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Wool Vs silk Long Johns for men on the go

When it comes to keeping warm under extreme conditions, thermal underwear is unrivalled for comfort and practicality. Fine wool or silk long johns for men who work or play outdoors are a great way to combat the winter weather, and are just as good when it comes to keeping off the chill while you are at home.

“Long Johns” were the name given to the long john underwear for men that became popular in the early 1900’s. While early thermal pants were made of itchy wool, things have evolved quite a bit since then. Plenty of people want the best long underwear for cold weather and ask what the best material is. Synthetic fibers like polypropylene are cheap but suffer from lack of breathability (they smell bad!), and cotton tends to absorb sweat like a sponge, so this leaves only wool and silk as the top contenders.

Silk VS Superfine wool – which makes the better long john underwear for men who work outdoors?

Most people know that silk is wonderfully smooth and strong, but not everyone realises that high grade wool (usually from Merino sheep) can also be woven into very fine, soft long john underwear for men who are exposed to extreme cold. Both are used in top end thermal underwear (aka long johns) and carry a similar price tag. Lets run through the pro’s and cons of both.

SILK: Silk fiber is collected from the spun cocoon of the silk worm, and woven into fabric. Silk long johns for men are not cheap, but they are soft and very comfortable. They are great to wear under multiple layers of clothing, because they are very thin, and thanks to its very light weight, you will practically forget you are wearing this fabric. If you are after some warm sleepwear, then silk long johns for men or women are a great option.

The downsides? Silk is not as warm as wool, nor does it have the same water shedding properties. Still, silk is a great choice especially if you want a luxurious feeling pair of long johns to wear underneath your work wear, and they make great insulated underwear for men to wear to bed when it is very cold.

WOOL: The individual fibers in superfine wool are only slightly thicker than silk fibers, and as such, wool is a good alternative to silk long johns for men. Although it lacks the luxury smoothness of silken fabric, wool is a better insulator and is favored by people who work outdoors or engage in winter sports. Apart from breathing and wicking moisture from the skin surface, wool has the advantage of drying quickly and insulating reasonably well even when damp (or even when wrung out from soaking wet). So woolen long john underwear for men is a great choice for more extreme situations…or more extreme people that is. Wool is quite stretchy when woven, so can be worn for most sports. It makes good running underwear for women or for men, and is great for watersports like canoeing.

In summary, few people would be disappointed with quality wool or silk long johns. Both carry a similar price tag, and both are delightfully comfortable. For lounging around the house, or wearing under your business suit, silk long johns for men or women or kids are a great choice. For serious adventures though, you can’t pass up pure wool or mild wool-polyester blend insulated underwear.

All about running underwear for women

Running is a great way to keep fit and healthy, and if you have the right clothes, it is an activity you can enjoy year round. Great sports and running underwear for women is about more than just that old cliché “support”…it is about breathability, comfort, and functionality starting from your toes up.

So, what is the most popular running underwear for women and what makes it special?

Underwear for active people does more than just cover skin, it serves to draw moisture away from the body, and regulate your body temperature. When it is cold good sports underwear keeps you warm, and when you sweat, the evaporation of moisture that gets drawn away from the skin actually cools you off. Modern running underwear for women is typically woven from a combination of wool or cotton, and synthetic fibre such as polypropylene. This combination maintains the breathing function, while adding elastic qualities that are important when running or cycling.

You have probably seen many women (and men for that matter) wearing skin tight shorts when running. These “skins” as they are known are usually worn over normal underpants (light weight cotton is good because it doesn’t chafe) or thermal underwear under extreme conditions, and serve several purposes: they insulate, wick moisture, and provide a steady gentle compression for the large muscles of the thighs and upper leg, which reduces the instances of cramps and later muscle ache. In addition, skin tight running underwear for women of this sort doesn’t ride up as you run or cycle, and also has a positive shaping effect.

Long legged variants of these running skins are also popular, especially in winter. Their insulating properties are obviously better, and many people choose to wear them over regular underwear and under tracksuits or even under shorts. Again, women who are keen runners or cyclists will find that sweat is drawn away from the skin and muscle aches and cramps are reduced, so synthetic skins make excellent running underwear for women.

