I'm looking at getting myself some nice baselayers I will be using them for 3 season mostly in the pacific north west (I live in Portland).

I haven't seen a good baselayer shoot out or baselayer SOTM article.

I'm not set on either merino or synthetic. As long as the synthetic has a good odor prevention aspect to it(do any of them very good at that?)

Is there a weight or performance benefit to synthetic over merino?

It's hard to find weights individual items. Today I was getting a hand on feel of some products at REI and picked up a SmartWool Microweight Long-Sleeve Zip t-shirt came in around 6.5 oz it's 150g/y. I wasn't sure if this would be the best weight for a baselayer or if I should bump it up to the midweight. Should I just expect my baselayer to manage moisture wicking and leave the heating to my insulation layer? Would the mid weight be too hot for me to wear while hiking leaving me with pretty much overly expensive pajamas?



-Loki

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/comfort_moisture_transport_wool_synthetic_clothing.html

as thin and as light as reasonable ... heavy/thicker base layers defeat the purpose of layering in the first place

I have found Cabela's to have the greatest selection of base layers anywhere.

Some are for bow hunters who need scent control and they have that built in with silver or carbon/charcoal compounds.

I've run across some hunters who still have a lot more work to do in the scent control department.

--B.G.--

My own experience is that a Patagonia Capilene 2 shirt under a wind shirt was comfortable while actively hiking in the mid-20's F, with wind blowing. I also wore a Smartwool head band to keep my ears warm--wearing a full hat would have made me too warm. Locale for that episode was climbing from 3,000 to 5,000 feet in Washington's Entiat Mountains (just east of Glacier Peak) in early October. It was not precipitating; if it had been the outer layer would have been my rain jacket. Obviously, my puffy jacket went on as soon as I stopped!

IMHO the heavier weight base layers allow less moisture transport and absorb more moisture, not something you want next to your skin. The heavier layer would also make me sweat more, especially under a rain jacket (needed more often than a wind shirt in our neck of the woods during fall, winter, spring). That also means I can use the same base layer regardless of the time of year. The heavier base layers are great for standing around a lot--things like late November football games and riding the chair lift or waiting half an hour for the bus in one of our rare Portland snowstorms, but not for active hiking/snowshoeing/x-c skiing.

I may take a lightweight mid-layer top--either 100 weight fleece or (more often) a second light-weight base layer--in case it's colder or I'm going downhill. I own a midweight base layer top and bottoms (REI brand), bought 10 years ago, which I've rarely worn outdoors because they are too warm. If I still lived in Wyoming, instead of western Oregon, I might wear that midweight base layer a lot more.

Weights--take your scale along! Mine (digital postage scale) barely fits into my purse.

I like zip-T's; the high neck is cozy and the zipper can be opened for ventilation.

While I love merino wool and do wear merino wool socks, I prefer synthetic baselayers, especially Capilene, for our soggy PNW winters. Your mileage may vary, and with lightweight (therefore fast-drying) layers it may not make much difference. The second baselayer top I use as a mid-layer in cold weather is lightweight merino wool.

Check the Patagonia outlet in Portland for--hopefully--lower prices on Capilene. Also watch for sales. Regular price Capilene can be a budget-buster! All mine was bought on sale, although of horrible mismatched colors (pink top, maroon bottoms....).

Ken, thanks for the link to that article on the "clown" half-wool, half polyester baselayers--that's one I missed in my search through the archives when I first joined! I'll definitely add it to my list of BPL "classics."

Edited by hikinggranny on 09/22/2012 21:27:34 MDT.

I grew up in the PNW. A merino lightweight long sleeve half-zip works really well. When moving, you really don't need much insulation at all. A windshirt can trap a LOT of heat in if you need it. If it's going to be ALL cold/wet, step up to a midweight. If you have days of warm weather, you'll really appreciate the lightweight.

The ideal baselayer is a matter of personal preference as illustrated in the article Ken linked. I switched from capilene to merino about 3 years ago and find it more comfortable (less clammy). While it seems kind of superficial, I really do appreciate the anti-stink properties on longer trips. I don't typically bring spare sleep layers, so merino has me feeling cleaner at night.

I owned a smartwool microweight for 3 years and an Ibex Indy (midweight) for 2. Both are still in excellent condition despite frequent use and conventional laundering. I do hang them to dry though. I wear the Ibex for late fall, winter, and early spring, and the microweight when I anticipate the temperatures will be a little higher (60s and 70s). Both pieces are too warm for summer.

