Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Backpack Hunting Best base layer

Merino for me, with KUIU and Minus 33 being my favourites.

I ain't E, I'm L. <grin>

I have a couple pieces of the Patagonia capilene and it is great stuff for the warmer conditions. It does dry fast and odor is minimal. I'm far from an expert on the stuff but for much of the archery season and spring turkey, it is my choice layer. It is pretty sturdy stuff too. I have had some silk weight stuff that never lasted very long, especially the bottoms. The Patagonia lowers are still in great shape.

I like Patagonia's Capliene in Silkweight, or their lightest weight, for the fastest drying. I use their medium weight for a bit more warmth or even two layers, one Silkweight and another Medium weight when it's going to be well below zero. E

Thanks for info, lots of welcome comments. Was in REI today, and their selection was limited but did look at Capilene, Smartwool, Power-Dry, and silk. The prices on Campmor are about 1/2 of what REI is getting for Smartwool. I plan to check the other Merino brands, Minus 33 and others, as I have really liked the Merino I have used so far. I think it will be far superior to my old expedition weight polypro.

Do any of the Merino products need to be hand washed (Woolite), or is everything pretty much machine washable?

forepaw

Most of the merino can be washed in a machine with cold water on a delicate/gentle cycle. Hang to dry. Put it through a hot clothes dryer and you'll be giving it to a little kid to wear!

I wash mine by hand and dry spread on a towel always,except some Icebreaker socks and 1-2 sets of gonch, used for regulary winter wear here in BC.

I love IB socks, nothing I have found is as comfy and stays as fresh and "padded" as long. Unfortunately, Canadian Champion, Von Kruzenhaus Quean Lily Lovelyface, also "loves" them and has chewed a few pairs to shreds!

Lily, is the most badass Rottweiler I have ever seen, let alone been "owned" by and she depends on her great beauty and charm to get away with stuff.It works, too, as she leads mighty Trojan's Diamond in the Ruff,my superb Rottie male a "dog's life".

I've machine washed my merino wool socks and top many times. The trick is to use the cooler settings on the dryer and allow the drier to run cold air on it after the warm air. I've never had anything shrink. E

i've got a merino /nylon blend union suit. works good in cold weather.

I would purchase high quality long-underwear. I like Filson stuff. I've used a number of the name brand synthetics and really don't think they work as well as the traditional, natural wool stuff. There is a difference in quality, so I would spend the money on the higher quality wool if you're going that route.

http://www.filson.com

I'm no expert, just a guy whose spent over a grand on base layers in the last 5 years.

Smartwool, is the best I've tried so far. I don't like the fit on Icebreaker stuff, and it's itchy compared to other brands. I have not tried Kuiu or -33 brands yet.

Merino wool is where it's at. End of discussion

+1

It's the only one that you can deal with your own smell in after 10 days .... and I don't like carrying a whole wardrobe in the backcountry

Cheapo redram merino wool worked well for me.

as woolpower.

Another Smartwool fan here. And it can be had fairly reasonable if you look around. I've never paid more than $50 for a article of Smartwool.

I've never tried wool for base layers, but I will after this thread; but for me I've always been good to go with the synthetics....
I will usually wear just Under Armour when doing alot of walking because it really breathes well, but if I'm sitting I'll usually throw on a layer of Duo-fold synthetics , then wool pants.
I remember one walk I had to make in Montana on an elk hunt, I was down to just my UnderArmour and boots and backpack! (long ,fast-paced walk in...almost 2 hours) Great for wicking, but really cold when you stop...thats where the duo-folds come in handy.
johnny

Terramar is another merino base layer that is reasonably priced.

I have a couple different brands of wool. I think the Kuiu and Smartwool are the most comfortable. I've also tried silk, underarmor and capilene for base layers and merino wool works best for me.

One day elk hunting in synthetic=football daily doubles stink.
Ten days hunting in merino wool=hardly any stink.

YMMV

i am old school but new wool designs I have and use

MEC no name
smartwool
Ulfrotte (wool power) now

Of the three i prefer MEC base layers they make them long and in the similar weight as smartwool. the long shirt allow me to bend over or squat without the shirt riding up or pulling out of my pants.

ulfrotte wool is warmer for the same weight but is MUCH more loopy read less wind resistant but i find it to be the warmest of the 3 and has a tail section not quite as long as teh MEC but longer then smartwool

smart wool is a good shirt but design and features of the MEC and ulfrotte make it a 3rd choice.

Thanks
trevor

If starting from scratch, I recommend finding a place where you can physically handle the base layers prior to purchase. If not, spend the time researching current reviews on the base layers you are considering. Old reviews may have little value since the dive in the economy. Some of the high dollar stuff that had rave reviews not too long ago, have been redesigned to save production costs and currently have poor reviews. Something as simple as a change in waistband design can make the difference between great fit and comfort to poor fit and discomfort. Some stuff that was top notch may not even be worthy of use now.

As to the UA and Capilene, I can use those as examples of stuff where I disagree with some who give them great current reviews. The old Capilene was the only synthetics which I personally could use for long term backpack use. It would breathe like light wool and it would not become clammy. I used this Capilene from near day one of its release into the market and used it on everything from extreme mountain biking 125 mile long legs, to backpack hunts that went for weeks out of a bivy. This stuff was later changed and it no longer works as well for me. I then was given an entire set of UA to test. I found this stuff to be clammy with any extended use and in my opinion was best reserved for someone who can hit the locker room after a day of extreme use. I've read where others have given it a big thumbs up, but for me, I don't care for it as it turns into nothing more than a garbage bag when back packing a few days in foul conditions. It's not as bad as the old polypro, but it gets pretty darn clammy. LL Bean sent me some stuff they carried, I think it was called polarmax acclimate, but I didn't like it as much as good light to mid weight merino wool.

Flip side, some people don't care if they stink to high heaven after three or four days of hard backpacking in synthetics, and they prefer it to any of the downsides of wool. Some only go a short hike from the truck and are back home every evening, so having something that holds up to hard backpack use has little value. What fits your bill is for you to decide as it boils down to your personal comfort, not that of someone else.

Like a said earlier, I think it best to plan your tackle for very long term use. Take your time and be very choosey when you make a purchase. Good quality gear will last a great deal of time when used hard if given normal care. Hunting is a lifelong endevour. You don't need to pick the most expensive tackle to enjoy hunting. But it is much easier to enjoy hunting over your lifetime when you use tackle that works well with few failures.

Best

One of the things I've done with Capliene is to wash it in cold water after 3-4 days in the field. I've let it hang to dry on above freezing days for an hour or so and simply put it back on. Have done this for a couple of weeks at a time.
If it's really cold, I just put it on after wringing it out and stand around near the campfire for a while.
Try doing that with wool sometime.
What has really impressed me is if I don't peel as I'm climbing and get good and wet from the exercise, I can bundle up in my extra clothing when I stop to glass and the stuff will dry before I cool off too much and start to chill.
The merino base layer I have simply will not do this. E