layering system | Down to Hike

Best Base Layers for Hiking UK (2025): Merino & Synthetic Reviewed

The base layer is the most important item in your clothing system, it sits next to your skin and determines how comfortable you are across the whole day. Get it wrong and no amount of expensive outer layers will compensate. The principle is simple: the base layer manages moisture. When you’re working hard, you sweat. A good base layer wicks that sweat away from your skin and moves it outward, where it can evaporate.

9 Dec 2025 Read more →

guides

What to Wear Hiking in Scotland: A Practical Kit Guide

Scotland is spectacular. It’s also frequently wet, windy, cold, and unpredictable in ways that catch underprepared walkers off guard. Every year, mountain rescue teams in Scotland respond to callouts involving walkers who underestimated how fast conditions deteriorate above 600 metres. This isn’t a reason to avoid the Scottish hills, it’s a reason to go prepared. The right kit makes the difference between a memorable day and a dangerous one, and the system isn’t complicated once you understand it.

14 May 2025 Read more →