Base and mid layer clothing
Base and mid layers for outdoor activities and sports
A well-fitting base layer does its job
A base layer should fit close to the skin. Only through skin contact can the base layer material do its job, namely wicking moisture outwards. Intermediate layers and mid layers usually fit a little looser. The base layer is also the first layer to add insulation.
Merino wool
In trekking and outdoor activities, merino wool has recently become very popular as a base layer material – it evens out temperature swings well and needs washing less often than synthetics. It feels pleasant to wear even when damp, which is wool’s signature trick. When you’re on the move in a merino base layer, stopping for a break won’t leave you shivering immediately, unlike with many synthetics. A merino base layer is also a comfortable choice for sleepwear on trips.
Merino wool’s (and wool’s in general) odour-resisting properties are a good thing especially on longer treks. In fact, feel tells you more about when merino needs washing: a merino garment that needs a wash feels cold when you put it on, whereas a clean merino garment is pleasantly warm the moment it touches the skin. Often just airing it out is enough. When you wash wool garments, always remember to use only wool detergent and to follow the care instructions for that particular item. Wool detergent treats the lanolin in the wool gently, so the wool keeps its properties.
The difference between ordinary wool and merino wool is clear, at least when you look at it under a microscope: ordinary sheep’s wool looks quite coarse and scaly when magnified. Merino fibres are thinner and considerably smoother. You can easily feel this on the skin too, since a merino garment is soft against the skin, whereas ordinary wool garments cause itching and scratching for many people. Merino wool can therefore be worn without any problems by almost everyone, including those for whom sheep’s wool worn directly on the skin is close to a nightmare. Merino wool comes from – you guessed it – merino sheep. All the merino wool garment manufacturers we carry have distanced themselves from the merino industry’s notorious mulesing practice, which is painful for the sheep.
Finnsvala - made in Finland
Among base layers, the Stretchmesh fabric from the Finnish brand Finnsvala deserves a special mention. This fully synthetic mesh fabric is an absolute favourite for many. The polypropylene mesh moves moisture extremely well, and its structure also insulates well. Because it lets air circulate freely as long as you don’t put a mid layer over it, the mesh material is also very breathable. Polypropylene is straightforward to wash and dries very quickly.
Technical base layers for sports
For an active exerciser’s fitness run, a synthetic base layer is often the right choice. Synthetics absorb extremely little sweat, and they move moisture quickly to the outer layers. When you’re heading out for a proper sweaty run, it’s worth wearing a base layer made from Helly Hansen’s Lifa material closest to the skin. Even if you sweat heavily, a synthetic base layer absorbs very little moisture during the run, as a high percentage of it passes on to the next layers. Synthetic garments also dry extremely quickly after washing, and on the clothesline they’re often ready to wear hours before other garments.
The mid layer insulates
The mid layer brings extra warmth to layered clothing. You pull on a mid-layer shirt and trousers, for example, on a cool evening at camp or when the daytime temperature demands more insulation than a base layer can provide. Mid-layer shirts and jackets often work well on their own too, as loungewear or to warm you up on a cool summer evening. Mid-layer trousers are more of a cold-weather item. They add insulation and help prevent cold spots from forming. In mid layers, such as men’s fleece base layers, Polartec Power Stretch has long been a very popular material. It’s a stretchy fleece material that’s soft on the inside and has a smoother, more durable surface. Thanks to the stretch, Power Stretch can be made into very snug-fitting garments that at the same time give you excellent freedom of movement.
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The Finnish Scandinavian Outdoor delivers quality base and mid layers with decades of experience.
