When outdoors, layering is smart way to manage body heat. This tried-and-true strategy lets you regulate comfort by slipping layers on and off as your activity level or the weather changes.

How to layer: To understand layering your clothing for outdoor activities, you need to know the function of each layer:

1. Base layer : wicks sweat off your skin

2. Middle layer (insulating layer): retains body heat to protect you from the cold

3. Outer layer (shell layer): shields you from elements such as wind and rain

I vividly remember reading an article about aurora borealis in a borrowed science magazine as a teenager. I hoped against the hope that someday I will be able to witness the spectacle. Of course, this rarely happens in India, even in the northern parts where I went for my studies. So that dream remained distant. For a few more years.

It was the year 1999/2000. I had just bought my first “proper” camera, a Canon EOS 500N with a kit lens. I was churning out photo after photo on Kodak negative film. Great memories of being an exchange student in Germany. I even captured the four seasons at the same location near my apartment. However, something was missing. This article is about how a simple project helped me hone my craft.