Index
Why layer up?
Iceland weather conditions
What is a base layer
Best materials to use for a base layer
Merino wool
Purpose designed synthetics
Successful mid layer
Best materials for the mid layer
Synthetic fleece
Down
Synthetics
Wool
A word about zips
Outer Layer
Don’t underestimate the climate – Be prepared for a mixture of cold and wet
Conclusion
Why you should layer clothing for hiking and outdoor pursuits and how to successfully layer
Getting the clothing just right for hiking and outdoor pursuits can be a confusing nightmare for many people, so if this is how you feel, you are not alone. Many make the mistakes that lead to overheating, sweating or getting too cold.
Many people dress too warm, not warm enough, wear to many clothes, not enough clothes or wear the wrong materials. These are all easy enough mistakes to make when you don’t know otherwise. The good news you’ve come to the right place. Icewear are experts in the many outdoor pursuits that Iceland has to offer. You can ask their team for help when selecting the best clothing for your chosen outdoor activity.
When you dress too warm you will sweat too much as your body tries to regulate your temperature. When you stop to rest this excessive sweating goes cold and leads to your clothes being damp and you will then feel cold.
The opposite mistake also occurs when people fail to dress warmly enough, (see why it’s a nightmare!). Not wearing enough clothing or the right materials means that you will never get warm.
Common mistakes people make when visiting Iceland for hiking:
- Wearing cotton as a base layer
- Wearing too many layers at the start of a hike
- Leaving it too long to remove excess layers when getting hot or failing to add a layer when stopping for a break
- Wearing the wrong choice of mid layer material
- Selecting an incorrect outer layer option
- Forgetting the importance of layering the legs too
- Insufficient protection for hands, head and feet
- Over reliance on down insulation during wet weather
- Omitting to pack an extra layer to cover the unexpected
- Inadequate outer layer for windy weather
These mistakes can easily be avoided, read on for advice about how to successfully layer your clothing for outdoor activities. Icewear have all the best clothes you need from the inside out.
When enjoying the outdoor life in Iceland you have to remember that like Cornwall, the weather is likely to change several times a day. The difference being that the extremes are more pronounced in Iceland. Layering clothes and carrying spares not only works to keep you warm but ensures you can add or remove a layer when things change. Never underestimate the weather in Iceland!
The rules of layering clothing are not just for Iceland, not just for Nordic countries, they will serve you well for outdoor pursuits in any location. Wearing too few clothes or wearing cotton next to the skin, cotton mix trousers or jeans that you might wear in the UK, you will never keep warm in cold locations. Hiking gear suitable for Iceland will serve you well hiking anywhere.
Choosing the right materials for layering matters
Layering is not just a case of wearing several layers of clothing, it's about getting the materials right for each layer too. When you wear materials designed for the activity you are comfortable to enjoy the experience, the scenery, the good company.
Iceland is known as the land of fire and ice, but just as much as the land of rivers and precipitation. Imagine crossing a river with friends, some are wearing water resistant trousers and soon dry off as the hike is resumed. Some though are wearing cotton mix trousers which soak up and retain water. They remain cold and uncomfortable, and risk undercooling. Have a casual chat with a member of the Iceland search and rescue teams and he will give you real live examples of this scenario. Read on for information about choosing the right materials. As well as the right materials, a useful tip when on longer hikes is to pack an extra set of clothing in a dry bag.
Many Icelanders enjoy hiking the varied Icelandic landscapes and tourists flock to Iceland for the spectacular scenery and enjoy hiking the terrain. The majority successfully explore even the most challenging hikes; however, a few get into difficulty and that is why the correct clothing is essential as well as following a few safety rules. (link to the uk hiking blog?) The dangers of hyperthermia are very real in Nordic countries even in summer.
Iceland weather conditions
Iceland may not be as icy as you think, but that doesn’t mean that the weather doesn’t bring its own challenges, because it does. Although due to the gulf stream, Iceland generally has a cool, maritime climate the weather is known to change quickly and will frequently do so several times a day. They have a saying in Iceland and not just from the good folks at Icewear either “there is no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing”. Whichever month you visit Iceland wind and water-resistant outerwear is essential. Crucial when visiting for the northern lights is a warm insulated coat or jacket. Visit Iceland any time of year, but even during the milder longer daylight months of June, July and August be prepared for wind and rain, May and September are also milder months and have a tendency for the weather to be more unpredictable than the main summer months. October to April is the best time to visit for the Aurora, northern lights and are also the colder months.
When you correctly layer your clothing, you’re on the way to regulating your body temperature. The correct clothing is made using the correct materials designed for the purpose. It doesn’t stop there though; awareness of when to remove or add a layer is part of the equation that also includes consideration regarding venting to aid evaporation and awareness of how you are managing challenges and rest times.
Icewear clothing is designed to withstand the variations of Iceland’s weather. Clothing that is designed to Iceland’s weather will also serve you well for outdoor adventures in places like Dartmoor, the Peak District, Snowdonia, the Yorkshire Dales, South Downs, the Highlands and all the other hiking and mountain climbing UK parks and moors.
Here's information to help you with your layering strategy:
What is a base layer
Sometimes referred to as an inner layer, the base layer is the clothing you wear right next to your skin. This layer should provide a small amount of insulation and control moisture. These items need to keep your temperature regulated so that you don’t feel too hot or too cold.
