One piece base layers

[johnnytheboy]

I never thought about one piece clothing, however I bought a floatations suit for winter for boat fishing and realised how bloody warm the thing was. I'm pretty convinced by being one piece less heat escaped at the clothing break around the waist. Has anyone tried one piece base and mid layer garments?

 

[santaman2000]

You mean like a union suit? Yep; love 'em if you know it's going to be a long, sustained deep cold (such as sitting long hours in a deer stand) But if you're going to be active or the temperature's going to vary, then you need the two piece just for the ability to shed upper layers when regulating your body temp.

 

[sandbender]

"...then you need the two piece just for the ability to shed upper layers when regulating your body temp..."

What he said.

Imagine having to prep a nights worth of wood or dig a snowtrench/hole, even in very cold conditions you'd want to easily get some clothing off to keep them dry.

woolpower (IMHO) make the best base layers money can buy (a lot of money, however they do last a very long time).

 

[Dave]

woolpower (IMHO) make the best base layers money can buy (a lot of money, however they do last a very long time).

+1. That Woolpower top chiseller mentioned from tamarack is one of my 2013 best buys. Im dying to get another, but I know this one will last years.

I cant imagine how cold it must be to have to wear the 200,400, and then the 600 on top of that, with something like a swanndri and then a ventile shell?

 

[Skaukraft]

What he said.

Imagine having to prep a nights worth of wood or dig a snowtrench/hole, even in very cold conditions you'd want to easily get some clothing off to keep them dry.

Imagine having to wrestle your way out of a onepiece after having gone through the ice or something like that.
Specially if youre only wet up to your knees, and still have to stripp naked because of the onepiece.
My 4 year old daughter uses a woolen onepiece when playing outside in the winter, but I would never use one as base outdoors in the winter.
In my opinion, the best wool you can get is Devold and/or Brynje.
http://www.brynje.no/
http://www.devold.com/

 

[sandbender]

+1. That Woolpower top chiseller mentioned from tamarack is one of my 2013 best buys. Im dying to get another, but I know this one will last years.

I cant imagine how cold it must be to have to wear the 200,400, and then the 600 on top of that, with something like a swanndri and then a ventile shell?

-40 for 200 top and bottom with 600 top and 400 bottoms worn above.

(Bison Moleskin tousers, Barbour wooly jumper and Bison ventile jacket on top of all that.)

 

[treadlightly]

I've toyed with the idea of getting a union suit in the past but haven't got round to it. It's had to get hold of wool ones - most are cotton or polycotton.
I wouldn't use them for extreme activities but for pottering about in the woods and protecting your middle regions from biting insects, I reckon they might work well.

 

[Graham_S]

I had one, more trouble than they're worth in my opinion.

 

[EdS]

http://www.starlessriver.com/shop/undersuits

http://www.inglesport.com/caving-equipment/caving-clothing/undersuits

good enough for digging in - good enough for pottering around the woods

 

[ex-member BareThrills]

I cant imagine how cold it must be to have to wear the 200,400, and then the 600 on top of that, with something like a swanndri and then a ventile shell?

Just sitting around at -15 i will wear a 200 base, 400 and 600 ulfrottes under an m90 jacket. just right until you move then you melt

 

[rik_uk3]

I took an American chum camping in winter a few years back (he was stationed over here then) and he had a red 'Union Suit' complete with a crap flap! He rates them highly.

 

[Uilleachan]

I had one, more trouble than they're worth in my opinion.

Me too.

Perhaps fine for sitting around, but a real pain whilst active. As a base layer I can't see past long tops (with full or semi tails) and breeks.

 

[santaman2000]

I've toyed with the idea of getting a union suit in the past but haven't got round to it. It's had to get hold of wool ones - most are cotton or polycotton.
I wouldn't use them for extreme activities but for pottering about in the woods and protecting your middle regions from biting insects, I reckon they might work well.

