How To Stay Active And Warm In The Cold

On a sunny Sunday afternoon, the parking lot for the popular Wasootch Ridge trail is nearly empty. At -13 C, I wonder if it’s a little too cold to be hiking today.

The key to comfortable winter hiking is layering. I’m starting out cozily encased in Smartwool Classic Thermal 1/4 Zip and Bottoms and thick Smartwool hiking socks. That, combined with mid-layer polar fleece thermal leggings, and the Northern Light Hoodie and the Boundary Light Down Vest from MEC, I feel confident that I can tackle whatever weather conditions are thrown at me.

Why Wear Base Layers?

Photo by Warren Giovannetti

A proper base layer is your first defense when recreating in the winter as it will help insulate you against the cold as well as manage your moisture. Wasootch Ridge has a leg-busting 300 metres of elevation gain in the first two kilometers, so I got sweaty fast.

Ensuring that moisture doesn’t stay on your skin is something that Emily Hinton, MEC’s base layer expert, says is the most important reason for wearing a base layer. “You want a little layer of air between your body and the fabric because that is what is insulating you to keep you warm,” she says. “If it’s loose, it’s not actually going to do that much, but the flip side of that is you don’t want it too tight because you want to be comfortable.”

A fit close to the body will also help to reduce any chafing or blistering. As Hinton puts it, “a baggy sock or a baggy base layer in your ski boot is going to wreck your whole trip.”

Wool vs Synthetic

Photo by Warren Giovannetti

When hiking in winter, I favour merino wool base layers. The streamlined fit of Smartwool’s Classic Thermal 1/4 Zip and Bottoms under my mid-layers ensured that I stayed warm and comfortable despite the high energy output of my activity.

Merino wool is known for its natural insulation, temperature regulation and moisture management, making it ideal for cold and damp conditions. According to Hinton, “even if you are working super hard and getting sweaty, it will still work to keep you warm or cool you down.”

Wool also stays less smelly than a synthetic layer and dries quicker. However, because it is a fully natural fiber, it comes at a higher price point.

Synthetic base layers are a more budget-friendly option with greater durability. While merino wool, even at its finest, can sometimes irritate people’s sensitive skin, synthetic layers rarely have this problem. Synthetic fabric does the same job, wicking moisture away from the body—the downsides being the smell, and that the material might not be as nice.

As Hinton says, choosing your base layers is a personal choice. “It really depends on the person: it depends on your body type, the activity you are doing, whether it’s a dry or damp cold,” she says. “Nordic skiing is high output so you want a nice light breathable layer, whereas downhill skiing you will warm up, but you are also sitting on a chairlift in the cold.”

Synthetic layers can also be easier to pack, especially if your layers sport a fleecy waffle pattern that effectively holds little pockets of air.“Air is the thing that is actually keeping us warm,” explains Hinton, “so if you have these little pockets of air, it weighs nothing and can pack down small. Whereas wool, for almost the same warmth, is going to be a little bulkier, a little harder to pack.”

You can opt for a blend of both. Intraknit by Smartwool is a great option. As Hinton says, blends combine the best of both fabric worlds: “You get the great natural fiber piece, where the smell is a bit less and the absorption is higher, but if you’re blending that with a polyester or spandex, you’re going to get more stretch, more give, more durability.”

Cleaning and Caring for your Base Layers

Photo by Warren Giovannetti

When I get home from this particularly sweaty winter hike, I strip my Smartwool base layers and hang them to dry, skipping the washing machine altogether. I tend to go many wears in between washes for two reasons: merino wool is more delicate than synthetic fiber (more frequent washes will break the material down quicker) and it doesn’t smell as bad as quickly as synthetic.

Synthetics are much easier to care for than wool. Just wash and dry your layers. Merino wool should be washed on a delicate cycle with cold water and hung to dry. Never put your wool layers in the dryer.

MEC also stocks wool and synthetic washes for a deep clean for your sweatiest, smelliest layers.

READ MORE: , , ,

Share

LEAVE A COMMENT


RECOMMENDED FOR YOU