Layering your clothes
The number one rule of outdoor outerwear is layering your clothes. Always, always wear layers. This will be your foundation for choosing your clothes to bring and dressing yourself every day. If you are packing for a day trip and are just planning to bring a tee shirt for when it gets warm and a down puff jacket for when it gets cold, you are going to have a bad time.
Not paying attention to how you layer your clothes can be very uncomfortable, but it can also be dangerous for you. Don’t put your body through massive temperature changes. Be especially mindful of this when you’re doing strenuous exercise and activities. You must bring several layers of clothes to strip or put on throughout the day to maintain a healthy body temperature.
There’s a general three-part system when it comes to layering: base layer, mid-layer, and outer layer. You can have more layers than these three, but you should not have less.
Layering Your Clothes: Base Layer
Base layers protect you from moisture accumulating close to your skin. This is essential for maintaining your body temperature in dynamic weather. The base layer shouldn’t be bulky considering the other clothes you will need to put on top of it. It should fit fairly tightly to your body without being restrictive.
Because the main goal of the base layer is moisture protection, this layer’s material should be an efficient moisture wicking material. Don’t pick cotton, which will just absorb your sweat and make you even wetter. Materials like nylon for hotter weather or merino wool for cooler are great options.
When I was in New Zealand, I would nearly always choose the same base layer for hiking days. It was a light-colored, long sleeve, UV-protected, moisture wicking nylon shirt. It was flexible and comfortable, and it served as a great moisture management material. On its own, it did almost nothing for heat insulation. This was great for when I wanted to take off my jacket when I was warming up during a hike. With this base layer on, I could cool off while remaining protected from moisture build-up and UV rays. Once I cooled off enough, I’d put the jacket back on to retain my body’s temperature.
Layering Your Clothes: Middle Layer
Use your middle layer (or mid-layer) for heat insulation. This is the garment that will do the most work to keep your upper body and core warm and insulated in cold weather. It’s not so much a coat as it is a jacket. This layer should also be a comfortable fit around your body – not restrictively tight, but also avoiding bulk or looseness. The mid-layer can range fairly widely from something like a light polyester fleece to a highly insulated down jacket. The good thing about mid-layers is that you don’t always have to pick – sometimes bringing two is the best option.
For myself, I almost always bring two mid-layers with me. Usually, it’s a zip-up fleece jacket and light-weight hoodie. I always feel that the ability to choose between one and two middle layers gives me a lot of control over my comfort level. Both of these items are pretty packable as well and don’t take up a huge amount of space in a day pack.
This is just my take, but I almost never bring a down jacket on a day trip, even when it’s freezing in the morning. No matter how cold it might feel in the morning before you start a hike, the odds are that both the temperature and your body will get much warmer during your trek.
I remember waiting for the bus to pick us up and take us to the Tongariro Alpine Crossing trailhead. It was a decently cold morning, in the 20s or 30s. Everyone at that bus stop except me was wearing a warm, down jacket. l admit I was a little chilly standing there at the bus stop. However, we soon had passed dozens of hikers who were already stopping to pack their down jackets into their backpack. We didn’t see anyone stopping to get them back out later.
Layering Your Clothes: Outer Layer
Your final layer will be your outer layer. This will be your shield from the elements. Therefore, the outer layer is always thoroughly waterproof and should keep your upper body very dry from rain. A fully waterproof coat will also protect your skin from cold wind blasts which is essential when hiking mountainous and exposed trails.
Options for the outer layer are straightforward – make sure it’s waterproof. Other than that, it’s up to you. I brought a somewhat thick Columbia outer shell raincoat. The shell added an extra layer of warmth when I needed it, but it meant it could get too warm inside sometimes as well. The coat was well designed and accounted for this by featuring zippable vents underneath the arms to let air move in and out while letting very little moisture in.
Kenna, on the other hand, brought a very thin REI raincoat. Hers was not nearly as warm, but she could offset that by wearing a heavier mid-layer. In addition, her jacket was far more packable than mine, and overall was probably more versatile as she could wear it comfortably on hot or cold days.
Layering Your Clothes: Thermal Layer
One more layer that may be a great choice for you in particularly cold climates is a layer of thermals, also known as long underwear. These are thin, tight fitting nylon or wool garments that can significantly help you retain body heat with additional clothes layers. They are so thin that they fit under pretty much everything. I always bring them to sleep in on any overnight camping trip. They can serve as a base layer as they are usually made of material that won’t collect moisture easily. I recommend getting a thermal shirt and leggings. Make sure to fully tuck in your thermal shirt into your leggings for extra heat retention!
General Note: Wool
If you spend any time reading about the properties of wool, you’ll quickly be blown away at how amazing the natural material is. I can’t recommend wool garments enough. Merino wool in particular is robust, highly water resistant, and excellent for regulating body heat. It also stays completely odor neutral meaning you can wear it over and over again without it needing frequent washing! You should always be wearing wool somewhere when hiking in New Zealand. Look for merino or Smartwool products when shopping for any base or middle layer garments.
