Bushcraft Clothes: Favourite Thermal Layer & Shell Combos For The Woods 

great content, i dont personally think you should steer away from the gear stuff, your a very trusted person in the community who is actually out in the wilderness a lot so put the gear through its paces, id much rather see you do this than someone whos out a few times through the summer! just my opinion! take care ATB Kev

I'll add that a spare merino top makes a comfy hat or scarf in the vein of a shemagh sometimes. Hello from a comfy ball of wool in NZ :)

Really glad you did this jacket loadout. Thanks Paul!

I know this is an old video but it has helped a great deal. I’m lucky enough to be heading into the Boreal Forest next January (2020) and the advice I’ve got from this video has been invaluable, thanks Paul! - Regards, Tony.

Extensive and informal. Always trying to improve my clothing system, and your impartial yet honest review interests me. Keep up the great work, and thank you.

Great Video Paul, thank you for all you do!

Thanks Paul for the great vid -superb.

Thank you for this very informative video. You have offered a great amount of experience-based wisdom. Again, thank you.

Another very useful video, thanks Paul

Interesting and helpful video. Thanks for your time making this 🙏

Again, great information, thanks.

No bad weather, just bad gear! Great stuff! I live in the South East US and don't require much in the way of winter gear. I would really love to visit those areas of the world that require that type of gear. I do like the layering of gear and do so while hunting from a tree stand for deer in late winter when temps can get down to 20*F, but those temps are few and far between. Keep up the great work and thanks for sharing!

great video as always paul. thanks for sharing what works for you. atb mo

Excellent as always.

Excellent talk; thanks!

Thnxs for uploading and sharing this information

Something I found out first hand the other week while wearing some old wool army trousers is that if the weeds such as "farmers friends" are in seed, you are going to get completely covered. It took 20 minutes to shave them off with my knife so that I could get back in the car. If I had a woollen outer on the top half also I may just have gone insane. Just a consideration.

Nice one Paul. I sat here in shorts and a T at 11pm watching this in 23c ( Rare scottish weather) with you putting layer upon layer on!! I totally agree with you on merino as I dress head to toe in it for skiing, sailing and camping and then various over layers to suit the weather and activities. I really like Berghaus extreme stretch gortex trousers as well as quite robust and have a few vintage Canadian lumberjack type shirts in wool for sitting round the camp fire so not to worry about sparks! Its good to have multi purpose layers. Cheers Mary

Hello Paul, I viewed this video once before. As a quick review, I gave it another look. Please keep up these informative videos. All the best to you. 🤗

Paul, you do a great job making videos. Stop worrying about all the negative comments and just stick to your generous giving of your time and knowledge. If people can’t respect that, they aren’t worth the time to give an explanation of their rude behavior.

Loads of great ideas and options. I love the keeping it real low tech video more of that please. I am more hiking and ultralight weight so not the same but i also go with merino wool base top and legs also to sleep in down to about - 10 c with a top quilt. Then i have a thin usually cotton t shirt or sometimes synthetic. Then a very light and packable down mid layer, then a waterproof shell also light but tough. I tend to look for shells that have pit zips these days as venting heat for me is just as important as keeping warm. And i just dont think anything is as breathable as a good pit zip :) I have some expensive merino wool gear and also some aldi and lidl cheap merino wool gear and really they are pretty much the same, so there is something for everyone out there i think.

That was great Paul thank you for the video.

Great video Paul Thanks

Thank you Paul. Comprehensive and professional as always. Atb.

Thank you Paul! I leaned a lot. 😃👍

For someone that doesn't like kit questions, you seemed kind of enthusiasts about this gear! lol great information Paul, alot to take in and we appreciate learning from your experience!

Great video Paul on the clothing system you use. I agree with your assertion, that what works for you may not work for everyone. I get the same question on clothing systems from my buddies. I give them the principle answers on how to be comfortable. Which of course is to stay dry and warm. How one does that is up to you, as there are many ways to do it. Also one has to take into to account "for how long" and "under what weather conditions" when making layering choices for their outdoor clothing system. I sweat readily when doing any outdoor activity, so I need very little insulation to keep my warm. Another person may run cold and will need more insulating clothes to keep warm. I personally prefer the synthetic base layers and insulating garments. I find they are readily available, inexpensive, dry quickly, breathe reasonably well, relatively lightweight, etc.

