Winter Base Layer – Wool Allergy

I live in Norway and am about your size. The winter here can be really harsh so good winter clothing is important. I uaually use wool or polypropylene. I prefer wool when my activity level is not going to be too high as it tends to hold more sweat and water than polyprop clothing. Polyprop and other synthetics seem to dry faster and I have found them to be quite light too (depending on how thick the clothing is).

I have some name brand stuff from Bavac and Bula but unfortunately these are Norwegian brands. I have not found a great difference between my name brand stuff and no frills clothing to be honest. The quality might be slightly higher on the brand clothes but it certainly does not warrant a cost of 3 X that of the cheaper stuff. Some repuatble brands that I can recommend are:

-Marmot
-Arc'teryx

Good luck.

P.

How much do you stink normally? I live a little south and west of where you are going to be and I have found that the Terramar Pioneer t-shirt is a pretty good non-stink one for synthetics. I have also used a lot of the Patagonia synthetics. A Capilene 1 and 2 are about the same thing with little insulation properties. A 3 will will keep you warm and a 4 will keep you warm down to about 50F by itself while walking. I am 6'5" and about 235#s and have found their XXL stuff fits pretty good.

If I were you I would go with a Cap 2 zip neck so you have something that could also be worn in warmer temps. Layer over that something like an R2 (or a Cap 3 and R1 jacket) and a windshell and that will take you pretty far except for a few times over the winter months. For sitting around I would pick up a Montbell XXL down jacket. Their XXL Alpine fits me pretty well and I have worn it with a similar setup to the above when the wind chill was around -20F last year. Some Cap 3 bottoms would round you out nicely.

I'd get some patagonia capilene. Probably a 1 and a 2 in a crewneck, as I've found that the zipnecks just add weight and not a lot of functionality until you get into 100 weight fleece. The 1 is good for warmer weather, the 2 for colder. The 3 tends to be too warm when you're active unless it's pretty cold.

There are lots of good synthetic base layers out there. If you need XXL, you might try LLBean or Cabelas. I have used, over the years, Lifa, Patagonia, REI, Terramar nad no-name products. All have worked pretty much the same for me as base layers, with minor variations in smelliness and launderability. The main question you have to answer is whether to get the lightest weight (most makers have 3 weights) or the medium weight. Personally, I use the lightest weight down to temperatures in the 20's – but I am a real furnace if I'm on the move.

Thanks for the advice everyone. To clarify a couple of the items brought up here.

-Stick level – I don’t think I’m too bad on one or two day outings. Anything after that and I’m getting “ripe around the edges”.

-Warm or Cold – I’m going to have to say that I’m a cold bodied person. Maybe I’m not, but I know that I’m not acclimated to cold whether any more. I moved to Hawaii in ’99 and have lived between there and Los Angles ever since. I’ve seen snow twice since ’99 and was chilly being outside in a heavy Carhartt work jacket with the hood up while wearing a t-shirt and sweatshirt underneath.

-“Reputable companies” – I should have worded this better.
I meant companies that make durable or quality products, not that they have to be name-brand lines.

Brett listed some very specific items. I defiantly like the MB Alpine recommendation. I picked up one of their down vests for a trip to Yosemite a few months back to wear under a cheap Target windbreaker at camp and it kept me warm and fit as I wanted it too. Can anyone give me an idea of how a couple of my current pieces of mismatched gear match up to his recommendations?

-REI Midweight MTS Bottoms vs Cap 3 bottoms

-The R1 or R2 jacket vs Mountain Gear Monkey Man Zip T

I've been using the same two sets of Cabela's "Thermastat" expedition weight polyESTER long underwear for the past decade with great results. They are extremely durable (over 10 years of a lot of use ain't bad) and show no signs of wearing out. They are comfortable and do NOT retain body odors.

On the other hand I've found Patagonia' Capelene to retain sweat longer and thus be not as warm as Thermastat.

