Top Half

For milder temperatures, a shirt and light sweater comprise your top-half's mid-layers.

• A conventional cotton or flannel shirt can serve over an undershirt. However, their inability to "transpire" sweat can render them damp and reduce their warmth.

• Shirts made from synthetic "moisture-management" fabrics provide an affordable high-tech alternative to those made from Merino wool.

• A light-weight, long-fibre Merino wool shirt or sweater is ideal; due to its exceptional ability to wick moisture.

As temperatures drop, your top-half's mid-layers can increase to include a bulky sweater and fleece vest.

• Chances are you won't need to wear these extra layers while you're performing sweat-producing activities. Therefore, you can use a conventional wool sweater and a mid-weight fleece-lined vest to keep warm around the campfire on chilly nights.

Bottom Half

Typical mild temperature bottom-half's mid-layers are comprised of shorts and cotton slacks.

• Loose or baggy styles assure ventilation. Regular cotton fabrics are adequate. Should summer showers threaten, cotton shorts can be stowed away in favour of swimmimg gear.

• Light coloured cotton slacks are adequate for fending off spring bugs, cutting cool evening breezes and protecting sunburned legs. Again, choose a baggy style to assure ventilation.

• If you are a slave to stylish profiles and tight fits, you had better acquire "moisture-management" stretch-fabric hi-tech versions.

As the season cools, your bottom-half's mid-layers can be supplemented with fleece-lined pants.

• Conventional cotton fleece-lined track-pants will keep legs warm. However, when activity levels increase, heat buildup can necessitate their inconvenient or even premature removal.