View Full Version : Smartwool Micro vs Midweight Base Layers
hurricane!
11-29-2012, 18:38
Hey All,
Looking to find a way to make more room in my pack/shed some ounces. Not too sure if this is a way to do it but I figured I'd ask.
On a thru hike, do you think one could get away with microweight wool bottoms over midweight?
I'm definitely going with mid for my upper body because for me it gets the coldest quickest.
Thoughts on temperature range for either?
G-FOURce
11-29-2012, 19:54
i am interested to see the feedback here, too.
Welcome to WB Hurricane.
On a thru hike, do you think one could get away with microweight wool bottoms over midweight?
Probably! But it depends on some important factors. Some of which are: when or how you plan to wear them(while hiking, while sleeping, during both times), what you are wearing with them(pants, shorts, nothing), when you plan to start your hike(if you start early or under VERY COLD conditions you might appreciate having the mid wts at least during the colder temp portions of your hike and swap or omit them when it gets warmer), prevailing weather patterns, your sleep system, etc
I'm definitely going with mid for my upper body because for me it gets the coldest quickest.
I think that's a good idea because if you keep your core(basically torso) and extremities warm(head, feet, and hands) you can, or at least I can, withstand much colder temps. For example, I'll hike in shorts below treeline in 20* non-blustery dry weather just by focusing on keeping my core and extremities toasty. It helps me save gear wt that way.
hurricane!
11-29-2012, 22:29
I'll be wearing them for both hiking and sleeping when needed and with shorts. I'll be starting in the beginning of March NOBO.
I will not make that call for you. I will give you some things to consider and tell you what I would do. I hope I didn't leave a wrong impression or was misleading with my last two sentences in my first post. There are other factors not mentioned that come into play with what I do. Since you are not me, and I doubt we have all the same gear, knowledge base, thresholds of what's comfortable, level of experience, hiking styles, etc, YOU have to figure out what YOU are going to do. I also consider myself mentally tough, very adaptable, possess survival skills, am willing to endure a great number of challenges to attain my goals(I am NOT a quitter), have a versatile arsenal of tried and true gear, and I'm speaking as one is already intimately familiar with the AT.
Early March start on the AT can still be quite cold(less than 20* at night, 25 * day time highs, maybe not everyday but likely, this is all off the top of my head!). Add that to being wet and/or experiencing windy conditions factoring in the wind chill factor and .....BRRRR. Could even experience sleet and some snow with that starting date and even into late April/early May. I did in GSMNP on my AT thru and two other different hikes. Cold might even affect you more since you are from Orlando FL. With that starting time, when warmth and protection are greater priorities then agonozing over saving 3 oz, I would bring wind/rain protection, 7 oz GoLite Tumalo rain pants in my case, and light to med wt convertibles for my bottom half. I look for convertibles where the majority of the wt is in the fabric not in a ridiculous number of pockets, zippers, pull tabs, logos, patches, etc, belt or heavy wt liner, etc. I would get my lower body wind/rain/cold protection and warmth with those two full pieces early on in the hike. When it's warmer and dry but still cold I would go with just the pants or shorts for hiking back upped with the rain pants for my bottom half just in case. I would definitely accessorize it up with a beanie, warm socks w/ possibly a spare clean pr, and appropriate wt gloves. I like Turtle Fur Alpaca or Smartwool merino beanies in light mid wt. - Smartwool, Darn Tough, or Bridgedale 1/4 mid wt merino socks - Manzella Silk wt Windstoppers or cheapy stetchy nylon UL running gloves. Could even double up the gloves. After about a month to six wks when it starts warming up to more consistently even temps, I'm acclimated to the trail life, AND I'm also in better thru-hiking shape(actually I now begin most of my thru-hikes in very good physical shape), I start hitting the bigger mile per day averages in earnest while also ditching wt by omitting the legs of the pants or go to nylon UL running shorts and ditch the convertibles completely and cruise. When it really starts heating up, the days are long, I'm thru-hiker tough, and don't mind hiking while being wet I might consider ditching the rainpants too and really lighten it up.
You aren't going to save a HUGE or SIGNIFICANT amount of wt by going to micros from middy Smartwools anyhow(I have both). What? MAYBE 3 or so oz in size lg? You could probably save an oz or possibly two in the bottom thermals in lg by switching to comparable synthetic bottoms. Unless you are in the really advanced UL stage, which I doubt, it's my best guess you can just as easily lose the same wt(3 oz or so) elsewhere and not jeopardize any warmth or protection. You can always mail the insanely heavy mid wt Smartwool bottoms(LOL) home or swap it out to something lighter wt. You aren't hiking like a run away train are you? All that being said, I rarely use the mid wt Smartwool bottoms unless it's a deep winter hike. I much prefer silk wt thermal bottoms with approprate wt convertibles for cold and fluctuating highs and lows type conditions. When you start doing what you are doing - playing with 3 oz in thermal bottoms early on in a LONG thru-hike under initial possibly cold conditions you gotta start looking at and taking into account a whole lotta things and how they all work, or don't work, together. Sometimes, what you need and what you want may not be the same.
