and full trekking poles. One of the couple turned to me and said, 'Are they going up Everest or something?' It's a question I hear almost every week. The honest answer is: those retirees probably know something your average foreign visitor doesn't. Korean mountain weather is genuinely punishing, the trails are steeper and more technical than they look on the map, and there's a very specific culture of preparedness built up over decades of people getting into trouble on these hills. But there's also a fair bit of fashion involved, and knowing the difference matters for your packing list. Korea's Climate Makes the Case for Gear The Temperature Swing Is Real Seoul sits in a continental monsoon zone, which means the gap betw...