Base Layers and Underwear

Reviewed by LoneStranger

Smartwool brings Merino magic with their Boxer Brief. Comfortable, functional, and surprisingly durable these are great for any sort of hiking or backpacking, but especially useful on extended trips when you appreciate the no-stink qualities of good wool.

  . I have had great experience in the past with Smartwool products having enjoyed their socks and insulating layers. When the chance came up to test their Merino Boxer Brief I had high expectations. Made with a Merino/nylon blend, 150g weight material in a Slim Fit style, they looked and felt great from the start. After a grueling season on trail, including a month-long thru hike of Vermont's Long Trail, I have to admit I liked them even more than I expected heh. Let's get into these briefs...I mean talking about them.

Read more: Smartwool Merino Boxer Brief review (1)

Reviewed by Jake W

The Fjallraven Bergtagen Woolmesh Sweater is a base layer top that utilizes wool in three different weaves to maximize heat retention in key areas (chest, back) and breathability in others (stomach, underarms). It’s a total home run of execution and since I received this top for testing I have worn nothing else. It’s exceptionally well tailored, durable, doesn’t stink on multi-day trips, and you’ll have no fear around a fire. The only possible negatives are more inherent to wool, than this product—it takes longer to dry.

PREAMBLE Fjallraven is right up there with Arc'teryx in the confusing naming scheme of their products. The Woolmesh Sweater is part of their Bergtagen line (Bergtagen is a Swedish word used to describe the feeling of being captivated and humbled by the mountains, awesome name), which includes the base layer (two top options and two bottom options, both men's and women's), mid-layer insulation (two different jackets for both men and women as well as an elephant style sleeping bag), outer shell (pants and jacket, both men's and women's), and a work layer (pants and jacket, both men's and women's).

Read more: Fjallraven Bergtagen Woolmesh Sweater review (1)

Featured review by David Link

A super-comfortable and versatile Merino blend hooded shirt, excels as a sun or wind shirt. This is the first time I’ve really tried a long-sleeved sun protective shirt, and I was pleasantly surprised how comfortable it is in warm conditions. Though it is marketed as a sun shirt, it is much more than that.

  Morning walk in the foothills Having read several super positive reviews about this hoodie, I wanted to give it a try, but was put-off a little bit by the price tag. But having recently moved to the Sierra foothills, where it is generally colder than the central valley, I went for it anyway, and was not disappointed.  Fit and Comfort: I would consider the fit to be on the "athletic" side. I wasn’t quite sure whether to order the XL or the XXL. While I usually fit XL in most shirts, occasionally they can be a little tight (Icebreaker shirts are a good example of this.

Read more: Voormi River Run Hoodie reviews (2)

Featured review by KiwiKlimber

These might replace every pair of underwear you own. Okay, maybe not at $25 a pair, but they are comfortable, lightweight, incredibly fast at wicking away moisture and quick drying. Yep, they are that good.

When I purchased my first pair of these in 2009, I would have said $25 is rather expensive for a pair of underwear and would have listed that as a con. Today, as I see other performance underwear being sold for $30-$50, I realize that $25 is reasonable and well worth the investment. If you're a briefs kind-of-guy, they are slightly cheaper ($20).  USE: I first bought them because I was bike commuting 8 miles each day in the summer heat and preferred to be dry upon arriving to work. Since then, I have purchased a few more pairs (three in all) and have used for multi-day and day hikes, fishing, hunting, swimming, and just everyday use.  THE TEST: These underwear really proved their worth to me when I visited the tropical rainforest island of...

Read more: ExOfficio Give-N-Go Boxer Brief reviews (9)

Reviewed by Mike Mineart

The Patagonia Capilene Air Bottoms are Patagonia’s newest base layer design which utilizes a unique seamless knit construction that is composed of 51 percent merino wool and 49 percent Capilene recycled polyester. This results in a very stretchy insulation layer that is both light and warm. The knit construction provides a nice thickness that works extremely well inside of waders for long days fishing in cold streams. Overall this is a great base layer, especially for colder conditions.

Overview The Patagonia Capilene Air Bottoms are Patagonia’s newest base layer design that follows Patagonia’s long tradition of developing new fabrics with improved performance while also trying to find ways to minimize the impact on the environment. The Capilene Air Bottom fabric is a unique a 3-D seamless knit construction that utilize fibers made from 51 percent responsibly sourced merino wool and 49% Capilene recycled polyester.  The resulting bottoms are light, warm and very comfortable to wear.

Read more: Patagonia Capilene Air Bottoms review (1)

Reviewed by LoneStranger

A full-length base layer bottom that has real value on trail in all four seasons. Smartwool's Classic All-Season Merino Base Layer Bottom uses a 150g wool/nylon blend fabric that is heavy enough to add warmth when layered but light enough to use as a hiking tight in warm weather. Comfort and durability for use all year.