And, just so that you know, I also used to struggle with these types of choices with gear to a larger extent. I felt it started bordering on being ridiculous. I started focusing too much on gear and specifically the wt of it. Sometimes, I still do. I needed to focus more on actually hiking AND that is what I now do. After learning what gear is available, understanding myself and hiking style, getting stronger physically and mentally as a hiker, what works for me, and knowing that I've already made the large wt cuts in my gear( I can't squeeze significant wt(2+ lbs) out of my entire kit anymore at least not with what gear is currently available), I no longer agonize over a few ozs. I'm not putting down UL. I consider myself an ULer, but I no longer agonize over it. I got off the UL merry-go-round. It's made a positive difference in my hiking.
And, you thought you were just asking about thermal bottoms expecting a simple no or yes answer.
hurricane!
11-30-2012, 07:18
ha! Right!? Well I am going for UL and I I have my big 4 down to 4.08#. But I just got a new pack which is little smaller and a ton lighter and if I can make it work it would make my big 4, 2.13#! So I'm thinking I may just live in the lap of luxury (very loosely speaking) for the first half with my bigger pack and then pare down to the smaller pack when I meet up with my aunt and uncle who live in Luray, VA (near Thornton Gap) which is my personal halfway point. Hopefully it'll be warm enough by then.
Mrs Baggins
11-30-2012, 09:22
Not a thru-hiker (yet!) but with base layers I've tried polypro, capilene, and wool. Wool has absolutely been the warmest and driest. The polypro were the cheapest (from Target years ago) and warm but got soaked with sweat and were difficult to dry out. I froze in overpriced, and, IMHO, very over-touted capilene - end of story. The (brand name) Minus 33 lightweight 100% merino wool top and bottom I wear now are the best I've ever tried. Very warm, comfortable, doesn't get soaked in sweat so fast, easy to dry out when it does.
Tipi Walter
11-30-2012, 09:40
It's funny but I consider my Smartwool midweight tops to be my 3 season backup warmth layers and I save my Icebreaker 320/260 tops for winter as I find the smartwool to be too thin for the winter, therefore I'd never go with an even thinner layer like the micro. The midweights are too thin for the winter as is.
bubonicplay
11-30-2012, 12:01
Get 150g for the legs, anything thicker will be too hot to hike in, under pants of course.
FarmerChef
11-30-2012, 12:21
I have microweight + shorts for the spring fall and layer on midweight on top of micro (torso only) for the winter but that's just me. During the day I can walk in shorts with no shirt on in temps around 30 degrees with light wind. But I run hot! At night when it's cold (low 20s to teens) I pack in fleece pants for camp but they quickly come off if I start moving/exerting myself again. I absolutely LOVE my smartwool. I can wear jet black micro on top and bottom in 70 degrees and still be comfortable. Crazy, I know. They are that good, at least on me. Hope that helps.
bigcranky
11-30-2012, 13:40
I prefer the 150wt for hiking, top and bottom. I carry a l/s and a s/s top, and long johns and boxer briefs, all Icebreaker 150. Mix and match for hiking and sleeping as the weather dictates.
I don't carry the mid-weight because for me it's too heavy to hike in on all but the coldest days, and even then it gets totally wet from sweat hiking uphill. And for camp I find the mid-weight wool base layers are too heavy for how much warmth they provide. My microfleece zip-tee weighs less than my mid-weight wool base layer (which I think is 230-wt) and is much warmer. So I have the microfleece for camp, or to wear on a bitterly cold day over my base layer and under a shell.
For windy or cool days when someone else might want a mid-weight base layer, I wear an ultralight single-layer wind shirt over my light base layer. It's much more wind resistant, so it's warmer, and I can shed the wind shirt when it warms up. And the combo weighs less than a mid-weight wool base layer.
Stir Fry
11-30-2012, 14:22
I have microweight and the only problem is durability. It tars easy. I have had to sew both top and bottom.
I wear a kilt so its easy on and easy off.
I have a midweight top and it does not have the same issues. Hope to get a midweight bottom for christmass.
ha! Right!? Well I am going for UL and I I have my big 4 down to 4.08#. But I just got a new pack which is little smaller and a ton lighter and if I can make it work it would make my big 4, 2.13#! So I'm thinking I may just live in the lap of luxury (very loosely speaking) for the first half with my bigger pack and then pare down to the smaller pack when I meet up with my aunt and uncle who live in Luray, VA (near Thornton Gap) which is my personal halfway point. Hopefully it'll be warm enough by then.
As you are seeing, everyone does things a little, sometimes alot, different. I'm glad too see you have come to a conclusion. I hope all the ink shed on your thread helped.
You are getting down there with that BIG 4 total wt. Enjoy the hike.
Lighter garments give you the option to "layer up" in more combinations with other garments to achieve the "perfect combination" for the conditions likely to be encountered.
Unless a person is extremely cold blooded I would recommend that they try the lightest undergarments available in the material that they choose, and pick a top which has as long a zipper as possible for maximum ventilation without having to undress while on the trail.
I have a Terramar Thermawool 1/2 zip top which I think is a fantastic garment, and I bought matching long johns with it. The only letdown is that the pants are wearing a bit more quickly in the crotch area than I expected when I bought them. Maybe adding some nylon thread to the weave in that area would minimize this (noted just in case the folks from Terramar are cruising the Internet for feedback).
bigcranky
11-30-2012, 16:34
without having to undress while on the trail.
Wait, you mean I'm doing it wrong? :)
Wait, you mean I'm doing it wrong? :)
:eek: :o:banana:-?
Perhaps I have something to learn from you,Hurricane? Can you tell us your Big 4 gear that wieghs 2.13 lbs that you think will be suitable for a early March AT thru-hike starting at the Southern terminus?