Can anyone help me figure out a layering system for UK conditions and long-term tours? What clothes do you like to pack on tour?
by Spamfactor
Can anyone help me figure out a layering system for UK conditions and long-term tours? What clothes do you like to pack on tour?
by Spamfactor
3 Comments
I’m looking to put together a sensible layering system for 3-season bike touring and wild camping. I’m from Scotland where the weather can be cold, hot, wet, humid and windy all in the space of a single day so I find clothes a bit tricky. I’ve got a bike tour coming up in Ireland which will be similar, and I’d love to put together a comfortable system that can work in any conditions.
It would be great to hear what other people find works for them. This is my current idea for a layering system:
* **Thermal base layer**: merino long johns and top. I always carry these and usually wear them to sleep and around camp in the evening. Wouldn’t cycle in them unless it got seriously cold.
* **Cycling base layer**: merino t-shirt and long-sleeve
* **Mid layer: flannel shirt:** Made with technical fabric https://alpkit.com/products/woodsmoke-mens-thermocore-mountain-shirt. Provides some warmth while being light enough to cycle in and a bit smarter for city stops.
* **Insulation layer**: insulated primaloft vest for added warmth on chilly uk evenings https://alpkit.com/products/sierra-vest-mens. Could also cycle in this if it gets particularly cold
* **Soft shel**l: lightweight packable wind shirt https://alpkit.com/products/arro-mens?variant=39668153057385. I’ve carried one of these for years and often find them perfect over a base layer when the wind picks up.
* **Hard shell**: lightweight rain jacket
I’ve used Alpkit clothes as an example but doesn’t need to be that brand. Does that seem like a silly amount of layers? Combining these would probably keep me comfortable in virtually all conditions, but I’d appreciate any thoughts on what other people take. Particularly in changeable wet conditions like the uk. Instead of the flannel and vest I could just take a single fleece? Combined with the wind shirt that would hopefully give me enough warmth.
Here’s a rundown of my entire clothes list with the above items incorporated if anyone is interested, currently at 2.7kg: [https://lighterpack.com/r/k2hix6](https://lighterpack.com/r/k2hix6)
Edit – updated my list to add long sleeve shirt
I think you are on the right track. For base layer also consider a long sleeve, quick dry capilene T-shirt (or whatever the synthetic from recycled bottles material is). The vest with something lighter on the arms is a good arm-pit-venting solution, I find my arms much more tolerable of the cold than my torso. Then pop on the wind-breaker or technical shell over that when needed.
Some sort of base layer, old lambswool jumper, big hooded waterproof like a hiking goretex, very light pertex shell. The big jacket gets worn a lot, then strapped to the top of something to dry out if conditions allow. Down jackets aren’t really much cop. They get wet, they’re useless and so they end up being nursed all the time. I take an Alpkit Cloud Cover (quilt) instead.