Winter Clothing Layers

Winter is cold.  You need to protect yourself from cold temperatures, wind and wetness. 

Clothing on a Reasonable Budget

Winter Clothing is usually Expensive, but doesn't need to be.  A lot of layers can be purchased from:

• Secondhand Store 

• Amazon - it DOESN'T need to be name brand to work

• Costco

Outer Layer - aka Shell Layer

• Rugged Rain Gear Shell

• This layer protects you from rain, snow and wind and MUST be Waterproof

  • See our Waterproof Breathable Fabrics Page

  • Ideally get a 20K/20K or better rated shell

• Should be large enough to fit over other layers of clothing

• Jacket must have a hood

• Armpit zippers are a HUGE plus in a jacket

  • These allow you to quickly and efficiently vent extra heat and moisture

  • Helps you stay dry

• Rain pants are required in the winter

• If purchasing used Waterproof/Breathable shells, check for holes and that seam tape is intact

• Things to AVOID in the winter:

  • Softshells

    • OK for limited exposure to the outdoors - such as a quick jog

    • Not waterproof enough for extended exposure to rain, snow or heavy wind

    • As a mid layer, they are heavier and are less breathable than other items of comparable insulation value

  • Nonbreathable Shells

    • These trap condensation and sweat and make you feel muggy and hot when moving and then really cold later on

Top Outer Layer Examples:

• Frogg Toggs Ultra-Lite Rain Suit

  • Economy raingear 

  • Polypropylene 

  • Dripore Gen 2 Waterproofing

    • Poor breathability 

    • Poor durability 

    • Estimated 10K/15K

  • It is easy for a Scout to destroy this jacket on his first outing

  • NOT ACCEPTABLE for WINTER USE

• Columbia Men's Watertight II Rain Jacket

  • Budget Jacket with matching construction quality 

  • Poor breathability and feels like plastic

  • Can get deal on Amazon and other places

  • 2L Omni-Tech Waterproofing

    • Estimated 10K/10K

• REI Co-op Rainier Rain Jacket

  • Reasonably priced, quality jacket

  • Uses Peak 2.5 (REI Waterproof/Breathable Proprietary Laminate)

    • No published ratings

    • Suspect 10K/10K

• OR Men's Foray II GORE-TEX Jacket 

  • High quality jacket for adult who are done growing

  • Designed to last years

  • Gore-Tex PacLite

    • 28K/15K

  • Outdoor Research Microgravity is also excellent, but is lighter and likewise not as durable

• Arc’teryx Beta AR

  • High performance Gore-Tex with reinforced shoulders

  • It better be good for $600

  • The Arc’teryx Alpha SV is even more durable for more challenging expeditions

  • This jacket is NOT recommended due to price

  • Gore-Tex Pro

    • 28K/25K

Bottom Outer Layer Examples:

• Frogg Toggs Ultra-Lite Rain Suit

  • Economy raingear 

  • Emergency layer for single Scout use

  • Dripore Gen 2 Waterproofing

    • Poor breathability 

  • NOT ACCEPTABLE for WINTER USE

• Columbia Men's Rebel Roamer Rain Pant

  • Economy rain pants ($45)

  • Not great breathability or durability

  • More durable than disposable Frogg Toggs

• OR Men's Foray GORE-TEX Pants

  • High quality pants for adult who are done growing

  • Zip UP sides makes getting them on and off easy, even with boots on

  • Expensive

  • Will last for years

  • OR Helium are lighter weight but less durable 

• Flylow Gear Baker Bib

  • Bib Pants are generally built heavier duty and by design will offer more protection

  • These are generally overkill for hiking and the type of camping Scouts do

  • For Building Snow Structures and skiing, these are fantastic!

Middle Layers - aka Insulating Layer

• • Easily removeable layers allows you to adjust insulation and regulate body temperature

  • You should have a medium weight and a heavy weight layer for winter camping

    • There are so many items and combos you can use

    • Common Combo:

      • Fleece Pullover or Jacket for daytime work use

      • Puffer Jacket added at night and when sedentary 

  • Medium Weight Insulation

    • Synthetic or wool pullover

    • Thinner fleece tops and bottoms

    • You can layer these - layering is better than just having one heavy weight layer

  • Heavier Weight Insulation

    • Thicker Polar Fleece or Puffy Jacket

      • Down is popular for its light weight - but loses ALL insulation ability when wet

      • Down is the WRONG fabric for the Pacific Northwest

    • Thick pullovers and sweaters 

      • A synthetic (NOT cotton) Troop Sweatshirt might work ok 

      • Synthetic and wool X-mas Sweaters

    • Windbreakers

      • Uses dense fabric that blocks out wind

      • May be a good option as an outer layer when running in dry environments

      • Recommend that you NOT choose these as part of your layering system

        • Reduced breathing compared on NON-windbreakers layers

        • Extra weight

        • Extra price

        • Use your raingear as windbreaker instead since you should already have this

    • Insulated Waterproof Outerwear

      • All in one insulated outerwear is popular for those who venture out in the cold but hang out at the lodge

        • Easy to remove and put on all your gear when switching between inside a heated shelter and outside in the cold

      • This is NOT as versatile as having a separate insulation and outerwear

      • Can be the perfect hybrid layer for snowboarders and skiers

      • Can be a good option when you ALWAYS need a lot of insulation

      • Snow Pants 

        • Often really expensive

        • Waterproofing varies, can is often not sufficient for use in the Pacific Northwest

        • Can be great for basecamp use when building shelters

        • Can get really sweaty when snowshoeing

        • Compared to outerwear with zip up sides, removing them can be a pain 

          • Removing them while on the move may leave you with just underwear on

  • Expedition Weight

    • Overused/abused term

    • Very thick and heavily insulated clothing designed for mountain and polar expeditions 

    • Heavy Parkas

      • Great if you need heavy insulation ALL the time

    • Insulated Farmer John Pants 

      • Great for extreme cold - overkill for most of what we do

Base Layer - aka Underwear

• • Synthetic or wool long underwear

  • Wicks moisture away from body

  • Base Layers come in different weights:

    • Silk Weight Layer 

      • Under Armour type layer - aka Silk Weight

      • Stretchy and thin

      • Wicks moisture away from body

      • Wear under other layers if NOT wearing a tight fitting base layer

• • • Lightweight Base Layer

      • Used when really active outdoors in cold/cool environment

      • Often used for spring/fall 

      • Examples:

        • Costco has these every year

          • They are on the thin side - but you can wear both sets

          • They are pretty good deal when they go on sale 

          • Thicker material is preferred 

        • Lightweight Winter Running and Cycling Tights

          • Can work great as a base layer

    • Midweight Base Layer

      • Between Lightweight and Heavyweight 

      • Used when active in very cold environments or extended sedentary exposure in spring/fall

      • Examples:

        • Under Armour Base 2.0 Base Layer

          • Overpriced - look for sales

          • Great midweight layer

        • Heavyweight Winter Running and Cycling Tights

          • Can work great as a base layer

• • • Heavyweight Base Layer

      • Thicker material

      • Used in winter environments 

      • Examples:

        • Under Armour 3.0 and 4.0 UA Base

          • Excellent active wear clothing for cold environments

          • 3.0 is good for active wear in winter

          • 4.0 is good of sedentary exposure to the outdoors and for alpine snowcamping

          • Overpriced for a base layer, but great to have if you get them on sale

          • Worth price if you spend a LOT of time in the snow/cold

Emergency Layer

• • A reusable mylar blanket or poncho liner can be used to augment your insulation if you find you are really cold

  • Great to pull out on long stops