The base layer should be a snug fit and breathable to wick away any moisture. You should be aware that the frequent choice of base layer in the UK, cotton is a poor choice when exploring in Iceland. The reason is that cotton soaks up sweat but doesn’t dry out and wick away, leaving you wet next to the skin. Never use cotton, especially not next to the skin. Consider long underwear as part of a base layer so that you are wearing leggings or long johns under your outer trousers. Merino wool is the first choice for a successful base layer. Merino is supper soft and comfortable option.
Best materials to use for a base layer
- Merino wool
- Purpose designed synthetics
Merino wool
Your base layer needs to be breathable, close fitting and comfortable. A base layer should not ignore the legs; thermal leggings or long johns are an important part of the base layer.
Merino wool is the softest, gentlest and highly effective as a base layer. putting on a long-sleeved Merino wool vest is just like putting on a hug. Merino wool is lightweight, comfortable and importantly because it is wool its antibacterial, because it is breathable Merino wicks moisture away. Merino wool is naturally stretchy making it an ideal choice for a base layer. Merino wool offers a great choice to protect from overheating.
Purpose designed synthetics
Modern synthetic materials especially designed for the base layer offer an alternative to Merino wool. Carefully designed fabrics don’t absorb moisture as cotton does, instead they wick moisture away so that it evaporates through the breathable fabric. Selecting the right synthetic also ensures the snug fit that is essential for a successful base layer. When choosing synthetics as a base layer make sure they are designed for the purpose, fit snugly whilst not restricting movement and are comfortable.
Whichever base layer you choose, always remember that it needs to be comfortable for long days of hiking or other outdoor activities.
Successful mid layer
The mid layer or middle layer of clothing is just that and it is quite feasible to have more than one layer of clothing worn within this section depending on your activity and the conditions. The middle layer of your clothing is the garment/s worn between the base layer and the outer layer.
The mid layer is all about insulation. For maximum comfort for most activities this layer should be lightweight and should allow moisture to escape. A bonus for wet conditions is a mid layer that stays warm even when wet.
Best materials for the mid layer
Frequently used for the mid layer are fleece, down, synthetic insulating materials and of course, wool. It is not unusual to change the mid layer throughout the day to match with the activity levels and conditions.
Synthetic fleece
Synthetic fleece offers lightweight warmth in a quick drying clothing option, convenient fleece options include waistcoats and zippered jumpers.
Down
Down offers a good level of insulation, a down filled waistcoat or even coat under a rain resistant coat or jacket on wet, cold days offers insulation that has some water repellent, windproof and breathable properties.
Synthetics
Synthetic insulations include mock down and polyester mix fabrics. Eco down is a synthetic option that performs similarly to down, offering lightweight quick drying warmth. Polyester mix mid layer options offer a quick drying level of insulation for less cold days.
Wool
Wool is perfect for a mid layer and Icelandic wool is the best choice for cold weather. Because wool is naturally antibacterial and moisture wicking it doesn’t require regular laundering as synthetic options do. Wool is also temperature regulating and crucially during wet weather it keeps you warm even when it is wet.
A word about zips
Mid layer clothing with zips helps with venting. If you have chosen a synthetic mid layer, a useful tip is to choose jackets with zips under the arms, jumpers with front zips and also zip up trouser legs. In the case of trousers this will not only help with venting if required but speed up the trouser changing process if you get drenched and want to swop for a dry pair of over trousers. If both pairs of trousers have zip up legs you can keep your boots on.
Outer Layer
The outer layer is your first line of defence against wind, rain and other precipitation. Choosing an outer layer that has good water repellent properties and is windproof is essential to keep warm even in the worst weather. Attributes such as Velcro fastening, high necks for jackets and zip sides for trousers all help with keeping precipitation out. When layering your legs it is not unusual to wear long leggings next to the skin, hiking trousers and topping with water repellent trousers that are easily added and removed as the weather changes. Long wool socks are also useful over your leggings. For your core body, you might choose a shell jacket as a mid-layer and top it off with a water repellent overcoat or longer jacket that again you might put on and off several times a day. Alternatively, you might have the shell jacket as your first line of defence as an outer layer.
Whatever you choose, a useful tip is to select outer layer items that are quick and easy to put on and off and lightweight to carry. Depending on how you are choosing your layers, you might choose outer layer clothing with multiple zips to aid with ventilation when required.
Don’t underestimate the climate – Be prepared for a mixture of cold and wet
There is nothing better than a day’s hiking in a beautiful location, however, to gain the maximum from the day the right clothing for the conditions is essential. Breathable rain coats will not keep you dry all day long, a non-breathable coat will lead to moisture being trapped within and making you cold.
Imagine you are on a hike miles from anywhere and are drenched to the bone in a cold climate. The secret solution from Iceland is to wear Icelandic wool as a mid layer. Wool will keep you warm even when wet.
Choose raincoats and shell jackets carefully, you want them to keep the rain at bay for as long as possible whilst being breathable to disperse body moisture.
Conclusion
One way to find what works best for you is try out different clothing and different materials in various weather conditions.
One of the best bits of advice after “get in touch with Icewear to help choose outdoor wear” is to take this tip away:
When you go outside ready to begin hiking, you should feel a little bit cold, as you start to move the energy your body produces will warm you up. If you already feel warm before setting off, you are overdressed and run the risk of overheating.
For more information on layering outdoor clothes reach out to the Icewear team via the chat facility or instore. They are experts in selecting and fitting the best outdoor clothing for your purpose.
