mens navy blue fleece jacket:Down Outer Layers

Many people use an insulated jacket as their main outerwear – particularly for lower intensity activities, or when they won’t be moving much at all. These layers are primarily for providing warmth, but they will protect from very light rain – and often wind as well, as down proof fabric is, by its nature, windproof.

When to wear it:  If you’re out for a very light neighbourhood walk, or simply watching a sports game on a chilly winter morning, a down or insulated jacket is fine to use as an outer layer. Down jackets are not suitable for high intensity activity as they lose their ability to insulate when they become wet.

Pants

Just as much a part of the layering system as an essential outdoor jacket, it’s important to select the right pants for your outdoor activity. You can start your lower layering system with a pair of Merino, Geothermal or Prothermal base layer pants. You don’t need a mid layer for your legs, but you can select an appropriate outer layer. If it’s going to be windy and cold, softshell pants are your best option – Nemesis (mens and womens) and Fitzroy Pants (mens and womens) are great for mountaineering, hiking and other medium intensity activities because they block out the wind, and keep in the warmth. For high intensity activities such as trail running, you may want to opt for a pair of tights and nothing else, as softshell pants would be too warm. You could also put a pair of waterproof pants over the top, should you be likely to face heavy rain.