Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board Base Layer Question

Ok, I am feeling a bit awkward about asking a clothing question on this message board but I've been embolden by the person who asked the sleeping bag rating question. So, I thank you ahead of time.

I am obsessing over which thermals to buy. I am online with my favorite outdoor catalog sites and have way too many choices. I've been asked by a male friend who's with my little group going up to Whitney next week to purchase some for him while I am ordering. I am only familiar with Patagonia's capilene but will not be buying that or that fabric for him. Does anyone have an informed opinion? Are these companies products all about the same or not (for insulation, comfort and wicking)? In other words, does it really matter?

(All MidWeight)
Duolfold - Original vs Varitherm
Wickers - Comfortrel fabric
Columbia with EC2 fabric
Terramar
Kenyon

Thanks for any input. By tomorrow before noon I will have had to place my order.

It probably doesn't matter much as many companies make great base layers that wick away moisture.I am partial to Under Armour because of the way it fits me.I have several other brands and they all seem to be about the same.

Here's what I've been wearing the past few years, Campmor's house brand of fleece:

http://www.campmor.com/webapp/wcs/stores...6&langId=-1

Campmor calls it equivalent to 100 weight fleece, so its thicker than your average underlayers, but not as thick as a pile/fleece jacket.

What do I wear as an absolute base layer under this 100 weight fleece? A thin cotton undershirt and a pair of running shorts or lightweigth swim trunks.

Cotton is not good as a base layer against the skin. In fact it is the worst thing to wear because it holds moisture and will not insulate when wet.It is VERY important to wear a polyester blend that wicks moisture as a base layer against the skin.I have several New Balance shirts that are about half the price of UnderArmour that I wear to run in that work great.

I second the no-cotton comment (except in hot weather when the cooling is needed). However, I am moving away from polyester to natural fibers like silk and wool for my base layer, particularly for longer trips. I find they don't hold the stink so long.

Silk is nice.Wool not so much IMO.Not as a next to skin base layer.

I'd avoid the cotton.

On my last trip, two people mentioned that their preference for a base layer was Smartwool....the most comfortable they'd ever worn. One was a very experienced professional guide. I haven't had a chance to try it, but they were very enthusiastic, and had the experience to know the difference.

https://www.smartwool.com/default.cfm

I'm a huge fan of smartwool clothing, but I would hesitate to recommend it for inexperienced hikers if it's the only base layer you've got.

While wool has superior insulating properties when wet, it doesn't dry easily, as synthetic fabrics do. That can leave you stuck in wet clothes, which isn't ideal no matter what you're wearing.

Consequently, with smartwool layers I like to keep polypro longs in my pack to switch into if needed.

Regarding comfort, I'd say smartwool garments rival cotton (assuming you're not allergic to wool).

My 2c.



Andy

The last three years I have been wearing the REI MTS line of long underwear. They come in four weights - light, mid, heavy, and expedition. I have a set of the lightweight and midweight and use them for hiking and skiing - both sets have worked well for me.
Adam