  Taft Lodge on the Long Trail (Vermont) Long a fan of Smartwool layers in winter, I spent this summer testing some of their gear that works well in warm weather. Along with the Merino Boxer Brief, which I wore almost every mile of the season, I also spent some time wearing Smartwool's Classic All-Season Merino Base Layer Bottom. Light in the pack and extremely versatile on the body I found these bottoms to be worth carrying on trips long and short. There is also a women's version of this.

Read more: Smartwool Classic All-Season Merino Base Layer Bottom review (1)

Reviewed by BigRed

Black Diamond's Solution 150 Merino Base Crew is a lightweight, polyester-reinforced merino wool base layer. Cool enough to wear under light shell clothing for high intensity activity at around-freezing temperatures without overheating, but easily layered over for use in colder conditions or at lower intensity. Stretch fabric gives a comfortable fit even on a slim frame and dries a little faster than 100 percent merino.

(Preliminary review based on the first month of use) Black Diamond’s Solution 150 Base shirts and long underwear are lightweight, polyester-reinforced merino wool base layers. They are light enough to wear under light shell clothing for high intensity activity at around-freezing temperatures without overheating, but easily layered over for use in colder conditions or at lower intensity. BD has supplied me with both a crew neck top and ¾ length bottoms for testing. Much of what I have to say about the one will apply to the other and so may be duplicated in both reviews.

Read more: Black Diamond Solution 150 Merino Base Crew review (1)

Reviewed by OutdoorKelly

The Kari Traa Rose Longsleeve is a 100 percent merino base layer that is comfortable, warm, and durable. It's thin enough to layer without restricting movement, and incorporates a range of colors and sizes to appeal to a variety of adventurous ladies! Just be prepared to size up as this base layer runs SMALL!

Testing Conditions: I tested the Kari Traa Rose Longsleeve from December 2018 to December 2019 as a member of the Trailspace Review Corps. Testing conditions ranged from -25 to 20 degrees Fahrenheit in the following activities: hiking, fat biking, snowshoeing, backcountry skiing, alpine (resort) skiing, and nordic skiing.                                                                  Rose Longsleeve front view Fit & Comfort: For those who aren't familiar with Kari Traa, the Norwegian brand was developed by its namesake, a female Olympian freestyle skier. The Rose Longsleeve is a base layer made of 100 percent merino wool.

Read more: Kari Traa Rose Long Sleeve review (1)

Reviewed by Jake W

The Smartwool Merino 150 Pocket Tee is an active wear, base layer made up of 87% merino wool and 13% polyester. The high wool content maximizes one of nature's greatest insulator's ability to regulate temperature, ward off the multi-day stink, and manage moisture, while the polyester content adds durability and comfort. A lightweight wool tee allows for an endless amount of uses—from a thin sun shirt on hot summer days, to an excellent next to skin layer as part of a clothing system in winter. I've worn this from the trail, to the crag, to the pub, to the lake, to chasing the kids around the yard; it is really just that versatile. The fit is a little baggier than I would like, but that one constructive criticism is more than offset by the comfort, function, and versatility of this tee.

  First off, a disclaimer—I am an unabashed wool fan. It's amazing to me that man has made so many "revolutionary" fabrics designed to do, well...exactly what wool does. Mother Nature has shown us the exact fibre to be using for years. Our ancestors knew it, most experts that make a living outdoors know it, walk through the Scottish Highlands/Canadian North/Siberia, and see what their clothes are made off- natural materials.  Wool is, by nature, "scratchy" to some people. It has come a long way from the ragg wool of past, and high quality, low micron wool, like the kind used in this tee, are a lot softer.

Read more: Smartwool Merino 150 Pocket Tee review (1)

Featured review by Andrew F.

This is a fairly warm synthetic base layer, loose enough to serve as a mid-layer. I recommend wearing alone for cooler weather and beneath a shell or insulated pants in really cold weather. The newer version has two hand pockets rather than a back pocket and is sized even more loosely than past versions—including looser cuffs at the bottom. New ones also have a drawstring, a plus.

The R1 bottom is kind of like a versatile pair of outdoor sweatpants. They are thick enough to wear alone in fairly cool weather if you are active, and they are very warm if you wear them under a shell. On cooler summer nights, I'll often put them on as the temperature drops in camp.     FIT: The fit on these used to be pretty average. They have enough room and plenty of stretchiness to wear over a tight, lightweight base layer or running tights if needed. The current version is sufficiently loose that they wouldn't be a great deep cold base layer, but they now layer better over a base layer bottom.

Read more: Patagonia R1 Pants reviews (2)