As you put other clothing over them, thumb holes prevent the sleeves from rolling up.They also ensure a better seal between the gloves and the base layer.

Best Base Layers of 2023 | CleverHiker 7 Best Base Layers of 2023 | CleverHiker

For example, people often wear several layers that they can shed one at a time as it gets warmer during a hike. Thumb holes keep the sleeves in place while you remove other layers. There is no need to fret if you’re worried that you’re tough on gear. Like all Patagonia gear, the Capilene Midweight comes with Patagonia’s Ironclad Guarantee. This perk covers Patagonia gear for life. Patagonia’s environmental mission strives to repair gear instead of manufacture new items. And for a minimal price, they’ll even repair items with normal wear and tear.WARMTH - One of the biggest factors you should consider when choosing the right base layers is what type of weather you typically recreate in. We keep an option from each of these categories in our clothing rotation, so that we’re always prepared for any type of weather. We love that the more prominent companies use their influence and resources to offer more inclusive sizing.

Base Layers - Treeline Review The Best Base Layers - Treeline Review

Caring for wool base layers can get a little, well, wooly. Some, like Smartwool and Icebreaker merino, are formulated to handle regular detergent. Others may require special detergents, like a specific wool wash, for optimal performance. Wool especially is prone to shrinkage in the dryer. If you live in a humid climate, you might want to lean more towards synthetics or wool blends for your base layers. DO YOU WANT A HOOD OR THUMB LOOP ON YOUR BASE LAYER?If it’s cold, you may intend to pile on the layers. But having a lightweight layer as your next-to-skin layer gives you more flexibility for temperature adjustment while doing something active. This allows you to keep the warmth against your body and adjust as needed. Many folks will layer a heavyweight base layer over a lightweight one for very cold aerobic sports. Our tester wore this on a thru-hike of Arizona’s 480-mile Mogollon Rim Trail in October and an Iceland traverse in August and raved about the Wolverino. Its durable mix of itch-free wool, and fast-drying synthetic fibers and design features gave us everything we want in a base layer.

The 5 Best Base Layers of 2023 | Tested by GearLab

Hyperlite Mountain Gear's Unbound 2 tent is a fresh take on a tried-and-true ultralight design. We’ve put ours through the wringer over hundreds of miles in the Sonoran Desert, and we found it to be a spacious retreat after hard days of hiking.The Patagonia Capilene Midweight is a tried and tested base layer. If you take good care of it, I know from personal experience that it can last you ten years or more.