View Full Version : Thermals
Ok, which do you prefer. And why...
What are the helly hanson ones made of?
What are the helly hanson ones made of? That'll come under Merkalon TomTom Although I think they may do silk too.
I Use Merkalon type as I'm allergic to wool (hence no swannie
:cry: )
ullfrotte 200's for me, nice and warm, don't smell too bad after a few days,and well made.
That'll come under Merkalon TomTom Although I think they may do silk too.
I Use Merkalon type as I'm allergic to wool (hence no swannie
:cry: )So why didn't you vote then MD?
TheViking
26-11-2004, 16:35
I wish myself :welcome: but has this thread something to do with mats or clothing? :roll:
in this country, Andy, "thermals" are clothers.. under garments which are worn on very cold situations..
TheViking
26-11-2004, 16:42
in this country, Andy, "thermals" are clothers.. under garments which are worn on very cold situations..
Ah thank you. :biggthump Well a wooly pully will do it for me. :wink:
RovingArcher
26-11-2004, 17:35
In cold weather, I prefer the smart wool, no itch and plenty warm. For the milder days, silk is the only way to go.
Greenpete
26-11-2004, 18:29
What are the helly hanson ones made of?
Dunno but they make you sweaty SMELLLLLLL!!!!
BorderReiver
26-11-2004, 18:31
Silk-Too expensive.
Wool-ITCHES :yikes:
Synthetic works even when wet. :super:
Synthetic for me. I have some lowe alpine and some travelsmith. Light and warm/cool when required
Ron Hill DXB for me
maybe not quite what they are meant for but they work well and are very good for wet conditions as they are water resistant
arctic hobo
26-11-2004, 19:34
Wool forever! Natural, warm, does all that artificial stuff too without the ££'s!
There's something about the smell of a well-worn Helly Hanson....
They might stink but they're very good. I have still got my olive green military thermals too - they're OK.
I also use the 'Under-armor' stuff from the US but I wouldn't mind trying the smart wool (merino?) although it does seem a bit expensive...
lol i have a wet suit with merino in it :lol:
I have a synthetic wicking top for walking in. But if i ever needed to be kept really warm I may go for one of those norwegian army shirts (http://www.surplusandadventure.com/ishop/800/shopscr216.html) .
My favourite is latex :naughty:
ooh oops :yikes: Wrong forum ... :rolmao: :o):
I've got several sets of thermals: including the Ullfrotte 200 and another brand, which name I can't remember at this moment: it's with silver thread or something similar - it should work against sweaty smell etc. ... Didn't tested yet :roll:
I choose the wool category but I do mix it up a bit depending on the activity level and ambient temperature.
Wool is near perfect and SmartWool or Filson wool longjohns have just about replaced my use of the plastics. When I have a high activity day in mild cold AND I know I will not be staying out in the cold (ie day trip Nordic ski day) then the Patagonia capilene (polyester) is usually my choice. When I have either colder weather, or expect to have to wear this stuff for more than one day, it is wool hands down.
My absolute favorite quote comes from Garrett and Alexander Conover's "Winter Wilderness Companion" I find it perfectly true.
Next time you see a lunch-stop shot in someone’s slide show, you’ll be able to pick out who has what for underwear as if you had X-ray vision. Those flopped comfortably in the snow are probably-wearing layers of wool, and those standing with hunched shoulders and pinched expressions are probably desperately trying to heat up moisture trapped in a layer or two of synthetics.
Each year, news of the latest synthetics is covered exhaustively in outdoor magazines. The outdoor magazine trade is almost entirely funded by advertising contracts with purveyors of synthetics, and few editors are brave enough to offend their backers. Most of what follows concerns the virtues of natural fibers, as they are rapidly being forgotten. A whole generation of outdoor enthusiast has grown up in the age of synthetics and has no way of knowing whether alternatives exist or what they might be.
From my review of their wonderful book at JM's magazine.
http://outdoors-magazine.com/s_article.php?id_article=129
Not a big "thermals" fan here - it doesn't often get cold enough for me to need them for warmth.
I like lowe alpine wicking T shirts as a base layer and Hom sport maxi underwear with the longish legs which are really well made & comfortable, whether it's warm or cold
I add a pair of ron hill tracksters underneath polycotton pants if it's cold / wet.