This one ain't cheap but it's a good heavy 80/20 wool/nylon blend www.davidmorgan.com/product_info.php?products_id=1246

 

[johnnytheboy]

I'm not sure I am sold on wool, there is no doubt it does not stink as much over a long period of time, but I did go in a lake one week after ice off and because of where I was I had fully synthetic layers on to reduce my travel weight. I think it might have saved my life as the water run out of the clothing so quick it was frightening!

I had two piece on, the bottom layers all ran down into my Baffin Trapper boots filing them, and the upper layers I untucked and put them over my goretex over trousers so most of that water ran out over them and dried my top pretty quickly. The boots were easily drained out so I could walk about. Completely as a side line front the above post I wonder how the single layer would have reacted!

Do we have the consensus that single piece layers would be warmer and better suited to less active pursuits?

 

[Chiseller]

+1. That Woolpower top chiseller mentioned from tamarack is one of my 2013 best buys. Im dying to get another, but I know this one will last years.

I cant imagine how cold it must be to have to wear the 200,400, and then the 600 on top of that, with something like a swanndri and then a ventile shell?

I've only tried wearing it twice.....tried....its too warm for just sitting in on an evening backwoods with a clear sky.....I recently sat up till gone 2am round a small fire just wearing my trusty 200grm with the sleeves rolled back. Everyone else had multi layers on. Worn it damp too on many occasions. Woolpower have got it cracked with the blend of wool n synthetic and there looped winners......

There's a very good reason why old army clothes were wool lined .....they had to travel further, stay out longer, didn't have fancy food or kit and couldn't rely on being picked up, returning to a big base etc.

Same as old and new hunters who are out for more than a weekend.
yes you can buy 500 bucks worth of softshell etc......but Google 'king of the mountain camo. Even fjall ravens most expensive trouser is wool.

Ever seen a sheep or a goat shiver? If it does its because its ill.
Kilts.....,specially great plaid kilt......made from wool.....

No brainer really.

Glad you like it Dave, I went to try to buy the gillet as I knew straight away they were a bargain. Alas none my size.

 

[santaman2000]

......Do we have the consensus that single piece layers would be warmer and better suited to less active pursuits?

I'm in agreement within those parameters.

 

[santaman2000]

......There's a very good reason why old army clothes were wool lined .....they had to travel further, stay out longer, didn't have fancy food or kit and couldn't rely on being picked up, returning to a big base etc.

Same as old and new hunters who are out for more than a weekend.
yes you can buy 500 bucks worth of softshell etc......but Google 'king of the mountain camo. Even fjall ravens most expensive trouser is wool.

Ever seen a sheep or a goat shiver? If it does its because its ill.
Kilts.....,specially great plaid kilt......made from wool.....

No brainer really.

Glad you like it Dave, I went to try to buy the gillet as I knew straight away they were a bargain. Alas none my size.

And yet the military masters of cold weather (the Russians) did not use wool linings. In WWII they wore a base liner quilted with cotton in the Russian winter.

 

[Elgatoloco]

And yet the military masters of cold weather (the Russians) did not use wool linings. In WWII they wore a base liner quilted with cotton in the Russian winter.

That's because Stalin didn't like the idea of spending too much money on the army, plus those guys were accustomed to freezing temperatures and drink so much vodka that even wearing a mankini wouldn't do any harm to them....

 

[santaman2000]

That's because Stalin didn't like the idea of spending too much money on the army, plus those guys were accustomed to freezing temperatures and drink so much vodka that even wearing a mankini wouldn't do any harm to them....

Agreed that the reason was cost; but it's also irrelevant. It worked, and it worked very well. And drinking only increases the chances of hypothermia.

 

[sandbender]

And yet the military masters of cold weather (the Russians) did not use wool linings. In WWII they wore a base liner quilted with cotton in the Russian winter.

Not to denigrate the the achievements or our soviet brethren, however I would suggest that the true 'military masters of cold weather' were the Finns, and they wore lots of wool, head to toe.