Thermals/Base layer/LongJohns..Call 'em what you like.

castaway

castaway

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On Saturday after sailing with the new owner of my old boat back from her winter berth at Chichester to her Summer home on the Hamble, I had to acknowledge that the internal heat source that has served me so well for all my life is not running quite so efficiently any more !

Now at the end of the autumn I bought some M and S cheap thermals but was pretty dissappointed as the top just felt like a T shirt and the bottoms were a bit 'restrictive'.

Does one have to go for Musto's to get the quality and feel ? What about Damart or skiwear ?

What are the fabric names I should be looking for ?

What about mid layer... whats that all about ??

I have foul weather breathable gear made by XM which appears to be pretty much a 100% knock off of the Musto gear but 1/4 the price, and I'm happy enough with that.

I'm off to Scotland for 2 weeks to launch my new boat in mid April so really want to be warm and comfy ..

Many thanks. Nick
 
The best I have are the wool ones from M&S. Wool stays warmer when wet too which is a bonus. These are more expensive than what you bought, but are worth the extra and you'll be cosy and comfortable.
Cheers
Dave
 
chippysmith said:
They have a good deal on thermals from Merino Wool, it doesn't get better
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Likewise, none of the fancy synthetic stuff from Musto et al has ever worked for me..starts to smell far too quickly and isn't very comfy as a base layer.

I've found merino wool thermals to work well, warm in the winter and not too hot when the sun comes out. I have a pair from Woolpower which were quite pricey but have lasted quite a few years now, but I guess any brand would do.

Not sure what you should 'officially' have as a mid layer, I put on another layer of wool if it's quite cold or perhaps fleece lined salopettes, and then foulies if it gets horrible.
 
Not all base layers, even Merino wool, are 'thermal'. Most are used all year round as a wicking layer to move sweat from the body outwards. I find a zip necked micro-fleece used as a baselayer keeps me toasty. I also have Craghopper Kiwi micro-fleece lined trousers and frequently use a fleece buff for the neck regions. Like you, my central heating definitely needs a de-coke.
 
I avoid the Musto etc stuff and use the outdoor shops like Mountain wossname (does Field and Trek still exist?). Much better value. I used to have some old Hellys which stank pretty quick. The later materials seem much better. The cheaper bargains get itchy. I found Craghopper stuff to be OK. Midlayer is a thin fleece - I got one with a zip neck which allows fumes to escape when I get warm.
 
Go for Aldi or Lidl - as good as anything else and well priced. Just have to grab them when you see them. Some in Lidl at the moment.

Better than a scarf a neck warmer makes a big difference too!
 
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castaway said:
I have foul weather breathable gear made by XM which appears to be pretty much a 100% knock off of the Musto gear but 1/4 the price, and I'm happy enough with that.

I'm off to Scotland for 2 weeks to launch my new boat in mid April so really want to be warm and comfy ..

Many thanks. Nick
Click to expand...

I too have XMs but for winter sailing ( we sail every week through the winter except January) I find the best answer is a set of flotation oilies. These have a foam core to them and they are really good at keeping you warm. Just bought a new jacket from Cosalt ( its their Gemini type here) at a cost of £85.

Under that I wear a fleece, then a sweatshirt, then a shirt then a vest. I'm usually a bit too hot if anything and like you I'm not a kid any longer.
 
I have a set of Musto's base layer. I wear them under a survival suit at work in combination with a variety of mid layers depending on the temperature. I think they are very good. Whether they are better than the Merino wool alternatives, I have no idea, but Musto base layer followed by a Superbear (pertex/fleece all in one) plus a survival suit has kept me toasty warm all night.
 
Gwylan said:
Go for Aldi or Lidl - as good as anything else and well priced. Just have to grab them when you see them. Some in Lidl at the moment.

Better than a scarf a neck warmer makes a big difference too!
Click to expand...

It's good stuff for motorcycling with extra padding on the knees,elbows and hips so will work well as a boaty base layer,I used my bike wet gear when out fishing for 14 hours last winter and I was as warm as you could have been(I did look a pillock tho')
Sealskin hat,gloves and socks are brilliant as well
 
Having tried a few, I have now used "Icebreaker" Merino Wool kit for a few years on mountains and on boat. It's top class stuff and doesn't fall apart like some. Very good deals to be had in a week or so, towards the end of the ski season.
 
Yes DAMART are still trading and I can second their products having two sets of theirbodywarmerTeeshirts and Longjohns; I also bought some REGATTA brand from the market stall in Fareham a few weeks ago for myself. The Tee shirts are with long sleeves or short sleeves,and in Grey,White or Blue, I still wear the tops and lowers but getting warmer now.
Some threads ago I recall the mention of JAVLIN gear from the 70's of which I still have the lower long johns; I wore these this last winter when the snow was around, they kept me warm as toast, however they don't breathe through the thick pile;the jacket I wore out many years ago.
I think JAVLIN are still in business but connected with the horse riding equipment now.

ianat182
 
To makes that I can recommend from personal experience are Woolpower and Helly Hansen.
I wear these for winter sailing and have also taken them mountain ski touring in Northern Norway with great success. The best one from Helly is the Warm range which feature a merino/polypropelene composite and are non itchy. You can find those on www.hellyhansen.com. The Woolpower range is made in Ostersund, Sweden from Merino Wool and are superb. They come in various weights and the mid layer 400 also double as splendid winter jammies with socks to match. Both of these products are standard issue to the Scandinavian special forces, who know a thing or two about keeping warm in cold hostile environments. Woolpower is imported into the UK by Koolbox. www.koolbox.co.uk
I have worn mine on long voyages day in day out and with careful washing they should give several seasons use. Woolpower claim that you can wear their long johns for weeks on end with no odour problems whereas the Helly range can become a bit ripe after a few days. One way to stop this is to spray the arm pits and groin areas of the garments with Polygiene which is made using a natural silver salt. This stops odour dead and I have worn treated garments on long expeditions so treated, without any adverse skin reactions.
 
What happened in the end...............

Thanks everyone for the input, It was suprising how many suppliers appear to think that one will go and spend maybe £45 or so on a thermal top ( or bottom) without giving any real info about how the fabic is manufactured and of what material !

Armed with the info gained over the last couple of days from the forum I was pretty sure what I wanted and was keen to get it bought. As it was the lack of info on most web sites made the whole thing a bit tricky.

As it happened I was passing Marks and Sparks this morning and they were having a clearence sale of, guess what ! Yes thermals !

So I bought a selection of tops marked down from £25 to £5 and 2 pairs of Really nice black salopets down from £70 to £9 each..

Not exactly what I had planned but quite a good result none the less.


All best Nick
 
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