Which do you prefer for your own lower body base layer?

for summer in the Sierra I take powerstretch tights or expedition weight long johns for camp use/sleeping. Almost never wear them during the day; just shorts and occasionally windpants. For shoulder seasons I wear light long johns and shorts – can be wool or polyester long johns; the wool are more breathable but wear out too fast.

I seem to have settled on 2 systems right now, depending on whether I need or want to wear long pants or shorts:

1. Long pants. WEAR: Arc'Teryx Ramparts. CARRY: Ibex Woolies tights, a weather-appropriate shell or combination of shells (ZPacks kilt, Montbell Dynamos and/or GTX Paclite shell).

2. Shorts. WEAR: either Patagonia Wavefarer board shorts or running shorts. CARRY: MHW powerstretch tights, Montbell Dynamos and the ZPacks cuben kilt.

I like my golite running tights. They are about 8 ounces, fleece lined, and very warm. Running tights typically have a much tighter and durable fabric. I don't have a problem hiking off trail and scrambling with them unless I run into nasty brush. Long underwear just doesn't hold up. I use them for sleeping in as well.

Also the golite tights, it must have something to do with the fabric, but they are very warm while wet. Almost a wetsuit like effect. Done some river walking trips in winter with cold water and they keep my legs from getting too cold when crossing. I carry them instead of rain pants if I expect my legs to get too cold only wearing shorts.

I really prefer running tights over long underwear.

Yeah, wool long underwear can stretch out while wet. In really cold and wet I've used wool long underwear underneath running tights, which kept the wool long underwear from stretching out.

on clearance
http://www.golite.com/Mens-Cross-Timbers-Zonal-Tight-P47008.aspx

Justin- do the go lites have a drawstring or just an elastic waist?? Your thought process and key points on the running tights mirror my own with the UA but the fleece sounds nice for sleeping in.

Long johns for sleeping in, compression shorts under either pants or shorts as appropriate.

I have the rouge river tights, which are slightly different that the cross timbers, and are no longer available. They do have a drawstring. You should email golite to see if the cross timbers have a draw string.

Summer in western mountains I wear light polyester longies.

Fall and winter it's polar weight longies – bottom and top.

Wool just holds too much moisture and won't dry fast enough.