£50 - £149 | Not Yet Reviewed | Warm layers

If you feel the chill or have some serious cold-weather mountaineering planned then the PHD Minimus Down Vest is the right gilet for you. It uses high-quality 800 fill power down to deliver extreme warmth despite weighing a tiny 240g (size M). It also packs down seriously small, so it’s perfect for stashing in your pack for chilly lunch stops ...

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Páramo Torres Gilet 2011

£78.00

Gilets are really useful as throw-on lunch stop insulation, so one designed specifically as an outer layer makes obvious sense. The Páramo Torres Gilet has a windproof, water-repellent Nikwax outer that can be treated to increase wet-weather performance – although our tests found that it was remarkably waterproof even without additional treatment. The fast-drying synthetic fill lends itself to use ...

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Rab Generator Vest 2011

£75.00

A gilet that packs away into its own inner pocket and can be used as a camping pillow? You’ve got to admit that’s pretty cool. The Rab Generator Vest uses synthetic Primaloft to deliver damp-proof insulation. It doesn’t quite pack the warmth-per-gram punch of down, but it does hold up much better against our typical British mountain weather conditions. The ...

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Berghaus Scorch Vest 2011

£75.00

The women’s Berghaus Scorch Vest is made mainly from Polartec Thermal Pro material, which is fleecy and soft to the touch. This fabric claims to trap body heat using lofted (fluffed-up) fibres, and if it’s ultimate cosiness you’re after, then it certainly feels snug to wear. The great advantage of fleece gilets such as the Scorch is that they’re highly ...

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Mountain Equipment Orion Vest 2011

£70.00

The first thing that’s apparent about the Mountain Equipment Orion Vest is its rugged durability. The fabric is EXOlite II, which is hard-wearing as well as having four-way stretch for freedom of movement. It was one of the most water-resistant gilets in our test, and would certainly see off intermittent showers on the hill, as well as providing a breathable ...

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Haglöfs Neo Short Sleeve 2010

£55.00

The Haglöfs Neo Short Sleeve is made from quick-drying, recycled polyester that promises not to pong after a few days thanks to its Active Odor Control materials. A zipped chest pocket with mesh lining is both secure and aids venting. It won’t be what you want to wear up a hill, but it looks stylish enough for a full day’s ...

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The North Face Stretch Boulder 2010

£55.00

The North Face’s Stretch Boulder shirt is practical yet attractive and made from Vapourwick, which means it should cope well with the heat. It also comes with venting at the back to keep you cool, there’s a hidden zipped pocket in the seams and it’s made of 100 per cent recycled material. Sleeves can be long or short thanks to ...

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Páramo Sumaco Shirt 2010

£51.00

The Páramo Sumaco Shirt does feel like silk against your skin: it’s very cool and wonderfully comfortable. And it’s packed to the rafters with technical features including Velcro adjusters at the wrist and a hidden zipped pocket – but surprisingly there are no straps to shorten the sleeves. As with the men’s version the sizes do come up very large ...

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Haglöfs Lute Q 2010

£55.00

I expected the Haglöfs Lute Q top to be far prettier than it turned out to be once on. It looks rather like a bowling shirt and the shape didn’t flatter – but that might not be the case for you. The material is suitably cool and comfortable, and it comes with Polygiene odour control to keep you relatively fresh ...