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Lets talk underwear!

kgd said:
They shrink a bit. You can't dry them in a machine dryer and they should be washed by hand or on gentle cycle.
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For what it's worth, I always machine dry all my merino, although I do it on low heat with small loads of similarly light stuff.

I basically do a load of all my baselayers, boxers, socks, and a few tshirts, and leave all the heavy stuff with buttons, straps, velcro, etc out - I wash that small load on gentle with a very gentle biodegradable soap, and then dry it on low heat.


So far my merino has held up VERY well under this kind of washing, even if it goes against the manufacturer's guidelines.
 
cybrok said:
So, is merino wool the best base layer for our rough winters?

All I have at the moment is the army polyester one. Ok for spring and fall, but I wouldn't trust them for winter.
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Well thats what the ads say Cybrok. Personally I think the polyesters work almost as well but come at a better price point. Its all a matter of what you use as additional layers. If you have fleece pants to put over your polyester and under a shell then I think you are good to go. Polyester as the only layer under shell pants will probably be insufficient as insulation on their own.

The merino wool ones I have are about the same. i.e. I wouldn't use them on their own under a pair of gortex as my sole insulation for winter. I would pair them with fleece pants or a snow pant.
 
Ken,

I thank you for not posting pictures of you modeling the underwear. You too mneedham!
 
mcjhrobinson said:
i can use icebreakers midweight merino wool in 30F and feel fine (while hiking).merino wool or bust.


for the poster whom entioned silk, i used that stuff in hawaii...its VERY lightweight and wicks wonderfully but it doesnt hold heat as well as wool....but it is a great lightweight alternative to wool for pajamas. they even sell silk sleeping bag inserts. i had some cool silk shirts i bought for $3 at the Salvation Army!!
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ditto, I just got a pair of bamboo charcoal lined marino wool undies for 30 bucks. super soft and warm even when soaked...
 
I use Duo-Fold tops and bottoms when it's under freezing and i'm not going to work up a sweat but if by chance you have to, your going to be wet and miserable.
I was advised to buy Under-Armour type tops and bottoms after hearing rave reviews from coworkers, a few LEO's I know and friends.
I wore those once and gave them away. They were cold. If you have a draft go down your shirt between a layer and the Under-Armour, you feel it instantly and the material seemed to spread that feeling out and never go away. No insulating properties at all but they do block wind. Maybe better for above 40F but below that was a no-go.
Anyone else have a similar opinion of these?
 
Helly Hansens last forever but don't half pong when you work up a sweat. I think Merino is definitely the way to go !!!!
 
I love my longjohns. 100% merino wool. Wooolpower from swededn, Filson Alaskan guide,.and a union suit by a Canadian company that I can't remember. Plus lots of tops that I picked up at thrift stores.

All other types of long underware feel like wearing a plastic bag to me.

Some folks compalin of the feel of wool next to the skin. WEAR them 3 days and they will stop feeling that way it is just the feel of a new fiber next to the skin.
 
I have merino wool underwear and it is AWESOME. Expensive but worth every penny. I hang dry it after washing and it lasts a real long time.

The long sleeve tops were bought at Natchez Shooters Supply and are made by Woolrich Elite. I would say they are about a medium weight wool.

The bottoms are made by Patagonia and I purchased them at a local sporting goods store on clearance for 30 bucks, otherwise would have been 70.

Now, silk is very over rated and not very good at all in my experiences. Several years ago, I used silk for a couple of winters and was less then impressed. It gets wet with sweat and does not wick very well at all, then cold and clamminess set in.

This became very evident to me after taking a pair out of the washing machine and I noticed that the longjohns were still very wet and heavy with moisture and took a long time to dry after hanging.

In contast, when wool comes out of the washing machine it is practically dry already and takes a very short time to fully dry.

I do have a couple of sleeveless polyester union suits which I purchased from Sportsman's Guide and these work very well but do not breath quite as well as the wool. Still, I like them a lot and the one-piece keeps out drafts very well.
 
Great thread KGD!!! i always buy good undergarments because they are the ones you actually feel. i have a few cotton unionsuits that i enjoy minus the non-wicking. could you divulge the maker of the poly/spandex unionsuit? ive been looking for one for quite a while now. also those bibs look VERY useful.
 
I hope more add to this thread because this topic still puzzles me after all these years.
I feel wool blend or all wool is the best myself but proper layering over that is still a work in progress for me.
 
Good thread Kgd. I have been wondering about what people think is the best type of material for base layers is too. A lot of these cost to much to "try out".
I have used poly-pro, fleece, and under armor type fabrics for base layers for hunting and hiking. I personally like the fleece and under armor fabrics but hate the cost of them. I like the mer-wool although to be honest, I dont know what the difference is from regular wool. I just know its not scratchy.

I also find that there are a few mistakes people make when they layer these. First, any cotton you have under them takes away the moisture wicking properties and insulation value of the first base layer. So when you start to sweat, it stays on your skin; making you colder then if you didnt wear the first base layer at all.

I think the second thing you need to remember is that your outer shell needs to be the wind/rain block. If it doesnt, then the wind will just erode your insulation.

I love that one piece fleece bib. I love bibs for cold/wet weather.
 
milani74 said:
Good thread Kgd. I have been wondering about what people think is the best type of material for base layers is too. A lot of these cost to much to "try out".
I have used poly-pro, fleece, and under armor type fabrics for base layers for hunting and hiking. I personally like the fleece and under armor fabrics but hate the cost of them. I like the mer-wool although to be honest, I dont know what the difference is from regular wool. I just know its not scratchy.

I also find that there are a few mistakes people make when they layer these. First, any cotton you have under them takes away the moisture wicking properties and insulation value of the first base layer. So when you start to sweat, it stays on your skin; making you colder then if you didnt wear the first base layer at all.

I think the second thing you need to remember is that your outer shell needs to be the wind/rain block. If it doesnt, then the wind will just erode your insulation.

I love that one piece fleece bib. I love bibs for cold/wet weather.
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I agree on the bibs.. I have a Carhart Extremes Bib (for outerwear) that is the warmest piece of gear I own. It's getting used these days too, it will be -10 or -15 F without windchill at my place tomorrow AM. Timely thread!
 
milani74 said:
I like the mer-wool although to be honest, I dont know what the difference is from regular wool. I just know its not scratchy.
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That's the difference. It's a finer wool fiber, which is softer and less scratchy. Due to the finer fibers, it might also exhibit slightly better wicking properties from more efficient capillary action or some such, but really the increased comfort is the #1 selling point of merino over "normal" wool.
 
for summer I use Capllene 1 as a base layer, cools better than merino and I've never had issues w/ small from mine

for winter I use merino (200 weight)- the Patagonia merino seems to hold up better than Smartwool or Icebreaker (haven't tried Ibex)- if your shopping savy you can find it half way reasonably priced

the down side to merino is it does not hold as well as capilene and it's more expensive

I have a bunch of different weight capilene and have found that unless your activity level is very low (ice fishing, tree stand, etc) the lighter weights make better base layers (I often use a heavier capilene weight as my insulation layer)

I see a lot of folks traipsing in the mountains with no clue on base layers- cotton t shirts, sweat shirts and pants, etc- a good base layer is the foundation of your clothing system and can make or break it depending on your choice
 
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