Base Layer

What's the best base layer clothing out right now? Merino wool, capaline 3 by padagonia, or something else?

Trying to get ready for our cold weather camp, and y'all know how I "love" the cold! I actually don't mind it if I'm doing something fun like camping, but I still don't want to be cold when I go to sleep. My bag is only rated for +20°F, so it's not very warm in anything below the mid-30s. Those were a couple of cold nights.....

I looked up bag liners, bug most people reported that they're not really sorry anything and that a good warm base layer is better. So what's the best?

Each person is different. I use a lightweight base layer. if I go with the heavy stuff I sweat.

Light layers and many keep you the warmest. Down can't be beat anywhere exception when it's soaking wet it's no good.

We are going out Saturday Coldest day of the year. Backapacking..6" of snow. Should be fun.

Mark Jones

I definitely agree and do layers during the day so I can control temps better. My biggest concern is sleeping. I'll use a sheet and comforter at night even when it's 68° in the house. I may be warm when I first lay down and need to kick a leg out, but I bundle up in my sleep throughout the night which leads me to believe that my body temp drops when I sleep. I've known other people who sweat at night because they obviously keep their body temps up higher than mine. 

So the short of it is that I'm looking for something warm to accompany my moderate sleeping bag. I will buy a better and/or warmer bag when I need one, but for South Carolina camping I doubt I'll need it unless we hit the upstate mountains during a cold snap.

Three things really work well for me in cold weather sleeping...1) TWO pair of socks, 2) an insulated backpacking air mattress to keep the ground's cold from invading your bag, and 3) a wool cap to avoid major heat loss from the head. You'll sleep with a smile on your face.

Last night my son slept outside in his hammock in the 16 degree temps. Tonight it will be 1 degree.

He has a Kodiak sleeping bag and a DIY down underquilt for his hammock. He sleeps in his pajama bottoms and a long sleeve shirt and socks and I think he has a blavica on.

Tommarrow night I will sleep in my backpacking tent. On my backpacking cot and a insulating pad in my Kodiak sleeping bag wearing a fleece stocking cap, long sleeve light weight underarmor base layer and wool synthetic socks. I have slept out in all kinds of weather with this setup. In this 8" snow we got lastnight and today...we will be set.

I have a down - synthetic snowmobile suit.. I could just sleep in it on top of the ground....but hey.. I gotta look like I am backpacking and roughing it. I cant hike in it.. I get to hot. But laying on the ground around the fire is near perfection.

Mark Jones

My goto gear at the Batcave. It needs to be redone but hey..what can I say. This is good gear and it has lasted for many years now using it many times a year.

I have never been cold with this setup. Ever.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1PWf2Yc9hek

Mark Jones

I'm going to date myself, but in the 1970's-80's we wore a layer of polypropylene directly next to the skin (with undershorts to keep them from getting too grungy).

Over that, we often wore a wool sweater. We liked the "Wooly Pully", but a sweater with buttons was better for ventilating to let water vapor escape when working.

Over that, we wore canvas field pants with a removable quilted nylon liner (suspenders to keep them loose-fitting), and a M-1951 Fishtail Hooded Parka.

That & Mickey Mouse Boots kept us functional down to 30 degrees below zero (actual temperature).

In Alaska, we were told that "Fashionable and Stupid" were synonymous terms in Arctic Climates.

Now, the Government issues the Extreme Cold Weather System. I have never used it, but I believe that it uses open-cell foam to create a layer of "dead air" and yet allow moisture to escape.

Mark Jones wrote:My goto gear at the Batcave.  It needs to be redone but hey..what can I say.  This is good gear and it has lasted for many years now using it many times a year.  

I have never been cold with this setup.  Ever.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1PWf2Yc9hek

Mark Jones

Great video! But who's the country bumpkin narrating it??? j/k

Woo hoo! The sun's above the trees and shining brightly, and the thermometer's all the way up to -7. Time to break out the Bermuda shorts.

I might wear shorts in that weather.... by the wood stove.

Now I am wearing shorts right now. In fact I've got the windows open in the house with a pleasant cross breeze blowing. My kind of winter weather! 

Ha. You think I talk funny. You should talk to Chris or Dan. They have that really odd northern accent. Sometimes I can't even figger out what they are saying... when I talk to them. GRIN!

Mark Jones

Phillip Gross wrote:

Mark Jones wrote:My goto gear at the Batcave.  It needs to be redone but hey..what can I say.  This is good gear and it has lasted for many years now using it many times a year.  

I have never been cold with this setup.  Ever.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1PWf2Yc9hek

Mark Jones

Great video! But who's the country bumpkin narrating it??? :lol:j/k

If WE talk funny, how come the Newsman on your local television station talks like us?

Me have an accent haha. I thought it was funny first time I heard you on youtube doing a demo on alcohol stoves. You get this mental impression of what people will sound like before you hear them.

Yep. For some reason I didn't expect Mark to have a southern draw. I think it goes back to Claymore's pointing to a news caster. Everyone thinks the news caster sounds like them, but that's because they're trained NOT to have distinguishable accents. In my mind's ear, Chris doesn't sound like a northerner, but he sure does on the phone!

Mark, is that backpacking cot comfortable at all, or just meant to get you off the ground? I bought a traditional cot (with foam pad) to sleep on this last car camp we took the boys on. Best night of sleep I've had camping since I was a kid! Apparently my body aches too much to sleep on hard surfaces like I used to even when taking 600-800mg of ibuprofen before bed. 

I found that cot you have on the REI website for a little over $200. If it adds comfort then I'd call it well worth it! I currently have one of those self-inflating pads, but that's more for insulation than comfort IMO.

Also, what is a good way to stay warm on a budget? I know that "lightness" costs money, but layers going to add warmth regardless. Just layers of old fashioned long johns, sweats, etc?

I want to have a meeting for those planning on going on our cold weather camp soon and want to compile information for a handout.

As a general rule. Layers are the key. Stay away from cotton. I know the boys will bring cotton but steer them away from it during the winter months.

You can get some base layer stuff pretty inexpensive. Just keep them light and easily removed or added back on.

Mark Jones

I personally like the feel of cotton. What is out there that feels like cotton. My wife bought me some "no sweat" t-shirt from carhartt a few years back that's supposed to wick away moisture. I hate that shirt! I just don't like the feel of synthetics. Maybe I should steer towards the merino wool?

Soft polypropylene underwear isn't bad. Aside from being stretchy, its feel could pass for cotton.

Big thing with polypropylene (I think) is to get it a size or 2 larger. I think that they make it to stretch to your size (so it's slightly small) and it tends to shrink with washing. Also keep it away from the clothes dryer, if possible.

Grin. I am laughing be cause you are so right! I have 2 back ice base layer shirts...the first one is my normal size. The 2nd one is a size larger. I wore the normal size this weekend in the freeze if you please event 8" of snow and temps 16 degrees... I rolled over and that shrinked base layer had my bare skin exposed... BRRRRR!

Buy it larger! Buy it Larger! GRIN!

Mark Jones

You're right, Mark. I hate that.

But I'm finding that my clothes are also starting to suffer from "closet shrink".

You hang a pair of pants in the closet, come back a couple of months later, and they have gotten tighter. 

 

The cot is comfort. It's keeps you off the ground. No rocks sticking you or wet ground. I put it under my backpacking tent and sleep like a baby.

Mark Jones

Yeah, I'm looking at the cot pretty hard! Might have to get one before our January backpack trip!

Just remember a insulating pad to put on top of it. Then your cozy warm and no rocks!

Mark Jones