Have used thermal tops from C&A or the like for skiing - like a non brand norgie top - and they were good.
I never bought into the whole HH thing like some of my mates in the UK who obviously found this kit good enough that for 3/4 of the year they could go out on the hill wearing little more than their underwear !
Wool for me is a total no no - merino or not, it still itches.
I've a great Herdwick sweater (super scatchy) but need two layers underneath it to keep it at bay :yikes:
I never bought into the whole HH thing like some of my mates in the UK who obviously found this kit good enough that for 3/4 of the year they could go out on the hill wearing little more than their underwear !
now there a scarey thought...:smiley-fa
Have a look at
http://www.patra.com/
They'll even sell you silk 'y fronts', actually their stuff is really good, especially under wool layers. (the 'long' socks aren't long enough though)
Toddy
ChrisKavanaugh
06-02-2005, 06:25
Thermals are the first in a multiple layer that is trapping warm air and also allowing warmth robbing body moisture to vent. Proponents of the vapor barrier system would have us trap this moisture and recycle it's warmth in a nice wet sauna. The main flaw in this system is when you remove your clothing all that moisture vents with attendant rapid chilling. A secondary problem is the buildup of body odor and being a highly evolved relative of a sponge. Discard this system thermals are measured by how well they accomplish this traspiration. Fishnets are superb, creating warm air pockets with plenty of room for water to migrate. I've found the Wiggys to work well in milder temps. The fishnet weave can be somewhat abrasive and the material is flammable vs wool. Brynjies are the older, european make and available in optional materials. Randy should be testing these soon. I've found for colder temps wool or poly will provide greater insulation with adequate traspiration. Poly has the problem of retaining body odor. Silk is best for milder temps, but can also be paired with lighter wool or poly instead of 'expedition' wieght units.
brucemacdonald
06-02-2005, 12:47
Last weekend at Ashdown I was wearing a pair of longjohns from Kiwi Disposals which were an absolute bargain at NZ$12.50 a pair. They are made of wool which is quite soft. Very comfortable.
Only available in Extra Large unfortunately.
I wore a Norwegian Army Shirt as a vest, which was fine except that if you do some hard exercise and sweat, the cotton soaks up the moisture. I needed to dry out by the fire after a long hike on the Saturday afternoon.
Liz has some Merino wool base layers which I can't remember the name of at the moment.
I have a Helly Hansen Lifa vest which I bought for running in cold weather. I agree with the others, they do smell after a while.
Best wishes
Bruce
Another contender from New zealand. Merino wool thermals from Icebreaker (http://www.icebreaker.com/) can't be beat for warmth even when wet. I've had 15 years motorbiking to learn the benefit of a good set of thermals and these are the tops :biggthump
But as a base layer in the summer then it's got to be Paramo (http://www.paramo.co.uk/UK/index.html)
cheers,
Martin
arctic hobo
07-02-2005, 19:16
Those Norgee shirts are ideal for evenings because they're relatively windproof and warm, and you won't be sweating in the evening. They're also very comfy, but you wouldn't want to get too close to the fire in them :burnup:
In Scandinavia everyone wears Ulfrotte or the Craft Pro tops (www.craft.se, it's a scandi icon :biggthump ). I've never worn the Ulfrotte but the Craft things are fantastic. You can't get them in the UK though :11doh:
I favour tight fitting leather basques.......whoa wrong forum,eh yes ,yes, helly hansens-yeah ive never found them that comfortable,warm yes but itchy and smelly. ive used a couple of M@S merino jumpers via charity shops,with better results.recent sale purchase of haglof themals have also impressed me warm and comfortable.ha ha ha leather basques indeed....
Smartwool for me.
It doesn't smell, it's not itchy and it keeps you warm! Perfect.
I find it warmer that the "technical" clothes they sell for bikers like Oxford ChillOut and so...
Prawnster
20-10-2009, 14:08
Italian army long sleeved wool t-shirt from endicotts. Got them the other day, very comfortable and no noticable odour as yet;)
Grand dad top and bottoms from Lidl or Aldi (can't remember) and a set from Peacocks, £4.99. Not really needed much in the UK temps to be honest.
I think Aldi are doing thermals and other base layers at the moment.
I think Aldi are doing thermals and other base layers at the moment.
Worth popping if for a look, they are really good and your not paying for the label, bottom line is that a lot of 'kit heads' over dress for the UK.
