Thermal Underwear

How to choose thermal underwear for hunting

On a hunt your body runs in two modes. You sit almost still in a high seat for hours, then walk, drive or drag game and sweat. Good thermal underwear moves moisture away from the skin and keeps you warm when you stop moving. So choose by how you hunt, not only by which one is "warmest".

We carry merino wool and synthetic base layers for men and women, fleece mid layers and heated base layers from Woolpower, Odlo, Parforce, Merkel Gear and Deerhunter. We deliver across Europe for €10, or you can collect your order free at our range in Riga.

Merino or synthetic thermal underwear?

• Merino thermal underwear stays warm even when slightly damp and takes a long time to start smelling, because wool is self-cleaning to a degree. Woolpower Lite is 80% merino and 20% polyamide, Odlo Natural Merino 260 uses a dense 260 g/m² merino fabric, and Merkel Gear Merino Long Johns use a merino-polyester blend (~240 g/m²) with mesh inserts behind the knees and in the crotch, where you sweat most.
• Synthetic dries faster and usually costs less. Odlo Active Warm Eco is 100% recycled polyester with ZeroScent odour control, and Parforce Super Soft is a soft 240 g/m² functional fabric.
• Merino blends such as Parforce merino mix combine the warmth of wool with the durability of synthetics and don't itch.

Our advice: for long sits in a high seat and multi-day hunts, go merino. For active driven hunts, or if you wash your base layers often, a synthetic or merino blend works well.

Weight: what g/m² means

Fabric weight in grams per square metre tells you how warm a base layer will be.

• Lite: for the shoulder seasons and cool nights in the high seat. Woolpower Crewneck Lite and Lite Long Johns.
• 200–260 g/m²: the all-round weight for autumn and winter. Woolpower 200, Merkel Gear ~240 g/m², Parforce Super Soft 240 g/m², Odlo Natural Merino 260 g/m².
• 400 g/m²: for frost and long sits without moving. Woolpower 400 Long Johns and Underjacket 400.
• 600 g/m²: the Woolpower Under jacket 600, the warmest mid layer for hard frost.

Woolpower garments are circular-knitted, so they have almost no seams to rub against your skin.

Layers: base layer, mid layer and outer layer

Warmth comes from layers, not from one thick jacket.

• Base layer sits against the skin and moves moisture: thermal underwear.
• Mid layer holds the heat. Parforce Heater are 180 g/m² fleece trousers worn under hunting trousers, and Parforce Heatress is the women's version. On top, use the Odlo Besso Half-Zip or a Woolpower Underjacket.
• Outer layer keeps out wind and rain: hunting jackets and trousers.

Don't wear cotton as your first layer: it soaks up sweat and chills you as soon as you stop.

Heated thermal underwear

When you have to sit for hours in frost, heated base layers help. The Parforce Ultimate heated top, leggings and long johns have three heat settings: 45, 50 and 55 °C. They run on a standard 10,000 mAh power bank (not included) that sits in a pocket inside the waistband. The Deerhunter Heat long johns have heating elements on the thighs. Heated socks, vests and hand warmers are under Heating Gadgets.

Thermal underwear for men and women

We carry roughly the same number of models for both. Thermal underwear for women: the Odlo Natural Merino 260 top, Woolpower Lite Long Johns Woman, Merkel Gear Merino Leggings, Parforce Super Soft and Heatress leggings, plus the Parforce Ultimate heated leggings and top. Thermal underwear for men: Merkel Gear Merino Long Johns, the Odlo Active X-Warm long johns and top, the Odlo Active Warm Eco set, Parforce Super Soft and Parforce Heater. The warmest winter layers for hard frost are the Woolpower 400 g/m² Long Johns and the Underjacket 400 and 600 mid layers.

Size and fit

Thermal underwear should sit close to the body along its whole length: where there's an air gap between skin and fabric, moisture isn't carried away. It shouldn't squeeze, though, because compressed fabric insulates less. Flat seams (Odlo, Merkel Gear) don't rub under straps and a backpack, and a longer back, as on the Woolpower Crewneck Lite, protects your lower back when you bend or sit.

Care

Always follow the care label. Woolpower merino can be machine washed at up to 60 °C. Wash Parforce heated base layers at 30 °C on a gentle cycle, with the USB port cover closed. Wool picks up odour more slowly, so you can wash it less often than synthetics.

What does good thermal underwear cost?

• Under €60: Parforce Heatress fleece leggings (€43) and Heater fleece trousers (€45), Odlo Active Warm Eco leggings (€55), Woolpower Balaclava 200 (€44).
• €60–130: Parforce Super Soft (€60–63), Parforce merino mix (€72–78), Odlo Active X-Warm (€73), Merkel Gear merino (€97–124), Woolpower Lite (€109–110), Parforce heated base layers (€121).
• Over €130: Woolpower 200 (€146), Woolpower 400 Long Johns (€189), Underjacket 400 (€209–269) and Under jacket 600 (€253–279).

Shop by brand: Woolpower, Odlo, Parforce, Merkel Gear and Deerhunter.

Our advice

If this is your first hunting base layer, start with a merino base layer such as Woolpower Lite or Merkel Gear and a fleece mid layer. If you often sit in a high seat in frost, add a 400 g/m² layer or heated underwear. Can't decide? Message us and we'll help you choose.