"thermal" underwear?

S

SA Scott

New member
Last New Years' morning I was sitting in a stand in Central Texas, dumber than the whitetails I was waiting for. Temps in the mid 20s, wind chill probably at or below zero. I was layered and wearing a decent parka, but still got too cold. This situation isn't typical for me, but I want to cope better if it occurs again.

What I didn't have was a good under layer. In addition to warmth, though, anything I buy has to be breathable, because I'll sweat before you can say "Sw..." I've looked at products from L.L. Bean, REI, and Cabela's, but I'm curious what materials and weights people have used with good results.

Thanks,

SA Scott
 
The thicker the better for just sitting around. I wear the stuff float tubing. Last year I used the 6oz polar weight stuff from Cabelas and was still chilly. Last month I was fishing the Eastern Sierra in the 7oz expedition weight and was able to stay warm most of the day, but still got a little chilly the last hour or two. I think next year I'm gonna try and layer a thin pair with the expedition weight and see if that works better.

Anyway, for minimal movement, the thicker the better. When you're not generating a lot of body heat you need the extra layers to slow down the heat loss.
 
Thinsulate thermal underwear are great. They will keep you toasty warm and they breathe wonderfully. In fact, they breathe so well that shoveling snow in a parka, I soaked my shirt and pants so badly in sweat that they had to be taken off and laid on the heater to dry. My skin however, was still dry and warm.
 
While stationary I use hothands heater packs. You can slip them in your boots(not too long because you do not want you feet to sweat) or your gloves to supplement heat. I have been deployed to many environments and I never leave without these heat packs.

AIRBORNE!
 
One word... polypropylene. It wicks moisture away from the skin, and it insulates well.

With a good polypropylene underlayer, a cotton mid-layer, and some thinsulate coveralls (Wall's Blizzard grade), I stay plenty warm. I also use a synthetic sock liner, good wool socks, and thinsulate boots.
 
For additional foot warmth...
add a pair of ladies Knee Highs. Thin enough to not change boot fit but add considerable warmth.

Sam
 
Along the same lines
Silk underwear
Top, full length bottoms, and socks.
may be used alone with wool, or with other insulates

'nuther, + for Sam's idea, and silk socks, besides warmth, aids in prevention of blisters.
 
The new light weight GI thermals are pretty good, they replaced the PPs about 4-5 years ago in the Marines. They got rid of the biggest drawbacks of the PPs ,the smell cannot be washed out of and they turn hard from drying. They are not quite as warm because of being thinner, but there are no free lunches.
 
I've had good luck with Cabellas expedition weight stuff......even in Colorado late seasons.........Wolverene thinsulate boots...
Dan
 
Thermax doesn't retain odor like polypro & resist pilling a lot better. If you are in a tree stand or not moving much, try a vapor barrier sock between the liner & outer sock. It works on the same principle as a diver's wetsuit. If you have lots of layers, consider a microfiber or nylon windshirt between the insulating layers to act as a slipsheet to prevent bunching & additional warmth with little bulk/weight.
 
Thanks for all the responses. Part of my problem is buying sight unseen. I haven't found any retailer that stocks these items for a visual comparison. I'm pretty much decided on light to midweight synthetic, like polypropylene, Polartec, thermax, etc. I tend to run warmer than most, so I'm afraid I'll overheat/sweat in a heavyweight fabric or get less use out of it. I could buy another set later if lighter weights don't do the job.

SA Scott
 
Silk or synthetic is the best for next to the skin. But make sure it is snug so the wicking properties due their job right.

Second layer should be heavy: wool, thick cotton, etc.

Outer layer should be wind-proof and water-proof. This applies to boots, gloves, and hats, too.

Make sure you wear a good hat, gloves, and boots. That's where you lose most of your body heat.
 
I live and hunt in Colorado.

I like Patagonia capalene. Thin, will go on under your jeans, wicks away moisture if you need to move vigorously. I hiked up into the forest today with the capalene under my BDU's. After a couple of miles going uphill I sat to call some crows. No chill after the workout. Very comfortable. Just wash and wear.

