I’ve made some updates to my backpacking clothing system for 2016. My clothing is organized into four layers (base layer, active layer, insulation layer and shell layer.) By making a few substitutions (primarily within the base and insulation layers), I’ve found that a few pieces of clothing can be combined to suit a wide range of weather conditions. Here’s a quick overview of the four layers, followed by a list of the clothing I pack and wear (and how the pieces can be combined for spring, summer, fall and even mild-winter hikes.)
LAYER 1: BASE LAYER
A soft, comfortable next-to-skin layer consisting of: underwear, socks and long underwear. Protects bare skin from being chafed by outer layers, wicks away moisture, provides a thin layer of full-body insulation in cool weather and doubles as pajamas at night.
LAYER 2: ACTIVE LAYER
A lightweight, breathable, comfortable and durable layer consisting of: pants, shirt, shoes, hat and glasses. Protects from UV rays, dirt, light wind and nakedness. Very comfortable in warm weather (and in cool weather, when combined with other layers.)
LAYER 3: INSULATION LAYER
A thick, warm layer consisting of: puffy jacket or vest, warm hat and gloves. Insulates the torso and extremities (which are the most important areas to keep warm to prevent heat loss and maintain a safe core body temperature.)
LAYER 4: SHELL LAYER
A thin outer layer consisting of: rain jacket and optional rain/wind pants (pants are only necessary in very wet/cold conditions.) Protects against wind chill and keeps other clothing dry (wet clothing is dangerous because moisture compromises it’s insulating ability.)
MY BACKPACKING CLOTHING
So that’s the theory behind it – here is the actual gear I use. It’s divided into two categories: Clothing worn and clothing packed (with warm, cool and cold weather variations of the later.)
CLOTHING WORN
I wear these things every day, regardless of the season (and combine them with different variations of packed clothing for different weather conditions.)
CLOTHING PACKED: WARM WEATHER (50 °F +)
For summer hikes (plus late-spring and early-fall hikes in warmer climates/low elevation.)
Packed Weight: 2 lbs
CLOTHING PACKED: COOL WEATHER (35 °F +)
For late-spring and early-fall hikes (plus summer hikes in colder climates/high elevation.)
Packed Weight: 3 lbs
CLOTHING PACKED: COLD WEATHER (20 °F +)
For early-spring and late-fall hikes (plus winter hikes in warmer climates/low elevation.)
Packed Weight: 4 lbs
Have a question or comment about my backpacking clothing system? Please post your comments below…