Fishnet base layers. They work, and you want them.

mtwarden

Super Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Oct 18, 2016
Messages
9,487
Location
Montana
I owned an Aclima top for some time, but never really got a chance to use it much. I recently went on a four day snowshoe trip into the Bob Marshall and thought I'd give it a go.

Forecast highs were in the upper teens to 20, lows single digits. I wore the Aclima underneath a Sitka Core Lightweight hoody. There were a few times I was wearing just these two items, but much more often they were layered over by a mid-layer or a windshirt- a few times by both.

Snowshoeing is high exertion, snowshoeing and climbing is even higher exertion. My observations were that my Lightweight hoody was drier than expected. The Aclima added some warmth for sure, but keeping my layers drier was the bigger take away.

I slept in the same combo and if there was even a hint of moisture when I went to bed, they were bone dry when I woke.

Anyways for cold weather stuff I'll probably grab the Aclima again.
 
Joined
Jul 29, 2020
Messages
347
First time hearing about this concept. Definitely thought it was going to be a trolling/NSFW post!

This is interesting and I want to try it
 

Appalaskan

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Nov 26, 2019
Messages
168
I have a handful of Brynje products, including some Super Thermo Mesh and the Arctic Zip Polo (one garment with a mesh under layer and a merino blend outer). If your ego can handle it, the mesh bottoms are tops. Dry quicker than anything I’ve used and prevent some of the swass I get with most thermal bottoms when pushing hard. Don’t need to fool with zippered thermal bottoms because they’re so effective at providing warmth while staying breathable and they dry so fast. Temperature regulation is where they shine.

If I’m staying light as possible and need the fastest drying capabilities, I’ll go with the Super Thermo set as a base layer. The combo Arctic top is great if you need the boost of extra warmth, stink is a concern, you’re around fire and don’t want to fret over sparks as much as synthetics, and you don’t want prying eyes to question your life choices but you still want the mesh advantage. I really enjoy using the Arctic for my winter camping/fishing trips where pulk sleds and hot tents are the norm.

The way the mesh is structured and the thinness of the wool makes for a quick drying, warm system for a wool garment. One of the biggest advantages is it eliminates another layer you have to fidget with to try to line up comfortably. You have the advantages of the mesh and the soft hand feel of the wool. The Arctic is a nice casual wear piece too. Pair the Arctic with an Ullfrotté (now Woolpower) 400 Zip and you can be pretty darn cozy. I don’t always want to look like sporty guy.

All the Brynje tops I’ve used have generous lengths, which provide warm thigh and rear coverage.

 

Maverick1

WKR
Joined
Jun 1, 2013
Messages
1,524
Just want to give an update after using merino fishnet baselayers for an extended period of time last fall.

TLDNR: They are great!

Thanks to @Formidilosus for starting this thread. After hearing about these for a couple of years, and briefly looking into the Wiggy's product many years ago, I gave them a try this last fall.

Purchased in late September from Varuste.net, arrived in early October, and pretty much used them exclusively from October through December, for a total of about 30-40 sits. (Note: they were used while hiking to and from a treestand for deer hunting. I did not purchase them early enough to use elk hunting while in the mountains in September.)

Use on a typical day: hike from the vehicle to my treestand, climb up the tree, sit in the treestand for 4-12 hours, climb back down, and hike back out. This was deer hunting (not elk) so the hikes were all under a mile or so, typically less than 30 minutes. I had some longer hikes in there, but not as often this season as I used the canoe quite a few times this last fall. I typically put them on either at home or at the vehicle prior to hiking/canoeing in.

Outside of hunting I also used them inside a hockey rink for watching several games as sort of a test environment from October through February.

So, I’d call that a pretty good evaluation and comparison. Over the last 10 years I’ve purchased and used merino from a variety of manufacturers. Minus33, First lite, Icebreaker, Smartwool, Kuiu, Sitka, and Cabelas, so this is a fairly good comparison base.

Overall, I found the fishnet merino to be better than ‘solid’ merino in many ways.

They aren’t as “clammy” as solid merino can get - at times. (Not often, but it feels kind of heavy, and kind of damp/cool under certain conditions: damp, overcast, cooler days, with lower wind chills).

They are lighter in weight, which isn’t too big of a deal - but they are a 120 g/m garment, which is noticeably better than the 200g/m and 400 g/m sets, which can feel heavy at times – especially when covered with several additional insulating layers and an outer layer.

They felt warmer than solid merino, as they are intended to perform.

The merino fishnets seem to return body temperature to “normal” faster after a longer hike - the holes seem to regulate temperature better, even compared to normal merino. Don’t feel as hot as long, or damp as long, either.

