'Wonder' fabrics - Coolmax etc

Hello,
What are people's opinions on the various base layers for hot weather? There is Coolmax, the Lifa stuff, Outlast etc.
Which do you find to be best for 30'C plus?
Also, this summer, I'm riding down to Italy in leather jeans and would like a base layer suitable to keep me (slightly) cooler.
Cheers,
Charles

I strongly advise against wearing leathers for a trip to Italy cos you will feel like a boil in the bag meal. Hein Gericke do a range of lightweight, lightly coloured Tuareg trousers which have appropriate armour and some have zip off lower legs plus zip openings in the upper legs to allow air flow. I have a pair which I wore for a tour of Spain and Portugal where the temps were often 30+C and they were excellent. Alternatively you might try some of the stuff from Draggin Jeans or Hood jeans.

Leathers will cause you too sweat profusely causing you to dehydrate, feel very uncomfortable and will exacerbate chafing in areas where you wouldn't want it Avoid at all costs!

I bought EDZ and the pants don't work in the heat , the t-shirt seemed OK

outlast: good for winter, too hot for summer even in UK.

coolmax (and other wicking stuff): v good for summer in Europe. Need to be able to sweat and evaporate, cos at abouve about 32-34C, that's really the only way you're going to cool down.

Incidentally, wearing an extra layer is not going to cool you down. It's only going to heat you up, whatever it is. I reckon normal UK jackets are too hot, and you can only wear them in the hot afternoon if they've got zips up the arms, and with the front open. In fact, when it gets above 35C, this may actually be cooler than no jacket at all, cos the airflow is actually heating you up.

My strategy is to take my chances and go shorts and T shirt. mmmm, feel the freedom !

gasman said:

outlast: good for winter, too hot for summer even in UK.

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Outlast as a concept definitely works in the UK. It works in Israel in the summer too. The secret is to find a garment manufacturer who (a) knows how to use it and (b) uses the correct grade. There are several grades (eg. the one for use in pillows will not be good enough) and my experience shows that many clothing manufacturers are more interested in the badge (GoreTex, Outlast etc) than the ultimate performance of the garment.

I know this isn't much help in itself, just want to point out that you need to buy good kit of whatever sort. And, Outlast definitely does work.

GJ

After sweating my way through the traffic last year I went with Canterbury Armourfit as a base layer this year. The stuff to keep you cool is the "Hot" version - see http://www.armourfit.com/armourfit_hot.htm.

When I get to work and take my jacket off I can feel the cooling as the sweat I've worked up by walking from the bike to the office gets evaporated away.

I've also got one of those Spidi jackets (see here) which is full of mesh panels (the black panels in the picture) and gives the best airflow of anything I've tried without losing too much in the way of protection or having the jacket flap about because it is unzipped.

Probably not the whole answer to your question, but Ive been wearing "Icebreaker" clothing, which you can find in good quality outdoor shops.

Its made of different weights of Merino wool, but I normally use one of their thin short or long sleeve crew neck tops.

Its quite expensive, but Ive found it very comfortable as a base layer, especially under my HG Master jacket, which I need to vent on the sleeves and neck on, to stay cool in really hot weather.

I started using it last summer whilst hill walking in Skye, and one of its biggest advantages is that it doesnt get horribly stinky. Ive used Helly Hansen, Berghaus, Karrimor etc which all do after a sweaty day of wear. The advantage when Im travelling is that I can prune down the amount of clothing I take

Ive just come back from a trip to France, and still was confident to wear the same top for breakfast in the hotel restaurant on day five of our trip . (I always seemed to sit alone! )

They even do matching wool shreddies!

Tried and tested in Spain and Israel :
T-Shirts:
1.Pearl Izumi Ultra Sensor
2.BMW
3.The North Face 200g
4.Salamon
5.The North Face
6.Nike Dry-Fit

Shirts:
1.Mountin Hard Wear SP30
2.Lafuma
3.Berghous
4.Jack Wolfskin SP40
5.Regata Comfort Control

They are all made of polyester/polyamid ,the ligther the material 150 to 200g the better.They are dry in 1/2in hour in the open or 5min with hair dryer, after a wash and pack very small.Only problem is cost.They are in the range of £25 to £50.
Regards

GlynnJ said:

Outlast as a concept definitely works in the UK. It works in Israel in the summer too. The secret is to find a garment manufacturer who (a) knows how to use it and (b) uses the correct grade. There are several grades (eg. the one for use in pillows will not be good enough) and my experience shows that many clothing manufacturers are more interested in the badge (GoreTex, Outlast etc) than the ultimate performance of the garment.

I know this isn't much help in itself, just want to point out that you need to buy good kit of whatever sort. And, Outlast definitely does work.

GJ

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Yes, I agree: my rukka outlast tops/longjohns are great, but the BWM outlast jacket/top thing wasn't good. It does depend what you use it for. If you're going to be exercising (eg skiing, cycling), the BMW top just heats you up like an oven once you start generating lots of your own heat. The rukka top seems not to do this.