Layering...

Sufler

Sufler

Gold Member
Joined
Oct 15, 2005
Messages
1,886
I'm looking into synthetic base layering this winter season. I want to step away from cotton as it does get wet and becomes uncomfortable when cold outside.

Any suggestions, recommendations or tips? I'm looking at REIs lightweight poly-synthetics as these seem well priced and still US made.

Thanks!

:thumbup:
 
The more different stuff I try, the more I wish I'd just bought more Capilene. Lightweight Capilene, with a midlayer when it's really cold, and Icebreaker merino for dry climes (and around camp, for sleeping, or that midlayer) are all I really think of for long baselayers any more.
 
Try some Army issue poly pro base layers. They are warm even when wet. And can be purchased pretty cheap.
 
Go with either the lightest micro weight wool or poly. The first layer is for wicking not warmth. Granted your warmer because your first layer is moving moisture away from your body. The more active you are the thinner the first layer. Warmth is your second layer which is far easier to regulate - add, takeoff, open, close, thinner, thicker et al.

Some prefer wool others poly. That is why I suggest going cheap at first so you don't have a drawer full like I do that are never worn; so experiment first before you plunk down some serious coin on Smartwool or Capilene or other trendy high performance wick wear.

Stay a mile away from cotton!

My buddies and I did an experiment once during a winter wilderness training camp. One guy dressed completely in cotton laid down in a mountain glacier fed stream in the winter and retuned to the common fire. He didn't last long because he became pre-hypothermic. He changed, warmed up and returned to the stream for another complete immersion only this time in wool undies, nylon pants and poly shirt and wool vest. Returning to the fire like before he stayed with us the remainder of the evening and in fact his pants dried very quickly with heat source and his shirt he wrang out and it also dried quickly.

The cotton even by the fire remained wet/damp and unwearable over the remaining three days in camp. He wore the other clothes all the time after our experiment and was warm and dry.
 
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I would suggest you step away from cotton.... but not straight into synthetic fibers.

Capilene is great and so are quite a few brands but wool is quite nice as well and lately is coming back!. Have you tried wool made base layers? They last longer and don't smell so bad after a few days wearing them (winter climbing and so on). Now go try polipropylene for two days straight... LOL.

Mikel
 
Agreed with Mikel. Merino wool is pretty much all I use for base layers anymore. It has a far wider comfortable temperature range than any synthetic base layer I've tried. And I've hunted for days in the same shirt/bottoms and there is hardly any odor retention at all. You can sometimes find good deals on Smartwool on Sierra Trading Post, etc. Minus 33, KUIU, Ibex all make good merino layers as well. A little more expensive, but totally worth it.
 
I like wool because it really doesn't smell after a good sweat. I recommend minus33 brand because it isn't as stupid expensive as a lot of others out there.

Good call staying away from cotton, it is worthless for outdoors use.
 
The more I wear wool the less I like synthetics !

I always used to wear Helly Hanson base layers but hate the feel of them nowdays.
 
Another vote for merino wool. I wear (almost daily) minus33 merino briefs. Nothing feels better next to the twig and berries than merino! I also have several light weight t-shirt and 1/4 zip base layers that work well, even in summer. Also have some heavier weight base layers that are just as awesome, only warmer.

I no longer wear my synthetics, except for casual wear. Any serious trip/excursion is in merino wool.
 
Eddie Bauer's First Ascent line is top notch stuff. I work outside in Minnesota winters doing electrical construction and I love the stuff.
 
One more HUGE vote for merino wool. I am a true believer in Icebreakers brand merino wool clothing. I've tried other brands of merino wool (SmartWool, Royal Robins, and some others) but Icebreakers is by far the best I've found.

It's expensive, but it wears like iron, doesn't stink, and works in a wide latitude of temperatures. It also will not dry your skin out like synthetics will, and it won't laminate you if you're exposed to a flash fire they way synthetics will.