Very good, Thank you very much

Another good video Paul - I know and understand you don't like talking too much on kit but this stuff is really useful for numpties like me in deciding what to buy (and not) and use in different conditions. I can't always justify expensive kit but your info is very useful in working out layering and buying decisions. I find a good merino mix base layer (not that expensive being a mix) with an 100 or 200 fleece and my (half price) Ebay Recon jacket do just about anything I need along with a Snugpack softee shirt in my bag to add or swop with the fleece as required. And, of course a decent fleece lined wool hat. The key for me is not to skimp on the outer layers and get good Goretex kit - the rest mostly just traps air and can be cheaper. Cheers

Love my buffalo special six sees a lot of use living in scotland when you get all the seasons in one day in the hills.

Paul , the best video I have seen concerning layering and clothing suitable for the variable conditions we would find in our adventures,where tough reliable clothing is required. Regards Clayton

excellent video.

Well done..

Love u Paul& natural fibers are always best for me. Cashmere, silk, cotton all from thrift stores.

Super informative video. Most stuff far to expensive for my budget, but if you're out all day every day then probably money well spent.. would like to have seen more about trousers, particularly with kneeling and sitting in damp environments.

My experience with ultralight gear is that it can fail you when you need it the most. Laboring uphill with a little extra weight has never ruined a trip for me. Almost freezing to death has (once).

I know that video is 6 years old but it is still a very good informative one. I kind of dress like you merino direct on my body and then grid sweaters like OR, Eddie Bauer, and a jacket on top of it all because it is freaking cold in my country...No really I live in Canada -30 Celsius is common in my area. So merino wool is my best friend, and thick wool sweaters like the sailors wear (the white ones) also a tuque goes without saying, beaver fur mittens or bear (hum they are rare) merino socks and good long johns (wool preferably). I always keep in my car plenty wool t-shirts, sweaters and big vest made of wool and when it is very very cold Canada Goose winter jackets.

Great explanation of the reasons as well as the specifics. Ironic to watch this when it's so hot, all the layers make me sweat in today's heat!

Good tips. I suck at layering/picking the right fabrics

Hi Paul, great video you did not mention types of trousers pros and cons of each etc - any chance you could mention a few please?

I have a buffalo Belay, One of the best jackets I have. I can't walk long distance in it though as it's way too toasty, but for stationary photography out in the wilderness it can't be beat.

I bought a euro military smock XXL for $30 bucks and it worked in the dessert keeping the sun off 70 deg f , kinda like a robe almost mid thigh walking around wind would blow through with a merino t-shirt. Then layered a sweater in the evening and morning.

lol the deer in background @11:12

I have the Ridgeline smock which is a clone of the Buffalo and learnt the hard way that its not good around fires :) Clothing is still something i'm slowly working out and found your video incredible helpful. May I ask how the Swazi Jacket holds up around fires as i've been looking at getting that for a while? ~Peace~

Good stuff...as usual.

Man, you got more clothes than my little sister. I got to say your stuff would suit me a whole lot better though :) Thanks for making this. I actually learned a lot. - Martin

G'day Paul, very informative but then your videos always are but also very timely for me as we're now in winter in the Southern Hemisphere and I'm in the process of updating pretty much all my gear. Layering was very much more basic when I first started going bush. A singlet and a shirt or during cold weather, the aforementioned plus a jumper and maybe a jacket. The array of options now available has been quite bewildering to me but I'm slowly getting my head around them. It took me a while to realise that a fleece mid layer is worn over a thermal top without a shirt in between! I realise that you might not have many opportunities to hike in warm weather say around 30°C but when you do, what type of clothing do you wear? Virtually everything I've seen or read emanating from the Northern Hemisphere is geared toward low temperatures, less than 10°C. Cheers, Mark.

Merino wools base layers , heavy wools sweater then Coat Mackinaw Red Buffalo Plaid in New Year Eve in New York City 2 F degrees with winds minus 7, feel toasty hahaha All wools power !!

