How to layer clothes for cold weather :: Winter vacation tips. Outdoor travel gear.

Hi there!

One of the best things you can do to prepare for winter activity is layering clothes for cold weather.

The more active you’ll be, the more important layers become!

So whether you’re hiking in cold weather, running in cold weather, skiing, or doing some other form of winter activity, keep these things in mind! This could also be helpful when you’re going out for your daily walk too, or if you’re preparing for travel in winter.

Below will be ideas for your winter outfit for the different layers.

So…

What’s the best when it comes to layering clothes for cold weather?!

Depending on how cold it is, you may want to adjust your layers.

This may mean you want an extra layer, or maybe you want to remove a layer.

The nice thing about layers is that you can adjust easily while you are out too, if you decide you are becoming too hot or too cold!

There are affiliate links below. You should totally check out some of these things on Amazon.

1. Wear a base layer

So choosing your base layer wisely can be important because it’s the layer that’s closest to your skin.

And what does that mean?!

It means it’s also the layer that will feel your SWEAT the most!

And what does THAT mean?

It means that it can be a very good idea to do as much as you possibly can to minimize the effect of your sweat.

That means that you want your base layer to be a…

Moisture-wicking shirt

The moisture that your shirt will be wicking away will be your sweat.

Depending on how much you’re sweating, it may not be able to tackle ALL of your sweat (meaning sweat can still go through to the next layers), but having this kind of shirt can help to minimize the amount that goes through.

If you are out in cold weather and moving around a lot, you will most certainly sweat.

Even if you’re going for a simple walk, you may end up feeling the sweat.

And you want to do all that you can to keep the sweat from soaking through.

A cotton shirt can be one of the WORST types of shirts you can use as your base layer because the cotton will just absorb that water.

Moisture-wicking shirts on the other hand won’t soak up that water AS much.

So if you wear a cotton shirt, not only can it be uncomfortable, but when you stop moving, it can make you get colder a lot quicker.

This is because you basically have a wet towel on you (your shirt) – which can turn to a cold wet towel quickly – right up on your skin.

So this type of base layer can be your basic quick-dry workout shirts – for women and for men.

You can find them as long-sleeve base layers for women and for men, and you can also find base layer tights for women and for men too.

Okay, so that’s the base layer, the layer closest to your skin.

Next…

2. Wear an insulating layer

The insulating layer is the layer that provides… insulation!

What does that mean?!

It means it’s the layer in which your goal is to find clothing that will TRAP the warm air that’s produced by your body, thus giving you insulation.

So for this layer, you basically want to provide a little bit of room for that warm air to stay close to you to help keep you warm.

This basically means clothing that’s not too tight.

You’ll want a thermal insulating layer that’s also breathable to help minimize the effect of the sweat.

This can be another looser moisture-wicking long sleeve tech t-shirt.

Or it can be something like a fleece jacket – for women and for men.

Okay, so you have your base layer and your insulating layer.

Now the final layer…

3. Wear an outer layer

This final layer to wear in cold weather can also work to protect you from other winter weather elements like wind and snow.

You want your jacket to hold in the warmth while also serving to block out cold air so you can keep on moving comfortably.

So you can find jackets that are more wind-resistant type jackets, and also some that are more water-resistant type jackets.

Ski jackets or hiking jackets can work well – for women and for men.

Same things for your legs too.

When you’re hiking, ski pants or snow pants – for women and for men – can work out well.

What about layering your feet?!

You can use the same concept for layering your feet too, except with 2 layers.

The base layer would be wearing moisture-wicking socks.

These can be your regular athletic socks.

But if you usually wear ankle socks, you’ll probably want moisture-wicking socks that come up higher.

Then you can wear some merino wool socks that can also be good in general for your sweat.

Merino wool socks can also be good to prevent blisters too, if you choose to wear only these wool socks – for women and for men.

You can choose to wear more than 2 layers of socks in cold weather, but keep in mind how much extra room you have in your shoes.

You still want to give enough room for your feet to breathe too, and not constrict them.

The types of shoes you wear can also make a difference.

If you’re walking or running in cold weather and you wear running shoes, that can leave your feet more vulnerable to the cold since running shoes are designed to be more breathable.

And that means that there are tons of holes for cold air to blow through and hit your feet.

So if you’re wearing running shoes in really cold weather and you’re not running, just make sure you’ve got your feet adequately protected with socks!

Or, you might want to consider going for another type of shoes that are more suitable for winter activities that have less holes!

Hiking shoes will give you a little more protection from the winter elements, or for shoes that are a little more lightweight than hiking shoes but still give you some traction, you can look into trail running shoes too.

Hiking shoes – for women and for men

Trail running shoes – for women and for men

And of course, be sure to look at winter boots!

RECAP!

How to dress in layers in cold weather

Winter outfit ideas

HAPPY COLD WEATHER DRESSING!

What to wear hiking in cold weather

What to wear running in cold weather