Ok gals and guys, I know the web is full of this dicussion, but....... speaking base layer, what's the best?? Synthetic, any brand or merino wool?? The average temps are 20 to 25 °F both walking or treestand hunting but not hiking. Thoughts and experiences are welcome. Thanks Marco
From the research and testing that I've done, I think it is a pretty smart decision to stay away from the synthetic stuff. Alot of people love the brand name Under Armour, but the base layers that they make are far from what you should look for in a base layer. I tried a couple sits last year in Under Armour Coldgear base layers and I actually felt a bit colder after a few hours of sitting than in the second set of Smartwool base layers that I tried. I felt like the moisture wicked away better when I was humping it to my stand and that I cooled down and felt warmer quicker after I got settled. They are decently pricey, at $95 for each the top and bottom but worth every penny in my eyes.
Merino Wool for base lawyer against your skin then layer with UA synthetics. I'll walk to my stand with my jacket off and synthetic against my skin and the M.wool on the outside. When I get in the stand and start to cool down I'll strip off both layers and put the dry M.wool against my skin and the wet synthetic on the outside. And then my jacket when it starts getting cold. Nothing worse than getting all sweaty getting to the stand then sitting for hours in the cold trying not to move all wet.
Ok, thanks to everybody, following your experiences and doing some research on product specifications and reviews I understood that synthetic is good if you're doing aerobic exercise, hiking/running, steep terrain walking, if you're moving. Natural keep you warm also if you are not moving, like in the case of treestand hunting or just walking. So I think I'm gonna buy a set of merino wool base layer. Marco
