What to Wear Ziplining in Charleston: Complete Outfit Guide

Picture yourself standing in your closet the night before your zipline tour. You pull out a pair of shorts and wonder if they will work with a harness. You look at your sneakers and your sandals and start second-guessing yourself. This guide will walk you through exactly what to wear when you visit Charleston Adventure Forest in Awendaw, SC, so you can stop guessing and start looking forward to your tour.

What Charleston Adventure Forest Provides at Check-In

You do not need to purchase or bring any equipment to your tour at Charleston Adventure Forest. When you arrive, your guides will fit you with a full-body harness, a helmet, and gloves. Two trained guides lead every canopy tour and walk your group through a ground school session before anyone clips into the first line.

Understanding how the harness works will help you make better clothing choices. The harness wraps around your chest, across your waist, and through both of your legs. Your full body weight rests on the leg loops every time you fly down a zip line. That is the detail that explains why certain clothing choices matter more than others, and we will cover all of it below.

Ziplining in the Lowcountry Is Not the Same as Ziplining Anywhere Else

Most clothing guides for ziplining are written by parks in Colorado, Tennessee, or Hawaii. Charleston Adventure Forest sits in Awendaw, South Carolina, which is a completely different environment from any of those places. The Lowcountry runs hot and humid from April through October. Morning temperatures in July and August can already feel oppressive, and the moisture in the air makes certain fabrics feel much heavier than they look. Lightweight athletic fabric that breathes makes a real difference here.

Our canopy tour also covers more ground than people expect. You start by zipping from a 65-foot tower down to your first treetop platform. The tour then moves through several more platforms and towers, crosses three sky bridges, and finishes on a 750-foot grand finale zip through the Lowcountry pines. The total experience runs up to two hours and involves climbing stairs, walking between platforms, and moving through forest terrain. Your outfit needs to hold up through all of that movement, not just the seconds you spend in the air.

What to Wear on the Bottom Half

Your choice of bottoms is the most important clothing decision you will make for your zipline day. The leg loops of your full-body harness carry your body weight on every zip line. When your shorts are too short, the harness straps press directly against your bare skin for the entire tour. Over seven zip lines and up to two hours on course, that becomes genuinely uncomfortable.

Best Choices for Bottoms

Leggings, athletic pants, capris, and knee-length shorts all work well for ziplining at Charleston Adventure Forest. Look for fabric that stretches and moves easily, since you will be climbing stairs and walking uneven forest paths throughout the tour.

Women should pay close attention to this section. Short shorts are the most common clothing mistake we see on our course. The leg loops of the harness sit high on your thighs, and anything that rides up leaves your skin in direct contact with the nylon strap for the duration of the tour. Leggings or longer shorts completely solve this problem.

For guests visiting during summer, skip denim entirely. Jeans in 90-degree heat with high Lowcountry humidity feel heavy and restrictive very quickly. Lightweight moisture-wicking athletic fabric is the right choice for warm weather tours. Avoid wearing mini shorts, skirts, dresses, and baggy joggers that bunch underneath the harness straps.

What to Wear on the Top Half

The chest portion of your harness wraps across your torso and stays there for your entire tour. A shirt that rides up will get bunched underneath the harness straps and stay in that position no matter how many times you try to fix it.

Best Choices for Tops

A fitted athletic tee or a tank top works well for most guests. If your shirt is longer, you can tuck it in before your harness goes on. You need a top that stays in place once the harness is fitted over it.

During summer months, lightweight and breathable fabric makes a noticeable difference. The open towers and sky bridges on our course get direct sunlight even when the forest floor feels shaded. In the cooler months, a fitted long-sleeve shirt works well for morning tours when temperatures are still in the 50s before warming up through the day. Avoid oversized hoodies, shirts with thick external zippers, and anything with loose drawstrings that could press uncomfortably against the harness.

What to Wear on Your Feet

Closed-toe shoes are required at Charleston Adventure Forest with no exceptions. Guests who arrive wearing sandals, flip flops, or any open-toe footwear will not be able to go on course.

Best Choices for Shoes

Sneakers and athletic shoes with a secure lace-up fit are the best option for your zipline day. Trail runners also work well. Make sure your laces are tied tightly before you arrive, because shoes that are not properly secured can come off at speed.

Your shoes matter long before and after each zip line. You will climb stairs to reach the 65-foot starting tower, walk between several platforms through the forest, and cross three sky bridges at different heights during the tour. Your footwear needs to handle all of that movement safely and comfortably. Do not wear sandals, flip flops, Crocs, slip-on shoes, high heels, or any open-toe shoes.

What Not to Wear Ziplining: The Full List

Jewelry: Remove rings, bracelets, necklaces, and hoop earrings before your visit. Our FAQ page specifically recommends leaving jewelry at home or locked in your car. Small stud earrings are fine to keep in.

Hats: Every guest wears a helmet provided by Charleston Adventure Forest. Hats do not fit underneath the helmet properly and create an uneven fit. Leave your hat in the car before check-in.

Baggy or loose clothing: Loose fabric can snag on harness hardware and bunch underneath the straps in ways that are difficult to fix once you are on course. Fitted or athletic-cut clothing moves with you much more naturally.

