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Merino sucks for high energy or wet stuff. It's rotten, terrible, ineffective. I've got / had all manner from the cheap Aldi to expensive icebreaker stuff. It's nice for stuff that's not very sweaty or wet.
+1
Craft synthetic here. Beats merino in every way involving exercise.
The Brynje of Norway mesh stuff is brilliant - okay, it looks and works like an old school string vest, but it's deceptively warm in use, wicks and dries super fast and, if you need to vent, to lose heat, it dumps warmth really quickly. It has the downside that you can't really strip down in the pub or caff without looking like a Right Said Fred wannabe, but functionally it's brilliant.Personally I find merino just gets soggy.
For anyone who finds that merino does not work well for them, I would suggest wearing a Brynje synthetic mesh baselayer underneath the merino top. Because the mesh is synthetic and holds the merino away from the skin, you shouldn't get the unpleasant and chilling feel of heavily sweat saturated wool against the skin, but you do get the benefit of wool's superior insulation performance. Brynje themselves make combined mesh and merino double layer baselayers to exploit the different properties of the two fabrics.
Even some synthetic baselayers can feel clammy when saturated with sweat, and a mesh baselayer underneath them should similarly improve their performance, i.e both feeling drier because only the synthetic mesh is in contact with the skin and warmer because air is trapped in the mesh gaps between the skin and outer baselayer.
Surely, if you wear mesh under it, it's no longer a base layer.....
I'm another one who thinks merino is pish for an active baselayer. Holds onto moisture and you get a chill. Forever stitching up the holes in the bloody things as well. Synthetic baselayers FTW!
Smelly Hellies aren't as smelly as they used to be either. Wash them in Halo sports wash and they are fine.
I have a thick synthetic poly /elastine LS top from Lidl or Aldi. Its my 'go to ' top when its really cold. Its way thicker than all my other base layers but still wicks very well and retains alot of heat
Had for 3 years now and its not changed shape or gone smelly afaik
The only fail with it is the neckline, its abit too open so you need a jersey or jacket with high collar , or buff/snood to cover the gap
I have several base layers with turtle necks and shitty zippers ,but these are approx 1/4 of the thickness of me Aldi one.
Merino clearly doesn't work, unless you are being carried in a sedan chair in sub zero temps :D.
Merino - the ideal base layer for the discerning ebiker?
Surely, if you wear mesh under it, it's no longer a base layer.....
In my experience two thin close fitting baselayers is the way to go when it gets very cold.
Moreover, in my experience none of the modern, supposedly high wicking, synthetic baselayers offered by the likes of Helly Hansen, Craft, Castelli, Howies etc. are as good as the version of Helly Hansen Lifa sold 30 years ago. The older version of Lifa looked scruffy and was responsible for the 'Smelly Helly' nickname, but was very effective. The newer version might look better, but does not perform as well (in the same way that fleece supplanted fibre pile, despite fibre pile's superior performance on every count except looks/fashion). I think the reason for the superior performance of old Lifa was its rib knit and the 'bobbly' surface of the fabric, which gave it its scruffy appearance but also helped the wicking and insulation performance, unlike the very smooth surface finish of modern Lifa tops and similar products from other manufacturers like Craft etc.
The combination of Brynje mesh with an outer baselayer (merino or whatever), is the only product I have found so far to compare with wearing two old Lifa baselayers.
The Odlo base layers are similar to the old helly hansen. Loose woven with heavy pile on the inside. They look terrible but are excellent. They do a version for "cold" and "very cold" and where they're from I guess they should know the difference. Anyway, their very good and worth a look if you're missing the old Hellys.
https://odlo.com/uk/en-gb/shirt-l-s-turtle-neck-1-2-zip-originals-warm-14.html
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Nike Pro or an Old UnderArmour winter job. Neither were over expensive and have lasted years.
I like merino for skiing but just don’t like it for anything involving sweating.
I switched to merino and loved it at first. But when I went back to synthetic one day I really noticed how much better it handled sweat and dampness.
I really like Paramo Grid base layers.
it's too " itchy" ...maybe something to do with too much body hair..?
X-Bionic, tested by me down to -27 in the arctic over 5 days. Expensive yes, but worth the expense where getting cold and damp is not a good idea - but you also need good mid and outer layers too.
Hmm.. i find synthetic stuff just gets cold so is useless for anything over half an hour (i sweat alot). Merino does get very soaked but not cold like the nike base layers.
Trouble is my on one merino vests are getting tatty and cant find suitable replacement.
Plenty of suggestions thanks folks , and for me personally Merino as quite a few have said makes me itch like buggery , gives me chills and gets holy in next to no time . Got a Mountain Warehouse shops nearby might check out that Talus but haven't had a lot of luck with MW lately they seem more casual than serious ?
Been a long term HH fan esp original LIFA. Never had the smelly jelly issue either despite being a sweaty b....
However recently bought a couple in white and the material is very different and IME not as good
I also have one of the dry tops. Awesome warmth but only for really cold ski days and other mountain trips. Collar a bit off.
For simple sports eg running tennis and cycling I have found under armour, Canterbury and nike pro all work well so I just look for the sales
I use Keela ADS long sleeved top, they certainly wick the sweat away and I sweat a lot.
I can finish a winter ride and my baselayer will be dry.
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