If you are going to sit for extended periods of time check out Polartec from REI. They are a little bulkier, but they have the same characteristic of wicking away moisture. They are not as close fitting as the capalene. The other nice thing about REI is that you will get a refund at the end of the year, usually about 6 to 10 percent of what you buy there.
 
Patagonia's Capiline line offers the most selection and variety for base layer clothing. No other company comes close to thier diversity in that field. Other companies like REI, Mountain Hardwear, North Face, Marmot all produce excellent base layers. Figure $40 for top, $35 bottom.

Stay away from Polypropolyne! That stuff is dated technology, not to mention it smells and turns into sandpaper after a couple of uses. The newer thermals on the market have reduced the synthetic/smelly factor greatly.

NO COTTON! Cotton will kill you by retaining all your sweat and keeping it close to your body. Thereby that moisture absorbed in the clothing will accelerate the body's cooling off process. Layer yourself with: 1. synthetic base layer, 2. fleece/down/synthetic insulating layer and 3. your shell layer.

If you're gonna be in a stationary position, than I would recomend wearing insulation for your outerlayer. A down or synthetic layer should do. Being stationary, your body is not producing enough heat because of its static state. If you're active, than you'd be best served wearing fleece, as it'll still keep you warm while you're cooling off from all your movement.

In a stand insulate your floor and seat with a Thinsulate pad. They're inexpensive sleeping pads ($10-15), cut them up and use them to form a barrier from the cold and your body. The idea is to form a barrier from the cold and your body, thus preventing conductive heat loss.
 
Corsair

How much do most of those cost? The 75 dollars seems pretty steep for just thermals. The USGI light weight thermals, only cost 7.95 each piece. They are still referred to as light Poly-Pros, although they are made of Caprelene. Poly Pro was in the system about 20 years so the term is still used. Unfortunately outside of the Marine Corps and a very few army units the Light weights are not a common issue item and the old PPs are the standards.
 
I just ordered almost $200 of Smartwool stuff...gloves, a beanie, thermals (top and bottom) and a few pairs of socks....
 
ECWS

I don't know if Cabela's still sells it.. The Sportsman's Guide sometimes has it..

Military Extreme Cold Weather System
stuff is really good..

Take if from an old Wyoming rancher who has to be out in it everyday.. The worse it is the more imperative it is to be there. Them cows gotta eat....*G*

You can feel the pressure of a cold wind blowing against your leg, but you don't feel the cold..

Then if it is really cold, a pair of insulated coveralls and your good to go...
 
STLRN, the cost can be intimidating, there are a lot of places that sell good thermals at reasonable prices, including Capilene. Those prices are generalities, but they are close. Keep in mind however, that these are man-made items, natural fibers generally cost less. Also, keeping your body warm in the cold particularly in the winter is not cheap. If it was, everybody would be out there. Don't get too caught up with the idea that since the military has, it must be good. That was the thought back in WWII, not now. At least concerning clothing. USGI, is about 10yrs behind commercially available stuff. The options that are available on the commercial market are endless and full of variety.

Here's a couple of places I check out.

http://www.mountaingear.com
http://www.rei.com and http://www.reioutlet.com
http://www.sierratradingpost.com

Many of the manufacturers on the above sites have retail outlets, as well as closeout pricing on their own websites.

For a good general resource: http://outdooreview.com is an outstanding place for reference and others opinions.

Hope this helps, glad to be of service.
 
I agree that sometimes you can find allot of better stuff from the pack packing community. But 75 dollars for the exact same thing (Caprilene is Caprilene) sound more like back packers are buying a brand name and not a technically superior piece of clothing. Kind of like the North Face Denali, and the USGI SPEAR/Marine Polartec fleece. I bought a Denali from Campmor for a little over 139.00 , While at the same time the other two USGI issue cost the Government around 70 dollars, and have seen new unissued ones in some surplus stores around Lejeune for 65. All 3 are made with the same Polartec 300 fleece and have the same quality of construction, but because of the NF name the Denali cost 2x as much.
 
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