Improviser
21-10-2009, 05:52
I bought a set from Aldi the other day seem decent quality for the dollar although the top is only short sleeved, made of a thick clingy polyester.
Hoping to test them proper at the Ribble Valley meet that SimonM is sorting in January more so if im gonna use the hammock!
Bring on a whiteout & brass munkis swingin thru them trees! :umbrella:
I bought merino wool thermals in Aldi last year, and I thought they were good for the money. The top's short-sleeved though iirc.
andywinkk
21-10-2009, 14:07
Mine look like lycra and feel unusualy comfortable to wear:eek: :eek:
Jaysurfer
21-10-2009, 15:09
Hi Everyone
I work for Helly Hansen (well HH's PR agency)...
The traditional Helly Hansen base layer is made from LIFA, this is made of polypropelene (plastic man made substance) it absorbs very little moisture (Polyester base layers hold 60% more moisture) so when you wear one and sweat the moisture is pushed through the baselayer and evaporated. This is usually why they tend to smell over a period of time, however if you wash them regularly you should be fine, also HH have invested alot of £££ to make sure they don't smell any new base layers anyone buys should not suffer from this problem.
Also there is a baselayer range called HH Warm from Helly Hansen which is two layers bonded together, One layer being the LIFA that works so well and the other layer being Merino wool - Which doesn't hold odour.... So the HH Warm will keep you very warm and not smell incase anyone is venturing into the cold anytime soon.
J
Jaysurfer
21-10-2009, 15:11
Just another response to my above response.....
I'm not trying to sell Helly Hansen and i don't recieve anything if you lot buy their gear, just thought i'd give some facts about the clothing as people were discussing it and as a Public Relations person i'd rather the info was right than wrong.
J
Old Bones
21-10-2009, 20:33
Went to Aldi today to have a look at the thermals, but there's not a lot left in my local store. The blokes stuff is all 'small' tops (in either white or blue), together with a couple of XXL longjohns. A far amount of womans stuff left though. However, I did manage to get a T-shirt, which cost a whole £2.99.
Since they also had bottles of Wychwood Black & White Witch (normally impossible to get), I'm well pleased. I might try a new branch they've just opened nearby - you can never have too much beer...
Went to Aldi today to have a look at the thermals, but there's not a lot left in my local store. The blokes stuff is all 'small' tops (in either white or blue), together with a couple of XXL longjohns. A far amount of womans stuff left though. However, I did manage to get a T-shirt, which cost a whole £2.99.
Since they also had bottles of Wychwood Black & White Witch (normally impossible to get), I'm well pleased. I might try a new branch they've just opened nearby - you can never have too much beer...
They sell Bamboo tea shirts from time to time for a fiver.
How do you find the bamboo to wear ?
It's really just bamboo processed to produce celluose and that's then turned into bamboo viscose. ........like the soya bean silk.
I've spun both, and they are lovely to work with, makes a good addition to feltmaking, but I've never worn it.
The Chinese fibre manufacturers claim, "Bamboo fabric can absorb and evaporate human sweat in a split second. Because the cross-section of bamboo fiber is filled with various micro-gaps and micro-holes, bamboo fabric has much better moisture absorption."
Be interesting to hear how folks really get on with it.
cheers,
Toddy
How do you find the bamboo to wear ?
It's really just bamboo processed to produce celluose and that's then turned into bamboo viscose. ........like the soya bean silk.
I've spun both, and they are lovely to work with, makes a good addition to feltmaking, but I've never worn it.
The Chinese fibre manufacturers claim, "Bamboo fabric can absorb and evaporate human sweat in a split second. Because the cross-section of bamboo fiber is filled with various micro-gaps and micro-holes, bamboo fabric has much better moisture absorption."
Be interesting to hear how folks really get on with it.
cheers,
Toddy
Would love to know this as well, as I've been looking at various sites trying to find out more info on bamboo clothes, and trying to find the cheapest deal too. I really need something this winter, my poor legs feel the cold something awful :o.
How are people experience with silk base layers? There seems to be a lot of them available too, and not badly priced too, if you hunt around. Silk is something I've never really used so have no idea what it's like, especially when used as a base layer.
John Fenna
22-10-2009, 10:54
OK - just to muddy the waters!
I have been trying out Bamboo base layers and I find it excellent!
