Polypro or icebreaker?

[Jens]

Whatta you like? (I've never tried this icebreaker stuff but want to get some)

weight?

stretch?

smell?

dry time?

warmth?

breathability?

stop go activties?

bivies?

high areobic activities?

[brian_m]

I have some Icebreaker stuff and love it! Overall, it performs great, stays warm when its cold out and keeps you cool when it is hot! Exactly what you want in a base layer. The natural material keeps the funk away (any tent partner can love this).

The only 2 negative points: Slow to dry, since it is wool... after sweating in it all day, it seems to take half the night to dry. I hate that damp feeling when I am climbing into my bag after a long day. Also, after wearing for a few days, it seems to stretch out some and doesn't keep its snugness.

 

I like it for day outings...

But, have gone back to my Patagonia silk weight & mid-weight combo for extended day trips.

[layton]

Jens,

Patagonia Silk Wt Longsleeve Capiliene is the total shit.

Nothing is better, period.

[layton]

cept the Icebreaker girl is so hot i lose a load each time I log in to the site here.

[Mr_Phil]

It all depends upon the shorts you wear over them.

 

There's a science to this.

[ClimbingPanther]

I'm w/ Layton on this, except I go for the midweight capilene. I love the weave where it has little air pockets on the inside that keep you warm, and that's what makes Patagonia better than knock-off. Polypro, in my experience, is noticeably stinkier than polyester (and nylon is less smelly than either, which is why I go for nylon/spandex underwear).

[Weekend_Climberz]

I just switched over to the icebreakers after using polypro for 10+ years. I have not used silk ever, but I think the merino wool base layers are the shit. The only drawback is that they don't do too well in a squeeze chimney, or in other words they are not quite as resistant to rippage as my old polypro was.

[Aya]

I am a huge fan of the merino wool (I use smartwool rather than icebreaker because it fits me better) - so long as it's not going to be your outermost layer. It is stretchier (so it fits closer and is more comfortable to move in, layer over), doesn't seem to stretch out over time the way my poly and silk do (ie it rebounds and retains its shape well), is comfortable over a wider range of temps, doesn't get stinky the way synthetics do and looks nicer, too!

 

Definitely takes longer to dry out, but overall not bad. It is definitely pricey, so I'm a little more careful about abrading it and stuff, because if I tear a hole in my $25 underwear, no biggie, but doing the same to my $65 smartwool would probably hurt a little more.