Base Layer

[Lou]

I think you go with what you can at the end of the day don't you. One item of wool supplemented with cotton or poly is prob going to do the trick in most situations, I've got favourite bits and bobs from 20 years ago that I have no idea what they are made from but it does the job. If we were living in a perfect world I'd guess we'd all be wearing skins and fur (that we'd tanned ourselves) ??


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[z_bumbi]

The Swedish military doesn´t use cotton as a baselayer anymore because they think it´s not as good as the curent system with a wool, polyester mixture. This isn´t something that they just guessed but they did a lot of trials before uniformsystem 90 was made. The baselayer from that system is still in use in Sweden and it´s also used by the french military that bought it 6-7 (?) years ago.The maker is Ullfrotte and they also sell to the civilian market. The cost is in par with merinowool but they are much more hardwearing. A par of good meriono longjohns last one or two years with a lot of use but a par of ullfrotte last 4-5 years (at least).

 

[Dogoak]

Merino wool all the way for me. Today's outfit consists of Dachstein wool socks, 200gm Woolpower long johns and top with 400gm on top of that, it was -8° this morning when I went outside, with the windchill it felt about -12°. I did put a windproof jacket on, gloves and hat and was perfectly toasty even though I was fairly static.

Winters nearly over Nick, IMHO save up and get the best you can before next winter. I've learnt by experience, near on 40 years of being outdoors. We can go down to around -21° up here sometimes and it would be a very rare occurrence for me to ever feel cold. Buy the best you can afford and look after it, you'll thank yourself in the long run.

 

[TinkyPete]

In winter in cold weather for me it depends on where and what I am doing and what the conditions. I love merino and have several tops, I use artificial polyester and even cotton. No one option fits all the situations. comfort and fit and use dictate what you wear and when

 

[garethw]

Hi there,
I've been using these for the last couple of winters... warm, hard wearing & cheap :
https://strikeforcesupplies.com/product-category/t-shirts-and-base-layers/






I've ordered many times from this supplier.. they are quick and reliable..
cheers
Gareth

 

[dwardo]

Just as a side note, my oldest fatface merino base is about 10+ years old and seen a lot of use. The odd pinhole here and there but still serviceable so as far as bang for buck goes.

 

[MikeLA]

Hi there,
I've been using these for the last couple of winters... warm, hard wearing & cheap :
https://strikeforcesupplies.com/product-category/t-shirts-and-base-layers/






I've ordered many times from this supplier.. they are quick and reliable..
cheers
Gareth

Tried these and they are good but the new form of sizing is weird either too small or too big for me, so can’t wear them.

 

[Modchop]

Another vote here for merino wool, I’ve found the Aldi ones good value.

@MikeLA Not just me then! I find the PCS clothing sizes very odd as well, huge difference between one size and another.

 

[Gcckoka]

I ordered some cheap stuff from decathlon UK , gonna invest in merino wool for next year i guess.

 

[Trojan]

MASSIF US Army Base layer - I been using one for a while and it works.

 

[Bishop]

Had good results with a modern two piece base-layer set from Tresspass (wife says I look sexy) but you can get mote traditional gear such as the Union Suit Long Johns from Amazon-uk made with a poly/cotton mix

 

[Stew]

I ordered some cheap stuff from decathlon UK , gonna invest in merino wool for next year i guess.

Decathlon gear is good. If you want warmth I would recommend some.of their cold weather running tops. I have a couple and they're spot on.

 

[Rorschach]

This is off topic as the question is about the base layer.
One item of clothing I love is the Helly Hansen classic fleece. When I say classic, it is the one with a full zip in the front, and thumb holes in the extra long ( +5cm?) sleeves. Long hair/fibers on one side, and nothing (just the weave) on the other.

Not wind proof at all, but is super anyway.
I do wear it, as a single layer, with the hairs/fibers against my naked body if it is a bit nippy when I fish in Norway during summer.
It is fairly warm, protects the hands a little bit and is easy to wash daily to remove the fish poo, blood and slime.
I wear it with a layer or two under it in winter too.
I have worn a HH since the early 1970's. Same model.

The new HH models are just normal, bog standard fleeces.

Hello to everybody from a new member and greetings from Finland! Nothing beats high quality merino for the base layer in my opinion....and the mid layer too. I gave away all my fleece shirts etc. (including a Helly Hansen!) last winter and replaced them with merino hoodies. The reason is the huge problem of micro plastics in the nature. Due to my profession, I just couldn't ignore the problem. Similarly, I have stopped completely using and buying garments based on gore tex or similar. All my jackets and smocks (both those meant for outdoors and those meant for the city) are now either Ventile or gabardine (ok, I confess: one smock is polycotton ripstop). The micro plastic pollution problem was not the only reason, though. There just isn't a membrane fabric that would breath enough for my needs. I wasted hundreds of euros over the years on membrane jackets, trying to find the elusive good one. No more!

