Reliable clothing for every layer of your winter outdoor adventures
From a frosty morning to the campfire
On a winter trip, staying dry and warm is a matter of safety. Your body sweats as you move, even in hard frost, but as soon as you stop for a break or set up camp, the moisture left on your skin and in your clothes starts to cool you quickly. Far from anywhere, a small mistake in your clothing can cut a trip short. Layering that works helps you keep warmth and moisture under control, from the first kilometres of the morning to the evening at camp.
That is why we have put together a complete set that works on this page: one go-to garment for each layer. With these garments, dressing is easy, whether you are an experienced winter hiker or heading out for your first freezing night outdoors. 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.
If you also hike in spring or summer, changeable weather and temperatures that shift through the day call for flexible clothing, so we have put together a separate set for spring and summer hikers: the spring and summer hiker's go-to garments.
Every layer has its own job
The Zero Layer moves moisture away from your skin, the Base Layer evens out warmth, the Mid Layer adds insulation for breaks and bitter cold, and the Shell Layer shields you from wind and snow. Merino and Airbase take care of moisture and warmth, so you can focus on the scenery and your route.
Four layers, one set that works
Layering is the answer to dressing for winter hiking. For each layer, we chose one go-to garment that copes with the big swings of a winter trip: sweaty movement and long stops in the frost. 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. A mild trip close to home needs less, while hard frost and overnight trips call for the whole system.
Zero Layer – Next-to-skin performance
When you move through snow, pull a pulk or climb, your body produces heat and sweat despite the frost. An Airbase mesh shirt and mesh bottoms worn next to your skin keep it dry: Airbase is 100% polypropylene, which does not absorb moisture but moves it to the next layer. That way your body does not cool as quickly when you stop for a break. This is exactly the moment when a damp shirt would otherwise draw the warmth from your body.
The loops of the 120 g/m² 3D mesh knit breathe and trap air, which forms a thin layer against your skin: on the move it cools you, and during breaks it insulates. Airbase has a silver-ion treatment in the core of the fibre, so the set stays fresh even on a long trip. One Airbase set lasts the whole trip if you air it at the end of each day.
Men's Original Airbase 120 mesh set
Women's Original Airbase 120 mesh set
“Hiking is my passion. It has taught me a lot about nature and about myself. I feel at my best on hikes, both mentally and physically. ”
Base Layer – Temperature regulation
Moisture transport alone is not enough in the frost: you also need a layer that keeps you warm. Wear the Merino Extreme base layer top and bottoms over Airbase. Airbase and Merino Extreme are the best layering pair for winter hikers: the mesh layer moves moisture away from your skin, while merino provides warmth that holds up even when damp.
Merino regulates warmth in both directions, so it does not feel stuffy when you are moving and does not let you get cold during breaks. It also does not start to smell, so you can wear the same set for the whole trip, simply airing it. This is a big advantage when there is nowhere to wash.
Men's Merino Extreme 200 base layer set
Women's Merino Extreme 200 base layer set
Mid Layer – Thermal insulation
When the frost tightens or your pace slows, you need one more insulating layer over the others. Over the merino goes a layer made from Nordic Terry Wool, which insulates when your body no longer produces enough heat: during breaks, in open, windy terrain and while setting up camp.
Nordic Terry Wool is a wool terry: it has a looped inner face and a smooth outer face. The loops trap insulating air and at the same time move moisture away from the layers beneath, so the layer insulates but stays breathable. In mild weather and at a brisk pace, you can leave this layer out; in the hardest frost and for breaks, take it with you.
Men's Nordic Terry Wool 400 zip-neck mid-layer set
Women's Nordic Terry Wool 400 mid-layer jacket
Shell Layer – Weather protection
The outermost layer cuts the wind and keeps out snow and brief spells of rain, so that the warm air trapped in the layers beneath cannot escape. Protection alone is not enough, though: the shell must also breathe so that moisture produced on the move does not get trapped and soak your layers from the inside. Choose a shell that is roomy enough, because the air between the layers keeps the warmth in.
Svala's own Shell Layer, Ventile, is not just a hiking jacket, so the same shell also goes with you on runs and everyday outings.
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, begin with the next-to-skin layer: it is the most important part of the whole system. The most reliable foundation for winter hiking is Airbase mesh knit next to your skin with Merino Extreme on top. Invest in these first, then add an insulating layer and a shell over them to suit the weather.
If you already have a suitable layer, 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 so that sweat moves away faster and you do not get cold during breaks.
- Are your next-to-skin and warming layers already in place? For the hardest frost and long breaks, add the insulating Nordic Terry Wool mid-layer set.
- Do you already have a shell jacket? There is no need to replace it. Just make sure it breathes and that your other layers fit comfortably underneath.
This way, you can build a system that works at your own pace. Although we put these layers together for winter hiking, they will not stay in the wardrobe: the same layers also work for other outdoor activities and change seasons with you.
Do you also hike in spring or summer?
On spring and summer trips, changeable weather and temperatures that shift through the day place different demands on your clothing than winter frost. We have put together a separate set for spring and summer hikers, with every layer chosen for changeable weather and being on the move.
Four layers, one effective system
Layer: Zero Layer - next-to-skin performance
