FL Kiln vs icebreaker 200

[BackcountryBloodline]

Happy new year fellas!

So I'm finally starting to see the value in the higher end hunting gear and slowly starting to upgrade my kit this year. Picked up an uncompahgre during the gravy boat sale and loved it, good customer service so far as well. I'm primarily run & gun (make that bow) mountain hunting during spring and early fall in BC, temps can be pretty warm during the day but it gets damn chilly in the mountains at night. Will most likely grab a Klamath hoodie during the tag soup sale to replace my polartec fleece mid layer. Wondering if I should grab a kiln while I'm at it or if my icebreaker 200 quarter zip would perform basically the same and if I should just save my money. No major complaints with icebreaker but those thumb loops sure would be nice...not sure if that alone can justify the upgrade though, figured you guys might be able to provide some better insight.

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

I use the thumb loops everyday. The kiln is pretty damn warm man. I was at a New Years party last night and we hung out outside the whole time. I wore a kiln long sleeve crew shirt with the uncompahgre vest over it. I was plenty warm and it was in the low 30s.

 

[BackcountryBloodline]

Thanks for the input, I actually don't see those thumb loops as a small feature at all, I shoot an aluminum riser bow and that thing is ice cold in the morning...any buffer between that and my bare skin is pretty handy for sure, it would definitely be nice to have a hood on my base layer as well. How do you find it regulates temp when things warm up a bit? Don't think I've ever actually overheated in high percentage merino blends but curious what your experience is with the 250 weight when hiking etc or if the temps get a bit warmer mid day

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

For early season it would probably be a bit warm for me for hiking. All just depends on weather that’s why I have a few different set ups available to use.

I run my fuse crew more in early season and have the Klamath hoody as a mid layer if needed in the morning and evenings. If it’s a colder early season I’ll run the kiln especially if it’s real chilly in the morning and evenings. You’ll find that if it warms up during the day the kiln won’t sweat you out too much as long as it’s not warming up into the mid 70s.

 

[KoolBreeze]

I bought a 1/4 zip kiln a couple months ago and like it a lot. The thumb holes are a nice feature for sure. It is warm and comfortable. Time will tell how well it holds up. Having said that, I like my Smartwool 250 merino 1/4 zip just about as much and it was held for well so far (2 seasons). For me, the two advantages to the kiln has over the Smartwool are the thumb holes and the camo pattern.

I also have a Klamath and use it as a outer layer until the temps drop below 45 or 50, then it becomes my midlayer.

 

[Shraggs]

I have 2 sets of both icebreaker 200 and FL kiln. IB is more early season to me, that extra 50 grams is noticeable in warmth and sweat if warm. But nicer at night...

If doing overnight hunting, I take a second set of whatever weight base the temps call for. It is extra weight, but I find they’re damp after a full day, and changing into a dry(ire) pair while water is soaking in food is warming in the evening.

Ymmv.

 

[BackcountryBloodline]

I have 2 sets of both icebreaker 200 and FL kiln. IB is more early season to me, that extra 50 grams is noticeable in warmth and sweat if warm. But nicer at night...

If doing overnight hunting, I take a second set of whatever weight base the temps call for. It is extra weight, but I find they’re damp after a full day, and changing into a dry(ire) pair while water is soaking in food is warming in the evening.

Ymmv.

Thanks, I generally don't go up for any less than 2 or 3 days, sometimes I will bring a secondary shirt with the intentions of changing out as soon as I'm done hiking and setting up camp at the end of the day but find that 9/10 times it just stays in the pack, not a whole lot of added weight to bring one extra merino top but was just curious if this might be a more versatile option and able to keep me at one do-all base layer. Will try and give Duke a shout today but it sounds like it's more of an evenings and mornings kind of layer for how/when I hunt.