If you are planning to spend lots of time for trekking and hiking this winter, then picking up those clothing which provides extra warmth as well as comfort for your outdoor adventures will be a wise choice.
What you really need will be a good pair of long johns (thermal underwear) along with your other clothing and hiking gears.
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Quick Comparison: Top Long Johns
- Minus33 Merino Wool Men's Kancamagus Midweight Bottom
- Duofold Men's Mid-Weight Wicking Thermal Pant
- MERIWOOL Men’s Merino Wool Midweight Baselayer Bottom
- Minus33 Merino Wool Women's Franconia Midweight Bottom
- Minus33 Merino Wool Men's Katmai Expedition Bottom
**Below, you'll find our expert's reviews, but you can also click the links above to see current prices or read customer reviews on Amazon.
How to Choose the Best Hiking Long Johns?
Types of Fabric for your Hiking Long Johns
Similar to the base layer tops, the long johns are also available in four different types of fabric like silk, synthetics, wool and cotton. All these four are having their own specifications as well as special features and therefore choosing the one according to your requirements demands more attention.
Cotton
Cotton is one of the best materials which is opted by many outdoor enthusiasts as it acts as a good insulator. It provides you with better warmth during the chilly weather and the material is well known for its durability. However, as with much other fabric, this is also having a downside.
Cotton is a material which does not insulate while it is wet. It won’t quick dry and hence risks during the trails in winter. This is the main reason why preferring a mix of both synthetics and cotton is far better rather than choosing cotton material alone.
Synthetics
Those long johns which are made from synthetic fabric cost less when compared to other materials. The synthetic fabrics include polyester as well as blends of polyester which holds polypropylene, nylon or spandex.
They are wrinkle-free, soft, light in weight and offers better comfort for the wearer. In addition to this, they are durable and tough as well. The only downside of this material is that, it is prone to take up odors. If not washed properly or reused without proper cleaning, they begin to smell odd.
Merino Wool
Merino wool contains soft and specific fibers of wool which is different from those regular wools. The models which are made from merino wool are a bit expensive, but picking them is worth a go owing to their amazing features and comfortable level.
They provide great breathability and warmth and dries quickly as well. The only, drawback regarding this material is that it is really delicate and hence durability is less when compared to cotton and other synthetic materials. Apart from these, it requires special care in washing.
Silk
Long johns which are made from silk materials are the best ones to opt during moderately cold climatic condition. However, they are not good enough to be chosen during extremely cold weather.
The material is light in weight and offers a soft and luxury feeling while wearing. The drawbacks with this fabric are, as with synthetics, it absorbs odors and are prone to abrasion as well.
Right Fit
The right fit long johns are those which won’t restrict the movement of the hiker. Based on the climatic conditions, ones should choose a particular model.
For instance, in cold climates, it is better to pick those base layers which would fit tightly for keeping the body heat well trapped. On the other hand, during warmer climates, go for loose fitting ones which provide more air circulation.
Things to Consider In General While Picking Your Base Layers!!!
Body sweat will release salt and this in turn will stay in your base layers. Choosing base layers which are light in weight will let your body to sweat less, thus limiting the amount of salt content which is being released from your body.
Therefore wearing light weight base layers will make you sweat less and will also limit the amount of salt in these layers. The real problem is that, there are lots of options available for both ultra lightweight as well as lightweight long johns and majority of them are expensive owing to its brand value and exceptional features. So always be choosy and find the one which fits you the best.
Weight
The base layers are divided into various categories based on their weight factor and their thickness. Before you plan to purchase a particular model, think how you are going to layer your clothing and the lowest climatic conditions which you need to face while on the trail.
Basically, there are three main categories – light weight, mid weight and heavy weight. Out of the three, lightweight models are the thinnest and are low cost as well. They are well suited for activities during cold weather and can be preferred for regular use during warmer conditions.
On the other hand, mid weight long johns are picked up as the most multifunctional model among the outdoor enthusiastic. They are suited for moderate to cold climatic conditions and can also be used along with additional layers during the winter season.
The heavy weight types are also referred to as expedition-weight long johns. They are the thickest models available in the market and can be used for blustery as well as frigid climactic conditions.
How to Care Your Hiking Long Johns?
The washing and caring instructions for hiking long johns is really simple. While washing, make sure that you take good care of the components such as moisture wicking, microbial qualities as well as high performance of your fabrics.
Try to wash them always under cool running water and then hang them to dry in a liner or dry on low. Keep in mind not to use any kind of fabric softeners. If the product is made out of merino wool, then the caring instructions will be provided the maker and you should strictly stick to it for maintaining the overall performance of the clothing.
Review of some of the Best Hiking Long Johns
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Our Reccomendation
Minus33 Merino Wool Men's Kancamagus Midweight Bottom
The Minus33 Merino Wool Men's Kancamagus Midweight Bottom is specially designed to create exceptional performance during your active outdoor trails. It offers the highest quality midweight base layer which is made out of100 percent Merino Wool super soft and hence will provide you with great comfort.
It is machine washable as well as dryable. This three-season product offers warmth and versatility is yet another notable feature of this product. It helps to control the moisture content in your skin by clearly absorbing the sweat from your body.
It helps to resist the odor and the microbes and hence foot fungus together with the smelly odors will not be issues while using this product.
The clothing has a naturally elastic property, thus permits stretching according your movements. It insulates well against the highest degree temperatures and won’t catch fire that easily. Even if it burns, it will not melt that easily and stick to your skin such as the other fabrics do.
Major Features:
- Flatlock Seams
- Anti-Microbial
- Stretchable Cuff
- Fire Resistant
- Moisture Wicking
- Natural Flexibility
Duofold Men's Mid-Weight Wicking Thermal Pant
The Duofold Men's Mid-Weight Wicking Thermal product is classic 2-ply cotton-rich thermal model underwear. You can blindly pick these base-layer bottoms for your daily warmth during the low activity levels.
The knit which is of soft texture will trap the air among the 2 thermal layers and hence it acts resists the entry of chilly weather and keeps you feel warmth even in the extreme climate. The tag-free elastic waist will help to wick the moisture content and offers extra comfort.
It combines all the technology for combining the two fabric layers and turns it to a single layer for proving better warmth.
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Foot Note!!!
Comfort and safety are the two important factors which you need to take into consideration for your outdoor trails. Usually, the outdoor adventures turn to be more difficult when the temperatures fluctuate. This is where the choice of your clothing plays an important role.
It greatly helps to improve your ability for coping up with these climatic conditions and hence choosing a solid layering system is really essential. And therefore picking up comfortable, three-season and high quality long johns is highly important. Choose wisely and enjoy hiking.
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