I'm just curious as to what criteria everyone goes on in selecting the color of their base layers. Do you tend to go with darker or lighter colors?

The ones obvious to me are:

1. Sunlight absorption/reflection - Darker-colored garments will be warmer in direct sunlight, which is a good or bad thing, depending on the season/climate you are in. Also, darker-colored garments *should* dry out faster after a washing, compared with lighter-colored garments.

2. "Cleanliness". Dirt, stains, etc. will be less visible and apparent on darker-colored garments.

3. Whatever you like/Whatever looks good on you - Assuming that color has no direct relationship with functionality, it's up to personal preference. For some, the base layer becomes their lounge wear, casual wear, campwear, etc. after a long day on the slopes or on the trails. And when your activities involve members of the opposite sex, you gotta look good, right?

4. Whatever's on sale.

I tend to go for a happy medium. You don't often see white icebreaker tops, and I guess it would get grubby pretty quickly. I avoid really dark colours because of the heat factor in sunlight. So usually end up with light blue, green etc.

I prefer medium colors, but never blue. (Hasn't anyone else noticed how flies are attracted to the color blue?)

I agree with Joe-- whatever's on sale. Most of the time base layers are hidden under an outer layer or inside my sleeping bag, so it doesn't really matter if the top is pink and the bottom is purple. Those are the two colors I detest the most, unfortunately quite common in women's outdoor clothing and the most apt to show up on closeout sales--obviously a lot of other women share my color dislikes. Even black is not a big deal as long as the garment is not directly in contact with my perpetually shedding blond dog. For outer clothing that does come in contact with the dog, obviously khaki is my color of choice.

I've given up wearing my base layer top as a hiking shirt as recommended in many gear lists. This practice may save weight, but even when the top is sprayed with permethrin, the bugs bite right through it, and the knit fabric is easily snagged.

Edited by hikinggranny on 09/11/2009 02:26:04 MDT.

> Hasn't anyone else noticed how flies are attracted to the color blue?
Oh Yeah! We have a blue tent ...
But they get a bit stupid once it gets cold.

Cheers

When it's really hot I go for white for maximum sun reflection. It's not hot I prefer clothing that doesn't show dirt (dark brown, etc) ... but availability or price will lead me to go with other cools. In places with hunters (and I expect the the base layer to be exposed) I like bright florescent yellow or blaze orange. My perfect base would be a black feather-weight powerdry shirt with the ColdBlack treatment.

--Mark

I prefer black mostly for heat absorption. I like to wake up in the morning, step out of my tent and feel the sun warm me up.

> I like to wake up in the morning, step out of my tent and feel the sun warm me up.
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Ah yes ... er ...

Joe said-
4. Whatever's on sale.

Cha-ching!

3. Whatever I like the looks of.