Although the baselayers in this video aren't available anymore, we do have some good alternatives: www.trekitt.co.uk/clothing/baselayers

Love watching your dog carry around half a tree in the background. Sold lots of Icebreaker gear when I worked at a mountaineering shop in Colorado. Still wear my Icebreaker base layer from like 12 years ago and its held up really well.

Love using Icebreaker or any other Merino. Great video once again.

Great job Paul, very good explanation of baselayers BUT your dog was the best part - heres to Murphy!

I have a Minus 33 Merino set, an Under Armour 4.0 synthetic set and a Terimar wool set. The Terimar is the lightest. I wear the UA most often, but do enjot the Merino too. I sweat very, very heavily, so the UA is my go to for the "extreme dog walking" I like to do when it gets really cold. Great video!

As a mountaineer I put wool everywhere where is skin - socks, long johns, underwear, upper body. Synthetics is sometimes better, but only on upper body where most of moisture is accumulated. Long shirt with zipper also helps in regulating heat when on ascending. In general, I prefer wool despite price, no matter if it's summer or winter.

amazing and super explanatory video!

So informative no one has ever explained why wool helps with odour control ! thanks again

Hi Paul, a decent run through of the basic options. As someone who's tried pretty much every type of fabric around I recently made the decision to go back to merino wherever possible as even the best synthetics can't match merino's temperature regulating properties. Even the best stuff (which in my experience is Polartec Power Grid), falls short in maintaining an even body temperature, as you allude to in the video. This is very important for me as I suffer quite badly with Reynauds Disease, which is far more serious than just a tendency to cold hands or feet as poor body temperature regulation can lead me to feel faint or even pass out (Dante's Reynauds), which is obviously a liability when walking in a mountainous area! As durability and moisture management has been steadily improving with the sensible incorporation of synthetic elements (such as Corespun technology) that don't impact on the temperature regulating properties of merino clothing, socks, hats and gloves it's merino wool for me from now on. Edit : Jan 2023. After a few years use my merino mesh leggings wore out recently and a replacement was lost in the post in France, apparently. This obliged me to use an old pair of gridded polyester long johns in cold weather. I'd forgotten just how nasty even the best polyester stuff is when you start to warm up a bit. Uncomfortable, overheated and just nasty-feeling in a way merino simply doesn't do.

I always use my old john smedley merino jumpers as as base layer

Great video

A big thanks to Murphy some great video bombing😊 and sound effex

Wool is hydrophilic. Synthetics, sans Lycra, Spandex and elastic, are hydrophobic. People always cross their wires. Thin Merino is great in hot weather. It holds moisture and evaporative cools your body. In cold weather, where being dry is king, synthetics rule the day. You are slowly but surely seeing this change in thought process with hunting guides in Alaska, BC, the Yukon and NWT.

Pre wetsuits surfers used to wear Wool jumpers in winter. Says something about the warming properties of wool even when wet.

Great advice again

Informative review, thanks.

great info

Great to know Murphy gave you his bark of approval. :)

Have spent time in wide range of environments, including very cold, and as much as I try I cant get synthetics to work - I overheat and then sweat more, so the wicking benefit is lost. Merino is king for me in most conditions. Although not relevant to UK climate, in the really hot sunny places/high summer where you only wear a base layer, then cotton still rules... at least for me.

Great video Paul 📹 I can't believe you're not stocking the Arc'teryx mixed base layer anymore 😢.

I have a merino Icebreaker Oasis crew, and within six months it started to have holes in it, around the wrist and elbow, a friend of mine told me that it was because first they are not known for their durability and also I washed it too much. She told me that they're incredibly easy to snag and rip due to the nature of wool and that I should wear the sweater more than six to ten times before I wash it. Because Merino wool is fragile to washing and also I needed to make sure to never put it in the dryer, I needed to let it air dry (wish I did before she told me). Must say I am a bit pissed about the holes it cost me a lot of money to buy that merino shirt, but again I like it so much I bought three more and I make sure I wear it a minimum of 10 days not consecutively and none of them have holes and it's been a year now.

Marino wool is fine for cool/cold weather. Low cost, high durability, lightweight & best hydrophobic material - polypropylene is better for moderately cool/cold weather and provides greater freedom of motion than Marino wool. An Alpaca or Marino wool sweater makes a good second layer.