On my last trip into the GTW (Sep 6-10) we faced highs in the low 60's and lows dipping into the low 30's with intermittent rain each afternoon. I had a mid-weight Smartwool (250g/m2) long sleeve shirt (merino wool). It was way too warm for me to hike in it but it was nice to pull out and put on once the sun went down. I wore it while sleeping and it was the last thing I took off and packed away just before starting hiking each morning. It was nice and soft and warm but too warm to wear as a baselayer while hiking.

I am so surprised to find how few people have heard of the Craft clothing line. They make awesome lightweight gear for cyclists. Cyclists work hard on a bike and hikers work hard going up a hill. Both need the same thing from their clothing and the lightweightness of Craft is amazing.

I bought their base layer called the 'extreme zero' for the cooler months. Reading the reviews on it I specifically remember many people thought when they first handled the material they were highly sceptical of it's effectiveness. For 80 odd grams (under 3 ounces) for their short sleeve base layer it performs without fault.

Highly recommend it. In fact I am going back and buying their long sleeve version too!!

this is BPL ... there tends to be blinders on when it comes to certain "recommended" brands

the reality with base layers is that almost anything made for the running/cycling world will work ... and many of these are available for deep discounts at outlet stores since Nike/Adidas/etc are much more common than say patagucci or bankbreaker

hell even the champion brand at target or something from wallymart will work just fine performance wise ... ie, you likely wont go any faster/stronger/harder with the latest $$$$ base layers ... though you might smell slightly better at a higher cost ;)

just keep it thin and light ...

Tough question. Why? Because you get temp ranges between 90-100F down to 30F.

Typically, my sleep gear or "ohh, sh#t" gear is midweight, or, light weight merino wool long johns. I use a lightweight set for warmer weather, 40F+, and a heavier midweight set for less than that. For hiking I have two shirts I use, also. An Ibex UltraLight shirt for temps above 50F, and, a lightweight Smartwool for down to about 35F. I try NOT to wear the same pants, underpants, and shirt to bed as I used for hiking. Typically, they are damp or wet with sweat and take an hour or two to dry fully. Often in the ADK's, I find that nothing dries that well. Even synthetics take three or more hours to dry out. Supper and sleep often happen before thay are dry. My cloths are pants, underwear, long johns, and a merino wool shirt (long sleeve.) I can roll my sleeves up for extra cooling in warm weather. The light merino wool will wick perspiration over the entire skin surface, cooling me better than synthetics in <80F temps. They also do a better job of warming me in colder weather and rain, even if they are damp with sweat/rain, than synthetics. Rain gear can double as a warmer layer if needed. However, synthetics do dry quicker by about 1/2-3/4 hour. For canoeing, often the long johns are replaced with synthetics for that reason. In fall/early spring, I need the drying more than the fabric warmth, so I may bring two sets of synthetics to make up for the lost heating values compared with merino wool mid-weights. Like I say, not a simple question.

BTW: Some of the more expensive synthetics will have some silver compounds embedded. This seems slightly better at odor countroll than regular Poly or other synthetics, but, I usually just don't worry about that stuff.

Edited by jamesdmarco on 09/23/2012 09:08:52 MDT.

150g merino is the best, keep them in your sleeping bag when you need it. They make it easier to get up In the morning when it's chilly too.

definitely thin! if you can find thin base layers that combine both merino and syn, you'll get the best of both worlds. Patagonia Merino 1 (65% merino/35% syn) is a good one

For 3 season or summers in the southern Rockies, I prefer a lightwt synthetic while hiking due to the ability to move sweat. I've found the lighter ones abrade over time under pack straps using them all the time (backpacking, snowshoeing, mountain biking, day hiking, etc...). Probably need to add a button-down shirt and use the base-layer more as a SS undershirt.

Edited by hknewman on 09/23/2012 14:49:24 MDT.

Wow so much great replies to read. I think I'm going to get myself a set of micro weight smartwool for my long underwear and a cap1 for my light weight hiking shirt. I've got a friends discount on em so it won't totally break the bank.

@ Marry D. I'm glad to hear your input especially since I just did the entiat river / cold creek loop a week ago(had to cut it a day short because of the wild fires) This was an amazing trip, but I was a bit unprepared for the cold nights/mornings. I was surprised to wake up with ice in my platypus in the morning. This is my first season backpacking and was pretty excited to do a 50 mile trip. I've been learning quite a bit.

@ everyone else. Thanks for the responses so much help and support answering a question that has probably been asked a million times.
-Loki