Very cozy and non iritating next to the skin and with good wicking ability the bamboo viscose is great - however, check how much cotton is in the blend as cotton content is variable across the brands - and even styles in brand range! I rather like Mountain Junky and Sue Me brands.
Another blend I have been trying out is Silk and Merino wool - sheer luxury! - Silkbody is a name to look out for here...
I also like the Merino/synythetic blends used by Woolpower (Ullefrotte or whatever in the past) and this washes well at pretty high temps.
As soon as we get another cold spell I will be checking out some Mereklon....
Phil6201
23-10-2009, 05:25
Marino - light, warm, doesn't itch (I do not like traditional wool, but have no issues with marino).
It doesn't smell as bad as synthetics.
Doesn't have the plasticy feel of polypro
Works when wet.
treadlightly
23-10-2009, 18:57
How do you find the bamboo to wear ?
It's really just bamboo processed to produce celluose and that's then turned into bamboo viscose. ........like the soya bean silk.
I've spun both, and they are lovely to work with, makes a good addition to feltmaking, but I've never worn it.
The Chinese fibre manufacturers claim, "Bamboo fabric can absorb and evaporate human sweat in a split second. Because the cross-section of bamboo fiber is filled with various micro-gaps and micro-holes, bamboo fabric has much better moisture absorption."
Be interesting to hear how folks really get on with it.
cheers,
Toddy
I have a bamboo tshirt and a long sleeved baselayer. They are very soft and comfortable, are as good as wool for not smelling but are not quite as warm, somewhere between wool and silk I would say.
I don't think they perform quite as well as wool when wet but overall its very impressive stuff.
BTW, how similar would you say bamboo is to a so-called semi-synthetic fabric like viscose?
What are cold weather Norgi shirts made of?
Improviser
28-10-2009, 05:00
What are cold weather Norgi shirts made of?
I think there made of a loop stitch tight weave wicking cotton sometimes reffered to as 'towelling'.
Dont quote me though! :approve:
I think there made of a loop stitch tight weave wicking cotton sometimes reffered to as 'towelling'.
Dont quote me though! :approve:
Killer cotton?
It's the way it's woven; that gives it a different structure.........like the difference between a towel and a tshirt.
A towel will absorb a heck of a lot more water, and surprisingly evaporate it off a lot quicker than the tshirt.
If it's the jeans thing Rik.......denim is woven 2:1 twill from soft spun weft on a tighter spun, closely spaced, warp.
It's a lovely weave, but it's heavy. The fibres are heavy, the weave adds to this, it makes it relatively snag proof, takes flat wearing fine, but it eventually fails at creases and seams.
Oh, and it's absorbant but not quick drying.
And while comfortable, Norgies are cheap bulk produce for servicemen, and they do get wet but the structure of the weave increases the surface area enormously and allows body heat to evaporate sweat........unless worn under closed waterproofs :rolleyes:
I do agree that we can be guilty of over kitting for the UK, but is it not practical to understand the equipment we wear, the choices available, and realise that our climate is the real issue ?
cheers,
Toddy
Merino for me too. Wore an Icebreaker long-sleeved crew top all week during a survival course - was lovely and warm when it rained so hard everyone got wet through. The synthetic micro-fleece I wore on top still smells after a few washes, but the Merino passed the Wife's nose test after just one wash.
Will definitely be investing in more of this stuff when I win the lottery.
Oh and I'm from the "wool is too itchy" camp, but I have no problems with Merino
Algie
No offence intended to the OP of the question, but I don't see purpose of the question (assuming by "thernals" we're talking about long underwear, long johns, etc?). You may as well ask which is the best jacket to wear, without giving any information about the weather likely to be encountered, or even whether the "jacket" is required to stand up to a snowstorm or simply required to attend a banquet :)
For me the choice of what to wear next to skin depends very much on the outside temperature and activity level, or even what is to be worn as an upper layer.. If I'm sat still in cold weather, perhaps waiting to shoot something, then wool is nice, perhaps even cotton if it's not too cold. If I'm doing something active in the cold, and maybe I will have to follow the exercise with some sitting around, then cotton could be considered dangerous as it holds moisture against the skin, which will soon chill..in this case something that wicks moisture would be the winner.
I don't want to pee on the thread, but just feel that there isn't really a single straight answer to "what are the best thernals"....