What type of long johns are suitable for long term use in winter? i am not sure this topic was discussed before. I did a search for threads over a month but I didn't find any of them.

silk
merino wool / plain wool
microfiber & spandex made by polartec

I use the microfiber version because it dries quickly and more durable, soft to the skin, wicks moisture well.

I still prefer 100% cotton. The rayon/cotton blends cause me excessive itching on the calves and sides of the stomach. Layering is the most important factor to trap your body heat but the cotton will allow your body to breathe better, which will help prevent overheating.

What about the "Cotton Kills" mantra?

I have Patagonia's Capilene® long johns. They are comfortable and hydrophilic. I don't know if it's better Merino wool for long term situations but I do know they are more expensive. I know the underwear should touch the skin and quickly wick moisture away. Then you use wool for the insulation layer. Anyway, good question...

Frankie

Sorry, Capilene is hydrophobic but has a hydrophilic finish or something like that anyway.

Cotton only kills you if you're wet and it's cold out <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Ya, I assume since he's talking about "long johns in winter" it would be refering to cold weather...

I second Patagonia Capilene. Their expedition weight offers a lot of bang for the bulk. For max effect, layered with a pair of lightweight or silkweight next to the skin, with a pair of expedition weight over that and then your fleece and then your shell.

Oops. It looks like they've renamed their products, It looks like 'silkweight' is now called 'Capilene 1' and 'expedition weight' is now called 'Capilene 4'.

-john

I use nothing but silk. I've found it very warm.

My vote goes to 100% merino wool from NZ. That's my preference for comfort. I also use polypro but find it less comfortable on a day in day out basis. If I were soaking wet the nod may go to polypro - but then again, I try to stay dry in those kinds of conditions!

Snowshoeing- polartec powerdry
Downhill skiing- expedition weight fleece

I use Polypro,

I've used cotton, silk, polypro, and wool.

Hands down, silk wins. Cotton is useless after about a day.

Polypro stinks after a day, and melts when you're next to a fire. Washing it to remove the smell only makes it smaller.

Wool would be fine, but it's thick and makes me itch.

Silk works.

Long Johns are the transpiration layer to wick chilling perspiration off the skin ( unless you buy into vapour barrier lining theory.) As such, cotton actually works well if you are garanteed 20 degrees or lower. Anything above and it slowly begins to earn it's 'cotton kills' reputation. Another option are fishnets, invented in Scandinavia and available from Brynje and Wiggys. The theory is the netting allows VERY rapid moisture transfer and traps larger pockets of warm air in that initial layer. Longjohns also come in various wieghts for different temperature ranges. There is no reason not to try and even carry more than one set for true versatility.

Only experience I have had is with either the old-fashioned cotton thermals and polypro. The cotton worked fine until it became the least bit damp, then it was just cold and uncomfortable.

Poly-pro seems to work well with 2 cautions, after a couple of days it really begins to stink and it seems to loose it's effectiveness. I usually pack at least 3 pairs for cold weather: one for sleeping, one for wearing, and one to be rinsed out.

I have switched to wool for the most part. Smartwool to be specific, longs are excellent. They are super soft and non-itchy and handle moisture very well. I have almost completely abandoned my capiliene in favor of these and have absolutely done so in dry cold. I have two weights of Smartwool bottoms and both are superior in every way to any plastic underwear I have ever used.

Byrnje poly string is excellent for high mositure activities like cross-country skiing, and combined with Smartwool on top of them it is a super combo for very cold.

The wool tops I use are: Icebreaker, Smartwool and Filson. The first two are much softer wool than the Filson which I only use as an outer layer top.

Just a note to second what you wrote about Smartwool.

One misconception about wool is that it is scratchy. That is true in some cases, but not always. Not all wool is created equal.

Different breeds of sheep produce wool fibers that are different lengths and diameters. The price of raw wool is based to a large degree on fiber diameter. Small fiber diameter is best for high quality, soft materials. Course (cheap) fleeces go to applications like carpet and rugs.

The Merino breed produces a fine diameter fiber. Smartwool is Merino wool.

I once had a wool army overcoat that would sand paper my neck every time I wore it. Rag wool sweaters are course and scratchy. The wool US army blanket is made of courser wool. Some cheaper XYZ-Mart undergarments use cheap wool. Cheap wool socks can also give wool a bad rap.

But, good quality wool undergarments ($$) can be very soft if they are made with the right kind of wool. I just spent the weekend camping. My Smartwool hiking socks were a pure pleasure.

I've been wearing silk longjohns for years. Very comfortable, lightweight. Used to buy them from LL Bean, not sure where the wife get mine now.
Cleaning is PITA, hand washing though.

For active wear I put wool undies over Wiggy's fishnet. Heaven!

Get the best grade wool you can find - Smartwool OK - fine gauge Merino wool from NZ - better. Make sure you get the thinner. NFL teams wear it at Lambeau - 'nuff said!

You may want to look at some of these products:
REVELATION A/M™ ANTI-MICROBIAL

MEDALIST® SILVERMAX™ TACTICAL SHIELD UNDERWEAR

There is also this product, which it looks like there are not selling to the public at the reduced price, they might at regular list price (you would need to check):
GEAR FOR A WARRIOR™

Pete