Absolute Guide to Thermal & Insulating Layers

Insulating layers are best when you can easily take them on or off to regulate your temperature as needed! It's always rtciky to know what to wear when doing and active sport in colder temperatures. When the clouds roll in, you get caught out in a snowstorm or the lift breaks down, no-one wants to be caught short and have their day ruined.

Down - Duck down is commonly used to created puffy style insulating midlayers - sometimes with hoods, collars, zips or pullovers! They come in all shapes and sizes and come with different shaped baffling to help to keep the duck down where it's needed. It's extremely warm, like a down duvet, and feathers can also creep out occasionally.
Synthetic Down - A man made alternative of duck or goose down, if using animal products doesn't float your boat, there are perfectly good alternatives out there that are just as warm and no feathers will come out!
Fleece
Wool
Polyester

The main purpose for thermals is to wick away moisture, as they are next to the skin. This means that if you sweat getting down to the chairlift and the cool down whilst riding the chair back to the top, the sweat won't freeze against your skin, causing you to become extremely cold and ruin your day! They do also help with insulation - as any extra layers would - which is why you get light, mid and heavy weight thermals also. Obviously, you could not wear thermals, but you'd end up with some smelly midlayers or a smelly jacket which aren't so easy to wash, a bit like wearing shoes with no socks!

Polyester thermals are cheaper easy to manufacture, making them much cheaper to purchase than merino wool thermals. This is great if you're riding on a budget, or maybe only riding for an evening down at your local indoor slope and you can pop back home to wash your gear afterwards. It still wicks sweat away, just as merino wool thermals would, so it still helps you regulate your temperature when being active even though the material isn't as natural.

You can by all means, however you will be quite cold as t-shirts aren't tight to the skin to move sweat away and as soon as you sweat, you'll get cold quickly. Not only that but it means you won't have anything on your bottom half, so you'll be sweating straight into your snowboard pants which clings onto the smell, even after the moisture has gone. Besides, who wouldn't want something you can wear snowboarding, skiing, rock climbing, yoga, cycling and running?!

Check out our full range of Outdoor Layers today!