Layering Warm Clothes

AMC Outdoors, December 2000

By Michael Lanza

We all know "cotton kills," and that in winter we want so-called "technical" clothing that transports perspiration to the outside without soaking up that wetness. But in the cool temps of autumn or on mild winter days, clothing choices can get tricky. Herewith, some tips on the fine art of layering in any season.

Below around 55 degrees Fahrenheit, in damp cotton, your body cannot produce heat as fast as it's losing it. At this point — or in warmer temps for people who get cold easily — you should wear technical clothing.

In the cold, find the right combination of layers and a moving pace that keeps you warm without perspiring excessively. A sure sign of an inexperienced winter backcountry traveler is someone who is both overdressed and perspiring heavily. Dress warm when hitting the trail, and strip off a layer as soon as you feel yourself starting to perspire.

Keep a warm hat or headband in an accessible pocket so you can adjust to a sporadic cold wind without stopping.

You can dry your clothes by slowing your pace in the last hour before reaching camp so that you're warm but not perspiring. In camp, dry clothing with body heat: Wear the damp garment over a dry shirt or sandwiched between dry layers. Wear a wet parka over dry clothing.

—Michael Lanza is author of The Ultimate Guide to Backcountry Travel, from AMC Books.