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Merino wool base layer

Dave Quinn

Senior Member & Supporter
My Mrs is getting me some long johns and a base layer top for my Christmas.

Any recommendations would be most gratefully received
 
I wear a tee shirt (non thermal) underneath a merino wool short sleeved top from M&S. Ordinary tee shirt will be washed, the merino wool one will last a few trips without.

On top of that i wear a long sleeved Pringle thermal top. On top of that a sweater, then a fleece.

I don't wear a coat when fishing, although I have a ex-army goretex tied to my bag in case of rain when walking to and from my swim.

Long johns? prefer salopettes over my trousers.

Having said all that I've not fished since October due to Covid restrictions - my choice.

Also worth mentioning, I always fish under a brolly (with sides) which keeps the draught out :)
 
Mountain Warehouse do reasonable merino long johns and long sleeved tops. Been using them for winter motorcycling over the last few years. There’s a current discount code of WINTER that is usable until the end of the month, both online and in store.
 
I have opted for lined button shirts, after reading a thread on here ( apologies as I cant find it now ) Out today, wearing lined shirt, Pringle fleece and a waxed jacket, and a pair of padded salopettes. A thin snood kept my neck nice and warm, and knee length thermal socks, my legs and feet ,in all, warm as toast .

Slightly off topic but relevant.....

My problem is cold hands, I have problems with Duputryens Syndrome and Carpal tunnel syndrome, paired together with cold hands they make holding anything a big problem,tying a hook onto a hooklength is practically impossible, as I cannot feel what I am holding.. so as an experiment I purchased a plug in battery powered hand warmer from Amazon, about £18.00, and probably the best purchase I have ever made, 3 settings warm, hotter and hottest, it was on medium from 8.30am to 2.00pm and still as hot at 2.00 as it was at 8.30, and only less than 50% discharged , an added bonus is it acts as a “ charger “ for my mobile if needed.It also seemed to help with the loss of feeling in my hands , It was fine at medium powers and never needed the max.

I would recommend one over a conventional fuel powered one any day .

Dave
 
Mountain Warehouse do reasonable merino long johns and long sleeved tops. Been using them for winter motorcycling over the last few years. There’s a current discount code of WINTER that is usable until the end of the month, both online and in store.

Thanks very much, I had some in my basket ready to go so you’ve saved me some money 👍

Dave
 
I've got a set of M&S merino wool thermals. They haven't been worn all that much, perhaps a dozen times, but the material has and is wearing thin in a number of places. Usually no issues with M&S stuff but I have doubts over the longevity of these thermals... 😕
 
Just checked it out and the mountain warehouse stuff is more expensive than the M&S stuff. They call them high heat or similar. Online their website doesn't respond to merino wool searches.
 
I have some basic Mountain Warehouse merino wool base layers which I use for snowboarding on very low temp days....sadly won’t be using them this winter... They do the job fine, and just as well as more the slightly more expensive Rab ones I have.

I think for a more sedentary activity like angling, it’s really not worth spending extra cash on the more technical high-spec brands. I think right the fit is most important consideration.
 
I worked for almost 24 years stood in all weathers refuelling Aircraft snow hail frost artic winds the lot

I reckon I have tried every thing going in that time and IMHO The best I have used is

M&S COLLECTION

Thermal Maximum Warmth
Damart worth a look too
 
Here's a company I have a bit of gear from, set up by two ex Royal Marines Commandos.

And another for good baselayers

 
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