Gear Review: The Elemental Layer from Finetrack
It’s rare that a new piece of gear changes how I pack for outdoor sports. I’ve spent a lot of time outdoors. By the time I graduated college, I’d spent over a year of my life camping and that has only increased since working as an Adventure Photographer.
Over my lifetime, I’ve tried lots of different outdoor gear. I’ve found things that have been significant upgrades (the waterproofing of a Gore-Tex jacket over other methods or the packability of a down sleeping bag over synthetic) and things that I didn’t find worth the extra weight (camp pillows) or the extra cost (pre-packaged dehydrated meals).
My systems have become pretty dialed over the years. My gear choices have been refined with each trip and I’ve learned exactly what I need for each scenario. It’s become quite rare that I switch things out. I know what works and I stick with that.
So, I was quite skeptical when Finetrack reached out suggesting that they had a whole new layering system. While the traditional system starts with a baselayer, they added a waterproof, breathable layer under that called their Elemental Layer.
It’s all based around the idea that in order to stay warm, you need to stay dry. While normal baselayers are great at absorbing sweat, that sweat still rests against your body while trapped in that baselayer. The Elemental Layer is designed to solve that problem. The idea made sense to me, so I was willing to try it out.
For the past couple months, I’ve been putting it to the test. As an Adventure Photographer, I’m often working outside in extreme environments. I’m constantly going on adventures with climbers, skiers, and kayakers. Not only do I have to be able to keep up, but I often have to do what the athletes are doing while carrying extra camera equipment and going out of my way to get “the shot”.
It’s hard work. I’m often running ahead or skipping a break which makes it nearly impossible to keep from sweating. I’ve basically accepted that as a fact regardless of conditions which is why I was really interested to see how the Elemental Layer performed.
And…
I was genuinely impressed with how well the system worked. The perfect example was a spring ski tour that I did on South Sister. It was a hot day at the base of the mountain. The sun was out and I was literally dripping with sweat when I made it above treeline. As I approached the top of the mountain, the wind started picking up and I noticed that I didn’t feel the cold that I normally felt. My sweat wasn’t evaporating off my skin. By the time I made it to the top, both myself and my layers were completely dry. I was able to stop and enjoy some time on the summit without being affected by the cold.
The Positives
The Elemental Layer works exactly as promised. No matter how hot or sweaty I get, it keeps my skin much drier than traditional systems. It even did a great job on my back which is notoriously extra sweaty while it is under my backpack.
It worked great on spring ski tours…
…and while trapped under an airtight dry suit.
My Concerns
While this is great at keeping you dry, there are some instances where I actually prefer to be sweaty. During hot days in the summer, I rely on sweat to keep my cool. I want to have sweat on my skin to cool me down. For that reason, I wouldn’t recommend it for hot days.
Additionally, I didn’t have a great first impression of the feel of the product. Holding it in my hands, it felt like it might not be comfortable. Once I put it on and started moving, I didn’t notice that at all, but I know that some people can have some tactile sensitivities.
How to Best Use the Elemental Layer
The Elemental Layer is designed to be a part of a system. As with anything else, how it performs will depend on the system that it is a part of. It needs to be paired with a moisture wicking baselayers. There needs to be somewhere for the sweat to go. The better your baselayer is at absorbing at evaporating sweat, the better that your system will work.
In my experience, everything performed best when it was just the Elemental Layer and a baselayer. That allowed sweat to flow from my body, through the Elemental Layer, and then into the baselayer where the wind could evaporate it. When I had a shell over my layers, my baselayer didn’t stay as dry. But, I still felt much warmer because my sweat wasn’t against my body.
My Recommendation
I was highly impressed with the performance of the Elemental Layer. It kept me much drier, and as a result, much warmer. I will definitely be adding it to both my winter and shoulder season kits. This is a great piece for both day trips and overnights.
