Reliable clothing for every layer when snowshoeing
Snowshoeing gets you hot, even when the frost bites
When you are out on snowshoes, your body works hard and warms up quickly, especially in soft snow, on uphills and when breaking trail. With traditional snowshoes, you step your way forward, which can be surprisingly hard work, while on skishoes you glide along as if skiing and the movement is more even. Both produce heat and moisture, but your pace, the terrain and the depth of the snow decide how much your clothing has to handle.
On this page, we have chosen one trusted garment for each layer. Together they form a reliable foundation for snowshoe walks in your local woods, for outings on skishoes and for longer winter trips. You do not need to compare dozens of options or guess whether the garments work together. Here is a set in which every layer is designed to work with the next.
Every layer has its own job
The Zero Layer moves sweat away from your skin, the Base Layer evens out warmth, the Mid Layer adds insulation for breaks and frost and the Shell Layer protects you from wind and snow. Merino and Airbase take care of moisture and warmth, so you can focus on the terrain and the scenery.
Four layers, one set that works
When snowshoeing, the right clothing is built from layers. We chose one trusted garment for each layer, and they work together from active progress all the way to breaks, whether you are crossing the snow on snowshoes or skishoes. Together they form the Svala AIR System™ layering system: four layers, each doing its own job, from the Zero Layer to the Shell Layer. You do not always need all four. In mild weather some of the layers are enough, and for a long trip and hard frost you wear the full system.
Zero Layer – Next-to-skin performance
Making your way through deep snow quickly raises your heart rate and body temperature, even when it is well below freezing. Worn next to your skin, the Airbase mesh shirt and mesh bottoms keep your skin dry. Airbase is 100% polypropylene, which absorbs no moisture at all but moves sweat away from your skin to the next layer. So you do not get cold on a break with a wet shirt stuck to your back.
The loops of the 120 g/m² 3D mesh knit breathe and trap air, forming a thin layer against your skin: on the move it cools you, and on breaks it keeps you warm. Airbase is thin and stretchy, so it moves with your body and does not restrict your movement. Silver-ion treatment keeps the garments fresh, so you can snowshoe in them many times and simply air them in between.
Men's Original Airbase 120 mesh set
Women's Original Airbase 120 mesh set
“The best thing about snowshoeing and skishoeing is the freedom to roam winter nature on your own routes – through forests, across open snow and to places no ready-made trail will take you. When it comes to clothing, I follow one tried-and-tested rule: it's fine to feel a little chilly in the car park. Once you get moving, your body warms up quickly, especially when you're making your way through deep snow.”
Base Layer – Temperature regulation
When you slow down or stop for a break, your body does not generate heat on its own and you need a layer that provides warmth. A warm merino layer is worn over Airbase. Merino regulates temperature in both directions, so it does not feel stifling when your heart rate rises in deep snow and keeps you from getting cold when you stop to admire the scenery. Merino also keeps you warm when damp with sweat, which is crucial when activity alternates between strenuous trudging and standing still.
Together, Airbase and Merino Extreme are the best layer combination for snowshoeing: the mesh layer moves moisture away from the skin and Merino Extreme provides warmth. Merino Extreme's double-layer construction combines the warmth of merino wool with the moisture-wicking properties of a technical fabric, providing warmth while remaining breathable even when you are moving and sweating.
Men's Merino Extreme 200 base layer set
Women's Merino Extreme 200 base layer set
Mid Layer – Thermal insulation
When the wind bites, the temperature is well below freezing or you take a longer break, a temperature-regulating layer alone is not enough. A warm mid-layer is worn over the merino to provide extra warmth when your body is no longer generating it itself.
Svala's Polartec Alpha™ hoodie is ideal for this: it is lightweight, provides warmth even when slightly damp and breathes so well that you can keep it on while moving. It regulates warmth for you as you alternate between strenuous climbs and gentler sections, so you do not need to keep taking it off and putting it back on. You can leave it at home for a short outing and put it on in severe cold or during a long break.
Men's Polartec Alpha 90 hoodie
Women's Polartec Alpha 90 hoodie
Shell Layer – Weather protection
The outermost layer completes your layering: a lightweight shell jacket or a windproof winter jacket. The shell layer blocks the wind and keeps snow and sleet out, so the warm air trapped in the layers beneath cannot escape. On open snow, the wind makes this important even at moderate speeds. Protection alone is not enough, though: the shell must also breathe, so sweat does not soak your layers from the inside.
Choose a shell with enough room to go over your other layers, as the air between the layers keeps the warmth in. Svala's own shell layer, Ventile, is not just a winter jacket, so the same shell goes with you on other winter outdoor activities and exercise too.
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 clothing you already own. If you are starting from scratch, begin with the layer next to your skin: it is the most important part of the entire system. The most reliable foundation for snowshoeing is Airbase mesh knit next to the skin with merino wool over it. Add insulating and shell layers over these to suit the weather and the length of your trip.
If you already have a suitable layer, buy only what is missing:
- Do you already have merino wool base layers? Complement them with Airbase: wear the mesh layer next to your skin underneath the merino wool to stay dry even during intense activity.
- Are your next-to-skin and warming layers already suitable? For severe cold and long outings, complement them with the lightweight Polartec Alpha™ hoodie, which you can keep on even during strenuous activity.
- Do you already have a winter jacket? There is no need to replace it. Make sure the other layers fit loosely underneath.
This way, you can build a functional system at your own pace. Although we put these layers together for snowshoeing, they will not sit unused in your wardrobe: the same layers also work for other outdoor activities and change seasons with you.
Four layers, one effective system
Layer: Zero Layer - next-to-skin performance
