Question about "sweat wicking" Under Armour style clothing

silenthunterstudios

silenthunterstudios

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I am a big dude, and have found "sweat wicking" clothing to really help out in the summer months (duh). I've gotten Wrangler shorts, Underarmour and Hanes underwear, Carhartt and Reebok t shirts, socks etc with the same general technology. Swamp ass is a reality for all fat people in the summer, and I've had a pretty good summer so far using this stuff. I just got a couple Carhartt and Columbia long sleeve button down shirts, one is primarily for fly fishing but I can use it hiking this fall. Thankfully at my size, cost isn't an issue because most of these clothes I've found cheap at my sizes.

What brands would you recommend? I wear 3xl-4xl, 48-50 waist. I've got a couple Columbia jackets with the sweat wicking technology and have had my eye on some of the Carhartt stuff.

I should've jumped on this bandwagon sooner, but couldn't afford the real Under Armour gear.

I wish I was going to be hiking the AT, going on a long range hunt, etc. I'm just hiking in humid hot Maryland summers on gravel or paved trails, fishing on the Bay and it's tributaries and walking in my neighborhood.
 
i like rei's in-house brand co-op tech long sleeve t-shirts over under armour brand.
 
I buy all my stuff from GM from their clearance racks!!! No need to spend big bucks in my mind!! John
 
I wish there'd be some synthetic fabric which could keep me cooler.
Wicking away the sweat prevents it from evaporating on my skin. :-( Cotton on the orher hand gets soaked by sweat and stays nice cool.
Of course that only works if one doesn't mind his own sweat, many find it yucky.
Maybe it helps to remember that the huge amount humans sweat gave us an evolutionary advantage to not overheat while hunting during daytime and running distances longer than the best horses could.
Sweat, yeah!

When it gets too windy and cold then of course stay as dry as you can.
 
I have picked up some excellent deals from stores like Ross/TJ Maxx/Marshalls. They carry North Face, Columbia and others. I noticed that the bigger sizes like 2X - 4X seem to always be available too.

I stick with cotton outer wear for the most part to help stay cool, but have picked up some great deals on nylon stuff too.

For underwear and socks I have recently gotten into merino wool after balking at it for a long time. The stuff is pricey, but man it wicks away the moisture and keeps me cool like magic. No swamp crotch, and no odors!
 
Champion synthetic polo shirts from Target. Russell and And1 synthetic socks, Berkley fishing shorts, synthetic polo shirts and t-shirts from Walmart. Gildan synthetic t-shirts from Sutherlands. I have occasionally found Underarmor, Columbia, The North Face, and Nike synthetic t-shirts at discount prices online (Steep and Cheap) or at retail stores (Cabela's). I still wear jeans, cargo shorts, and an occasional cotton t-shirt but prefer synthetic shirts.
 
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I no longer look at brands and focus on fabrics. I don't there are meaningful trade secrets or technologies in these garments any longer, so I buy based on fit, features and price.

The only place I use nylon and Lycra for base layers is to reduce friction. I wear Lycra shorts for cycling, for instance. If I had chafing issues hiking, I would use Lycra briefs. Typically though, I don't like the feel and I avoid it. If you're dealing with friction, it's worth considering undershorts.

For cool weather and general hiking under layers, I prefer wiking polyester. It is less snug fitting, softer and does a great job of drying fast.

I don't use wool under layers. I use wool for mid layers.

I like loose fitting, button up cotton shirts in high heat but don't take them hiking. A buddy of mine used his old cotton/poly dress shirts that had been worn thread bear through loss of the cotton and were essentially poly shirts. That seems like a reasonable approach too. I think you're on the right track with your fishing shirts.
 
Try wool, it's the only way you'll feel dry. It feels better on the skin and is much healthier for you too (not to mention the environment).

The Icebreaker underwear seems really tough for wool.
 
This is an interesting thread, and I appreciate the contributions. 10-15 years ago I took all of this far more seriously with wicking under garments/layering etc. I am currently taking a fresh look at what's available today, which doesn't seem to be all that different, so far. I have a heavy weight wool military shirt coming in from Amazon which may be the start of a fresh, (hopefully lighter weight), outdoor cold weather clothing rebuild for my torso. I am about half way with some garments that I already use. But I am fine tuning with the goal of reducing moisture retention, and reducing garment weight. I'm thinking multiple thinner layers as opposed to a heavy main outer layer. That's the goal anyway. Some things work for me, some not so well.
 
If you're looking for lightweight I don't think wool is it. Wool might be one of the heaviest clothing materials (would be interested to know what is the heaviest). What was your old setup like?

