Core 4 elements marina wool clothing?

[Mk7mmSTW]

After hearing great things from a buddy who wore marina wool on a backpacking trip, I've decided to jump on the band wagon. After doing some research, I found Core 4 elements 100% Marina wool offered at 1/3 the price of first lite and the features and wool weight are the same. Core 4 offer's the same lightweight quarter zip in athletic cut with the exact same material and you can find it fairly cheap/ on price with cabelas and other normal brands. I refuse to buy "brands" for 3x the price and was wondering if anyone had any experience with C4E?

 

[warrior80]

I have a bunch of C4E merino as well as Kuiu, a couple First Lite pieces and Sitka. The C4E pieces are nice but the others have the edge imo. But for the money the C4E are great. The last couple of shirts I picked up though had a much looser fit in the body and the length wasn't great. So they are short and wide. Don't know if it was a bad batch or if they changed their fit.

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[orionsbrother]

I have some. I find it to be a little more itchy than Ice Breaker that I've bought on sale or closeout. That bothers me more with the top than the bottoms, so if I'm wearing C4E merino, it's bottoms.

If I'm busting sage flats, I wear gaiters or synthetic bottoms. I've beaten up a couple pairs of merino bottoms in sage.

 

[Mk7mmSTW]

I have some. I find it to be a little more itchy than Ice Breaker that I've bought on sale or closeout. That bothers me more with the top than the bottoms, so if I'm wearing C4E merino, it's bottoms.

If I'm busting sage flats, I wear gaiters or synthetic bottoms. I've beaten up a couple pairs of merino bottoms in sage.

Good to know! I'm only interested in tops so I'll have to see. Think I'll order one c4, one cabelas and we'll see about first lite. Love there stuff, but $110+ for a shirt is hard to justify as I wear through things pretty quickly

 

[tttoadman]

I have had great luck with all of it.

 

[orionsbrother]

Good to know! I'm only interested in tops so I'll have to see. Think I'll order one c4, one cabelas and we'll see about first lite. Love there stuff, but $110+ for a shirt is hard to justify as I wear through things pretty quickly

If it's tops you want and only as a base layer, if you won't wear it as a shirt, look at some of the closeouts from Ice Breaker. The cheapest ones are usually in some stupid colors, but I find them very comfortable and affordable...but you can't strip off your other layers and wear it as a camo shirt in ASAT like First Lite...unless you feel that camo doesn't matter at all and the critters won't notice you standing there in screaming lime green or yellow with a sailboat or something.

 

[camelcluch]

I have Red Ram, Ice Breaker, Kuiu, First Light and C4 wool. By far the C4 is the worst of the bunch. Very different feel then the others. Ice Breaker is very nice and for hunting brands, FL has my vote.

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

Ice breaker has some hunting and earth tone patterns too, just look around on their site and sierra trading for closeouts. My experience is size up unless you want a very form fitting fit (this is based on their IKA series of shirts which I got a short sleeve and 1/4 zip long in, I went my normal large at first and did not care for the fit, much happier with the XL reorder). Trying them on at home they feel a bit more coarse than synthetic but I wore out the SS and a pair of boxers on a scouting trip and in the field I was perfectly pleased with the next to skin feel.

 

[colonel00]

I have some C4E merino and agree that the tops seem to be a bit itchy when I first put them on but once I'm going and have a layer on over it, I don't really notice it. Only negative I have with C4E stuff is one time I was hiking in the cold so I was wearing bottoms and a top under my outer clothes. Well, I'm warm blooded, even in the cold I was sweating quite a bit. The bottoms apparently bled their dye and ruined a pair of khaki hiking pants. I still wear the pants for "rough" duty but I can't really wear them in public with this big dark stain on the @$$.

 

[Paradactal]

I also have C4E pieces. Mostly tops an like others have stated, the fit isn't quite like the FL. But for the price, it is a good score. Check out Camofire.com as they have C4E on there all the time at half the price that Cabelas sells them for. If you go to the site and check back in the past deals, you can call them and see if they still have them. If they do, they will honor there prices. I would never buy C4E anywhere other than Camofire.

 

[colonel00]

Cabelas carries C4E now? I guess that might make sense as Easton bought out C4e a year or so ago. However, the former C4E guys just reloaded with another clothing line company that's on Camofire all the time. I can't remember what it's called and can't say that I've tried any of their new stuff but it's pretty much a copy of their previous designs for C4E.

 

[Mk7mmSTW]

Just realized the phone auto correct "merino" in the title.. Anyways, cabelas and icebreaker's have a line together and they are on close out at cabelas for $20 something a shirt for the merino tops. Ordered a couple to try out. I really want a thin quarter zip as a shirt, but we'll see what I come up with.

 

[Mk7mmSTW]

Cabela's + Icebreaker(R) Men's Merino Long-Sleeve Crew : Cabela's

 

[orionsbrother]

Just realized the phone auto correct "merino" in the title.. Anyways, cabelas and icebreaker's have a line together and they are on close out at cabelas for $20 something a shirt for the merino tops. Ordered a couple to try out. I really want a thin quarter zip as a shirt, but we'll see what I come up with.

If that's the same fabric and quality, that's a good deal. Cheaper than my closeout blue with stripes and it's camo.