Underwear
Ya, that’s right, I said Underwear. That all important topic of how to stay warm and dry. Oh, you were thinking thongs or whitey tighties? No I am talking about Capilene or more basically polyester. Were those ugly polyester pants of the 70’s so far off after all? I remember skiing in the 70’s and to protect myself I would slide into a nice pair of nylons and then cover them with cotton thermal underwear and then Levis over the top. It wasn’t very efficient but it seemed to work OK. The Levis got soaked, the Nylons were not very comfortable and the Thermals worked until they were wet and then they froze and turned into a plaster cast.
Today we have it so much better. A while back I bought me a D.U.I. dry suit for SCUBA in cold lakes and local mud puddles. Up until then I refused to buy a base layer. I thought, there is no way I am spending that kind of cash on stupid thermal underwear. Well, I was wrong. It’s a godsend. I purchased some nice Patagonia Capilene tops and bottoms and have never turned back. These are such cool fabrics or should I say not so cool?. I stay toasty warm and dry as these materials wick away moisture.
Now that I am also into running, did I mention that yet? Oh! I am also into running. There you go, now you know. I needed to find me some nice winter gear to run in without being overly bulky and uncomfortable. Of course my first choice was some Capilene to wick away moisture but it was working overtime. Running, at least for me, creates more sweat than the light Capilene can handle so I had to investigate further. I did some searching and called some friends at Fleet Feet and went in to talk about winter gear. Basically the wicking idea still holds but what they turned me on to was wicking on steroids. I went home with a Hind top, Mizuno Breath Thermo Pants and Feetures Bamboo and Wool socks Let’s talk about these wonder pieces of equipment for a moment.
First off let’s talk about these pants. The Mizuno Breath Thermo Pants are amazing technology. From the web site “Extremely lightweight pant changes moisture to warmth to keep you comfortable throughout your run†I have to say I was a bit skeptical but after my first run I was never so pleased spending $59 on a pair of polyester pants. My legs were warm through the entire run and I barely noticed I was wearing any pants. I felt like I was running naked and for me, that’s a good thing. The pants wicked very well and allowed my legs to remain dry. After a long run this prevents chaffing and soreness so I have no complaints in this area. The first thing I thought after wearing these is I can’t wait to try them with some Capilene Under them and go for a cold mountain trek. I bet the work wonders.
Next up is the Hind Shirt. I wish I had more information about this shirt as it is a great shirt. It was on the discount rack and I picked it up for something like $10. What an amazing find. I wore the shirt a few times just around town as it’s a fairly good looking pullover with a partial zipper. When I noticed its amazing power is when I washed it one day and took it out of the washer. The inside of the shirt was dry as dry can be and the outside was wringing wet. Bingo, I get it, wicking at its finest. That night, only a few days ago, I put the shirt on and went for a run. What a great shirt, it sucked away water so fast I could barely keep enough moisture on me to run my chest strap heart monitor but the outside was steaming and evaporating body moisture like a machine; Inside dry and warm, outside wet and cool. Not bad for the $10 I spent. I will gladly pay the cost for my next shirt which I hear can run around $60.
Maybe in another post I will talk about the Feetures Socks. I cannot say enough about the comfort and padding they offer but I feel I have rambled on enough about underwear. It’s time to get back to something more wholesome like wicking thongs.
Mountain Climbing, Running, SCUBA | admin | 
December 14, 2007 11:35 am
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