They work noticeably better than solid merino baselayers when paired with the Pnuma heated gear. When I’ve used my Pnuma heated gear in the past, I’ve debated wearing it next to skin - which I don’t want to do because it is a synthetic - think it would get funky smelling after awhile - and I don’t want to wash it and possibly damage the wires. So I have worn the Pnuma over the top of my merino, and it doesn’t seem to provide as much heat. The fishnets are noticeably better at making me feel warm. This is a great setup!

The only area where the fishnet did not perform as well as the solid merino was durability. (But – given the way in which I used them – I am not surprised. Probably not the best application of the fishnets, but it’s how I wear and use my baselayers.) Specifically, when I was setting up a treestand, I climb up the tree and attach the climbing sticks and the treestand (or saddle hunting platform). During this process I only wear my baselayers - I get dressed after setting up the climbing sticks and treestand. So, I pretty much get setup wearing just the baselayers, and my arms brush up against the tree several times during this process. No big deal, typical stuff. The fishnet performed / functioned the same as normal baselayers during this process but there were two noticeable differences. One, the fishnet merino got caught and snagged on the tree bark way more than a solid merino base layer ever did/does. (Several of those little holes in the forearm area got snagged. Not terrible, but noticeable.) Two, the snagging and rubbing up against the tree bark caused some pilling, which doesn’t “look” as nice - but also might compromise the function. Maybe? I doubt it has any significant effect. But it happened. This was noticeable on my arms more than my legs, since my arms come in contact with the tree bark more often setting up the sticks and platform.

The other consideration is the fishnets were noticeably cooler than regular, solid merino when hiking with just the fishnets on. (I typically lash all of my outer layers onto my backpack, hike into a stand location, setup the climbing sticks and stand, and then get dressed for the hunt, putting on insulation layers and the outer layer.) While hiking I felt much cooler than normal. Which is fine in early October when it was 50-60 degrees out, but was not as great as early November when it was well below freezing. (Also, note: most people do not hike out to their stand location wearing just their baselayers, so this probably isn’t a concern. I’ve done this for a very long time since I overheat pretty easily, even in cooler conditions, and wearing just baselayers helps keep me cooler. When first starting out, it was pretty cool some of those November mornings!)

Overall, I was not sure what to expect with the fishnets, so I only bought one set in September. By the time I had only a few hunts in them, they performed so well I ordered a second set in late October; later I purchased a set of the Aclima “double wool” - with the fishnet baselayers and a normal merino layer over the top. I have not worn those yet, as they didn’t arrive until mid-December. So, I now have three sets of the fishnet baselayers.

If someone buys them and doesn’t like them, they could always wear them to the Blue Oyster bar……(if that’s how you roll…)……Police Academy reference…..for those that have seen the movie!!

1708405381417.png
 

fwafwow

WKR
Classified Approved
Joined
Apr 8, 2018
Messages
4,880
Just want to give an update after using merino fishnet baselayers for an extended period of time last fall.

TLDNR: They are great!

Thanks to @Formidilosus for starting this thread. After hearing about these for a couple of years, and briefly looking into the Wiggy's product many years ago, I gave them a try this last fall.

Purchased in late September from Varuste.net, arrived in early October, and pretty much used them exclusively from October through December, for a total of about 30-40 sits. (Note: they were used while hiking to and from a treestand for deer hunting. I did not purchase them early enough to use elk hunting while in the mountains in September.)

Use on a typical day: hike from the vehicle to my treestand, climb up the tree, sit in the treestand for 4-12 hours, climb back down, and hike back out. This was deer hunting (not elk) so the hikes were all under a mile or so, typically less than 30 minutes. I had some longer hikes in there, but not as often this season as I used the canoe quite a few times this last fall. I typically put them on either at home or at the vehicle prior to hiking/canoeing in.

Outside of hunting I also used them inside a hockey rink for watching several games as sort of a test environment from October through February.

So, I’d call that a pretty good evaluation and comparison. Over the last 10 years I’ve purchased and used merino from a variety of manufacturers. Minus33, First lite, Icebreaker, Smartwool, Kuiu, Sitka, and Cabelas, so this is a fairly good comparison base.

Overall, I found the fishnet merino to be better than ‘solid’ merino in many ways.

They aren’t as “clammy” as solid merino can get - at times. (Not often, but it feels kind of heavy, and kind of damp/cool under certain conditions: damp, overcast, cooler days, with lower wind chills).

They are lighter in weight, which isn’t too big of a deal - but they are a 120 g/m garment, which is noticeably better than the 200g/m and 400 g/m sets, which can feel heavy at times – especially when covered with several additional insulating layers and an outer layer.

