Base Layers - recommendations required

[finnbear270]

Norgies, great to sit in front of the fire with one on!

 

[User00023]

Am I the only user of long-sleeved army-surplus cotton vests?

Moutaineers have a saying, "Cotton kills".

I am reliably informed that wearing absorbent base layers, such as cotton, effectively render outer breathable layers redundant beyond simply preventing the ingress of water. In other words, if you prefer to wear a cotton base layer, spending the necessary on state of the art Gortex or similar is largely a waste of money.

 

[Number8]

I've got a Patagonia merino wool base layer. It's very light and does a great job under light Seeland fleece. I've also got a Hilltrek Ventile cammo smock which is very good.Wind proof and breathable and showerproof, but if I was going somewhere wet and boggy I'd wear a full suit of Deer Stalker deertex stuff.

 

[Pigglet1]

Merino is great and is better at regulating temperature and is less smelly if you don't was your undercrackers for a week. Helly hansen's will perform better in more extreme environment's. They dry quicker and are more suitable if you know you are going to get wet.

 

[hummel]

I have been in my local mountain rescue team for nearly 30years and have tried and been issued with lots of Gucci base layers.Well i still use smelly HH Lifa shirts when called in the middle of the night in a blizzard. I sweat a lot and the H H does excactly what it says on the tin and i always have a dry layer next to my skin.Have tried the icebreaker merino`s,and yes ,they are not so smelly but they also absorb sweat and i feel colder than i do in my smelly helly`s. Walked the length of Corsica a couple of years ago and the H H were as good at keeping me cool as keeping me warm.When you wash them just throw them on a radiator and the will dry in a couple of minutes.

Hummel

 

[monarman]

I agree with Hummel on this one!
Whilst working on the hill i wore just a HH lifa t-shirt under my jacket during the stag season...and during the hinds i wore just a HH lifa warm long sleeved top under my jacket. I own around 8 lifa T-shirts.....and 4 lifa warms long sleeve tops.....and i wouldn't of spent that kind of money if they didn't do the job.

steve

 

[smullery]

I'm always a hot bunny and have started using Under Armour Hot this summer to try and cool down. It works. Will try the Cold version this winter.

Stan

 

[Frax]

Further to my earlier answer. I've just realised...I don't wear a base layer in summer...just a checked cotton shirt. Yes it gets wet but it dries out after a while!

 

[Schiehallion]

Merino wool is as good a base layer as I have come accross. Avoid cotton shirts and cheap fleece like the plague!