Amazing vid! I love looking earth, discover and meditate...

Thank you Paul for this great video. I'm struggling what to bring with me. Your experience and point of view will definitely help with making my kit better, thank you for sharing! P.s. Did anyone noticed the deer in the background at 11:20 just on the right side of Paul?

I first watched this video about 2 years ago, it was good and informative then, now it has led me to spend quite a considerable amount of money on this excellent equipment. I have to date, in spite of the difference in the climate where I live [Adelaide Hills, Australia] I have not found a finer more informative source of information. I would like to thank you, Mr Kirtley, for your opinions so eloquently expressed in this video, and say that no doubt I will be spending more money, [as long as my wife lets me] soon, thanks again regards Tom Adair.

great video. merino wool defiantly needs to be protected. not a very long wearing garment. have you ever used buckskin? I've found it to be almost perfect for the Boreal Forest. Wind proof, bug proof, breathable, spark proof, and mostly stink proof and with enough dirt kind of waterproof. maybe the first peoples of north america were on to something before we got here? the next new bushcraft fabric? Ps. next time you are in Manitoba look us up for a fun adventure. or just some bush time.

I really like the US military's ECWCS Level 1 is a silk weight base layer Level 2 is a grid fleece base layer Level 3 is a Helikon Patriot Fleece Level 4 is a Goretex Top/Bottom That is in conjunction to my usual synthetic Top/Bottom

Who noticed the deer? Just after 11:12

How in the world would anyone "Dislike" proven knowledge and experience? Why not offer constructive opinions? Let your voice heard. People are so fast to judge. Thanks Paul

Yes to wool, and yes to a modular system! Over the years, I have acquired an assortment of woollen (regular, merino, alpaca) sweaters from feather-thin to thick and bulky, from store-bought to home-knitted. I even have them in different sizes, so that when the weather gets really cold, I can layer 4-5 woollen sweaters without getting choked. Top it all off with a windbreaker/rain coat, and nothing can stop you! I feel like wool is underrated in wet and humid environments; it doesn't make you feel nearly as clammy as cotton and synthetics does. I love wool -- which is why I'll never be able to go 100% vegan, haha!

Great vid! My UK friends always tease me abt why I call "it" trekking and they call it Hill Walking. Well, go back to base (htl/guest HSE) and change for the nxt day outing... NOT😮. GREAT tips and will check out Norrona Recon jacket. They tend to be expensive, I guess for a reason. The Kiwi anorak looks great and functional. But it must weigh a (metric) tonne?? Cheers, Pete

can't beat a buffalo. great video Paul.

Hi paul do you ever use a poncho seams like it would be a good option,is there any negatives with them.?

Hello Mr. Kirtley, question, I have the usgi polartec lawyer system. It is a base layer that I believe is made of polyester, a mid made of fleece, and an outer made of heavier fleece. Then for waterproofs usgi goretex. It works to a degree but not like I'd truly wish. It doesnt seem to breath as well. Should I change up and if so your brand recommendations please. I liked this video but would like your recommendation on brands available here in the U.S.

A good video Paul with a sensible outlook on what to wear in differing climates/weathers, Swazi is very expensive, but anything endorsed by R. Mears is way overpriced, I've found my special 6 over Merino with a double Ventile jacket works in practically anything our British weather can throw at me all year round, admittedly I will always have a lightweight goretex jacket stowed away in the Bergen to put under the Ventile in heavy rain, the wind and rain is our worst enemy, keep up your good work and common sense outlook, regards, Paul.

