Home → Blog → Resources → The Best Base Layers for Hiking – Breathable, Wicking & Antibacterial Layers
Hiking is one of the most accessible outdoor activities on earth. You can hike anywhere and everywhere, escaping on wild adventures in the mountains if you’re fortunate enough to enjoy easy access to the countryside, or participating in a little urban exploration if you’re in the city. All you need is a good pair of boots or shoes and clothing to keep you warm and dry, and you’re good to go.
Which is where base layers come in. Designed to keep you warm, comfortable and, to a certain degree, dry, an effective hiking base layer is a worthwhile investment and a great way to ensure you’re well-dressed for your hikes. They are the foundation of any practical outdoor clothing system, helping you regulate your temperature, manage perspiration, and prevent discomfort caused by rubbing, and letting you focus on what really matters – enjoying your surroundings, stretching your legs, and getting the most from the experience.
In this article, we examine the benefits of wearing a base layer when hiking, the various materials available, how Polygiene Freshness technology improves product performance, and where to buy the best Polygiene-treated base layers for hiking.
While not as intense as many other types of outdoor activity, hiking generally involves low-level physical exertion over a long period. Hikes can often last for many hours, and many hikers will progress to multi-day adventures. Interestingly, this means hiking clothing needs to perform in a range of conditions and respond appropriately in both warm and cold weather.
Whereas apparel used in high-intensity sports and activities can afford to focus entirely on cooling the user, hiking clothing must also keep the wearer warm when in exposed landscapes or pausing for a break. This makes it fairly unique. With this in mind, the main benefits associated with hiking base layer technology include:
As you hike, your body regulates your temperature by sweating. As the moisture evaporates, it dissipates some of the heat energy generated, cooling you down. However, to achieve this, moisture needs to be able to evaporate easily. If the moisture can’t evaporate, it just sits on your skin and can quickly make you feel cold and clammy. This is particularly true if you stop moving. Hiking base layers generally feature moisture-wicking technology that moves sweat away from the skin and promotes evaporation, keeping you dry, comfortable, and a little cooler.
But base layers aren’t just designed to keep you cool while you’re moving and sweating. They also keep you warm while you’re out in cold weather conditions. This is especially important in the context of hiking, where the environments you move in can be open and exposed to the elements or take you to higher (and colder) elevations. As such, you can see base layers used in all high-elevation activities, from cycling to skiing and everything in between.
It’s a common misconception that sweat is responsible for unpleasant odors. In fact, it is the proliferation of bacteria in dark, damp environments that is responsible for those bad smells. Prevent bacterial growth, and you keep the bad odors at bay. Consequently, good hiking base layers can ensure you stay smell-free by incorporating antibacterial odor control solutions like Polygiene® StayFresh.
Well-designed hiking or base layers ensure you enjoy complete freedom of movement and total comfort. To achieve this, they typically utilize design features like flat seams, anti-scratch fabrics, and ergonomic cuts to reduce and eliminate rubbing, chafing, and irritation.
For further insight into the benefits associated with general base layer use, check out our What Are Base Layers? Everything You Need to Know article.
Choosing the base layer for hiking isn’t as simple as picking up any old long-sleeve shirt. A base layer needs to be specifically designed for the purpose and optimized for performance in challenging conditions. Selecting the right design improves personal comfort considerably when walking long distances or hiking in warm or cool weather. With this in mind, keep an eye out for the following product features.
Breathability is absolutely essential when out hiking, as exertion levels change rapidly. Hikers may be walking across a cold, exposed plateau one minute and struggling with a steep uphill that raises body temperature and increases perspiration the next. Breathable base layers increase air circulation, making it easier for excess heat to escape when a hike becomes more physically intense, preventing overheating and improving temperature regulation during those tough sections.
While serious sweating can leave your clothes damp, you’ll get even wetter if the heavens open. A sudden rain shower can make things really uncomfortable if your clothes remain wet for an extended period, as this exacerbates rubbing and chafing and will result in a drop in body temperature. Quick-drying fabrics ensure you don’t stay wet for long, reducing the risk of chills and discomfort.
As already noted, moisture-wicking capabilities are an essential feature in any good hiking base layer. However, it’s a good idea to check how moisture-wicking features are integrated into the design. Some base layers use fabrics with natural moisture-wicking capabilities, such as merino wool. Others use treatments to enhance moisture-wicking performance. While one approach isn’t necessarily better than the other, you will benefit if you can find a base layer made from fabric that naturally wicks moisture away from the skin and has also been treated with a moisture-wicking enhancer, like Polygiene® StayCool.
So your base layers don’t smell during or after sustained use, you need to ensure they feature some odor-resistant capability or technology. As with moisture-wicking fabrics, some fibers benefit from naturally occurring antibacterial properties. Others are enhanced with additive technologies like Polygiene® StayFresh. Wherever possible, we recommend choosing a hiking base layer treated with Polygiene® StayFresh. If it is also made from a natural antibacterial fiber, such as merino wool, even better.
