Thermals

[jakunen]

Ok, which do you prefer. And why...

[tomtom]

What are the helly hanson ones made of?

[maddave]

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: )

[steve a]

ullfrotte 200's for me, nice and warm, don't smell too bad after a few days,and well made.

[jakunen]

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]

I wish myself but has this thread something to do with mats or clothing? :roll:

[tomtom]

in this country, Andy, "thermals" are clothers.. under garments which are worn on very cold situations..

[TheViking]

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]

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]

What are the helly hanson ones made of?

Dunno but they make you sweaty SMELLLLLLL!!!!

[BorderReiver]

Silk-Too expensive.
Wool-ITCHES
Synthetic works even when wet. :super:

[TAZ]

Synthetic for me. I have some lowe alpine and some travelsmith. Light and warm/cool when required

[Andy]

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]

Wool forever! Natural, warm, does all that artificial stuff too without the ££'s!

[Mikey P]

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...

[willie]

lol i have a wet suit with merino in it

[hootchi]

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 .

[Ahjno]

My favourite is latex

ooh oops Wrong forum ... :rolmao: ):

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:

[Schwert]

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_artic...id_article=129

[alick]

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

[jakunen]

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

[Toddy]

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]

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]

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

[shinobi]

Another contender from New zealand. Merino wool thermals from Icebreaker 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

cheers,

Martin

[arctic hobo]

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

[ronsos]

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....

[zagabul]

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]

Italian army long sleeved wool t-shirt from endicotts. Got them the other day, very comfortable and no noticable odour as yet

[rik_uk3]

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.