Skirts and dresses: The leg loops of the harness make skirts and dresses incompatible with the course.

Dangling accessories: Scarves, lanyards, and anything that hangs loosely from your body can catch on equipment during the tour.

Loose items in open pockets: Phones and keys that fall from height are a safety hazard for people below. Charleston Adventure Forest has a secure storage area for your valuables, and we encourage you to use it before your tour begins.

What to Do With Long Hair

If you have long hair, you will need to pull it back before your helmet and harness are fitted. Loose hair can get caught in the trolley mechanism when you are moving at speed down the line, so this is a safety requirement at Charleston Adventure Forest.

A ponytail, braid, or bun all work well for this purpose. Avoid thick headbands that push up against the inside of your helmet and create pressure during the tour. A flat hair tie or a few bobby pins will hold your hair comfortably underneath the helmet.

What to Do About Glasses and Sunglasses

If you wear prescription glasses or sunglasses, you need to secure them with a retention strap before going on course. At the speeds you reach on a zip line, unsecured glasses will not stay on your face. A Croakies-style band works well for this purpose.

If you wear prescription glasses and do not have a retention strap, contact lenses are a comfortable alternative for your day. Apply sunscreen around the eye area before you get out on the open towers and sky bridges.

What to Wear at Charleston Adventure Forest by Season

Summer, May through September: Lightweight moisture-wicking fabric for everything you wear. Apply sunscreen and bug spray before you leave the car. Mosquitoes are active in the Awendaw forest from May through August, and most guests do not think about this until they are already on course.

Spring and fall, March through April and October through November: Morning temperatures often sit in the 50s and warm up quickly once the sun is fully up. A light zip-up layer or fitted long sleeve that you can tie around your waist once you warm up is a practical choice for these months.

Winter, December through February: Lowcountry winters stay in the 40s to low 60s, which is manageable with light layers. A heavy winter coat is too bulky to wear comfortably over a harness. The open platforms and sky bridges on the course will feel cooler than the ground level when there is a breeze moving through the trees, so account for that when you are layering.

What to Wear if You Are Doing More Than Just the Zipline

Charleston Adventure Forest offers the 65-foot climbing wall, blacksmithing classes, and animal encounters with alpacas, mini horses, goats, and more. The same outfit you wear for the zipline tour works well for all of these activities.

For the climbing wall, the athletic clothing and closed-toe shoes you already have on are exactly right. For blacksmithing, closed-toe shoes are especially important near the forge, and longer pants offer more protection than shorts in that setting. For animal encounters, there are no additional clothing requirements. Alpacas and goats are curious animals, so avoid wearing anything you would be upset to get dirty.

If your kids are joining the Kids Zip Koala Course, the same clothing rules apply for them. Closed-toe shoes are required, loose clothing should be avoided, and long hair needs to be pulled back before the helmet goes on. Well-fitted clothing makes a real difference in comfort for younger guests who will be in the harness for up to an hour and a half on the Kids Zip course.

Quick Checklist Before You Leave for Charleston Adventure Forest

Wear all of this:

• Closed-toe athletic shoes with laces tied tightly
• Leggings, athletic pants, capris, or knee-length shorts
• Fitted tee, tank top, or athletic long-sleeve shirt
• Hair tie if your hair reaches past your shoulders
• Glasses retention strap if you wear glasses or sunglasses

Bring all of this:

• Sunscreen applied before you get out of the car
• Bug spray for spring and summer visits
• Nothing valuable sitting in open pockets

Leave all of this at home or in the car:

• All jewelry except small stud earrings
• Hats, scarves, and dangling accessories
• Sandals, flip flops, Crocs, and open-toe shoes
• Short shorts, skirts, and dresses
• Baggy hoodies and shirts with loose drawstrings

Book Your Zipline Tour at Charleston Adventure Forest

You now know exactly what to wear and what to leave behind. The only thing left to do is book your tour. Charleston Adventure Forest offers the only forest canopy zipline in the Charleston area, with 7 zip lines, 3 sky bridges, and a 750-foot grand finale line through the Awendaw Lowcountry pines. Every tour is guided by two trained professionals from start to finish.

Book Your Zipline Tour

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I wear shorts ziplining at Charleston Adventure Forest?

You can wear shorts ziplining as long as they reach at least to the knee. Shorter shorts ride up under the leg loops of the harness and cause discomfort over the course of the tour. Knee-length athletic shorts or longer are the better choice for a comfortable experience on the course.

Do I need to bring my own gear to Charleston Adventure Forest?

You do not need to bring any gear to your tour at Charleston Adventure Forest. Your full-body harness, helmet, and gloves are all provided and fitted by your guides when you arrive at check-in.

What should my kids wear for the Kids Zip Koala Course?

Children on the Kids Zip Koala Course follow the same clothing rules as adults on the canopy tour. Closed-toe shoes are required, loose clothing should be avoided, and long hair needs to be pulled back before the helmet goes on. Comfortable athletic clothing that fits well makes the biggest difference in how much fun younger guests have on the course.

Can I wear my glasses on the zipline course?

You can wear your glasses on the zipline course at Charleston Adventure Forest as long as you secure them with a retention strap before going on course. Unsecured glasses will not stay on your face at zip speed.