The Mornings been chilly so the shaket is insulated and warmer. The afternoons just been cool and windy so I used the lighter status vest. I am sure I could have used the shaket all day and it would have been just fine. The hunting been sucky so I been coming in at mid day any way. Thankfully I leave NY this week.
For base layers you can't go wrong with merino wool. Some synthetics start to stink after a bit but not merino. I have a few sets from minus 33. I also got a used merino 1/4 zip sweater on E-bay for a decent price that works really well. Just to prove you don't have to go expensive to stay warm yet still be light and comfortable. For sitting on stand and not moving around much I just wear primaloft tops and bottoms from Nomad.
Are there different weights/quality of merino wools? It seems some of the products advertised as merino wool is pretty thin. I'd just like to make these purchases a one time thing and not have to keep buying and then find out it wasn't the right thing. Thanks for all the info guys, it's really helpful. Blessings.........Pastorjim
Jim the weights (at least for first lite) are usually published...the higher the # the heavier. Less common are the fineness of the fibers (finer=softer). Scroll down and expand the "details" section on their product pages to see the weight, fineness and any blend ratios. I think some of the wool blends have a bit better durability.
One other add, there is a layering guide on the FL site which may help too. As mentioned, I think the llano is thin too. But I elk hunted CO this year (moving regularly) with a llano an Halstead fleece top, corrugate and red desert boxers (+ rain gear as needed) and was comfortable from ~30-80 degrees. I put my puffy on when idle and when it was 20 degrees...
I hung a treestand in florida with the llano - it was 85F + and I was working in a ultra-humid swamp. My llano was drenched with sweat, but I was not overheated and the thing did NOT stink at all. It was actually really freaking weird how it retained zero odor. Had I been wearing a synthetic, it would've reeked. Trade-off - merino doesn't dry as fast and skeeters drill through the llano like it's not there. But for stink factor, I'm sold.
I've actually seen that Merino dries faster but synthetic is better at pulling it away from your skin. I'll take Merino all day long Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
