A properly attired hiker: Blaze orange in hunting season

TL;DR: Wearing the same amount of high-visibility clothing as advised for hunters is wise. Hunters won’t shoot at ‘anything that moves’—they won’t shoot at all if they see a person in their firing area. Wearing blaze orange is safer, appreciated by hunters, and a respectful way to share the outdoors.

Over a decade ago, during a shoulder-season backpacking trip (which was an attempt!), Cam and I started the first day of rifle season for elk hunting.

This day meant that taking blaze orange (also known as hunter orange) for our trip was an excellent idea.

Oddly enough, the wearing of blaze orange is not a requirement for non-hunters in Colorado.  But, we thought it would still be a good idea for our safety and the hunters’ peace of mind.

With that recent experience in mind, here are some ideas for the wearing of blaze orange beyond a simple vest.

Revised 2025

What are the dates and rules for hunting season?

The most obvious step is to determine the start dates of the various hunting seasons in your state (or province, if hiking in nearby Canada).

Note that “hunting season” is a broad term.

Hunting season is divided into various types of hunting, areas, and even types of weapons. Big game? Fowl? Deer? Elk? Bow hunting? Muzzle? Rifle? The specific location and unit? You get the idea.

Different seasons and areas have different rules. GENERALLY, rifle season requires blaze orange; strictly bow hunting season does not. However, first, find out the dates and regulations for the specific area.  The various sites I found for all the states had many outdated links.  Better to Google, for example,  “Hunting season dates in Colorado.” More specific and up-to-date.

After that, find out the blaze orange regulations. How much is required, and where you must wear it. Google is again your friend for specific rules.  Here’s a current site for general info.

In Colorado, 500 square inches of material must be worn and visible to the public. That means visible both above the waist and on the head.

As you can see from some of the older photos, we did not 100% follow the hunting regulations during that weekend as hikers. As my awareness increased over the seasons, I changed my clothing for rifle season in particular.

As of 2025, I wear a vest, a hat cover (now out of stock), and a pack cover. During cold weather, I wear a blaze orange thermal top.  When it is cool but not cold, a light thermal crew top works well—more information on those items is available below.

As mentioned, Colorado only requires hunters to wear blaze orange. In my home state of Rhode Island, wearing blaze orange is required of all users of the DEM lands. 

Regardless of the specific regulations concerning who is required to wear blaze orange, all outdoor users really should wear blaze orange during this time of the year.

When we were hiking that weekend, the hunters appreciated that we wore blaze orange. We are sharing the woods, and all users want is a good experience for everyone.

Wearing blaze orange is needed for safety; the vests and headgear are inexpensive, and wearing the blaze orange gear is easy.

Though hiker accidents are rare during hunting season (esp. compared to the number of people using the outdoors for recreation), any accidents that do happen are typically because blaze orange is not worn.

According to this article from a hunting-focused website:

In 2010, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife reported that in the past 20 years, 81 percent of victims in vision-related hunting incidents were not wearing hunter orange clothing.

 So, no reason not to wear blaze orange clothing.

In the La Sal Mountains Oct 2019. Note the visibility versus the 2014 photos. I wear a blaze orange thermal under my fleece, a blaze orange pack cover, the blaze orange hat cover, and an Orange Aglow vest.

What to wear?

Many retailers will not stock blaze orange or blaze pink items meant for hunting until around early September. If an item below is currently out of stock, the retailer may restock it once the general rifle season starts before the fall.

• The first and most obvious place is the vest for the core area. Avoid plastic vests and get better polyester vests. These vests are typically priced at $10 or less. I prefer mine to be sized larger for layering over my other clothes, including insulation layers. At this time of year, many big-box stores, local hardware stores, and outfitters tend to have blaze orange.
  • If it is cold, I have a blaze orange thermal top that works well and provides much visibility.
  • Crew tops avail, too, that are 100% synthetic, light, and inexpensive
  • Or, if you lean towards sun hoodies, here is a blaze orange option.
  • If you are looking for lightweight vests that breathe and dry quickly, check out the Orange Aglow products.  About 2.2 oz for a vest with mesh that ventilates well and has excellent coverage. The designer of the gear hunts avidly in varied conditions. Additionally, he thru-hiked the PCT in addition to a good chunk of the CDT.  He also sells panels suitable for attaching to a pack or your dog’s harness.
    • UPDATE OCT 2019: Joan and I started using these vests after the owner gave us two to try. They are very effective and under $25.

Note: I would not wear construction vests. From what I read on hunting forums, the reflective white stripes can mimic, at a glance, a specific animal hunted. :O  

• Since you are hiking, you also need to have your pack with blaze orange visible.  Although many sell blaze orange pack covers, they are generally sized for larger, non-cottage gear and backpacks, and tend to be made of heavier material.  I did find a small silnylon pack cover  I’ve since switched to for hunting season. Easy on/easy off, with minimal weight penalty.
  • Another option, if not quite as visible for all-around coverage, is the Orange Aglow panels mentioned above.

