Re: Smartwools long underwear
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: maladat</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: 45.308</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Wool clothing is very good for huge temperature swings like all natural fibers with cotton actually being the best, down a close second.</div></div>
My experience with cotton in the outdoors in cold or even cool weather has been horrible. It gets really wet with sweat with even mild exertion and then stays wet and keeps you cold for hours. If it's warm or hot it's OK, but I'll still take technical synthetics every time.
I will add one exception to my comment on liking my Smartwool long underwear better than Capilene. When it's really cold (below 20 degrees all day) I like the Capilene 4 expedition weight stuff that looks like a thin fleece. </div></div>
You misunderstand and I was not clear. Natural fibers, cotton and down allow the body to be comfortable (not wet) in huge temperature swings, e.g., using a zero degree rated down sleeping bag with cotton shell will allow the body to be comfortable in zero and up to say 50 degree where as a synthetic filled zero rated bag with a pertex shell will feel over warm and clammy. Comfortable over huge temperature swings is NOT the same as dealing with extreme wet climates, nature fibers are cooler in the heat and warmer in the cold for a set amount of thickness of insulation Vs synthetics. Also, natural fibers are softer and drape around the body better than stiff synthetic fibers decreasing the amount of dead air that the body has to regulate.
Wool is natural and is a superb insulator but if dealing with wet like you mention, I prefer Capilene but many have gone back to wool, my experience comes from wearing wool and wearing Capilene, fall into a frozen river, dig a snow cave, hike for hours in a blow like snain, anything that instills high water in a clothing system, this will test any fabric. For me, wool even today's high performance wool does not dry any where close to as synthetics and being 3 days in the backcountry, I want the best chance.
One test parameter is to wear a half half, left side was wool and right side was Capeline, wool was good but Cap was much better at management of micro climate around the body. Half half are how most clothing companies / fibers companies test their products in the real world.
Wool is good so absolutely wear it. I just say, Smartwool is not the only one in the neighborhood and they have a huge advertising department and wearing both, Ibex I and most of those who wore both preferred Ibex.
Good luck and have fun