If you want to avoid the stink and the reaction, try silk against the skin first and then use either the wool or poly over that. That's what I did for years before I discovered merino wool. Cabela's has silk base layers as does REI. Both have XXL and Tall. You don't get much insulation value with the silk, but it will help meet your needs. Good Luck and welcome to the midwest!

RE: REI midweight vs. capilene 3–the REI midweight is somewhere between the capilene 2 & 3 in thickness and warmth. I only have the older capilene (silk weight & midweight) and some assorted REI midweight pieces, but the stink variation between them is a mixed bag. I've never had a stink issue with the silkweight capilene, the REI stuff stinks a little after it gets pretty sweaty, the midweight capilene doesn't stink at all until it suddenly emits a stench that could kill a cow, usually after 5-6 days wear. However, YMMV. I know some people who never run into the stench problem with capilene.

RE: the R1/R2 vs. monkey man, I wouldn't go with the monkey man. Then again, I tend to think that fleece isn't a good choice for backpacking in anything other than really cold temps. It simply weighs too much and takes up too much pack volume for the warmth it provides.

R1 vs R2, it depends what you are going to be doing, and at what temp. First, I'd only go for either piece if I was going to be doing something only mildly active at a fairly low temp. I tend to use a marmot driclime for things like snowshoeing in temps down to maybe around 20F. If I stop I throw on an insulated piece (down or primaloft). An R1 is a reasonable alternative to the driclime if you throw a light windshirt on over the top. The R2 would probably be too warm for something like that, but better for standing around camp in the cold. Then again, I'm pretty much a furnace when I'm active, so you may need to bump up.

I would just keep the REI midweight bottoms and use them if they keep you warm. If not, get a pair of cheap polypro bottoms that feels like they will be thick enough. Chicago has two REI store in addition to a Patagonia and some Erehwons.

I would use the Monkey Man Zip T in lieu of the R1 or R2.

You should still get a good base layer though. And a wind/rain jacket or both. This area has been really moist the last year. I would just pick up some Patagonia Capilene 2s and just wear then whenever you feel like it in your regular and camping life. I like the zip necks because I can vent a bit or keep my neck warm if need be. For a rain jacket I would try to get the TNF Diad from Cabelas in an XL or XXL at a real discount. For a wind jacket I would go with something that was more on the windproof side than breathable because the winds can really rip across the prairie if they want to.

You are going to get a lot of wind and wind blown moisture off the lake so a down jacket is really only usable below freezing. You could get a synthetic one but that will only last you a few years. I would go with your fleece just because you can use it just about anywhere and in your regular life. Yeah, it weighs a bit more and takes up some bulk but after the second day of misting and rain your down jacket may have not seemed like a good option. Of course once it goes below freezing pop out the down then.

I think you guys have me sold on the Cap2. I'm debating the zipper though. I don't know if I will like a zipper against my skin with a pack chest strap going across it or not. I'll have to go find one to try on to figure that out.

What do you recommend wearing for pants in the rain and snow. I have a pair of REI Sahara pants but I know they won't do squat for me in high rain.

Also, a little off topic… For above freezing temps, would you recommend a down or synthetic sleeping bag for that region? I prefer hammock camping and was considering a quilt system. I have my sub freezing sleeping gear taken care of already. I was lucky enough to get my Father-in-Law's 3 piece Army sleeping system. Granted, it's a heavy 2 bag + bivy set up, but I couldn't pass up the "free" and "unused" parts of the deal.

Or, considering that you're planning on hammocking, a down quilt. Unless you are going to be hiking someplace that is incredibly moist all the time I'd go for down. It's lighter, packs up smaller, lasts a lot longer, and isn't that hard to keep dry. In 40 years of backpacking I've gotten my down bag wet to the point that it lost all insulating properties exactly once, when the stupid scoutmasters had us set up camp in a dry wash, and then some rain showed up unexpectedly. If you take minimal precautions (put your bag in a waterproof bag in your pack, don't set up your camp in an obvious dry wash) you'll be OK.