Layers, layers, layers. Here in Colorado, we have the most heinous weather that can go from being a blizzard over night to 80 degrees the next morning. It's absolutely ludicrous. Every. Body. uses layers of clothing here. Middle of summer, doesn't matter. If you're not wearing 2 or 3 layers, you've got them in the car. This is the third or fourth video of yours I've watched. I'm absolutely loving your insight and ideas, because a lot of them are new and fresh, and most of the core stuff is identical to what I've learned. There are a few things I have to disagree on though. You'll destroy your wool wearing it as a base (wicking) layer. The salts in your sweat load up in the wool, destroy the lanolin, then the salt crystals start chewing up the wool fibers themselves. ..As I said, literally destroying the wool. I recommend a cotton base layer. It wicks moisture better, and it's more durable and easier to rinse out in the field (so it doesn't get stinky). Cotton is not inherently horrific about holding moisture. In fact, it wicks it in to the wool keenly. The problem people generally have is that they aren't allowing enough ventilation for the moisture to evaporate. If you're getting sweaty, unzip that gore-tex jacket, pull your pant legs out of your boots., untuck something at your waist band. You actually need to train yourself to do this the MOMENT that you start getting sweaty. Your body starts sweating to shed excessive heat, to prevent it from damaging your internal organs or causing heat stroke. I don't care if it is 30 degrees below zero. If you're sweating, you're over insulating your core. Ventilate it as appropriate. Guess what else sweating does? It dehydrates you. Slightly, but still.. the less you sweat, the less water you have to purify to replenish it. Don't want to run your body low on salt in a survival situation, either. Wool makes a superior second (insulating) layer, perhaps the world's best. As long as you can keep your fleece dry, it has nearly the same insulation value, Wool is superior when it's damp or drying off, though. Off topic, rinsing out your wool garments and reapplying lanolin has become somewhat of a lost art form. You might research that a bit and share that with your viewers. I would actually be TERRIBLY curious to see if there are any alternative methods on that side of the pond to the ones used over here. I find the natural fibers mesh with themselves better, and the synthetic materials mesh with themselves better. For synthetic base layers, Any polyester-cotton blend will do, for it's wicking ability, the more expensive blends supposedly add a % or two better wicking / insulation value. I like the polyester nylon blend sweaters and etc. for the second layer. Again, the more expensive blends supposedly add a few % of insulation value. It's hard to beat a gore-tex outer layer (weather-proof layer), but you can't argue the durability of oilskin. I don't feel like arguing the merits of arctic winter parkas. Our forefathers got by with wool and oilskin. I prefer synthetic myself, because a wet down layer in a coat is worth exactly zero. Actually, I prefer military parkas for their superior durability. For gloves I carry one pair of thin cotton or synthetic gloves, and one pair of waterproof gore-tex gloves with kevlar padding. I don't think our forefathers had an equivalent glove, that's one area we've definitely improved on. I was rather shocked to hear you recommend a fleece outer. I adore my synthetic fleece outers for early spring and late fall (allthough I do have several heavy wool outers that are sufficiently durable for use in the woods). I'm curious if the one you mention is a synthetic fleece as well? I don't recognize the brand name, so I can't be sure. I'm curious what sort of hat you use. I prefer a Thinsulate hat for it's durability and ability to shed water over fabrics which insulate better. I believe there's a different word used for Thinsulate over there, but I don't recall what it is, offhand. Thermaltake, or some such?. I also vastly prefer wool socks any time of year, but that's just me. :) I do wish we had more of those brands over here. I don't recognize hardly a one of them. It makes it a bit difficult to ah.. fathom.. the level of quality you're talking about. I can tell you this, most of the garments you're showing either don't exist here, or would be horribly expensive. I suppose going on as many expeditions as you do, you might justify that cost, but I'd have to settle on one or two of those expensive options myself.

Is it okay to wear a light merino top followed by a heavier merino zipped collar top?

So many options for clothing these days no wonder bigfoot runs round naked lol.

What do you think of the latest British military clothing such as field smock/jacket and also the goretex jackets and pants? The desert camo pattern goretex jackets are are amazingly cheap even when brand new on eBay vs many civilian brands (which all seem to cost in the hundreds) incredible value? I have seen video reviews of an American soldier who is also into survival and bushcraft who believes the British army field jacket is the best field jacket available and is his windproof durable layer. Also checkout the merino and possum fur beanies from New Zealand too, amazingly warm, light and with seemingly no moisture build up either

Great video, but that's > £1000 worth of gear - just with the main items :-) For a professional it's a necessity and obviously a no-brainer to have this sort of quality kit, but I do sometimes wonder if the cost is justified? Top level kit is now nearing and sometimes exceeding the cost of bespoke tailoring - which is almost always higher quality and certainly better fitting, than any 'off the peg' garments. Still, I do like your choices - especially that Norrona Recon :-)

Hi Paul, I've 'felt your pain' over the past 30 #AskPaulKirtley videos I've just binge watched, in which you seemed to be constantly questions about clothing/jackets/waterproofs. Hopefully this video will now answer all future questions on that topic... Hopefully.... 😉

It boggles my mind that it is cold enough in the British Isles in JUNE to be discussing warming layers.

