Thermals

Sidney

Member
Hi all I'm looking for recommendations on a good set of thermals ready for the winter ahead. I will be mainly using them for stalking and the occasional fishing trip. Don't mind paying for quality as long as it's not silly money. Any help and advice of what you folk find good, practical and warm would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance Sidney
 
Merino wool is the way to go. Icebreaker are amongst the best in my opinion (Mens Base Layers | Merino Wool Thermals | Icebreaker), however if you don't want to pay quite that much Mountain Warehouse do their own brand which are quite good, although their wool blend isn't as high quality, at a reasonable price (Mens Merino Wool Base Layers | Mountain Warehouse
).

A good mix on brands can be found at Cotswold Outdoor and I highly recommend them, their customer service is excellent:
Unisex; Male | Cotswold Outdoor
 
I got the icebreaker base and mid layers a few years ago and have been very impressed especially when you are trapped in a highseat on a January morning.
 
I've just bought a couple of lastest issue army surplus base layer thermal tops and trousers. For when it's really cold sitting in a high seat, I've got a german army tank drivers thermal suit thats brilliant under my bib and brace.
 
I have under armour cold gear, they're pretty good.
Only heard good things about the Icebreaker kit.
 
Hi Sidney
Great question. In essence it depends what you are doing.
Quick rule of thumb: Price point = warmth level when sedentary. Polyester with will be around £20 for a top or Long Johns, holds onto roughly say 20% moisture, so you need to keep active to dry it off. Merino etc is great but its main function is to keep your skin at 36 degrees and performs totally differently to polyester, polyamide etc.
We cover off more on our blog, which you might find useful
Rugged s Blog: Base Layers

All the best
Andrew
Rugged & Tough
 
I'm starting to experiment with different layers this year and so far Merino is the best. Feels great, controls the temperature, looks great, doesn't smell too bad.
It seems that with merino you only cry once - when you're paying for it.
My current set up is merino next to skin and army surplus synthetics on top of it.

Since we're discussing base layers here, I've tried a set of "compression thermals" and it looks like their purpose is to keep you cool rather than warm? I was freezing in them despite the extra mid-layers that I had over them. This has never happened with merino or synthetic base layers before...
Mens and Boys PowerLayer Compression Performance Thermal Base Layer Set Top + Tights - Black Top + Black Tights L: Amazon.co.uk: Sports Outdoors
 
Thanks all for your input I will definitely be checking out your recommendations. The merino wool seems very popular but I am going to look at the army surplus gear too. Just had a look at icebreaker and there's a few stockists near by which helps as you can try it on. Thanks for your help Sidney
 
I have run many user trials over the years in all sorts of conditions, some of them pretty extreme, with every available fabric out there.

Merino always comes out as the favourite. Warm, wicks effectively and best of all doesn't small if you wear it for extended periods.

You will not go wrong with Icebreaker.

Use a fleece as middle layer when it get's really cold.
 
Sydney, honestly, Merino is the very best thing you can have next to your skin. With all our technology we're still not able to beat nature at it's own game. Merino really does keep you warm, but also helps regulate your temperature better than any other fabric I've tried. Moisture is wicked away from your skin and it doesn't smell if you wear it for several days like synthetics do.. a big advantage when stalking. Wear a fleece mid layer if it's really cold.

Icebreaker (I have no affiliation with them) were one of the first companies to make pure Merino base layers and as a result their kit is very good. There are others who are just as good, but harder to find in the shops. The warning I'd give about cheaper brads is that the quality of wool is not as good and often blended with synthetics (plastics) or other less expensive natural fibres like bamboo or carbon. Be careful when buying online or even in the shops and check that what ever you're buying is either pure Merino wool, or a very high quality blend. I've been excited by a 'bargain' before only to discover that the blend was 60/40 Merino/Poly. Not the bargain I thought!

I also only ever wear Merino socks these days too - toasty warm moisture free feet :D
 
Been wearing Icebreaker since it came out and it's the business....just go with the heavier weight garments as the lighter stuff isn't as hard wearing.....
 
Icebreaker is the way to go. Lovely feel next to the skin and never gets clammy. It stays warm when wet and I've worn icebreaker tops 24 hours for several hard days in a row without incurring a stink.
Cheaper merino is OK if you're really on a budget, but icebreaker is by far superior in the quality of the materials and the end product.
 
What if Wool makes you itch like crazy? I have synthetic thermals as I cant get away with wool. I have also found that synthetic base layers wick sweat away well, but would be interested to hear if anyone has a good brand or type that is as good as marino
 
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