Hiking Clothing That’s Fit for Purpose: Mountains and Wind

Hiking is not just about taking steps. It involves constant changes in terrain, weather, pace and your body's needs. 'Technical'clothing alone is not enough: you need a system that supports you at every stage without requiring you to adjust your clothing.

Let's take a look at what happens to walkers, phase by phase, and why the base layer — the layer that sits closest to your skin — is the real balance point between performance and endurance.

At the start, your body is stationary and the air is crisp

You're in the car park or at the starting point. It's cool; maybe you're above 1,000 metres. You move around a little, look around and adjust your backpack. Your body is at rest, but the environment is not; the air is dry and the wind is picking up.

At this stage, your base layer must provide thermal protection without making you sweat. If it's too heavy, you'll get hot right away. If it's too light, you'll start the climb feeling cold. A fabric like AUDANT-X®, which has merino wool on the outside and an internal structure that insulates and breathes, keeps the temperature stable without immediately triggering the body's cooling system.

Ascent: the body warms up and starts to react

As soon as the difference in elevation is felt, the body speeds up. You start to breathe faster, sweat and your heart rate increases. It doesn't matter if it's winter or summer — sweat will come, and it must be managed.

During this phase, the base layer must expel any moisture before it can accumulate. If it remains in contact with the skin, a moist layer is created that lowers the temperature as soon as you stop moving or the wind changes direction. You need a material that supports and promotes perspiration and gets you dry quickly. Merino wool works well with technical recycled polyester: one absorbs and the other expels.

The break: thermal at risk

The pause, whether short or long, is always a critical moment. Perhaps you have found a vantage point or stopped to eat. Your body is wet and slows down; your heat production drops. The wind creeps into the folds. If your base layer is still wet or has retained moisture in the wrong places, you will cool down immediately.

This is where the true quality of the first layer becomes apparent. It needs to stay dry, or at least dry quickly. It should not pinch, stick or leave any areas exposed. This is the boundary between a regenerating break and the beginning of discomfort.

The descent requires less effort but more exposure

Fatigue decreases, but exposure increases. The descent is faster and there is less heat production. The body is tired and more vulnerable to gusts of air or wet areas. The legs move, but the upper body begins to cool.

This stable base layer follows your movements without moving, curling or creating chafing. Thanks to its anatomical cut, which is designed around the athletic gesture, you can completely forget what you're wearing — which is exactly what you want when you need to focus on the trail, your footing and your balance.

When you return, you are tired, but still at altitude

Your mind is already in the shower, but your feet are still in the mud. Your body is neither pushing nor resting; it is in the hybrid phase where you are less alert and more sensitive. Here, any chafing, any poorly placed seams and any wet spots that have not been resolved become apparent.

If the base layer had done its job, you wouldn't have had to stop to adjust anything. You can handle all the changes in pace with just one layer of clothing. You can face the final hour with the same feeling as when you took your first step: dry, mobile and protected.

For the serious walker, there's AUDANT-X®

Audant developed the AUDANT-X® fabric with this in mind, drawing on the experience of people who spend hours in the mountains, not in a laboratory. It has a compact merino wool exterior and recycled fibre interior, and its double-layer construction is designed to cope with prolonged activity in variable conditions.

It's a fabric that works with your body, not against it. You won't feel it, but it will work. It doesn't hinder; it supports. It is the ultimate base layer.

Once you try it on, you'll realise what you've been missing.

Discover our collection of basic layers for women and men, designed to withstand every step, every change and every altitude.