How to pack for winter one bag travel: A complete guide to layering

Travelling with one bag in the winter can be challenging due to the adverse and inconsistent weather. Packing light becomes difficult when you have to pack multiple coats and pants. That's when layering comes into play. In this blog post, you'll learn how to layer your clothes, staying warm and dry on your travels.

Why Layering Matters in Winter One Bag Travel

To avoid an overflowing bag when travelling, you'll need to leave the bulky clothes at home. This means that you won't be able to rely on a single stuffy jacket to stay warm. This is where layering your clothes comes into play, and learning how to layer clothes for winter travel will be the difference between being wet, cold, and uncomfortable, and being dry, warm, and comfortable.

Layering clothes is about wearing multiple specific layers, instead of wearing just one or two layers. Some of the advantages of layering are:

• You don't need to carry heavy clothes and opt for lighter ones;
• Lighter layers will be easier to pack;
• You can adjust your layers to the weather throughout the day, instead of having only the option of coat on or off;
• Which will in turn be more comfortable as you'll find yourself sweating less, which will make you less wet, which will prevent you from getting colder;
• Besides adjusting your temperature throughout the day, you can also visit different places with different weather more easily, as your clothes will work from very cold to very hot locations.

The Three-Layer System

The most common layering system works in three layers. These are not necessarily three pieces of clothing, more so three categories that you should consider. If you're going somewhere freezing, you could wear more layers, and if you're going somewhere hotter, you can forego one or more of the layers. So what are these three layers?

• The base layer is the layer closest to your body, some call it a second skin. Its goal is to keep you dry from your own sweat.
• The insulating layer will keep you warm by trapping heat close to your body.
• The outer layer will shield you from the elements, such as rain and wind. This should be breathable to keep you from overheating, but should also offer adequate protection from wind and rain, to keep your insulating layer working well.

Let's look at each of these layers individually and in-depth.

Base Layer: Staying Dry and Comfortable

As mentioned above, the base layer is essentially a second skin. The goal is to move your sweat away from your skin. This is important because, as you sweat, you'll start getting wet. Once you're wet, you'll have a much harder time at staying warm.

Generally, a tighter fit ensures that the moisture is taken away from your skin by the base layer, but go for pieces that feel comfortable. Since the base layer is not trying to keep you warm, you don't need to opt for thick clothes. Simple t-shirts and long sleeves will work. If your legs get cold, you can also go for some long johns or tights, which will help you a bit.

Fabrics

As the goal is to move sweat away, you want to go for moisture-wicking fabrics. Avoid fabrics which hold on to a lot of water. You'll generally see these fabrics recommended throughout (in this blog included) as they have qualities that really suit travelling with a limited amount of space. The recommended fabrics for the base layer are:

• Merino wool
  • Advantages: lightweight, packs down nicely, dries quickly, holds off stink well
  • Disadvantages: expensive
• Synthetic blends
  • Advantages: lightweight, packs down nicely, dries quickly, can be cheap
  • Disadvantages: stinks easily if not properly treated

You'll want to avoid cotton, as it holds on to water and gets soaking quickly. In general, cotton is not a very good material for one bag travel, as it takes a long time to dry, is heavier, and usually takes up a bit more space.

You don't need to spend a ton of money, as generic hiking/exercise shirts will work just fine. Here are some budget options from Decathlon:

• Quechua Men's MH100 Hiking T-Shirt - $13
• Forclaz Men's Travel 100 Merino Wool Hiking T-Shirt - $40
• Adult Long-Sleeved Thermal Base Layer Top Keepdry 500 - $12

Keep in mind the amount of days you'll be away for, and what activities you will do. I generally take 4 t-shirts and do laundry throughout the trip. If there are large gaps where I can't do laundry or will be sweating a lot, I'll take a couple more.

Insulating Layer: Trapping Heat Effectively

Insulating layer(s) keep you warm by trapping the heat you generate. The most common pieces you'll see for this layer are sweaters and puffer jackets.

Sweaters

Once again, the best materials here will be wool and synthetics. Generally, a thin merino wool sweater will keep the heat very well and be very compact. Another popular option are fleece sweaters. These also offer a good heat to weight ratio and will pack down well. The benefits of each fabric map well with the ones mentioned in the base layer, but smell and washing will not be as critical as for the base layer, where most of the sweat and stink will be trapped.

