By the Numbers: The Tug of Water – Why Some Layers Hold Sweat and Others Let it Go

very interesting – smaller pore size to make it rain proof

it seems like fabric designers could do some useful things here, but it probably wouldn’t be patentable so why bother if you can’t make a bunch of money off it : (

Thanks for one more awesome article!

I’ve been using the Gore over Brynje for high output activities in cold humid weather because Lifa is not available where I live. I thought Lifa would give better results than Gore since it’s not 100% PP (some elastane and nylon IIRC) but it seems fabric isn’t the only factor at play here! This combination has been great all winter, keeping me almost always dry :) I’ve initially tried Finetrack Warm and was quite disappointed so I sold it back. The fit wasn’t great too (Japan fit doesn’t work well with my tall and lean body).

For hot and humid high output activities I’ve been using Finetrack Cool this past summer but the results weren’t great. I think I need to revisit the next layer (was using mostly Merino. I plan to test Montbell Wickon Cool and maybe Toray Fieldsensor this summer). I’d be happy to read an article on the receiving layer ;)

Anyway, again I really appreciate your articles, please keep posting!

Hi again, if you have the chance, I think it would be interesting to add this to the test: https://www.montbell.com/us/en/products/detail/1107756?fo=0&color=LGY

It has the advantage of being available in white, which Finetrack doesn’t really do for some reason. They only make a Cool tank in green color (https://www.finetrack.com/c/wear-drylayer/wear-drylayer-cool/wear-drylayer-cool-men/DUM0803) and a Basic one in greyish (https://www.finetrack.com/c/wear-drylayer/wear-drylayer-basic/wear-drylayer-basic-men/KUM04E1) but with short sleeves (they make a tank version but only for women).

Both the article and the discussion are extremely helpful. I was inspired to pick up one of the Gore shirts (from the Competitive Cyclist link) to layer over my Brynje when the cold weather comes–looking forward to trying out this combination.

If there is a round two in the future, I’d like to second Alexandre’s nomination of Montbell’s Zeo-Line Cool Mesh. About a month ago I picked up a Zeo-Line shirt after watching GearSkeptic’s recent base layer video, so I’ll also be trying that out when things get cooler. The model he tested is a long-sleeved shirt with the torso made out of the Zeo-Line fabric and the sleeves made out of a non-mesh fabric. I went with a different model: Montbell also offers a long-sleeve shirt made entirely out of the Zeo-Line fabric in what the Montbell USA website describes as Asian sizing. They offer it for both men and women.

I pretty reliably take a women’s S in shirts, and here’s what I’ve found so far with the Gore and Montbell sizing:

Based on the Gore size chart in the website and Stephen’s comments on the men’s sizing, I ordered a women’s L. In the chart, the L is also listed as a size 40, although I’m not sure what the 40 refers to as none of the body measurements for the size are particularly close to 40. The shirt that arrived was marked L and 42, and it’s considerably tighter than I’d like it to be. It also has a scoop neck rather than the crew neck shown in the photo. I’m not a fan of scoop necks, so I think I’m going to replace it with the men’s version. I’ll probably go with the men’s L, since that will likely be significantly larger than the women’s L.

The Montbell website shows the women’s Zeo-Line shirt as having a scoop neck, so I went with the men’s version. Based on the size chart, I ordered the men’s M, and it fits. The men’s M measurements line up with the upper end of the women’s L measurements and most of the measurement range for the women’s XL, so I’m guessing I would have needed the XL or possibly the L if I’d gone with the women’s version.

Hi Alexandre. I share your frustration.  The temperature of your outer layer significantly influences the heat load your body must deal with.  I posted a little demonstration of this in 2019.  It seems to have disappeared from BPL, so I reposted here today to illustrate the impact of outer color on a sunny summer day.

I wish Finetrack produced a white version of their Basic layer. They do make a gray version. It is a pretty light shade of gray, and I have worn the short-sleeved version a lot.  I also have white polypro base layers from Lifa and now-defunct Gore.  I am not wearing my Lifa Baselayers for hiking anymore, based on the results described in this article. For summer use, I have tended to move away from knit base layers as outer layers and instead use very thin and loosely fitted woven fabrics in shades close to white. An example is this .

In this article, I am trying to compare how water moves between skin, a specific type of base layer and a consistent receiving layer. I was not specifically looking to compare properties of a variety of base or midlayer fabrics.

I am not sure why you would focus on this particular shirt, except that you are looking for a sleeveless base T-shirt in white. I would expect it to function similarly to the Silkweight Powerdry I tested here. Both fabrics are, I think close in thickness and weight.  They are both treated to have a strong capillary force. So, they will wick similarly from the skin and dry similarly. However, since you want white, I am guessing this will be an outer layer for you and this test did not look at how any of the test samples perform as outer layers. The important thing to remember is that the wicking rate of any hydrophilic base layer is unrelated to your sweating rate and to the fabric’s drying rate.  This is why it is hard to find the perfect base layer for use as an outer layer in hot weather. I don’t think I really answered your question, but feel free to post again if we can refine what you are after.

Hi Stephen,

I am not sure why you would focus on this particular shirt, except that you are looking for a sleeveless base T-shirt in white.

This is the first reason for my question. I’m concerned that wearing a black Finetrack under a white or light-colored sun hoodie might diminish its benefits. For summer, I prefer a sleeveless base for comfort.

However, since you want white, I am guessing this will be an outer layer for you and this test did not look at how any of the test samples perform as outer layers. The important thing to remember is that the wicking rate of any hydrophilic base layer is unrelated to your sweating rate and to the fabric’s drying rate.  This is why it is hard to find the perfect base layer for use as an outer layer in hot weather. I don’t think I really answered your question, but feel free to post again if we can refine what you are after.

You’ve more than answered my question. The second reason I prefer white is the flexibility it offers for wearing as an outer layer if necessary. I’m comfortable wearing the Finetrack as a single layer if needed, not a Brynje. However, as you mentioned, it’s quite challenging to find a layer that can serve as both a base and an outer layer.

That clarifies your objective. The color of your outer layer will impact heat load due to solar gain, as shown in the example I posted yesterday. I don’t see why the color of a base layer under a second layer makes any functional difference.

In women’s sizes, Finetrack has a white short-sleeve Elemental Layer shirt .

Maybe that would work for you.

Ahah, yes I’ve seen, unfortunately I’m already pushing the XL men in length at 6’3″! Thanks for taking the time to answer and thanks again for your great articles :)