Cold weather baselayers for those who sweat regardless of exertion level?

Chris,

It sounds like she would want to wear as few layers as possible while hiking as long as she can stay warm. The trick is layering up when stopping. Since these additional layers will be spending a lot of time in her pack, the lighter the better (this tends to rule out softshells).

As I recall, merino wool dries slightly slower than synthetics (both are far superior to cotton). Though this has disadvantages in that drying time is extended, it also means there is less of a "flash off" effect when you stop hiking, and therefore less of an immediate chill. It might be worth experimenting with both kinds of material to see what she prefers- some people are just more comfortable in one or the other. If it is warm enough, she could carry a change of clothes and dry one on her pack while wearing the other, alternating through the day.

She'll need something to help her retain heat and get protection from wind once you stop hiking. This can be anything from a simple wind shirt, to a puffy jacket in colder temperatures. Lots of options here. Another tip is to slow your pace for a period of time before stopping for a break so that there is some time to reduce perspiration and perhaps dry clothes a bit before stopping all exertion.

Hope this helps!

James

Hi, for high-exertion, really whenever I am going to sweat a lot I stay away from wool – a cap1, or prefrably a cap2 layer is what I use.
Why?
Synsetic layers actualy wick sweat away – wool keeps that sweat, or moves it away very slowoly. The structure of the wool, how it holds air and water, is what makes it warm and comfortable (keeps some humidity near you skin).
If she sweats a lot a synsetic fabric will not hold on to that sweat, will dry quicker and with less energy(heat), and will wick it away.
The Cap2 has a looser weave then the Cap1, making it warmer under a shell (and cooler w/o) and also drys/vents faster.
I think steve house in one of his videos on patagonia.com mentions how he does not use wool in the mountains for that reason (alpine climbins is hard, sweaty work) – Andy Kirkpatrick, despite his comments in favour of wool, likewise agrees.
Hope this helps – Cap1-2 is my sugestion and then breathable fleece and shell overtop.

Also a down belay jacket will soak up that sweat and will warm her when she stops like no other.
Synsetic might be better if you are worried about conserving loft on a long cold weather trip (does not seem to be the case), but for cool weather weekend and day trips – down rules!

Robert-

While that's generally true it's not 100%. BPL's UL Merino line dries just as fast as any synthetic I've tried and I've been through a lot of trial and error.

Is your gf wearing something over the base layer when she is sweating? If so, then the answer would be to wear less. If she is only wearing a base then I would say throw on an appropriate weight jacket when she stops which moderates flash off cooling and provides insulation if that's necessary. I don't think a biocompenent or soft-shell isn't going to be better than just a base layer at stopping the sweating. They can be a win compared to wearing a more traditional shell and/or insulation.

–mark

Reading all the replies does give various paths to try. I'll add another.. read about vapor barriers.. read about things like stephenson "no sweat shirt".. I use patagonia layers or light weight wool as layers in most conditions and I sweat with nearly any level of activity as you mention. My experience tends to mirror those that reccommend patagonia capilene over wool most of the time. but wool does work ok and does not stink as bad.

As temps get toward teens and single digits, and especially below zero, I do start use of vapor barriers especially on feet and hands and if out for more than a day or two in my sleeping bag.

Some folks have used other VBL type clothing like I mentioned above. just saying to read about it a bit, not giving a heavy endorsement on VB shirt or pants use.

I tried the no sweat shirt a bit on some past winter trips and can see where it would do as advertised, but that level of VB use requires some getting used too.. you may feel clammy, but warmth retention by have dry insulating layers is obvious.

if you look close to eskimo type clothing – it allows a chimney effect that let moist out versus our typical tight fitting and cinched up clothing.

I pull a sled in winter any time I can to avoid the whole sweaty back from the pack I deal with in moderate weather

another thing that helps me regulate is basically a fleece earmuff piece from patagonia. I wear this often in cool/cold weather hiking versus a full hat or balaclava to heat regulate. keeps ears warm, but heat goes off open upper head. in stopping I pull on a full hat or balaclava..

I find often I get to hot with the full hat while moving unless it is really really cold
steve

> she sweats a lot when hiking even if she is cool.
First ask yourself WHY she is sweating.

A body sweats to get rid of excess heat. She may have cold hands or head, but basically she is wearing too many clothes for the conditions. She needs to wear less clothing. She may want to add light gloves or a hat of some sort to balance her temperatures.

You may want to dismiss this out of hand, but that would be to ignore basic human physiology. Also, be aware that 40 F to 20 F is not that cold. Experienced walkers might be wearing little more than a single Taslan (128 gsm fabric say) layer under those conditions.

Cheers

I second Roger's recommendations on thermo-regulation — if she's sweating, then she has too much insulation for her exertion level. If she has cold extremities, then she needs to insulate those parts more robustly.

Nevertheless, I have a specific piece of layering advice for cold weather: Brynje fishnet. It's made from very non-absorbent polypro, is very light for its warmth, and traps air pockets next to your skin. Rather than wick away moisture from the skin where it can wet-out your clothing layers, it allows moisture to evaporate directly from the skin surface to cool the skin when needed. I've found it to be absolutely the best thing for cold-weather, high exertion activities like trail running in 35F rain. It also rocks as a base layer under a vapor barrier.

Cheers,

-Mike

Roger is correct; if she's sweating in cold weather she is wearing too much. Normally in 40*F weather I'm hiking in my shirtsleeves. The warm stuff comes out as soon as I stop and goes back in my pack when I start hiking again.

On a recent trip, as I gained elevation, the wind came up and it got down to freezing, I added a wind shirt over my regular shirt and also put on a headband because my ears were getting cold. This was just right for me. An insulating jacket and a full hat would have been far too much. My hands stayed warm without gloves, probably because I was really using my trekking poles for the steep climb. As I got almost to the end of my climb and it got colder, I could have used a lightweight vest, but still my insulating jacket and a full hat would have been far too warm.

Of course the instant I stopped to set up camp (it was about 25*F/-4*C, and still windy), I put on every stitch of clothing I had with me!

You can regulate your body temperature a lot with hands and head. I've often set out for an exercise walk in cold weather only to shed my cap and gloves first thing. That's why I use only a headband during cold weather exercise.

I suspect that your GF may be wearing a base layer that is too heavy or not sufficiently wicking or both.

Yup, she's wearing too much, or too thick of a layer… even down into the teens I'm generally only wearing a wool 2. If there's a decent breeze or if I'm having a hard time starting out I'll toss on a windbreaker. I might start off in a hat, but within 10 or 15 minutes I'm usually too hot to keep it on. For rest stops she might consider a synthetic insulated vest…

I've found softshells to be too hot for me. I've used Paramo-like stuff and it does work great, but I do still tend to overheat… It manages the moisture well, though, and might be worth a shot. I've found that my merino dries nearly as quickly as synthetics when I stop moving, and I'm much more comfortable in general with the merino.