For upper body underwear, similar characteristics are desirable in terms or moisture removal and insulation. It would be easy to assume that loose or baggy clothing allows air circulation and therefore provides a more comfortable running experience, but in reality tight fitting singlets or sleeved tops offer far superior performance. Singlet or t-shirt style running tops are available for women, which will keep your body temperature at a comfortable level at all times. Good undershirts and running underwear for women should consist of soft fabric that has enough stretch to allow a full range of motion, and should not pull at the elbows, shoulders, or neckline. You should be able to stretch and twist without any tightness in the material.

Don’t forget that running socks should be open weave, light weight fabric with reinforced heel and toe sections. Cotton is the cheaper material, but high grade wool actually wicks moisture more effectively and keeps you cooler – albeit at a higher cost.

Good underwear is so important – without it you will be uncomfortable at best, and miserable at worst! In cold climates you might also want to consider insulated underwear for outdoor sports, to stay warm and flexible even under extreme conditions. Here you can learn more about the best long underwear for cold weather, and find some more info about different fabric types.

What is the best long underwear for cold weather?

Thermal underwear may not get a mention at the fashion parades, but warm long underwear is something that everyone should have in their wardrobe. Feeling cold may be uncomfortable in small doses, and extended exposure can lead to hypothermia or worse. So what is the best long underwear for cold weather, and why? Here is some basic info about the different types of fabrics, to help you decide what will work best for you.

Cotton thermal underwear is soft and comfortable, and as such is a good choice if you want a cheap solution. Cotton pyjamas and tracksuit pants are great for keeping warm in winter, but cotton is not perfect: it has a tendency to act like a sponge, and hold water – after all, cotton is the preferred material for towels and cleaning cloths. Cotton long johns may be the best long underwear for cold weather if you are going to stay dry at all times, but it is not recommended if you are venturing outdoors, say going skiing or camping. Once wet, cotton is hard to get dry, and until it is completely dry, it will actually draw heat away from your skin. So, it’s a great low cost choice for indoors or maybe the workplace, but a no-no for adventure sports. In winter long sleeve thermal shirts for men or women who work outdoors can discretely be worn under business shirts or uniforms.

Polyester is a synthetic fibre that is produced in many variants that come under different names like Polartec, Polypropylene and Capilene, many of which are actually the same stuff but under different trade marks. Polyester is fairly inexpensive (about the same price as cotton) and provides significantly better all weather performance. Wring it out when wet and put it back on, and although it won’t feel great, it can keep you from freezing. Some people swear that it is the best long underwear for cold weather, but it has a slight drawback – it smells after a while! Unlike natural fiber, synthetic fibers are not advanced to the point of being able to “breathe” as well as say wool or silk, and the combination of ammonia from sweat, constant moisture, and naturally occurring bacteria on skin can result in a strong BO smell that is hard to get rid of even with washing. Nevertheless, synthetic long underwear has a lot going for it, being hard wearing and nicely elastic, hence it being used in modern sports and running underwear for women and for men.

Sometimes the oldest things are the best, and wool is a case in point. Wool seemed to go out of fashion in the western world in the later part of the 20th century, as everyone embraced modern new synthetic materials. But ask any serious adventurer and they will tell you that super fine wool simply makes the best long underwear for cold weather hands down. Why? Natural oils and the structure of the fibres means that wool doesn’t hold water, and is resistant to bacteria and therefore bad odours. It doesn’t burn, and high quality fine wool is every bit as soft as cotton. The downside is the price – good long underwear made of merino wool (merino is a breed of sheep prized for their very fine wool) can easily cost twice as much as cotton or poly-cotton blends.

So, the choice really comes down to cost.

If you can afford it, buy wool. It is comfortable, versatile, and hygienic and makes great insulated underwear for men or women on the go. Equally good indoor and outdoor, from lounging in front of the television to canoeing in Alaska, wool is a tried and true solution.

For a cost effective indoor or fair-weather solution go with inexpensive cotton. For its reasonable price tag it is the best long underwear for cold weather to wear under your business attire or casual clothing when going out in winter.

If you need a low cost outdoor solution, a synthetic blend can tick all the boxes for you – just wash it often, and hand it out to air well to prevent it from starting to smell. You might be able to find a wool/polyester blend, and these can make a good compromise, although you will find that as the amount of wool in the garment increases so does the price tag.

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