Puffer Jackets

Packable puffer jackets are another popular recommendation. Usually filled with down or synthetic material, these jackets pack well and will keep you very warm.

The advantage of down is that, for the same temperature, it is lighter and packs better than synthetic. Synthetic jackets however will be cheaper and more resistant to water if you are caught out in the rain without a rain jacket.

• Synthetic Trekking Hooded Padded Jacket MT100 - $70
• Hooded Down Puffer Jacket MT100 - $100

Depending on where you're going, you may be fine with just one fleece sweater, or you may need to add a down jacket on top of it. It all depends on the trip you're taking and your resistance to cold.

Outer Layer: Shielding Against the Elements

Finally, the outer layer is used essentially to keep your other layers working by protecting them from the wind and rain. They help keep you dry and keep the wind from blowing the heat trapped by the insulating layers.

When choosing an outer layer, I generally look at three characteristics:

• Water resistance
• Breathability
• Packability

Water-resistant vs waterproof

Typically, all outer layers are somewhat water-resistant, but only some are waterproof. Water-resistant means that it will withstand a bit of water, whereas waterproof means that water is completely kept out.

It seems obvious to go for a waterproof jacket, but while these keep water out well, they also keep your heat in, becoming very hot. This will build up water vapor from your sweat, and you'll eventually get soaked by yourself. So try to only take as much protection as you need. If you know it's not going to rain, you may be able to take a lighter windbreaker, instead of a full waterproof jacket.

Breathability

To keep waterproof jackets a bit more breathable, manufacturers use a treatment called a Durable Water Repellent (DWR) to cover the jacket and give it more water resistance, while keeping the jacket breathable. The theory is that the space between the molecules is small enough that water can't get in, but large enough for vapor to get out. The most famous treatment is Gore-Tex and you can find it in many articles of clothing, from jackets, to shoes, even socks.

Even then, waterproof jackets may be too warm and not breathe enough. That's why you should look for jackets with some form of vents, zippers which you can open to let air circulate inside. The most common form of vents are pit-zips (a zip in your armpit area), but some go the full length of the jacket, letting you turn it into a poncho.

Packability

This applies to all items, but rain gear tends to pack down less than other layers. So try to find gear that is light and doesn't take up too much space. This will generally help you avoid heavy jackets that trap heat as well.

Considering these three characteristics, you can choose rain gear that will help your layers work by keeping you dry.

Should you take an umbrella while travelling?

One option that is also popular is to take a lighter windbreaker along with an umbrella. This has advantages and disadvantages that you will have to weigh and choose for yourself.

The advantages of carrying an umbrella while travelling are:

• More breathable than a rain jacket
• Packs better and is lighter than a jacket
• Easier to take out and use

The disadvantages are:

• Wind can make it useless
• You lose the use of one hand

Things to keep in mind

There are some things that will impact your decision when it comes to the layers.

• Firstly, consider what type of travelling you are doing. If you are hiking or walking about a lot, your body will produce more heat, and you'll be warmer than if you're just casually strolling or taking public transportation.
• Consider the weather. Know the place you're going to and its climate. If the climate is uncertain, even if there is no forecasted rain, it may be worth it to take a rain jacket.
• Adapt to the situation. One advantage of a layering system is flexibility. If you're starting to get warm, take off a layer before you start sweating. If you went indoors from the cold street, consider taking off a layer. Another factor to consider is that, if you're going to be in changing temperatures frequently, it can be cumbersome to take off many layers, so try to keep the number of layers to the minimum possible.

Conclusion

To recap, opt for a three layer system made up of a base layer to wick your sweat, an insulating layer to keep you warm, and an outer layer to protect you from the rain and wind.

Hopefully this post gave you the tools to assemble your own three layer system for travelling this winter. With these key principles, winter travel with one bag should become much easier.

We will be posting a guide to budget one bag layering. If you'd like to get a list of great gear at a great price, subscribe below to be alerted when we release the guide.

Hope you enjoy your travels and are able to stay warm and dry!