They felt warmer than solid merino, as they are intended to perform.

The merino fishnets seem to return body temperature to “normal” faster after a longer hike - the holes seem to regulate temperature better, even compared to normal merino. Don’t feel as hot as long, or damp as long, either.

They work noticeably better than solid merino baselayers when paired with the Pnuma heated gear. When I’ve used my Pnuma heated gear in the past, I’ve debated wearing it next to skin - which I don’t want to do because it is a synthetic - think it would get funky smelling after awhile - and I don’t want to wash it and possibly damage the wires. So I have worn the Pnuma over the top of my merino, and it doesn’t seem to provide as much heat. The fishnets are noticeably better at making me feel warm. This is a great setup!

The only area where the fishnet did not perform as well as the solid merino was durability. (But – given the way in which I used them – I am not surprised. Probably not the best application of the fishnets, but it’s how I wear and use my baselayers.) Specifically, when I was setting up a treestand, I climb up the tree and attach the climbing sticks and the treestand (or saddle hunting platform). During this process I only wear my baselayers - I get dressed after setting up the climbing sticks and treestand. So, I pretty much get setup wearing just the baselayers, and my arms brush up against the tree several times during this process. No big deal, typical stuff. The fishnet performed / functioned the same as normal baselayers during this process but there were two noticeable differences. One, the fishnet merino got caught and snagged on the tree bark way more than a solid merino base layer ever did/does. (Several of those little holes in the forearm area got snagged. Not terrible, but noticeable.) Two, the snagging and rubbing up against the tree bark caused some pilling, which doesn’t “look” as nice - but also might compromise the function. Maybe? I doubt it has any significant effect. But it happened. This was noticeable on my arms more than my legs, since my arms come in contact with the tree bark more often setting up the sticks and platform.

The other consideration is the fishnets were noticeably cooler than regular, solid merino when hiking with just the fishnets on. (I typically lash all of my outer layers onto my backpack, hike into a stand location, setup the climbing sticks and stand, and then get dressed for the hunt, putting on insulation layers and the outer layer.) While hiking I felt much cooler than normal. Which is fine in early October when it was 50-60 degrees out, but was not as great as early November when it was well below freezing. (Also, note: most people do not hike out to their stand location wearing just their baselayers, so this probably isn’t a concern. I’ve done this for a very long time since I overheat pretty easily, even in cooler conditions, and wearing just baselayers helps keep me cooler. When first starting out, it was pretty cool some of those November mornings!)

Overall, I was not sure what to expect with the fishnets, so I only bought one set in September. By the time I had only a few hunts in them, they performed so well I ordered a second set in late October; later I purchased a set of the Aclima “double wool” - with the fishnet baselayers and a normal merino layer over the top. I have not worn those yet, as they didn’t arrive until mid-December. So, I now have three sets of the fishnet baselayers.

If someone buys them and doesn’t like them, they could always wear them to the Blue Oyster bar……(if that’s how you roll…)……Police Academy reference…..for those that have seen the movie!!

View attachment 676322
Thanks for this. I’ve wondered how these would work for situations that don’t involve as much exertion as a western hunt.
 
OP
Formidilosus

Formidilosus

Super Moderator
Joined
Oct 22, 2014
Messages
8,017
Just want to give an update after using merino fishnet baselayers for an extended period of time last fall.

TLDNR: They are great!

Thanks to @Formidilosus for starting this thread. After hearing about these for a couple of years, and briefly looking into the Wiggy's product many years ago, I gave them a try this last fall.

Purchased in late September from Varuste.net, arrived in early October, and pretty much used them exclusively from October through December, for a total of about 30-40 sits. (Note: they were used while hiking to and from a treestand for deer hunting. I did not purchase them early enough to use elk hunting while in the mountains in September.)

Use on a typical day: hike from the vehicle to my treestand, climb up the tree, sit in the treestand for 4-12 hours, climb back down, and hike back out. This was deer hunting (not elk) so the hikes were all under a mile or so, typically less than 30 minutes. I had some longer hikes in there, but not as often this season as I used the canoe quite a few times this last fall. I typically put them on either at home or at the vehicle prior to hiking/canoeing in.

Outside of hunting I also used them inside a hockey rink for watching several games as sort of a test environment from October through February.

So, I’d call that a pretty good evaluation and comparison. Over the last 10 years I’ve purchased and used merino from a variety of manufacturers. Minus33, First lite, Icebreaker, Smartwool, Kuiu, Sitka, and Cabelas, so this is a fairly good comparison base.

