Europeans often complain that items made in Europe are cheaper here than in their country of origin, perhaps because of greater purchasing power/distribution efficiency. Ideally, a US distributor would take this line on.

^ agreed, maybe BPL would like to get back into the merchandise business? :)

I ordered a top and bottom from Nordic Life. Shipping to US was 6 pounds (about $10).

Won't arrive until January.

curious- did you order the syn or the wool?

I went for the synthetic (polypro?).

I'm a heavy sweater in a wet environment (Pacific Northwest of US) and like clothing that dries quickly.

I've also bought a nylon fishnet top from Wiggys and really like it. I'm ordering the polypro to save a few ounces.

Edited by lyrad1 on 01/17/2013 08:40:10 MST.

Daryl,

You need to edit your post. WalMart shoppers are a different breed than normal shoppers.

Seriously. The shipping charged by aclima stockist is unreasonable.

Hi
I just got my Brynje set from Nordic Life and wanted to let you know about fit, since if you live in the US you will have to mail order this.

I got:
Bottoms: Longs wool fine mesh. size M
Waist seems true to size and comfy brushed elastic waist band. Snug fit around the legs, and I don't have big legs. Quite long. Cuffs seem like ~220g/m2 wool.
These are indeed a fine mesh, similar to what you used to see in sportswear in the past.


Top:
Woolmesh zip polo with inlay. size L.
Very trim fit, close to body and arms, similar to my Odlo shirt(L). sleeves seem very long when you put it on, but ride up, probably because it has low stretch.
The collar on this shirt is very tall, as you can see in the picture. Even when folded over, it is still at least as tall as the collar on most other zip-necks I own.
The collar is very tight. I have a skinny neck and it is tight for me. I will try to stretch it out and see how it ends up.
The collar and cuffs are thick fabric, again guessing ~ 220g/m2, doubled over. I cut one layer of the collar fabric away, and that made it comfortable for me, with a tall and skinny neck(shirt 16").

I never noticed any dampness like I have with regular merino shirts, so the mesh seems to be working in that regard.

Edited by Tjaard on 02/26/2013 11:00:14 MST.

I was very interested in the timing of this article, as I had just placed an order for some Aclima Woolnet and Coolnet items. I have been doing some experimenting with different layers the past two evenings on my evening walks around the neighborhood...I usually walk far enough and fast enough to work up a sweat by the time I get home.

At any rate, the temperatures the last two evenings have been similar (last night when I went for my walk it was 5F, with a -10F windchill, and the pevious night was several degrees warmer, but windier, so I'm pretty sure the windchill was lower).

Two nights ago, I layered as follows:

Aclima Woolnet Longsleeve shirt
Patagonia 3 Midweight Merino Zip Neck Long sleeve
Patagonia R1 Full Zip Fleece
Arcteryx Squamish Hoody windshirt
Western Mountaineering Flash XR Jacket.

By the time I got home I felt clammy. I unzipped as soon as I started to feel hot, but I still felt clammy.

Last night, I layered as follows:

Aclima Woolnet Longsleeve shirt
Patagonia R1 Full Zip Fleece
Eddie Bauer First Ascent Cloud Layer Fleece pullover
Arcteryx Squamish Hoody windshirt
WM Flash XR Jacket.

As you can see, I eliminated the Merino zip neck layer between the Woolnet and the R1, and I instead added another Fleece on top of the R1.

This was much more comfortable...I did not feel clammy at all, even though I was warm when I got home. I know it seems like a lot to wear, but I was not wearing a pack, I was just on a walk around the neighborhood...with a pack, I probably would be carrying the down jacket in the pack instead of wearing it.

Anyway, I just wanted to post this in case anyone might find it helpful.

In my first post I stated that the Brynje long sleeve zip had very long arms. I will add that they end up riding up in use. Though they are quite long when I put the shirt on, after a while outside I end up with a wrist gap. This was the case even while gently DH skiing, so not with any vigorous arm movement.

My main coat for backpacking is an old closed cell foam float-coat from a second hand store. I have been using the Brynje polypro top under it this week. Temps in the 40s, moderate exertion yard work, light drizzling rain.

The fishnet feels much better under the float coat than my solid base layer tops for all the reasons we have been discussing here.

The Brynje polypro fishnet will definitely be the primary base layer on my next backpack.

On the negative side I find this stuff smells bad after even 1 hour of use. Could be a personal issue. I sweat and stink more than most normal people (I know, who said I was normal).

Tjaard,

Perhaps these would help?

Daryl

here

Edited by lyrad1 on 02/02/2013 08:17:03 MST.

Fingerless mittens

Here are a couple of observations from my wearing of the fishnet over the last few weeks, mostly working in the yard in Seattle with temps in the 30-50F range and some rain.

(1) The nylon Wiggys top stinks less than the polypro Brynje top.

(2) My favorite combo for either top is to pair it with a lightweight (about 3 ounces) nylon tricot T shirt. The stretchy T shirt really reduces the air movement around the fishnet holes and I feel much warmer than without the T shirt. The Brynje fishnet top plus nylon T shirt, together, weigh about the same as the Wiggy's top.

Years ago someone sold a fishnet set of long underwear. The only detriment was that the clothing was, ugh, cotton! However, I personally wore that outfit in difficult conditions for years whilst commercial fishing in addition to distance backpacking in the intermountain West. I've been waiting for someone to build another such outfit without the traits of cotton.

This fishnet underwear was outstanding. I sweat -- hard. The mesh not only keeps one warm in the cold, but, by the miracle of evaporation cooling, worn alone with no cover the fishnet also (subjectively) keeps the wearer cooler in heat! (Designers take note, this old product was cotton white -- good in direct sunlight.) Insulated by a cover, the evaporation at skin level during winter exertion is without parallel, in my experience.

I am thrilled that a newer version of this garment is in the works. Keep the mesh off the shoulders and pack hip-belt area, work with modern quick dry materials, and the outdoor world will beat a path to your door.