Yesterday I splurged a little on a warm mid-layer for my winter hiking trip1. Usually, I would pack a super light fleece, but that won’t cut it in winter conditions.

Got the Fjallraven Keb Fleece Hoodie. Expensive -even with a discount- but the quality is excellent. The G-1000 Eco patches on the shoulders will be super helpful when carrying a pack. And the fit is perfect for me. Overall the Keb hoodie seems to strikes a balance between warmth, comfort (breathability), and durability. Let’s see how it goes tomorrow on a longer training hike.

I also specifically looked at light jackets. Using a jacket as a mid-layer seems to be the new trend in hiking/mountaineering. I’m not a fan. I like the flexibility of something that breaths better as I can always put more layers over it when I need to. Trying to get one mid-layer for insulation and when on the move will end up being too warm for active or too cold for inactive use.

  1. Still questionable if such a trip would be possible at all. But training and preparing is half the fun. I’m now aiming for late in the season. With the added benefit of better/warmer weather. But after having to skip hiking the Kungsleden Sweden and with just two weeks to go having to cancel my Tour du Mont Blanc (backup) plan. It would be nice if I can make something work (solo hiking should be safe in the current situation, it’s the traveling that poses a problem). ↩︎