need a base layer

[chudski63]

looking for a short sleeve base layer/summer hiking shirt...looking at the icebreaker gt150 1/4 zip...hard to find...also the icebreaker hopper t...impossible to find..not sure if they still make them...anyone have any good ideas..i know its not the best time to be looking but my short sleeves from last season are ready for the trash..thanks

[RWheeler]

Patagonia Cap 2/Cap 3 have been on Steep and Cheap. And Icebreaker layers pop up every so often.

I'm personally a fan of the Stoic Merino wool layers.

[bigcranky]

I also have a hard time finding 1/4 zip short sleeve shirts, not sure why. These days I just wear the 150-wt Icebreaker crew shirts and they are fine. But BPL just did a report on a new Rab MeCo base layer, made of 65% merino wool and 35% cocona fiber, and available in a 120-wt fabric. BPL testing shows that the fabric is just as comfortable and odor-resistant as merino, but stronger (I tend to poke holes in my 150-wt layers pulling them on.) Given the lighter weight, I'm going to try one for summer hiking this year.

[JAK]

I got a wool t-shirt at the Horny Toad in Freeport Maine, on sale for $19 I think. It was a woman's large, but who cares. I like it. I don't always were a base layer under my wool sweater, but it will be very handy in summer.

Wool t-shirts and wool underwear are challenging to dirt-bag because you don't see them on sale as often and you hardly ever see them in thrift stores. However, you can make a wool t-shirt out of a think long sleeved wool base layer, which are much more plentiful. Maybe do something with the sleeves like make some gaiters. Shorts are a bit trickier to find. Again, you can make briefs out of long underwear, if you can find something suitable. I will buy 1 pair of icebreaker boxers some day to try them out.

[swjohnsey]

Polyester T-shirt from Under Armor, about $20. Long sleeve polyester T-shirt in cold weather. You can pull the sleeves up to adjust for temp. Use a 100 wt 1/2 zip fleece top over that. You can get one from Lands End for about $20.

[JAK]

Patagonia Cap 2/Cap 3 have been on Steep and Cheap. And Icebreaker layers pop up every so often.

I'm personally a fan of the Stoic Merino wool layers.I'm a huge fan of anything called "stoic", but I try not to let it influence my decisions or emotions. ;-)

[JAK]

They should make a 'Cynic' line of clothing for true dirtbaggers. Horse hair maybe.

[keithclove]

Just bought some Icebreaker T's off STP at $25 ea. Very satisfied.

[double d]

I think Under Armor has really come along with great and affordable base layers. Most of my under armor clothes are well made, the material holds up well to wear and again is affordable.

[JAK]

I don't this the under armour is as warm for its weight as looser fluffier skin layers, but I think it has some application in reducing chaffing in certain places where you want a layer but don't want insulation.

[Smooth & Wasabi]

It is pricy but I would like to try out Patagonia wool 1 it is blended with about 1/3 synthetic so it can be lighter and more durable than 100% merino supposedly works as well.

[TyTy]

I am kinda cheap, I get polyester, sometimes has 5% spandex from Wal-Mart and Target. Usually you can get a t-shirt for $5 to $10 bucks, long sleeve $10-15, 1/4 zip fleece for $10-$18, etc.

When it comes to polyester I don't buy brand name because for some reason in my mind all polyester is about the same.

I have never found a dirt cheap source for Merino wool, nor have a tried wool.

Capaline makes me sweat.

[Rocket Jones]

Ditto for the WallyTarget poly shirts. $5-10 bucks on sale, depends on short/long sleeves.

[Tinker]

I don't wear base layers in the summer. All of my shirts are loose fitting and sprayed with permethrin. The first is for ventilation. The second is for biting insects. Polyester/cotton short-sleeved shirts have worked for me for years landscaping in the summer. A nylon short sleeved shirt will dry more quickly, weigh less, and a LOT less when wet. So far I've gotten away with my Dickies cotton/poly shirts for summer hiking coupled with a hooded windbreaker for cooler weather. Tight shirts work best in the winter, when you want to stay warm.

[hikergurl]

I like wool for the breathability and less-stink factor, but it doesn't dry 'as' quickly as synthetics unless you get a blend (which I don't because I find they itch more). Of the brands out there I've tried, Smartwool, though pricey, works the best for my needs.

On the other hand, like Tinker, the synthetics dry quicker and are lighter, and if bugs are an issue, permethrin can be one of your best friends (with a bug net and deet). Since I am a mosquito magnet I will gladly wear a thin long sleeve shirt to save my skin from bugs and sunburn. In this case, I'm a fan of golite stuff.