Smart Sheep

There's a phrase I once heard to illustrate the importance of not wearing cotton when being active in inclement weather: Cotton Kills! It is a bit extreme, for sure, even though it's point is well taken. There are many choices of non-cotton clothing: fleece, polypropylene, Capilene, wool, and many others. Lately I have been really advocating for wool long underwear tops, especially for cooler climates. The main reason? Synthetics can really stink! I was recently on a winter trip, the first day and I was wearing one of my trusty synthetic long underwear tops. It kept me toasty warm and did its wicking thing, but when I changed clothes at the end of the day, the shirt smelled awful. And this was with a fresh laundering (the shirt), a shower (for me) and only one day - not even a very active day - of wear. I remembered when I was in Alaska last summer, where we pretty much lived in our base layer, one of the guides had a Smartwool long underwear top, and after 5 days it still didn't smell. This wasn't its first use, nor would it be the last. She is also not the first person to attest to this fact. I am beginning to think that a wool base layer is the way to go. Wool long underwear has changed a lot in the past few years, and it is really making a comeback in the market. It is much softer, lighter weight, and comes in many fashionable colors. It holds up to washing machines (I'd still air dry them) and the elements. It can be a little more expensive than its synthetic counterpart, but if I can wear it for years and not have it stink - it's worth it to me. Smartwool, Ibex and Icebreaker are 3 well known and high quality brands. --Deb