Baselayer Advice and Climate Control

If you’re really into camping and outdoor sports, then you’re really into wearing the right outdoor gear.  The simple reason is that it helps you perform better and makes it easier to enjoy your time in the great outdoors!  Outdoor clothing is so important

Note: This blog post takes some information from the main outdoor clothing help and advice page on the website, as well as the outdoor clothing shop.  So for more information on outdoor clothing take a look at these pages too.

Three most common challenges when camping or enjoying outdoor sports:

• Being too hot
• Being too cold
• Being too wet

For each of these conditions, there is outdoor clothing that performs in a way that helps tackle these problems.  Weather needn’t restrict you in enjoying and performing well at what ever you do, as the right gear is there too help you…

Outdoor Clothing, Baselayers and Temperature

Being too hot can dramatically reduce your performance.  Typical internal body temperatures are around 37 degrees Celsius, but a few degrees either way can dramatically change the way you feel.  For this reason it’s important to wear the right clothing to manage your temperature as best as possible.

One of the most versatile items of clothing for climate control, both in hot and cold climates, are baselayers (or base layers).  These are either long-sleeve or short-sleeve t-shirts, or vests, which use a variety of different thermal and cooler materials, to control the body’s temperature.

Baselayers for warm conditions

For warm conditions it is good idea to get a loose fitting baselayer to help the air next to your body circulate.  The best thing for me about baselayers in warm conditions is that they are highly breathable, helping moisture wick (or be drawn) away from your skin.  This baselayer wicking helps keep your body cool and dry whilst be active outdoors, and baselayers come in a variety of different ‘weights’ (warmths) then you cna manage your temperature much more easily.

Baselayers for cold conditions

This same wicking action of a baselayerhas great benefits for colder consitions too.  Remember the last time you went hiking in the winter; it was relatively cold and blustery when you began, but as you started moving you soon warmed up.  What happens when you stop though is that your body’s sweat sits on the surface of your skin and cools down, giving you those dreadful shudders down your back.  Your body then begins to cool down really fast and makes you want to get going again 9or worst, go home!).

Baselayer Conclusion

Baselayers should be worn as part of a layering system (see image below), to optimise wicking, breathability, wind-resistance, thermal exchanges and waterproofing.  See the outdoor clothing help page for more infromation.

Mens and womens breathable and wicking base layers therefore become vital for keeping you going, comfortable, and regulating your body’s temperature, as they can be bought in a variety of thermal and lighterweight materials, they are great for a variety of conditions.  Whatever outdoor sport you’re doing, I highly recommend using a a base layer, especially as they are so cheap for the quality of the technology and research that goes into many of them.