• The head is the last part that needs to be visible. In the past, I used a bright orange bandanna to cover my hat. It worked OK, but not as ideally as the color of the bandana is faded.  I attempted to use some tape at one point, but that did not work.  You can buy blaze orange ball caps, boonie hats, and warm hats.
  • However, I do not necessarily want another set of headgear.  I found a neat piece of gear online that covers my existing hats (no longer available). It works for both the wide-brimmed hats I favor and my hiking ball cap of choice, and quickly fits over my warm hat as well. It easily fastens on ball caps—no need to buy an extra set of headgear for hunting season.
    • If you have sewing skills or a talented partner, in my case, you could modify a basic fleece hat pattern and use blaze orange fabric..
    • This blaze orange headband appears to be available for under $4 as a potential option.
    • Another option? A blaze orange “doo-rag” style one could work well. Just cut down the extra fabric.
    • A reader below suggests a buff. Here’s a $6 version that’s suitable for covering hats or for general multi-use purposes.
    • A quick-dry blaze orange running-style hat is another option.

Oct 2020, La Sal Mountains. Joan sporting the 2 oz Orange Aglow vest. 

You have a safe, versatile, and lightweight (in terms of ounces) coverage for hunting season for a small monetary investment.

Blaze pink?

As a side note, some states now allow “blaze pink” as an alternative. There are no standards for what constitutes blaze pink. Check the local state jurisdictions to see if they allow this choice.  This motif is relatively new; there are fewer options for a high visibility pink vs. a more subdued pink esp with non-cotton technical clothing.

Some possible options – 

• simple vest,
• ball cap, 
• runner’s style hat,  
• base layer shirts,
• bright pink sun hoodie
• neck gaiter (Buff)
• And a warm hat. 

One of Joan’s favorite hats!

What about other hi-vis colors? 

If your clothing collection includes a hi-vis yellow-green shirt, such as those found for construction or running, that should work. Assuming the local areas do not require blaze orange for all outdoor users, regardless of hunting or not. However, many hikers tend to wear muted colors. Myself included.  Unless you already have hi-vis colors in your clothing collection, I think blaze orange or pink makes a better choice.  Hunters tend to look for blaze orange or blaze pink.  

Still, if you have the colors already, and it is allowed, why not use them?  Many bicyclists tend to prefer this color scheme more than hikers, so there’s also potential for a multi-use crossover.

As above –

• Hi-vis shirt (or a zip neck one that’s warmer)
• Hi vis sun hoodie
• Neck gaiter (buff)
• Hi-vis runner’s hat
• Hi-vis ball cap
• Hi-vis fleece hat
• Hi-vis vest (not construction!)

As mentioned earlier, I wouldn’t recommend wearing construction vests.  According to several hunting forums, the reflective white stripes can, at a glance, resemble markings of certain game animals. 😮   

Joan commutes by bike regularly, and I enjoy running errands on our bikes.

Canine companions and blaze orange

On that trip over a decade ago, I was a bit surprised to see a trail runner out without blaze orange clothing. Even more surprising was seeing his dog with no blaze orange on. A brown dog with white spots…..Yikes!

Safety for your pooch is just as important. Perhaps even more so in a sense, your furry friend is on four legs and running.

At the very least, get a blaze orange bandanna to attach to your dog’s collar.

Better yet, a vest or harness will provide more coverage and visibility.

Already have a harness or vest and don’t wish to buy additional gear? Orange Aglow sells safety panels that could easily attach to an existing harness. And looks like they sell a vest, now, too.

From Orange Aglow

At Dawn and Dusk

As noted by Colter in the comments, visibility is very low at dawn and dusk—the time when many hunters are out and about, too. Wearing an LED light is advisable. Many headlamps feature a low-light, blinking mode that’s effective for maintaining long-distance visibility.

These inexpensive, USB-rechargeable clip-on lights work well for our bike commutes in low-light conditions, making them an excellent option if you’d rather not use your primary headlamp while hiking.

No photo of our dawn or dusk hikes, but here’s a shot of the Clone Dynasty from Foundation, the Apple TV take on Asimov’s classic!

In the end…

There is no reason NOT to wear blaze orange when hiking. For the hiker and outdoor enthusiast in general, wearing blaze orange will keep you safe, put hunters at ease knowing you are helping with general safety, and make for a more pleasant experience for everyone sharing the woods.   It is not that “hunters are shooting at everything.” Most are responsible. The wearing of blaze orange helps hunters so they can see you are nearby before they take their shot.

The clothing and gear are reasonably priced, and the weight penalty is slight.

Just do it.

Courtesy of thehikinglife.com. My blaze orange coverage has expanded currently vs. 2014, when we took this photo.