 Poster: A snowHead
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This season I've moved to an uninsulated hard shell jacket. In the past I've just gone base layer, scruffy t-shirt and then insulated ski jacket. I'm thinking I could do with a mid layer of some sort which I'm led to believe is usually a light weight fleece of some sort? Any recommendations for something fairly lightweight and fitted?
Cheers
John
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I usually use a base layer and an uninsulated hard shell on "normal" days, a lightweight fleece on cold days and carry a down gilet just in case.
Any lightweight fleece does the job tbh.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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I picked up one of the Rab powerstretch hoodies earlier this year. It's reasonably thin but not particularly lightweight. It is fitted. I like it because it has a hood that I can wear under a helmet instead of a balaclava.
I bought mine from here on "sale": http://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/rab-ps-hoodie-p361389
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Thermals, fleece mid layer (any brand is OK for me) and then soft shell jacket. If it gets a bit warmer I just undo the zip on my coat. Never needed anything else.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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As an alternative to the fleece layer, I'm hoping to test a 'light primaloft' jacket from Skogstad in a couple of weeks. It's got 25g/m2 padding, so should do as a mid-layer and a lightweight jacket too. I'll give my opinion if I get hold of one and remember to post a review on my return. <Scuttles off to phone them and remind them that they'd promised me one!>
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[quote="Mosha Marc"]I usually use a base layer and an uninsulated hard shell on "normal" days, a lightweight fleece on cold days and carry a down gilet just in case./quote]
Me too. Any down gilet should do (so long as it is under the hard shell). The ones from Uniqlo are good value. Alternatively there are high-tech warm, "breathable" and lightweight options which don't use down or primaloft e.g. alpha100.
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Mine is Uniqlo
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@Sowler, Decathlon do a wide range of all sorts. Just don't include a cotton layer (scruffy t-shirt) or you lose all benefits of layering.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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@Sowler, Look no further than one of these from Whitedot/Mountain Equip.
The full tech blurb can be read here and I really cant recommend it highly enough.
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But, @andyman, why a hoody? Really? Mid layers (IMV) shouldn't have hoods.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@under a new name, Never owned a mid with a hoody before so when this arrived I thought it a feature I'd never use.
Wrong! Ive skied in some real hoolies and let me tell you this is an awesome feature. Worn under the helmet, with a buff over top it blocks everything out and keeps you real warm.
As I said, not a feature Id have looked for but now a real bonus. The R&D they have done is clearly valid! (Although Im absolutely against looped sleeves but then you dont have to thread your thumb!)
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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It's a bit pricey
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I would wear a balaclava under a helmet on a really cold day, but wouldn't want a hoodie hood scrunched down the back of my jacket on the other 97% of days on the mountain. I bought a very nice, and expensive, Haglofs hard shell but had to get a refund on it as despite spending hours searching I couldn't find a warm mid layer, without a hood, that fitted comfortably under the rather slim armholes.
One thing that taught me is that you absolutely have to try things on together. The Haglofs shell was lovely. Some of the mid layers (without hoods) were a great fit, and warm, but too bulky under the very slim arms of the Haglofs (and I don't have fat arms).
As with goggles and helmet, they don't all complement each other well.
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You know it makes sense.
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| under a new name wrote: |
| @Sowler, Decathlon do a wide range of all sorts. Just don't include a cotton layer (scruffy t-shirt) or you lose all benefits of layering. |
why is cotton a problem?
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Cos it doesn't wick, if you sweat it gets wet and then cold.
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Poster: A snowHead
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cotton gets wet if you sweat, then just sits there being cold. (Same reason you wouldn't wear jeans on a serious hill walk in Snowdonia - if they get wet they take forever to dry, whereas proper walking trousers will dry very quickly).
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@foxtrotzulu, cotton'll kill'ya
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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@Claude B, @pam w, @under a new name, Fair enough. I bow to your superior knowledge. I'm pretty sure I've always worn a cotton shirt/T-shirt, but will mend the error of my ways from now on. Do I have to switch to plastic or are there natural alternatives?
