Compelling reasons for having thermal underwear in your wardrobe

You are probably now aware that for skiing and for looking great yet feeling warm in winter, thermal underwear is THE way to go.  However, I bet that some of these reasons are likely to surprise you.  It’s always good to look at things from a different perspective.

• to prevent hypothermia if you are camping in a sub zero conditions
• when the zombies attack – you will be sleeping out in the cold at least some nights
• to wick moisture away if you’re sweating from hiking in cold conditions
• to save on heating costs if you’re trying to save money, for instance if you are a student or are on a pension
• to celebrate National Thermals Celebration Day – okay I made that one up
• to be very cool like me and Count Rumford who invented thermal underwear (internal link here)
• to keep warm at Christmas
• for men shorts are an ideal bottom half if mobility is required for instance with running in winter, but they can be worn with a thermal top
• to feel like a snake that can sked its skin (when you take off your thermals)
• to wear less bulky clothing in winter and still keep toasty and warm
• ever considered getting thermal underwear to wear under an evening dress? Don’t laugh – it can be done – some thermals are made to only go around your middle, thus not showing anything away yet keeping you warmer than the other fashiona gals  Fashion and women’s clothes can be made warmer by thermals underneath and nobody will need to know.
• to go with your groovy comfy cashmere socks
• when you go motorcycle riding, generally an activity where you want plenty of insulation in layers
• survival skills if the world comes down with a case on early-onset apocalyptica and you have to run away to the country and live in a handmade hut with no way to make fire
• to survive if peak oil and rising fuel prices affects your city (it may well do)

That’s right folks there is more than one kind.  If you read my article, the history of thermal underwear [internal link here] you will know that it works its magic by trapping air and thus your own body heat.  So, you can get different types made from different kinds of fabric.  Here are some examples of the kinds of thermals that you can get.

You can get it made from cotton, best for lazing around at home and keeping snug on cold winter days.  Cotton is not so good for any occasion where you might sweat because cotton does not wick moisture away fromy our skin, it lets it stay there so you would probably just get clammy and cold, defeating the purpose of wearing thermals.

You can get it made from wool.  Arguably the best sort, and there are varying grades of wool, probably the top kind being Merino wool, almost always from Australian or New Zealand Merino sheep.  Some of the best thermal underwear is made from a blend of polypropylene and Merino wool.  They are soft, thin, light and warm.  Wool does not wick moisture like synthetic fibres; it’s different – wool can hold about 33% moisture without feeling damp.  Of course if you are out running in winter or you are running on an electric treadmill on a cold day, you will want wicking so you might want to go for the synthetic…  There are many kinds of synthetic (man-made) fabrics now used to make thermals.  You may automatically go for a natural fibre but remember that synthetic fabrics generally have better wicking properties than natural fibres.  Sometimes you can get clothing made from fabrics which are natural, with a thin layer of sythetic bonded to them or sewn over so that you get the best of both worlds.   One kind of synthetic fabric used for making thermal underwear is polypropylene, which may then be mixed with cotton to make a comfortable and affordable cold weather solution.