Thermal Clothing...

[stuartzx6]

didn't read your last post. i used to run a military equipment store so i am familer with all those bands. send me a pm with all your questions.

[Smitty]

The problem with buying this type of compression thermal underwear, is that it really needs to fit properly. I just can't bring myself to buy it online.
And I don't really like the price they want for it.

I'm really after something to replace the white old man style thermals that I currently wear. Whilst they do the job, I suspect that with advances in fabric technology, there is probably something that will keep me warmer and is probably more comfortable to wear.............

If anyone has any experience with any of this, or has something to throw into the ring, I'm all ears!!

Jase

as a skier...and someone who hates being cold..I have been thru a few of the local outdoorsy
types stores here in Mlebourne (SnowGum and Kathmandu and Anaconda) and bought the latest
( it was couple of years ago) in keep warm undergear stuff..thermals that keep in the warm but
wick moisture away ..done in wool or a wool or cotton/poly mix or with some sort of name like Goretex or Polar
they work very well...on a bike or standing in a lift queue in a blizzard
pricing goes from not too bad...$80 ish up to very exxie
an example
http://www.snowgum.com.au/Product_Produ ... =384&IPB=1
and yes i bought them in store...as sizing can be an issue on-line


hth

Smitty

[aardvark]

Thanks Smitty. That SnowGum stuff looks more like the price range I'm prepared to shop in. But, without a store here in SA, I wont be buying it.

From my research, the polypropylene type thermals seem to be the latest and best. But, for their moisture wicking properties to work correctly, the clothing needs to fit properly. At the same time, you don't want it to be so tight that you can't wait to take it off. Consdering I'll be spending 8+ hours a day in the stuff, I want it to fit right.

Reading some of the skiing forums, a lot of people there suggest merino wool thermals. It's a mine field of information and it's hard to know which direction to go.

With so much gear on the market, ranging in price from $16 for the discounted Aldi stuff, to prices upwards of several hundred dollars, I'm just wondering what people have tried, what works well for the price and what to steer clear of.

I notice that there's a Helly Hansen store here in SA and that has got some pretty decent reviews all over the net. Might give them a shot.

[6maniac]

I'm just wondering what people have tried, what works well for the price and what to steer clear of.

Jase, I'm still using Damart thermals that are 20 years old ! They still do the job - have tried the polypropylene stuff, but went back to the Damart. Mine are the Double Force (warmth grade 5). Current price is $99.95 for the pants & $99.95 for the long or short sleeve Tshirt ( these are long at the back so you get a good overlap). They have a store in Adelaide.
http://www.damart.com.au/Product_Catego ... egoryID=43

[aardvark]

You would think that there'd be a site that tests all of this gear and compares it with the other gear, but noooooo.
How hard would it be to get a round up of all the different brands of base layer/thermal underwear, get someone to wear it, shove them in a cold room and measure their body temp?

Obviously harder than it sounds!

It's pretty simple (Stuart, I'll post the questions here in case anyone else wants to chime in):

I'm limited to the type of outer layers I can wear due to the uniform policy. Outer layers consist of: shirt, woolen jumper, leather jacket and/or PVC wet weather gear.

So, what I'm looking for is something to wear under all of that to help keep me warm. My old thermal underwear (the square white weave stuff that your Grandpa probably wore - made by Rio I think) just doesn't seem to cut the mustard any more.

I don't want the base layer to be too thick and I don't want to pay a damned fortune for it. Keeping dry isn't really an issue as it's unlikely that I'll be doing any hiking or running whilst I'm at work and if it's going to rain, I'll just put the wet weather gear on.

So, what to buy? In the mean time, I'll keep checking out the expedition/skiing/camping forums - what a barrel of laughs they are!

[6maniac]

Used the Damart to commute 25-30 km every day through winter for 15 years - temps down to - 7 deg. Only bits that froze were the hands - could never find gloves that worked. Now I have heated grips - magic !

[aardvark]

Used the Damart to commute 25-30 km every day through winter

Mate, if I was only covering 25 to 30km each day, I wouldn't be bitching!

Found this site:
http://www.trekandtravel.com.au/dynamicPage.aspx?id=16

A few visits to some other forums and sites have confirmed that I need to be looking for thermals made from Merino wool with a weight of around 260g/m2. Now I just need to find some at a price I like. Either that, or keep freezing.

[6maniac]

Doesn't "The Force" supply you with appropriate riding gear ?

[aardvark]

Doesn't "The Force" supply you with appropriate riding gear ?

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah

[6maniac]

Would it be a safety issue ?

[aardvark]

Would it be a safety issue ?

Trust me.. that's a line we don't want to go down. It's far more complicated than saying "Hey, it's fucken cold out. Do something about it." It's a lot less hassle if I just go out and buy something myself. Hell, they can't even supply us with socks that stay up!

[6maniac]

We have thermals on our stores list - except you need approval from your manager to get them. Previous manager (last winter) said no. So I told them not to send me past Emu Plains (foot of Blue Mtns). Funny thing was - I didn't get any jobs in the mountains all winter! About to hit the new manager with the same request !

[mohawk miss]

know what you mean about the old man white thermals, , referred to at our house as "magic undies" (the Honda Rider hates them )

Have just bought the Dririder magic undies, and they're a BIG improvement on the white ones (black is cool).
Have tested them riding around the Hawkesbury late at night and early morning, and they work great.

Dont forget that if you guys order anything through bikebiz online, you get discount. Having said that, oxford stuff is a bit pricey IMHO.

[aardvark]

I wonder if I can claim this kind of clothing on my tax?

[woteva]

I wonder if I can claim this kind of clothing on my tax?

You can only try

I'm going to Damart tomorrow to get myself a Thermo Hood. I can't see how far it goes around the neck ??
http://www.damart.com.au/Product_Detail.aspx?ParentCategoryID=43&CategoryID=99&ProductID=24182