I don't know that multiple thin layers would work, because if they are of the same material and size then they will just act like a thicker layer. Perhaps this is one of the benefits of synthetic underlayers, it is fairly slippery in texture so keeps your midlayer moving - thus helping to wick moisture away.

Down jackets and coats are your best lightweight option, and an undershirt and midshirt seems to be the best way to go for most people. Four layers is really only good in the extreme cold. A lot depends on how much you sweat on the move.
 
Exofficio makes some great stuff for staying cool and dry. They have a lot of designs that incorporate mesh to breath a lot better, and also use more stretch material than most. I usually look for clothing marketed for climbing, or marked for 4 way stretch. I have huge quads and I like the mobility. That little extra bit of baggyness really helps ventilation too.

Especially in less common sizes, there are great deals to be had on Sierra Trading Post, and you can almost always get a coupon or additional discount of some kind.
 
Chignecto Woodsman said:
If you're looking for lightweight I don't think wool is it. Wool might be one of the heaviest clothing materials (would be interested to know what is the heaviest). What was your old setup like?

I don't know that multiple thin layers would work, because if they are of the same material and size then they will just act like a thicker layer. Perhaps this is one of the benefits of synthetic underlayers, it is fairly slippery in texture so keeps your midlayer moving - thus helping to wick moisture away.

Down jackets and coats are your best lightweight option, and an undershirt and midshirt seems to be the best way to go for most people. Four layers is really only good in the extreme cold. A lot depends on how much you sweat on the move.
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Good point about wools weight. I didn't think that it would be an issue, but you have a point. My military wool blanket has surprising weight, for what it is. The shirt came in today and I love it. I am leaning toward some type of sweat wicking base layer, the wool shirt (looks like I might grab another), and an outer shell. I had polypropylene unders before I believe, I really can't remember, that was back in my duck/goose shooting days. For extreme cold, ice fishing etc. I have just relied on my one piece snowmobile type suit. I am currently ignorant of the under garment material that I am seeking, and the outer shell. The big one piece suit is fine when sedentary, but I sweat up when active. I am trying to revise for the more active times in cold, sometimes very cold days, like double digit minus.
 
UA rocks. I bought some long sleeved T shirts for motorbike riding and they are great in the summer time.
 
Sam's Club is selling "Habit" brand outdoor clothing. Shirts, jackets........... they are made in some foreign country, but seem to have the same scent block and moisture wicking fabrics the national brands are using. Nice quarter zip heavy camo shirt, for example, $16, instead of $54.
 
I used Helly Hansen for years. Somewhere down the line I ended up with a lot of bits Coolmax. Right now I enjoy the Patagonia Capilene stuff. Don't know how long I'll cling to that.

Brand loyalty means squat to me. And to a lesser degree the base material. Wool, cotton, and polypro debates are something I piped out the back decades ago. For me the answer is going to be some sort of polyester, with the interesting bit being “what is the construction of the garment, and what has it been coated with?”. I don't have any recent stats handy but we don't need cutting edge to illustrate that point.

Here is a nearly two decades old thing looking at candidates for ECWCS gen 2. Scan the top for the bit about your Navy and the need for material “that would provide less thermal and water vapor resistance than the standard ECWCS polypropylene material”. It is akso where I learned that Akwatek existed, although I've still never tried it.

Anyway - http://dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?AD=ADA336776
 
Jens Schuetz said:
I wish there'd be some synthetic fabric which could keep me cooler.
Wicking away the sweat prevents it from evaporating on my skin. :-( Cotton on the orher hand gets soaked by sweat and stays nice cool.
Of course that only works if one doesn't mind his own sweat, many find it yucky.
Maybe it helps to remember that the huge amount humans sweat gave us an evolutionary advantage to not overheat while hunting during daytime and running distances longer than the best horses could.
Sweat, yeah!

When it gets too windy and cold then of course stay as dry as you can.
Click to expand...

Excellent point. And under those conditions linen is my number one choice.
 
darkaether said:
Especially in less common sizes, there are great deals to be had on Sierra Trading Post, and you can almost always get a coupon or additional discount of some kind.
Click to expand...

Sierra Trading Post is owned by the same parent corporation as T.J. Maxx and Marshall's stores, which incidentally can be great sources for outdoor clothes. I've found merino wool clothes for pennies on the dollar, all sorts of wicking shirts, discontinued Columbia and Under Armour stuff, and even some oddball stuff like Adventure Medical Kits first aid kits (the big, typically expensive ones) and a daypack or two. That's where I get most of my hiking clothes.
 
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