View Full Version : Silk?
Nearly Normal
03-01-2006, 23:07
Anyone use silk long johns?
Why or why not?
pete
MacGyver2005
03-02-2006, 10:01
I think they are great, and the weight/warmth ratio is superb. However, durability does become an issue, as well as proper care, and lets not forget cost. It's really a trade off, and for a Thru-Hike I personally would be worried about them not holding up. I still love them, though.
Regards,
-MacGyver
GA-->ME
Alligator
03-02-2006, 10:22
I have a set that I have been bringing in the winter. They are very warm as a base layer and light, Top-L and Bottoms-M both are 4 oz each.
They are not as thick as polypro so I wouldn't want them exposed to any wind. So I bring a generic polypro set in the spring and fall. Given the cost, I wouldn't wear the bottoms under shorts, as I wouldn't want to snag them. I think that silk long johns are slightly less versatile than polypro for these two reasons. I wouldn't hike in them unless they were covered.
I only bring a base long john set outside of summer. I have a microfleece set and a PL1 vest that are my warm summer clothes. This is sort of a hard question because clothes are part of a system. One can have all the lightest components yet the overall system can be still be very heavy due to lack of range of each component. IMO, it seems a little harder to work silk into a clothes system, but YMMV.
Mountain Maiden
03-02-2006, 10:34
I loved my silks! Wore them for entire Trail. Had a lightweight set and heavier weight. Used them as needed according to temp changes. Whatever was not in use--became sleepwear at night. The lighter ones did show wear more quickly. They may have fared better if I laundered more carefully. But, i just threw everything in the same wash and machine dried. They were pricey but I would choose them again if I did another thru-hike. One thing I did like was the fact that "odor" was not an issue as with most synthetics. YMMV
I've got an old, men's silk shirt I've got stashed for this summer. I'm hoping it'll hold out. It's so light and feels great against the skin. Anyone else ever hike with silk clothes other than as long johns? I'd be interested to know how it held up. Can this work or am I hoping for the impossible? Seems like the perfect hiker material, light, breathable, dries fast, compacts small, washes easily.....I can find silk shirts at Goodwill quite often for just a few bucks.