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@foxtrotzulu, Merino is the boy, wear it for weeks on end with hardly a whiff, keeps you well warm too 
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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As Claude says wool is the way to go as it doesn't smell which a lot of the synthetics do after not too long. Merino is less scratchy next to your skin but I've worn other wool or wool mixes without a problem.
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Merino sounds good, but I worry that I'd spontaneously combust with the heat. I sweat very little and could happily wear the same shirt for a month and it wouldn't smell, but I am more likely to overheat than get cold. Cotton is quite cool.
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@foxtrotzulu,
If you sweat very little cotton might not be so much of a problem as if you have waterproof clothes on it is the sweat that causes cotton to dampen.
I don't find cottons get particularly smelly but synthetics definitely do.
Lots of different thickness’s of Merino though some I wear in the summer.
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@T Bar, try Patagonias capilene. Synthetic, wicks well and warm depending on which one of the four thicknesses you go for. The anti stink treatment is exceptional. I ran an experiment on my last trip and after twelve days of wearing every day my sense off decency rather than my sense of smell won the day (SWMBO was appalled once I told her, but the garment did pass her much more sensitive nose test).
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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| Quote: |
Lots of different thickness’s of Merino though some I wear in the summer.
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Me too - very thin vest, thin base layer, thicker mid layer, depending on need - though I'm interested to learn there's synthetic stuff which doesn't pong either.
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@andyman, I'm with @pam w, a. I have never felt the need for anything other than my helmet with my collar up around my nose (I always buy jackets with v. high collars for that reason and b. where do you put the hood when you're not using it?
@foxtrotzulu, also, synthetics wick so stay dry and wool gives out heat when it gets wet whereas cotton just stays cold and damp next to your ski. Unpleasant and it cools you down.
Decathlon do some excellent cheap synthetic base layers. I can only do a day in them cos of the smell bu they're so cheap and fast drying that that's not an issue.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| under a new name wrote: |
where do you put the hood when you're not using it?
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Mine is so thin and form fitting I don't notice it when it's not in use - so it doesn't really matter (unless snowing or raining hard - in which case my jacket collar will cover it). I'm with @andyman I used to wear a balaclava but I now no longer bother bringing it with me.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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| under a new name wrote: |
where do you put the hood when you're not using it?
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Mine is so thin and form fitting I don't notice it when it's not in use - so it doesn't really matter (unless snowing or raining hard - in which case my jacket collar will cover it). I'm with @andyman I used to wear a balaclava but I now no longer bother bringing it with me.
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Haglofs Astro II micro fleece . . .lightweight, warm and mega comfortable - you can wear it next to skin or as a midlayer . . .wicks really well for sweaty gits like me . . .full zip and pockets add weight but also make this pub friendly . . .
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You know it makes sense.
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@chivdog, i never get that cold not even in -25C measured with 20kph wind.
You just need the right jacket and helmet <(
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Huh, no penguin
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Poster: A snowHead
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A fleece sweater is great for a mild day, but on cold days I wear a PrimaLoft jacket under my shell. I find anything more than a thin fleece to be just too bulky under a shell. I wouldn't go for down as it's likely to get a bit damp under a shell and down simply does not work when it gets damp.
Under that you want Merino thermals such as Ice Breaker. Synthetics, even Capeline, are a thing of the past as far as I am concerned, they're just not as good. Don't wear fleece next to the skin as it has poor wicking ability. Cotton just stays damp and isn't so comfortable as it's not stretchy.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Some good discussion here guys thanks very much! @andyman I like that but agree its a little spendy for me and would prefer to not have a hood so I've gone for something very similar which I think that top is based on, the Mountian Equipment Eclipse Zip Tee.
Also thanks for the heads up on the cotton, I'll avoid wearing cotton t shirts in the future!
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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I bought a TNF thing and it is great. Very warm under a hardshell. However as many may have noticed on the BB, I wore it on its own with a smart wool base layer and it was enough.
Cheers
Bob
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| under a new name wrote: |
| Huh, no penguin |
That is what happens when you ski fast with your fly open. 
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