Overall, I found the fishnet merino to be better than ‘solid’ merino in many ways.

They aren’t as “clammy” as solid merino can get - at times. (Not often, but it feels kind of heavy, and kind of damp/cool under certain conditions: damp, overcast, cooler days, with lower wind chills).

They are lighter in weight, which isn’t too big of a deal - but they are a 120 g/m garment, which is noticeably better than the 200g/m and 400 g/m sets, which can feel heavy at times – especially when covered with several additional insulating layers and an outer layer.

They felt warmer than solid merino, as they are intended to perform.

The merino fishnets seem to return body temperature to “normal” faster after a longer hike - the holes seem to regulate temperature better, even compared to normal merino. Don’t feel as hot as long, or damp as long, either.

They work noticeably better than solid merino baselayers when paired with the Pnuma heated gear. When I’ve used my Pnuma heated gear in the past, I’ve debated wearing it next to skin - which I don’t want to do because it is a synthetic - think it would get funky smelling after awhile - and I don’t want to wash it and possibly damage the wires. So I have worn the Pnuma over the top of my merino, and it doesn’t seem to provide as much heat. The fishnets are noticeably better at making me feel warm. This is a great setup!

The only area where the fishnet did not perform as well as the solid merino was durability. (But – given the way in which I used them – I am not surprised. Probably not the best application of the fishnets, but it’s how I wear and use my baselayers.) Specifically, when I was setting up a treestand, I climb up the tree and attach the climbing sticks and the treestand (or saddle hunting platform). During this process I only wear my baselayers - I get dressed after setting up the climbing sticks and treestand. So, I pretty much get setup wearing just the baselayers, and my arms brush up against the tree several times during this process. No big deal, typical stuff. The fishnet performed / functioned the same as normal baselayers during this process but there were two noticeable differences. One, the fishnet merino got caught and snagged on the tree bark way more than a solid merino base layer ever did/does. (Several of those little holes in the forearm area got snagged. Not terrible, but noticeable.) Two, the snagging and rubbing up against the tree bark caused some pilling, which doesn’t “look” as nice - but also might compromise the function. Maybe? I doubt it has any significant effect. But it happened. This was noticeable on my arms more than my legs, since my arms come in contact with the tree bark more often setting up the sticks and platform.

The other consideration is the fishnets were noticeably cooler than regular, solid merino when hiking with just the fishnets on. (I typically lash all of my outer layers onto my backpack, hike into a stand location, setup the climbing sticks and stand, and then get dressed for the hunt, putting on insulation layers and the outer layer.) While hiking I felt much cooler than normal. Which is fine in early October when it was 50-60 degrees out, but was not as great as early November when it was well below freezing. (Also, note: most people do not hike out to their stand location wearing just their baselayers, so this probably isn’t a concern. I’ve done this for a very long time since I overheat pretty easily, even in cooler conditions, and wearing just baselayers helps keep me cooler. When first starting out, it was pretty cool some of those November mornings!)

Overall, I was not sure what to expect with the fishnets, so I only bought one set in September. By the time I had only a few hunts in them, they performed so well I ordered a second set in late October; later I purchased a set of the Aclima “double wool” - with the fishnet baselayers and a normal merino layer over the top. I have not worn those yet, as they didn’t arrive until mid-December. So, I now have three sets of the fishnet baselayers.

If someone buys them and doesn’t like them, they could always wear them to the Blue Oyster bar……(if that’s how you roll…)……Police Academy reference…..for those that have seen the movie!!

View attachment 676322

Good deal.
 

chindits

WKR
Joined
Feb 25, 2013
Messages
662
Location
Westslope, CO
I have both wool and poly. I have no odor issues with the poly and I think they dry faster. Go for what you think is most comfortable for you. I usually wear the same shirt all week biking to work sub zero to over heated snow removal equipment to out in the cold fixing equipment. The key features are they trap air for warmth and they dry faster than solid fabric.

If you have insecurity issues with this type of base layer maybe it will help your vulnerabilities to know the USMC put bid requests out several years ago:



“The service is also looking for a new next-to-skin mesh base layer for the Marine Corps Mountain Cold Weather Clothing System, according to a Feb. 23 solicitation.

"The mesh base layer will be a supplement to the current Marine Corps layering system to improve moisture regulation and thermal performance in extreme cold weather environments," according to the solicitation.

The undershirt will be an open, netlike knit construction with jersey knit shoulder areas; jersey knit underarm gussets; a rib knit collar and cuffs; and a turned bottom hem, the document states. The drawers, or pants, will be made of the same style of fabric and feature jersey knit reinforced knee patches….”
 
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