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Which weight of Capilene?
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Home › Forums › Gear Forums › Gear (General) › Which weight of Capilene?
- This topic has 3 replies, 4 voices, and was last updated 7 years, 3 months ago by JCH.
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Dec 4, 2016 at 8:46 pm #3438742
I’m officially confused. Capilene used to be sold by numbers, with the higher number being heavier. I have a Capilene 2 bottom, and Capilene 4 (Expedition weight) top. I’ve been wanting a layer that is usable in the 45-55 F range, where my Capilene 4 top is a little too much. So, I picked up a couple of Midweight tops on sale, thinking that that would be comparable to the Capilene 2, which was the mid-range tops. The shirts feel heavier to me than the Capilene 4 shirt that I have. Looking at the Midweight top on the Patagonia website, they are 195 g, and the Thermal weight are 175 g. Is less supposed to be more warm? Or am I looking at the definitions wrong? Did I just purchase for myself 2 more of the equivalent of Capilene 4?
Dec 4, 2016 at 8:54 pm #3438747The lightweight is the least warm, the midweight is the middle warm, and the thermal weight is the warmest. Yes, the thermal weight is lighter and warmer. That’s because it uses a very airy/lofty grid fabric where the midweight uses a denser fabric. The new thermal weight is thinner and less warm than the old cap 4.
The midweight is much warmer than the cap 2. The cap 2 is a thinner baselayer while the midweight is a thicker, warm base layer. The cap 2 was never really much warmer than the cap 1, it was just a different type of fabric. I find the cap 2 suitable for hot weather.
If you wanted something less warm than the cap 4, but warmer than a regular thin base layer, the midweight might work well for you.
Dec 5, 2016 at 5:26 am #3438795Cap 1 = silkweight = daily (well, sort of)
Cap 2 = lightweight
Cap 3 = midweight
Cap 4 = thermal weight
Dec 5, 2016 at 7:14 am #3438798The new thermal weight is thinner and less warm than the old cap 4
I actually find the new Cap thermal weight to be warmer than the old Cap 4…the grid makes it effectively thicker by trapping more air. Of course this only works when worn under a wind blocking outer layer. Worn without an outer layer, the wind whistles right through it.
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