As a rule of thumb, if you're wearing appropriate clothing but no proper hat, 70% of the lost body heat will be emitted from your head. So, wear a hat! Never wear cotton socks. A 60/40 or 70/30 wool/nylon mix with loopstitch soles are a good choice. Also, a thin wool inner sock adds to the warmth and helps to avoid blisters. There are five ways to loose body heat: Convection (air circulating around the body and taking warm are next to the body away from the body - such as when it's windy and you fail to put on a windproof outer layer), conduction (such as when you sit or lie on the cold ground and it sucks the body heat from you, or when your next-to-skin clothing becomes saturated with moisture), respiration (breathing - we are constantly breathing out moisture from our lungs which carries heat away from the body core), radiation (heat emitted from the body which intesifies with exertion), and perspiration (sweating takes body heat away from the core). Most people get into trouble (i.e., become hypothermic) as a result of two or more of the five heat loss factors. For instance, you get hot and sweaty from your winter walk or camp task, then take a rest by sitting in the snow while removing your hat and undoing your jacket. You're now losing heat rapidly by all five factors.

Unfortunate that Swazi don;t make the Tahr Anorak with the good-sized external pockets like that any more. Now they're just zippered pockets. Not nearly as good.

I'm not sure I'm hearing correctly but at 13:00 - I think the Swazi ain't from Goretex. It is Aegis

dammit dammit dammit! looks like I've found a hooded fleece I've been which I've been looking for for some time! happy days! thanks Paul as always, great video! 😉

One more thing though, re your wool layer's lack of stench? just remember, a skunk is immune to his own odor!

what about long underwear ..top and bottoms is that the same thing?

Hi Paul, another great video, you mentioned "light weight gloves" what brand do you wear? Also you failed to mention what socks and jocks you wear :-) Must do your head in all these questions about gear. Maybe people should just use some common sense, be brave to make their own choices, get outdoors more and find these things out for themselves. Sorry to all the newbies, however it's the only way. There isn't just one system. Learn to read the weather and environment, and prepare for it. If money is a factor go to the 2nd hand shop, plenty of woollen garments there waiting to be used. How many folks got huffy because that brand or model doesn't exist anymore? Go on get outside and discover for yourselves. It's part of the journey. Couldn't help but love the backdrop you chose for this video and the birds in the background. Just beautiful.

Bit beyond my budget I'm afraid I'll just have to freeze .

Did Paul cover gloves?

I've got to 8 minutes in the video and I lost my interest... Not because it's not interesting, but because merinos is expensive, and watching the website for the fleece I saw the prices h there... more or less an eye and a kidney ^^" How comes that the most simple of pleasures (being out in the woods) is becoming every day more expensive? aren't there cheaper options? Sorry, but I had to ask ^^". Thank you :)

Trust me, ANYTHING will smell within 3 weeks lol

you didn't cover trousers as much...

I don't like merino wool. It itches and it makes me smell like a wet sheep.

The more you know the less you need.

"RUSSIA UKRAINE WAR"? BY PROFESSOR WALTER VEITH AND MARTIN SMITH YOU TUBE POWERFUL POWERFUL UNMISSABLE WATCH FROM SOUTH AFRICA.... TRUTH ALWAYS WINS ❤️🙏🏾❤️

" merino doesnt smell, you can wear it for a week ... or two, weeks, three weeks.." LOL merino is good but you should clean yourself a bit more lmfao But i do agree, base layer is more omportant than a mid layer (which is insulation yes, but can be maded by a normal wool sweater for example)...you should not cheap out in a hardshell tough, wind and rain would make your shirt useless (kinda)

You should do something else.

Honest appraisal will not purchase this item until the garment is modified, there should be no quibs