Base Layers - thoughts and reflections
As base layer we (and the apparel industry in general) usually consider pieces of clothing that are worn as the first, next-to-skin layer. Or to be more precise, pieces that are intended to be worn next to skin. You can always layer one base layer over an other base layer to create a sort of mid layer.. But first things first..
Your next to skin base layer should be chosen according to the maximum level of body heat and sweat that you expect to face in your planned activity! For example, on a cold weather chamois hunt with lots of hiking, I might end up sweating a lot but having a long-sleeved Merino piece with a hoody will be better than a short sleeved Merino t-shirt. Long sleeves and a hoody will be giving me comfort during a high-sweat activity even while exposed to ice cold winds.
On the opposite, while in a chamois season opening scenario in August, a short sleeve Merino t-shirt might be better as the outside temperature would be too warm to be sweating in a long sleeved piece. There is a lot of personal preference going into this and there is no right or wrong that suits everyone. Everyone loses water via transpiration at a different rate and our bodies do not heat up at the same level. What is clearly extremely important for everyone, is that your base layers have a high capacity in absorbing sweat as well as a high moisture-wicking capacity while drying very fast.
And this is valid in summer as well as in the winter!!
We at GearFex probably have some sort of obsessive disorder for Merino wool base layers and mid layers and we just love them.. Some of our First Lite Merino pieces go back to First Lite’s “ASAT” camo pattern era which was around 2011 / 2012.. Many of our Merino pieces do have an occasional small puncture somewhere. And we encourage to stitch up holes when they happen. Same as your body's skin, also your base layers are allowed to carry scars..
Some synthetic base layers have a slightly better weight-to-warmth ratio than Merino wool, and they might hold up little better when you rip through thorns.. But none of these two characteristics would justify, for me personally, to give up the benefits ( comfort, healthy climate for your skin, no-smell / antimicrobial etc ) of Merino.. Think of it that way.. Merino wool gives sheep in harsh conditions ( cold AND heat exposure ) a perfect protection and comfort.. When washed, woven and weaved into a fabric, Merino wool allows us to enjoy those characteristics, too.. While synthetics, are usually some sort of “plastic” yarn from which you would probably not want to put the original form / resource on your skin when you start sweating..
We highly recommend to have have multiple options of base layers, like short sleeve as well as long sleeve. Wether you chose options with or without zippers in the front, with or without a hoody, can be determined by your personal preference, by how intensely you sweat and heat up when you are physically very active and last but not least also by the budget you are willing to spend.
As guideline at GearFex we offer multiple weight options for Merino base layers by First Lite:
WICK Series => the lightweight 150 grams Merino
KILN Series => the midweight 250 grams Merino
FURNACE Series => 350 grams Merino
An other very important thought: Your base layer is like a foundation that you build on. All your other clothing kit can lose it’s benefits if you do not layer up correctly from the next-to-skin layer up. And vice versa.. You can probably smell the next topics which we will write something about here in the near future..
Stay tuned!