As I began to hunt a little more later and colder in season I began this quest myself. One day or so got a spell of cold and wind late archery and I was cold, put on my halstead over base and under my FL Chugash shirt (can’t hike in a puffy), but I got a little sweaty on my back we’re pack sits. so I got my old woolrich 30oz wool button down shirt over just my base got ride of other two. That shirt is warm and to my surprise it breathed better than my halstead, warmer too. But not at all cut for active hunting.
So with help from fellow Roksliders, I bought kelvin active, sawtooth and an ll bean commando merino wool sweater to try as the cold mild layer.
it was chilly, misting and windy one night as i tried them. With just a tee shirt under and static, the wool sweater was the warmest, followed closely by the KA, last was sawtooth. then i hiked with 40 lbs 1/2 mile each. the KV is so porous the wind cut right thru leaving me chilly, the sweater was also porous and the wind cut thru but left me warmer, the sawtooth was a real surprise with the insulation layer it afforded some wind bloc and was the most comfortable to walk in those conditions. None of those pooled sweat on my back.
the large KA fit, but i had some binding, the XL a bit too large so it went back. i kept the sawtooth and sweater, and they layer together. ST about 21 oz, sweater was 22-23 oz, kinda heavy.
so i just got back from Dillion Mt did last few days of rifle (no damn elk), but that winter storm was brutal - at least for me. over a foot of snow up high and single digits with wind and still snowing. ST not enough for me as we were moving pretty slow thru snow. so put sweater on and ST over and man was that comfortable while active - moderate pace.
not thrilled with the weight, but it worked and worked well. so my cold weather system is FL kiln, FL ST, FL chamberlin, with the sweater as needed in the pack depending, and a i have an 8 oz NF thermoball vest if needed too.
My moderate system is lano base, Patagonia nano air hybrid (mentioned above, thanks by the way I own one now!) (I think this was the basis maybe for the sawtooth...) and uncompra spelling ? jacket with a halstead fleece in the pack if needed.
I know this will be crazy, but I do very thin pure silk under my wool base too. Even in shape I sweat, which doesn’t mix well with cold. Thin wool wicks fine for me, but mid weights I tend to get some pooling. I can’t do synthetic at all, but silk isn’t very hydrophilic? either. REI makes a thin one for a few ounces and really shear and delicate that I put on first, then my mid wool. Doesn’t matter how hard I work I’m not pooling and it’s moving moisture out.