I threw away a pretty extensive collection of Patagonia and Helly Hansen underwear when I found Icebreakers. Now you couldn't get me into capaline, polly-pro, or any other synthetic undergarment with a shoehorn and a fire hose.

It's worth paying retail for...one of the few things that is. But come summer if you hunt around you can get it at decent discounts. I'd buy a set (or two) for the winter, then if you love it look for the discounts when the weather warms up.
 
btw, if the REI baselayers you are looking at are Polartec Powerdry, that is some really good stuff, performance-wise. I've got one of Marmot's lightweight tops in that material, and it dries quickly while being warm for the weight, if not quite as breathable as Cap1. It sometimes seems to snag hair on my chest, though, and is actually a little too warm for me in "transitional" temps.
 
OwenM said:
btw, if the REI baselayers you are looking at are Polartec Powerdry, that is some really good stuff, performance-wise. I've got one of Marmot's lightweight tops in that material, and it dries quickly while being warm for the weight, if not quite as breathable as Cap1. It sometimes seems to snag hair on my chest, though, and is actually a little too warm for me in "transitional" temps.
Click to expand...

Yup, that's exactly what I'm looking at. Thinking about giving this one a try as my first poly-blend baselayer top.

http://www.rei.com/product/827919/rei-lightweight-polartec-power-dry-long-sleeve-crew-mens

:thumbup:
 
How does merino work for those who can't wear wool because of the itch & scratch?
Denis
 
I've used the various poly/synth under layers for a long time (including stretch boxers). However, i know some folks who have switched to Merino wool and *love* them - swearing off poly forever. Merino wool, by it's nature, is not scratchy and so is perfectly matched as under-garments for us human folk. I'd like to try a set myself, but i have to get past the sticker shock first!

Like with nearly all winter gear, you usually get what you pay for. However, i've had great success with the poly/synth's i've used so can't justify the expense of the Merino garments just now. I also have some of the US Army issue poly garments and they're pretty nice - especially for the price.
 
What is the durability of the merino garments? Will it survive repeated washings or is it going to need replacement in a years time?
 
I've had several merino garments from Minus 33, Kuiu and Smartwool for several years now. Wash them in a gentle cycle, hang dry. They'll last a long time. In fact, longer than some capilene I've owned.
 
Is there one brand that seem to have a longer length? I hate when my base layer gets untucked
 
Merino isn't nearly as durable as a quality synthetic. It will wear quicker, and develop holes over relatively short time. No drier, no fabric softener(which coats the fibers that you want to be able to pull moisture off your skin)-I follow those same rules with synthetics, too.
I love my merino stuff enough that I have four long bottoms, a couple of blended boxer briefs, a couple each of long and short sleeve t-shirts, not to mention dozens of pairs of merino socks, a pair of glove liners, and even a lightweight Smartwool beanie that I wear pulled down over my eyes at home since I sleep during the daytime. From what I've seen it tends to get overhyped online, though.

Merino pros(vs synthetic of similar weight):
-More comfortable next to skin.
-More comfortable when wet.
-Warmer when wet.
-Retains much less odor.

Synthetic pros(vs merino of similar weight):
-More durable.
-Less expensive.
-Doesn't absorb moisture/dries much faster.
-More breathable.

btw, I'm using the term "synthetic" generically, but referring to quality brand names and materials. There are synthetics that are cheap junk. There's some merino that is junk, too, IMO, it just never seems to be cheap!
 
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I like to use Underarmor as a base and mid layer. The close fitting T-shirts under a looser long sleeve are comfortable and warm enough on their own for tempuratures as low as 40*F if you're moving around. Throw a fleece over it and a waterproof outer layer and you can stay warm and dry in most weather.

(Edit: I actually know a guy who, when airsofting in fall rain, will often just throw on several of the close fitting T-shirts and run around like that. He's a smaller, skinny guy, so I was always surprised he could stay warm.)
 
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