Im getting my first set of baaselayers and was wondering what you guys think of what baselayers offer the most bang for your buck im looking for some mid weight synthetic and im looking for a set that is under £60.
Thanks.

I'm not familiar with the European brands or what is available in the UK. My favorite is Patagonia's synthetic under wear. It is reasonably priced and very durable. I prefer the zip tee tops over crew necks. I find the mid weight is perfect for winter and cold ranges but too warm for three season use where I prefer the light weight. Buy the shirt in a light color to reflect sunlight when climbing on hot glaciers.

I no longer use synthetic base layers after using them for some 25 years. It was 2009 when I tried my first merino wool product by Icebreaker. My biggest issue with synthetics is odor retention. You'll likely spend less for a synthetic product as compared to one of merino wool, but you'll get far more years of use with wool if cared for properly. The main reason it took me so long to give wool a try is because of my being itch sensitive to wool in general. To my surprise, high quality merino wool does not bother me. I also think merino wool is warmer on a weight for weight basis.

I recently invested in a bunch of Ice Breakers base layer pieces. It is very high quality, but also quite a bit more expensive than synthetic. I have found it is better suited for winter use, just too hot for three seasons for me. Also, I am continually disappointed that the merino wool products are more delicate and less durable than synthetics. On longer trips the non odor retention qualities are nice.

ExcitableBoy wrote:I recently invested in a bunch of Ice Breakers base layer pieces. It is very high quality, but also quite a bit more expensive than synthetic. I have found it is better suited for winter use, just too hot for three seasons for me. Also, I am continually disappointed that the merino wool products are more delicate and less durable than synthetics. On longer trips the non odor retention qualities are nice.

Wow, my thoughts almost exactly. I'm too much of a sweater for wool to be practical unless it is very cold and I'm not moving too fast. But I don't wear base layers period if the temperature is over about 45 F. Plus durability is one of the more important attributes I look for in gear, so that sort of rules out wool.

You sound like you are already set on synthetic though. People rave about the Patagonia Capilene- I have never tried them. I've been using more moderately priced base layers for a while now, and they have worked very well for me. It's one of those layers I've never felt that I needed to spend too much money on. If I see a good sale for the Capilene, I might give it a try though. For 60 quid you could probably get a set if they're priced similarly in the UK.

ExcitableBoy wrote:I recently invested in a bunch of Ice Breakers base layer pieces. It is very high quality, but also quite a bit more expensive than synthetic. I have found it is better suited for winter use, just too hot for three seasons for me. Also, I am continually disappointed that the merino wool products are more delicate and less durable than synthetics. On longer trips the non odor retention qualities are nice.

I have heard allot of that in many reviews and Mountainsandsound i guess i will just have to keep an eye out for sales.
Thanks.

Synthetic baselayers outlast wool baselayers by years. I still have my Patagonia and other brand synthetic shirts from 7 years ago while my Ice Breakers 100/200 and Patagonia Wool just disintegrate approaching two years.

Patagonia Capilene will last you for many years of hard use. I use them to go slot canyoneering in Utah, the hardest use of clothing/gear of any of the sports.

kevin trieu wrote:Synthetic baselayers outlast wool baselayers by years. I still have my Patagonia and other brand synthetic shirts from 7 years ago while my Ice Breakers 100/200 and Patagonia Wool just disintegrate approaching two years.

Patagonia Capilene will last you for many years of hard use. I use them to go slot canyoneering in Utah, the hardest use of clothing/gear of any of the sports.

Good points on the aspect of durability when it comes to synthetics. For me, it is the odor issue. After a few years, my synthetics stink too much for my liking. Maybe I have too sensitive a nose. But it is true, when I am done using a synthetic because of the stink, it looks just fine. I do agree the merino wool alternatives are more fragile and demand greater attention when it comes to laundering. I wash in cold water and roll them up in a bath towel before laying them out to dry in a nice sunny location—possibly much of the breakdown and disappointment with durability could stem from overzealous laundering? My oldest top baselayer is going on five years and looks as good as new.

As to the question of merino wool being too warm, I frequently wear a merino top baselayer without any outer layer and find it breaths well and transfers body moisture effectively. I don't get overheated under the weight of a pack while hiking in warm weather. The funny thing is I smell like horse when I'm putting out a lot of energy! But I do like the smell of a horse.

Synthetics breath well, dry quicker, and cost less. Those would be the main attributes in my hands arguing in their favor.

The stink factor of synthetic is undeniable. Tolerable for the 1-3 day climbs I do, but if I ever go for Denali I will leave the synthetics behind.

On Denali I had merino wool and synthetic liner socks that I rotated. After a few days the synthetic ones smelled like death. I am definitely sold on wool liners. My comment regarding durability is primarily with socks. I used Smart Wool mountaineering and running socks and the heels all wore out very quickly. I washed them in cold water on the delicate cycle with Woolite and hung them to dry. Also, one of my expensive Ice Breakers shirts tore when I barely brushed against a twig on a tree, which caught the fabric and made a hole. Very disappointing.

The worst for stench is nylon I think. I backpacked the copper ridge loop in NCNP with one of those 100% nylon button up hiking shirts. It was a very hot week in August. After the 1st day my dad was complaining about the stink. For the ride back to Bellingham, my shirt rode in the bed of the truck because it was too distracting in the cab. I washed it but the stink was there still. I threw it away. My polyester shirts stink after a while, but nothing like that nylon.

Capilene is great except for the smell after a couple of days(in my case, at least). Only advantage of wool is the lack of odor, IMO.The only wool I have used has been that produced by Ice Breaker. Rather delicate. Had many tears after only a month of use in the backcountry.

mountainsandsound wrote:The stink factor of synthetic is undeniable. Tolerable for the 1-3 day climbs I do, but if I ever go for Denali I will leave the synthetics behind.

After the first few days of being stuck in a tent with you and your smelly partner, all smell sensors in your nose will shrivel up and die. Then it doesn't matter any more.

Merino wool baselayers definitely outshine synthetics in terms of odour, but synthetic dries faster and is cheaper. Maybe this article will help you a little bit :

http://theoutdoorworld.org/site/outdoor ... -overview/