UKC

I'm looking for a decent base layer, Im sick of the helly hansen stink, when worn on multi day trips- its just revolting!!

I'm impressed with the howies merino base layers but they dont have raglan sleeves and get a wee bit sore with the weight of the bag pressing the seams into my shoulders. Also, dont like the price of the howies!!

Im looking for any suggestions??

Cheers

In reply to Couby:
Mountain hardwear do some very good synthetic baselayers (mine didn't stink after 5 days of climbing earlier this year)

In reply to Couby: Alpkit does a Merino wool and synthetic mix base layer which doesn't stink.

In reply to Couby: I use a 'Five' ski baselayer. Happy as Larry.

In reply to Bob Hughes: Thanks for your responses. I Don't suppose you could point me in the direction of the alpkit base layers? Cant seem to see them on the webpage.

Cheers

In reply to Couby:
Berghaus Tech T (long sleeved) is pretty good. I've worn mine for days at a time with no smells.

In reply to Cousawby: saw some merino base layers in tk max ... 15 squid ..

In reply to Couby:
"Im sick of the helly hansen stink, when worn on multi day trips- its just revolting!!"

Everything stinks on md trips! However HH, swish about in a river, wring out, and put on again!
Takes a bit of getting used to, but I'm guessing you're a girl or a yoof?
p
p.s. HH is the dogs bollox re base!

In reply to Couby: cant recommand icebreaker 260 or the patagonia C3 Capilene used these in scotland and was never cold or sweaty. bit for expensive. But If you pay peanuts, you get monkeys ...

In reply to Couby: I have tried a few different base layers and i the merino icebreaker tops are the best . they cost alot, but they are deffinitly worth it

In reply to Alex Roddie:


I think you must be a very sweet smelling chap then! I've got one and it smells under the arms within minutes of me putting it on. I'm not a particularly smell person normally and really get upset when I can smell my self - I find virtually all synthetics are a bit pongy, but my oldish Tech-t is particularly bad! This makes Merino all the more amazing in that I can wear merino stuff days on end and it just doesn't smell.

In reply to Couby:

Merino is, in my experience, the best. No doubt. Capilene's not a bad second choice.

These are fantastic, another vote for marino, they may cost twice as much as synthetic but you can wear them at least twice as long before they get uncomfortable.

http://www.urbanrock.com/products_detail.php?CatId=312&PId=2641

I got one last year and have been very impressed no smell after wearing for three days continually, so much so I bought a second!

Jon

In reply to Couby:

More important than whether a base layer makes you stink is whether it keeps you warm when its wet -- Merino will do that far better than any synthetic.

I'd recommend Icebreaker -- eg 260 with the thumb loop and zip front.

In reply to Couby:

Other makes do not have seems on the shoulders, so that should solve one of your issues.

Can't really recommend heavy merino for scottish winter, if at all I'd go for the thinnest one you can get. Heavier ones get heavy and wet, and they're not really warm that way.

In reply to TobyA:

And that's the million-dollar statement.

Old synthetics smell bad. All but the cheapest have anti-bacterial stuff in them but it does wash out over time. My (>2 years old) smelly helly still smells ok, a new helly I've got smells nicer for longer, and an old cheapo decathalon job that might not have had any antibacterialness at all smells horrendous all the time.

In reply to Couby:
I for one believe in a good thermal vest and pants, one that tucks a good distance into the other.

In reply to Arjen:

Not encountered this problem myself -- Icebreaker base-layers (190 and 260, iirc) are pretty light-weight. To some extent what works best will be dependent on the outside temp, what other layers you wear, and how hot/cool you run, and how much standing around on stances you do.

And having started climbing in the '70s, I can remember using old heavy wool when I first went winter climbing, then changing to synthetic when that got established, but now that merino is out, it'd take something pretty revolutionary to get me back wearing sythetics.

In reply to Couby:

Yep - merino definitely rocks. Carpet moths think so too though - little bastards won't touch the Helly...

In reply to Couby:

I know you've had a lot of suggestions, but I didn't see any mention of icebreaker merinos. I have quite a few of those, and they are the dogs. Nice flat seams, no stink, etc.

In reply to Couby:
i know it will upset the fashion police but I have a craghoper merion from their Debenhams outlet. First class. Have always liked wool, used to wear an old smelly Lifa then a wool jumper for years.

cheers for all the suggestions, think i'll have to bite the bullet and get some nice ice breakers. I don't think i would go back to synthetic.