Thermals And Base Layers

What is a base layer, and how is it different to a mid layer?

Worth being precise about this, because the terms get used interchangeably and they are not the same thing.

A base layer is the thermal layer against your skin. Its job is to move moisture away from you, so you do not end up cold and wet from the inside. It is close-fitting and it is the first thing you put on.

A mid layer goes over the top and traps warm air. That is a fleece, a hoodie or a flannel, and it is the layer you add and remove through the day. See our mid layers for that job.

A base layer cannot do a mid layer's work and a hoodie cannot do a base layer's. You need both, and the base layer is the one people skip.

Merino or synthetic?

Merino wool is the benchmark for snow base layers. It regulates temperature across a wide range, keeping you warm when you are sitting still on a lift and wicking when you are working hard, and it resists odour far better than synthetic. That last point matters on a multi-day trip where you are rewearing the same layer.

Synthetics dry faster and cost less, and they suit high-output days where you are generating a lot of heat. For most Australian and Japan riding merino is the more versatile choice, but there is nothing wrong with synthetic if the price difference matters to you.

What matters more than either: not cotton. Cotton holds moisture against your skin and then chills you the moment you stop moving.

What weight base layer do you need?

Base layer weight is measured in gsm, and it is the decision most people get wrong by buying too heavy.

• Lightweight, around 150gsm suits spring riding and high-output days where you generate a lot of heat.
• Midweight, around 200gsm is the most versatile all-round option and where most riders should start.
• Heavyweight, 260gsm and up is for genuinely cold days, or riders who feel the cold and ride at a relaxed pace.

If you are buying one and only one, buy midweight. You can add a mid layer over the top on a cold day, but you cannot make a heavyweight base layer cooler.

Do you need base layer pants as well as a top?

Most riders underestimate this one. Base layer leggings under shell pants are what let you run a shell rather than an insulated pant, which is the more adaptable setup for Australian conditions where the temperature swings through the day.

They also stop the inside of your pants getting clammy, which is the thing that actually makes your legs cold on a long chairlift.

How should a base layer fit?

Snug and close to the skin without being restrictive. A loose base layer does not wick properly, because it needs contact with your skin to move moisture off it.

That is the opposite of how you size almost everything else in your setup, which is exactly why people get it wrong and then assume merino does not work for them.

Buying base layers in Australia

We carry merino and synthetic base layers and thermal pants from Burton, Le Bent, ThirtyTwo, Airblaster and more. Free shipping on orders over $90, with same and next-day dispatch from our Richmond store in Melbourne.

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