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What do I wear and when?
Our guide will help you choose the right clothing even in the most adverse conditions.
Photo by Hamish Frost
The right clothing
On tour, the "onion principle" applies: you have several layers with you, which you can wear individually or on top of each other. This way you can react to changing weather and more or less sweaty activities. Several thin layers of clothing are better than a few thick ones. Each layer in your clothing system serves a specific purpose - properly combined they keep you warm and dry even in the worst mountain weather.
The first layer: baselayer
The first layer is mainly to keep moisture (sweat) away from your skin. Then a layer of warm air can form between the dry skin and the first layer of clothing. Since the baselayer is directly on your skin, comfort and feel are very important. We use a selection of soft and quick-drying fabrics for our baselayers, some with special odor control technologies.
The middle layer: Midlayer
Midlayers should retain body heat and at the same time let moisture through - they must therefore be warm and breathable. Fleece has long been the best choice for this midlayer and is still popular today. In addition, there are more modern materials such as Pontetorto® Tecnopile®, with high thermal performance and low pack volume. And when it gets even colder, jackets with a Polartec® Alpha® filling provide the necessary warmth.
The outer layer: Shell Layer
This layer of clothing is designed to protect the lower layers (and ultimately you!) from wind, rain and snow. Depending on the conditions, hard or soft shells are suitable here. For winter tours and in very bad weather, we recommend completely waterproof and windproof Hardshell products with a GORE-TEX, GORE-TEX PRO or DRILITE® membrane. GORE-TEX PACLITE® and GORE-TEX PACLITE® PLUS hardshells are suitable if you want or need something small and light. In summer and when the weather is good, Softshell jackets and pants are an ideal choice: we use our own highly breathable EXOLITE Softshell and GORE-TEX INFINIUM materials.
The additional layer: insulation
Insulation clothing acts as a booster for heat retention - this is essential in inactive phases, for example at the stand or during the summit break, or when the temperatures on tour drop into the basement. At Mountain Equipment we have over 50 years of experience in the development of insulating clothing. Down insulates better than synthetic fiber at the same weight, but warms worse when wet. In wet conditions, modern synthetic fibers like our POLARLOFT® Featherless or PrimaLoft® are an optimal compromise, as they still insulate when wet while providing similar comfort to down. When climbing, by the way, your insulating clothing should be large enough to fit over all other clothing layers.
More clothing guides
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Ice climbing guide
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Ski touring guide
