What are you guys wearing for a base layer/thermals?

Curious what you guys are wearing under you suits. I am up in Alberta and fish in some cold temps. I run a striker climate suit and looking for some suggestions on thermals/base layers.

Cheers

I’ve got 4-5 cheapo base layers bought from various stores, best ones are from Walmart. $15 each, not saying they are the best but they are the best of the worst

The typical compression polyester/microfiber jogging pants and workout shirt, then some polar fleece type stuff, then some heavy duty fleece stuff if it’s really cold, then finally your outer wear.

top- two layers of merino wool (scheels), sweatshirt with hood, and my kifaru lost park parka

bottom- two layers of merino wool (scheels and UA), pair of sweatpants, and striker ice bibs

feet- doesn’t matter what I do, toes are always cold as hell

Merino wool.

I wear under armor stuff at work. There are many different weights and I have 3 sets.
They go from lighter just compression style to compression with some heavy material. I really like them.
I also have some arcteryx or something like that. But they were gifted and I couldn’t spend that much on my own

Adam Rempel wrote:

Curious what you guys are wearing under you suits. I am up in Alberta and fish in some cold temps. I run a striker climate suit and looking for some suggestions on thermals/base layers.

Cheers

Hey Adam. I’m in Winnipeg, I run the base ECWCS base layers from Cabela’s. polypropylene so wicks away moisture, dries quick. Great on lake Winnipeg. Or the Helly Hanson ones from marks, although those seem to pill a lot more.

Bearcat89 wrote:

I wear under armor stuff at work.

I use under armor too. They aren’t cheap but if you look hard enough now you should be able to find a suitable alternative brand that’s just as good. I don’t use mine for ice fishing but I have two sets that I use for hunting: one for sitting and one for walking. Its very important not to wear any cotton as a base layer because it’ll soak up your sweat and it doesn’t dry so its like wearing a wet base which is a bad combination in the cold.

Thanks for all the help guys.

polartec ecwcs

These are good and cheap
https://www.farmandfleet.com/products/g-32184-blocker-outdoors-mens-koretec-polar-weight-top.html

https://www.farmandfleet.com/products/g-10816-work-n-sport-mens-thermolator-2-4-way-stretch-crew.html

E.C.W.C.S. from Cabelas

I have been using these for several years and really like them… I use the Polar or Heavy Weight ones….

I use the Under Armour base layer, 3.0 I believe, it is a little spendy but worth it imo. I’ve been using mine for a long time now.

When it comes to overall value for warmth/weight/wicking/comfort/drying speed, nothing will beat the military ECWCS or PCU Gen III Level 2 waffle tops and bottoms. Can get a set for less than $50.

Patagonia uses the same exact material in the most popular mountaineering/backpacking fleece and that set is like $250.

Is anyone used BlackOvis merino as a base layer? I use merino alot when I am hunting but it is usually thin like a 150. Curious how the heavier merino like the 250 would be as a base layer. Merino is expensive but I know I can double duty this stuff with late season hunting.

Striker Climate here also.

Bibs: Real cold i’ll add the liner to the bibs. Colder yet i’ll add a pair of sweatpants over my normal pants.

Jacket: Real cold i’ll add a heated vest, and also a down jacket over the heated vest, all under the jacket. Key here is to not get too many layers in the arms as that’ll make the sleeves tight and do the opposite of create warmth. I’m a big armed guy so i needed to cut the sleeves off my heated jacket(didn’t add much value anyway) to create the space in the arms. The down jacket is great at retaining the heat, super light, and doesn’t add much thickness to the overall apparel.

All that said, i don’t do the high activity ice fishing. It is low activity boat fishing in the winter for me. I’d be too hot in most my apparel if i was ice fishing and had access to a shelter and or heater.

Keep that core warm and all extremities follow suit.

I know the name is silly, but I love the varieties of base layers from Cuddl Duds. They have men’s and women’s styles and they’re very soft. Sometimes the fabrics of the traditional longjohns are too scratchy and it’s no fun trying to stick your arm down your overalls, beneath multiple layers to scratch!

Anything as long as it’s Marino wool. Keeps you warm even if you’re wet. No synthetic can compete with wool!

rjthehunter wrote:

Anything as long as it’s Marino wool. Keeps you warm even if you’re wet. No synthetic can compete with wool!

The ONLY advantage of merino wool over technical fleece base layers is that Merino is antimicrobial and won’t stink. And this is coming from someone who wears Merino next to skin all the time, I’m wearing it right now. I love Merino base layers and wear it every day fall through spring, but saying it outperforms synthetic just isn’t true.

Merino Wool compared to Polartec grid fleece (synthetic):
Synthetic is warmer for the weight.
Synthetic is more breathable.
Synthetic dries faster.
Synthetic is more durable.
Synthetic can absorb 2% water by weight.
Merino can absorb 35% water by weight.
Synthetic stinks.
Merino doesn’t stink.

Others have said it: stay dry, keep the core warm and don’t forget about down. Love to ice fish but I’m more likely to get cold in a boat and I almost never use a house- but if the snow squeeks I usually will not ice fish, fishing for me is usually better north of zero too.

Been using the Cabelas E.C.W.C.S for my last two bowhunts and have really like them.

I tried the compression stuff, made me feel like pecker in a condom. I’ve tried most and they all seem pretty similar to me but I’m not a big walker, try a few spots and if they are there I stay, if not leave. One wicking layer and good outerwear seems better to me.

Scheels merino wool

Another vote for cabela’s ECWCS. They go on sale end early fall and of winter each year usually. I’m up to about 4-5 sets. 2 stay in the deer hunting bins, 2 for work, and 1 for ice fishing. I’ve only bought the warmest, polar or heavy weight. Love em. Runner up would be Carhartt force heavy weight. Both brands run about the same price, but way less than UA of similar quality.

Merino wool all the way. It is sooo comfy soft and warm and for multi day trips it never develops a stink like polypropylene does.

I wear under armor cold gear, then a regular long sleeve T-shirt with a Gale Hoodie from Blackfish. With my bibs I typically don’t need to wear my jacket with that setup unless it’s really cold. Those Gale hoodies are incredibly warm.

@Mahtofire

That blackfish hoodie. Is that the gale soft-shell pullover your talking about? How do they fit? True to size?

They look awesome.

Cheers

Adam Rempel wrote:

@mahtofire

That blackfish hoodie. Is that the gale soft-shell pullover your talking about? How do they fit? True to size?

They look awesome.

Cheers

That’s the one. They are awesome. Even quite water resistant. I’d say they run a little big (good thing for ice fishing). I’m 5’11 185 and wear a large and I can get it over my base layers and the top half of my bibs.