Hiking results in a lot of wear and tear on clothing. Whether it’s backpack shoulder straps rubbing against fabrics, friction from movement, or damage from scrapes, bangs, and falls, your base layer needs to be hardwearing and durable. Many hikers fail to consider the wear and tear caused by regular washing. Washing machines actually put a significant amount of strain on fibers, resulting in premature degradation. By keeping unpleasant odors at bay and reducing the frequency with which you have to wash your base layer, Polygiene StayFresh greatly enhances its lifespan and overall durability.
Hikers also want to ensure a base layer is lightweight and packable. This makes it a more suitable option for hiking trips, where space is at a premium and you don’t want to be carrying heavy items in your backpack. The best base layers weigh very little and compress to a relatively small size for easy and practical packing.
Finally, base layers must be comfortable and guarantee good freedom of movement. Hikers want their base layer to feel like a second skin – they shouldn’t be restrictive in any way or include design elements that may rub, chafe or irritate the skin.
Focus on these features, and you should be able to find a base layer that delivers outstanding comfort and meets all your hiking performance needs.
High-quality base layers are optimized by brands that invest significant amounts in product testing and take on feedback from users and outdoor enthusiasts. This enables the manufacturers to produce designs that meet most or all of the characteristics and qualities listed above. To help you find your perfect base layers for hiking, we’ve compiled a list of five of our favorite products and provided a brief overview of what makes each great.
An all-mountain technical base layer that’s ideally suited to those all-day hikes where you need a little extra warmth but don’t want to sacrifice breathability or moisture-wicking performance. A great option if you’re hiking, trail running, or fastpacking, it packs down small and guarantees a lightweight carry. The design is made from recycled bottles, and its environmental credentials are further enhanced by the inclusion of Polygiene® StayFresh technology. As a brand that’s trusted by enthusiasts and professional outdoor athletes alike, Montane is a great choice for all kinds of apparel, especially base layers.
Renowned for their climbing shoes and outdoor apparel, La Sportiva is a favourite base layer among many hikers. This exceptional, tight-fitting base layer is designed for optimal performance in winter conditions and for aerobic activities, making it perfect for long hikes. Manufactured from merino wool, it benefits from natural antibacterial properties, which are supercharged by the inclusion of Polygiene® StayFresh, resulting in a hiking base layer that’s unparalleled when it comes to odor control.
While used by cyclists seeking protection against the chill of headwinds and long mountain descents, we think this brilliant base layer is a great option for hikers heading out in breezy conditions. Employing a single-layer fabric, rather than the two layers typically used in windbreakers, the product blocks up to 80% of the air particles reaching your torso. And it does so without impacting breathability or infringing on freedom of movement. Finally, the base layer incorporates Polygiene® StayFresh protection so it stays fresher for longer and doesn’t require washing as frequently.
A long-sleeve design from GripGrab’s excellent range of hiking layers, the Expert 2 model is a seamless model that provides reliable thermal insulation and a second-skin fit. Moisture-wicking capabilities ensure you stay comfortable for the duration of your hike, as do the seamless construction and high-stretch fabric. Polygiene® StayFresh treatment prevents the build-up of odor-causing bacteria, so the base layer doesn’t smell after a long, testing hike.
A women’s design that boasts a phenomenal array of features, the Karpos Dinamico Octa W Jersey LS Half Zip is one of the best hiking base layers on the market. Lightweight and designed to be compressed to a small pack size, it benefits from excellent moisture-wicking performance, so hikers don’t have to worry about sweat staying close to the skin. The unique Octa fabric utilized in the design enhances thermal insulation without adding weight to the design, and Polygiene® StayFresh technology offers all the odor protection users need.
As with any clothing designed for physical activity, base layers often suffer from bacterial build-up and the odors associated with that. As bacteria feed and replicate, they emit unpleasant smells as a metabolic by-product. The more bacteria, the worse the odor. Polygiene® StayFresh works to prevent these smells by stopping bacteria from proliferating. It does so in three main ways:
As a result, bacteria cannot spread and do not produce the unpleasant smells we associate with dirty clothing. By keeping clothes fresher for longer, they reduce the frequency with which users need to wash garments, saving energy, water, detergent, and time in the process. This means Polygiene-treated items are also more environmentally friendly.
Base layers are an important consideration for any hiker who wants to stay dry and comfortable while regulating their temperature effectively. By looking for products that emphasize breathability, moisture management, and antibacterial odor-control, hikers can improve their experience on the trail considerably.
Materials like merino wool and certain synthetics offer distinct advantages, but Polygiene technologies take performance to the next level by preventing bacterial build-up and associated odors and keeping base layers fresher for longer. Whether you’re new to hiking and just beginning to build your outdoor wardrobe or you’re a seasoned multi-day hiker looking to invest in premium performance, Polygiene-treated products are the best option for you.
Head to the Polygiene® StayFresh solution page to learn more.