And I want to thank this forum especially. I gained so much extremely useful information by reading this forum during the winter when I was making the jump away from the plastic crap. So: huge thank you!

 

[Janne]

Welcome to BCUK!

A good point, the 'plastic particle problem'. Very, very good. I have not thought about that one!

I pledge I will buy natural fiber fabrics in the future.
In your valued opinion, are the merino wool garments easy to wash and take care of?
Can you recommend a brand ?

I will not throw away the HH, but will use it until it 'dies'.

Thank YOU for binging this up. We nature lovers should be on the forefront of environmental issues!

 

[Billy-o]

That cotton is a killer sentiment is about right. Avoid it at any cost. Apart from anything it is hellish uncomfortable, pulls around all over the place, can get your tackle in a knot and will give you a rash if you are prone. Wide berth. If you get it wet sweating with exertion and then stop, you will stay wet, get cold and that can knock you on the head.

Wool is great. Go online and look. You want a weight of about 100, then layer. Smartwool do a great one at that weight and lighter, as do Woolpower. Not pretending they are cheap though. Peter Storm do cheap merino. Synthetic wicking t-shirts and longs now range from super affordable to super expensive. For a quick start, go to a sport shop and look for cheap running shirts/leggings in an artificial fibre. If you have cash look for light polartec for cooler weather

Rab and other companies have been experimenting this and last year with very long fibre synthetics which put the fluffy side of a fleece right against your skin. I guess following Woolpower's example. The US army has picked this up too. I might well give it a go when the prices tip my way a bit more.

I have a ton of this sort of stuff ranging from the cheapo sports stuff to Smartwool and Arcteryx gear. Winter and shoulder season camping includes fine powdery dry snow and heavy wet stuff, so one needs a few options. For a happy medium, the best bet would be to find whatever the equivalent of REI or MEC is in the UK .. Decathalon still going? ... and see what they have.

Ron Hill Tracksters are good longs ...cut them to about 3/4 length.Twenty seven quid. They have a long sleeve wicking tee for twenty three quid.

Have a look at Millets

https://www.millets.co.uk/mens/mens-clothing/baselayers/

..... huh! that link doesn't work so do a search on 'Millets Men's Thermals and Baselayer' lots of useful things

As mentioned, the big benefit of wool is tyhat you can go a few days without changing. Synthetics pong outrageously ... though there are some more expensive antibacterial ones now

 

[Rorschach]

Welcome to BCUK!

A good point, the 'plastic particle problem'. Very, very good. I have not thought about that one!

I pledge I will buy natural fiber fabrics in the future.
In your valued opinion, are the merino wool garments easy to wash and take care of?
Can you recommend a brand ?

I will not throw away the HH, but will use it until it 'dies'.

Thank YOU for binging this up. We nature lovers should be on the forefront of environmental issues!

Thanks

I like Icebreaker merinos but there are others too, including a small Finnish brand 'Varusteleka'. Their merino hoodie 'Särmä' is very good.

Merino isn't very abrasion resistant but it rarely needs to be washed. Usually it suffices to hang it outside in the wind for a few hours and that'll do it. In my opinion they are easy to take care of.

 

[MikeLA]

I use cotton in winter and summer and have done in many extreme environments for over 30 years.

Just use you common sense
1 when they are wet change to a dry cotton top and dry the wet one
2 Never over dress put the right amount of clothing for your body type eg run hot or cold. As well as the temperature you are working in

Above all use your common sense

 

[MikeLA]

This is off topic as the question is about the base layer.
One item of clothing I love is the Helly Hansen classic fleece. When I say classic, it is the one with a full zip in the front, and thumb holes in the extra long ( +5cm?) sleeves. Long hair/fibers on one side, and nothing (just the weave) on the other.

Not wind proof at all, but is super anyway.
I do wear it, as a single layer, with the hairs/fibers against my naked body if it is a bit nippy when I fish in Norway during summer.
It is fairly warm, protects the hands a little bit and is easy to wash daily to remove the fish poo, blood and slime.
I wear it with a layer or two under it in winter too.
I have worn a HH since the early 1970's. Same model.

The new HH models are just normal, bog standard fleeces.

Ah yes me too still got a navy one (new versions just don’t seem the same). Mine soaked up the rain and now let’s more wind cold in sadly

 

[Janne]

These classic HH soak up water like a tea bag.

 

[Janne]

Not sure if I mentioned it earlier, but Cotton has been used for a couple of centuries. It has been used as a base layer in the Northern European armies for over a century, before they start using poly cottons or pure synthetics.
No, we did not suffer from any cotton related deaths.
Stupidity or lack of skill kills, not the choice of fibers.

You get wet wearing any clothes, you change. Cotton, silk, wool or synthetic!