Spring- and summer hiking clothing you can rely on for every layer
From morning mist to the campfire
On spring and summer hikes, the weather can change a lot over a single day. The morning may be chilly and misty, midday scorching and the evening cool again. A rain shower or a windy fell top is often part of the day too. The wrong layers leave you sweating on the climbs and shivering in the evening, while the right ones keep you comfortable from your first steps in the morning to the campfire.
That is why we have put together a complete, practical set on this page: one reliable garment for each layer. With these garments dressing is easy, whether you are an experienced hiker or setting off on your first day hike. You do not need to compare dozens of options or guess whether the garments work together, as every layer is designed to work with the next. If you also hike in winter, freezing temperatures and long breaks ask more of your clothing, so we have put together a separate set for winter hiking: reliable layers for winter hiking.
Every layer has its own job
The Zero Layer moves sweat away from your skin, the Base Layer brings warmth for chilly moments, the Mid Layer adds insulation for cool evenings and the Shell Layer protects against wind and rain. Merino and Airbase take care of moisture and warmth, so you can focus on the scenery and the route.
Four layers, one complete set
Layering is the answer to dressing for hiking in spring and summer too. We chose one reliable garment for each layer that works in the changing conditions of a trip: a hot climb and a cool evening. Together they make up the Svala AIR System™ layering system: four layers, each with its own job, from the Zero Layer to the Shell Layer. You do not always need all four. A few layers are enough for a warm day hike, while cool fells and overnight trips call for the full system.
Zero Layer – Next-to-skin performance
When you climb a hill in the sun or cover a long distance with a rucksack on your back, your heart rate rises and you sweat. Worn next to the skin, the Airbase mesh shirt and mesh bottoms keep your skin dry: Airbase is 100% polypropylene, which does not absorb moisture at all but moves sweat away from your skin to the next layers. So you will not sit down for a break in a wet shirt or get cold when the wind picks up on the fell top.
The loops of the 120 g/m² 3D mesh knit breathe and trap air, forming a thin layer against your skin: in the heat and on climbs it cools you, and on a cool break it insulates. Airbase has a silver-ion treatment built into the core of the fibre, so the garments do not start to smell even on a long trip. One or two shirts and pairs of bottoms will last the whole trip with nothing more than airing.
Men's Original Airbase 120 mesh set
Women's Original Airbase 120 mesh set
“When your gear is reliable, you don’t even have to think about it. On treks, I want to focus first and foremost on nature and on keeping my clients safe.”
Base Layer – Temperature regulation
Even in summer it gets cool in the mornings, the evenings and on the fells, so you need a warm merino layer over Airbase. A lightweight merino top is the most versatile garment on a summer trip: it keeps you warm on a chilly morning, breathes in the heat and regulates temperature in both directions, so the same top works through a day of changing weather. Merino also keeps you warm when it is slightly damp. Merino is naturally odour-resistant, so the same layers serve you from one day on the trail to the next.
For a longer trek, it is worth packing two merino sets: one for moving during the day and a dry one for camp and sleeping. Once you have washed at the end of the day, it feels good to change into a clean, dry set that keeps you warm through the evening and night. Hang the set you wore during the day somewhere airy in camp, and by morning it is ready for the next kilometres.
Together, Airbase and merino are a hiker’s best layering pair: the mesh layer moves moisture away from your skin and merino brings the warmth. For the coldest weather and the fells, choose the thicker Merino Extreme. For warmer, lighter use, choose a thin merino top.
Men's Merino Extreme 200 base layer set
Women's Merino Extreme 200 base layer set
Mid Layer – Thermal insulation
When your pace slows, the evening cools or the wind picks up on the fell, you need a light, insulating mid-layer over the first two layers. Worn over the merino, it adds warmth especially during breaks and at moments when your body produces less heat of its own.
Svala’s Polartec® Alpha™ hoodie makes an excellent layer for breaks precisely because it is so light. It packs down small and sits at the top of your rucksack within easy reach, so you can pull it on quickly whenever you stop. Its good warmth-to-weight ratio also makes it a smart choice for lightweight hikers who want to keep their pack weight down without giving up the extra warmth they need.
On a warm day hike you may not need a mid-layer, but in cooler conditions on the fells and on overnight trips it is an important part of your layering.
Men's Polartec Alpha 90 hoodie
Women's Polartec Alpha 90 hoodie
Shell Layer – Weather protection
The outermost layer completes your layering: the Shell Layer. Summer weather can change quickly, and the shell’s job is to block the wind and keep the rain out, so the warm air trapped in the layers beneath cannot escape. Protection alone is not enough, however: the shell must also breathe, so that the moisture you produce while moving does not get trapped and soak the layers from the inside. Choose your shell to suit the route, the length of the trip and the forecast: a lighter option is enough for a dry day hike, but a week-long trek and prolonged rain call for a waterproof shell.
Svala’s own shell layer, Ventile, completes the AIR System™: it is a breathable shell that protects against wind and short showers without feeling stuffy while you move. For continuous heavy rain, a technical waterproof shell or rain suit is a better choice. As Ventile is not just a hiking jacket, the same shell goes with you on runs and everyday outdoor outings too – one shell for many uses. Choose a shell with enough room, as the air between the layers keeps the warmth in.
Men's Ventile 200 jacket
Women's Ventile 200 jacket
You do not need everything at once – start here
The system works best when you wear all the layers to suit the weather and your pace, but you do not need to buy everything at once or replace your entire wardrobe. The AIR System™ also works with the clothes you already own. If you are starting from scratch, start with what you wear next to your skin: it is the most important part of the whole system. The most reliable foundation for a spring or summer trip is an Airbase mesh shirt next to your skin with a lightweight merino top over it. Add an insulating layer and a shell on top to suit the weather.
If you already have one of the layers sorted, buy only what is missing:
- Do you already have a merino wool base layer? Complement it with Airbase: wear the mesh layer next to your skin under the merino, and you will stay drier than with merino alone.
- Are your next-to-skin and warm layers already sorted? For cool evenings and the fells, add the lightweight Polartec® Alpha™ hoodie.
- Do you already have a shell jacket? There is no need to replace it. Just make sure it is breathable and has enough room underneath for your other layers.
This way you can build a practical system at your own pace. Although we put these layers together for spring and summer hiking, they will not sit unused in your wardrobe: the same layers work for other outdoor activities too and change seasons with you.
Four layers, one effective system
Layer: Zero Layer - next-to-skin performance
