I used to think cold weather gear was all marketing hype

After watching a buddy on a -15C ride from Calgary to Banff last week come back shivering while I felt fine in my heated vest, I realized thermal layering actually matters way more than I gave it credit for. Has anyone else found a specific brand of base layer that actually holds up after 20+ washes?

2 comments

2 Comments

jake_dixon3d ago

That whole thing about cold weather gear being hype is exactly like people who swear expensive hiking boots are a scam until they roll an ankle on a rocky trail. I noticed the same pattern with winter tires, everyone thinks they're a gimmick until they slide through an intersection and realize the difference is night and day. For base layers, I've had a couple cheap ones fall apart after a few washes, but my Helly Hansen stuff is still going strong after three winters now. The trick I found is to hang dry them instead of throwing them in the dryer, that alone doubled the life of mine. Once you get that first real cold snap where your cheap gear fails, it clicks that quality stuff pays for itself in comfort and durability.

roses691d ago

Hang drying doubled their life? Well, that's a game changer I didn't expect.