Built for moving through the mountains

The best mountain layers are the ones you stop thinking about.

Over the past few months, I’ve put two Pioneer Camp pieces through a range of mountain days, from a 42-kilometre run to Berg Lake to steep scrambling on Roche Miette and, most recently, a bike-and-hike adventure on Tekarra Mountain.

I wore the Merino Wool T-shirt on an alpine adventure above 3,000 metres, where its lightweight feel and breathability quickly became its standout qualities. Moving uphill, it felt almost like a second skin—silky against my body without feeling clingy.

“Moving uphill, it felt almost like a second skin—silky against my body without feeling clingy.”

As the wind picked up higher on the route, the merino provided enough comfort and insulation to keep my temperature balanced. And after a full day of hiking and scrambling, I gave it the less-than-scientific smell test. It passed. The shirt was still odour-free.

Pioneer Camp’s Women’s Packable UPF 100+ Windbreaker proved useful in a different way: it was a layer I could carry almost without noticing until I needed it.

On a 2,850-metre technical ridge in the Trident Range above Jasper, I pulled it from my pack when the wind picked up and appreciated having protection without feeling restricted while scrambling. On the Berg Lake run, its packability made it easy to stash away when I was warm and retrieve when conditions changed.

That same low-profile approach worked well on Tekarra. The day involved 9 km of biking a steep fire road followed by hiking and scrambling. Keeping my kit streamlined mattered. The windbreaker spent much of the day compressed in my pack before becoming useful on the more exposed sections of the mountain.

The UPF 100+ rating also makes it more than a wind layer. On long, exposed alpine days, having a lightweight barrier against the sun is just as valuable as protection from the wind.

Both pieces proved as-advertised. The merino shirt is comfortable enough to disappear beneath a pack, while the windbreaker is easy to carry until the weather or the elevation demands another layer.

After putting both through long-distance running, serious scrambling and a full day on one of Jasper’s most aesthetic peaks, they’ve earned their place in my mountain kit.