A properly attired hiker: Blaze orange in hunting season

TL;DR: Wearing the same amount of high-visibility clothing hunters recommend 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 elk rifle season.

That day made taking blaze orange (also known as hunter orange) on our trip an excellent idea.

Oddly enough, Colorado doesn’t require non-hunters to wear blaze orange.  But we still thought it was a good idea for our safety and the hunters’ peace of mind.

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

Revised 2025

Put succinctly – 

• Cover your head: wear a blaze-orange hat, or put a blaze cover over your hat.
• Have torso coverage – wear a blaze vest or a bright, visible layer like a hoodie or base layer.
• Make the pack visible for full coverage—put something visible on the back of your pack: a blaze bandana, vest, pack cover, or panel.

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

In more detail…

What are the dates and rules for hunting season?

First, find the start dates for 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 by hunting type, area, and even weapon. 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; bow-only 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  The various sites I found for all the states had many outdated links.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.

Next, find 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, you must wear 500 square inches of material that is visible to the public. That means it must be visible both above the waist and on the head.

As you can see in some of the older photos, we didn’t 100% follow the hunting regulations as hikers that weekend. As my awareness increased over the seasons, I changed my clothing, particularly for rifle season.

As of 2025, I wear –

• An Orange Aglow vest, 
• A hat cover (.250 oz / 7g helmet liner, actually) 
• A panel or oversized vest for my pack, depending.

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

Regardless of specific regulations on who must wear blaze orange, all outdoor users should wear blaze orange during this time of year.

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

Wearing blaze orange is required for safety; the vests and headgear are inexpensive and easy to wear.

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

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.

What to wear?

Many retailers will not stock blaze orange or blaze pink hunting items 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 typically cost $10 or less. I prefer mine to be a size up for layering over my other clothes, including insulation layers. At this time of year, many big-box stores, local hardware stores, and outfitters carry blaze orange.
  • If it is cold, I have a blaze-orange thermal top that works well and provides good visibility.
  • Crew tops are available, too, that are 100% synthetic, light, and inexpensive
  • Or if you lean towards sun hoodies, here is a blaze-orange option.
  • If you want lightweight vests that breathe and dry quickly, check out the Orange Aglow products.  At about 2.2 oz, the vest has mesh that ventilates well and offers excellent coverage. The gear designer hunts avidly in varied conditions. Additionally, he thru-hiked the PCT and a good chunk of the CDT.  He also sells panels you can attach 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 cost less than $25.

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

• Since you are hiking, you also need to have your pack visible in blaze orange.  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. However, ULA sells silnylon, fluorescent orange pack covers.
  • Another option, if not quite as visible for all-around coverage, is the Orange Aglow panels mentioned above.
  • An inexpensive, larger vest can also provide fuller coverage.

 

• The head is the last part that needs to be visible. In the past, I used a bright orange bandana to cover my hat. It worked OK, but not as well as it could have, given how faded the bandana’s color is.  I tried using tape at one point, but it didn’t 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 very light, inexpensive blaze orange bike helmet liner online that fits over my existing hats. 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 fastens easily on ball caps—no need to buy extra headgear for hunting season.
    • A reader below suggests a buff. Here’s a $6 version that works for hats or general multi-use.
    • Another option is a quick-dry, blaze-orange, running-style hat.

Blaze pink?

As a side note, some states now allow “blaze pink” as an alternative. No standards define what constitutes blaze pink. Check your local state jurisdiction to see whether they allow this choice.  This motif is relatively new; there are fewer high-visibility pink options than more subdued pink, especially 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. 

What about other hi-vis colors? 

If your clothing collection includes a hi-vis yellow-green shirt, like those used for construction or running, that should work. Assuming local areas don’t require blaze orange for all outdoor users, whether they are 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 already have those colors 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 skull cap for hat coverage
• Hi-vis warm 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. 😮   

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 without blaze orange. A brown dog with white spots…..Yikes!

Your pooch’s safety is just as important. Perhaps even more so, your furry friend is on four legs and running.

At the very least, get a blaze orange bandana 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. It also looks like they sell a vest now.

At Dawn and Dusk

As Colter noted in the comments, visibility is very low at dawn and dusk—when many hunters are out and about, too. Wearing an LED light is advisable. Many headlamps feature a low-light, blinking mode that helps maintain 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.

 

In the end…

There is no reason NOT to wear blaze orange when hiking. For hikers and outdoor enthusiasts in general, blaze orange keeps you safe, puts hunters at ease knowing you are helping with general safety, and makes for a more pleasant experience for everyone sharing the woods.   It is not that “hunters are shooting at everything.” Most are responsible. Wearing blaze orange helps hunters 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.