Murphy completely distracted me in your video. Lovely dog!

i use under armour cold gear stuff, seems to work pretty well and not to expensive

Just what I was looking for, one thing I would have liked to know is what kind of synthetic fabric there are several in the market, like for example the second one he wore or the merino wool mix,

Wool for the win! I do intensive workouts in it and NEVER need to wash it! Just hang it up and let it dry. Zero smell. Save resources as don't need to wash and, when you come to wash (just to freshen it up after a few weeks) you're not putting loads of micro plastics into the environment. Also found it regulates my body temperature WAY more than anything synthetic. Once wet with sweat, synthetic gets cold and chills, wool does not. Synthetic in my mind is pretty much evil and simply the result of manufacturers trying to make more money. You don't need to walk around in plastic! Only downside of wool is it's currently a bit more expensive and not as hard wearing as synthetic but for me it's a price I'm willing to pay for greater comfort and being in harmony with the environment.

Great review. Thanks again for the sound advice. Would you recommend using tech wash for all baselayer / fleece washes ?

I have a similar build to Paul and my name is also Paul! So i`d be interested to know what size you were using for the Satoro as I need to buy a new baselayer for an upcoming trip and this one would tick many boxes. Cheers

What do you advise for hot weather, for me to wear under a motorbike jacket. I do get very hot on the bike in the summer

Hey! Thank you for your great videos! The Satoro base layer is no longer available at all. Is that right? Which new base layer (from Arcteryx) can you recommend as much as the Satoro? I would appreciate your advise very much. Best regards from Germany! Felix

DOGGY NEEDS A DRINK ! Is that one bottle for him ? Ha ,ha Love the dog good info !

Broadly are we saying synthetic for super cold, merino for warmer conditions? Thanks

Hello again... :) Because Arcteryx doesn't sell the Satoro any longer would you please know what's the current model of "the same" base layer? Is it gonna be Motus AR? Mostly I use Icebreaker base layers, but I think I would like to try something different, which I can also use on warmer days. Greetings :)

thanks, I was wondering why that first "baselayer" top that I bought, polystyrene or whatever it is, was so tight in and under the arms and itchy and uncomfortable. Now I see and hear why. I had just wanted a decent thermal for normal at home freeze prevention. I should have watched this first and then maybe bought something else non scientific. Ok I'm not used to it. Wonder what our ancestors would have made of these or Eskimos etc?

is there any reason (3:32) why you can "get away with a slightly looser fit" with merino? I'm not sure you explained it.

Hi Paul, really enjoying your videos! Quick question: I got a rab microlight summit jacket 750 (down-jacket) and I wonder: a) A merino wool or the Arcteryx from you posted + the rab would that be ok or would you recommend a middle layer to use? b) Is that down-jacket to be considered middle-layer already? Thank you in advance!

Great video, thanks for the advice! As soon as I heard Arcteryx I thought ‘Oh no….it’s probably going to be the best but very expensive…’ 😂 Seriously I love their products but you know it’s gonna hurt your bank account 😂 As you say though it’s an investment and this time I want to go with the best performance so I’m looking forward to getting some…

Is merino a good choice for summer trekking?

Should warm baselayers still be warn in the summer?

What kind of long sleeve shirt do you recommend for hot weather and high sweat ? Thanks, Trail Flea..

Archery’s Satoro is $140! Ouch!

What about silk?

Patagonia capilene is best synthetic.

I have sensitive skin and I find merino wool very itchy

How can merino be 100th of a human hair,,that would be invisible wouldn't it?

whats the dogs name?

Do recommend Macpac?

nylon is like wearing a portable sauna

Thrutching up 5 finger gully? 😂

I find arc'teryx extremely expensive and honestly I don't know why...Icebreaker, Smartwool, Montane, Rab, also make them and are at least a bit more affordable! I bought one to compare and basically I did not see a significant difference to explain their over price products. Thumbs down Arc'teryx big time!

Oh, boy ... just way too many mistakes here ---- wool wicks far better than plastics (plus: it actually breathes, unlike most plastics), nylon-wool mixed fabric is typically made of yarn of wool coated in nylon for durability. You should do some more reading.

That dog breathing sounds were rather distracting. I itch with merino.

Give the dog a drink.