Originally Posted by
groovestew
I'm intrigued by the suggestion of wool; I know I've heard this advice before, but it hasn't sunk into my subconscious yet. But doesn't wool stink when it gets wet? A couple of times, I've been caught in some rain wearing a wool suit, and the odour wasn't pleasant. Maybe sporting gear isn't as bad. I'll have to try it out.
Wool is the best deoderant around. You should never smell your own body odor in it. In fact, unless I spill something on mine, I typically wear a jersey 30+ times between washes. Fewer if I'm sweating excessively, or kayaking on the sound - both because of salt. On the other hand, some wool can take on the "wet sheep smell" when it's completely saturated. A lot of the high-end exercise stuff avoids this, because the fleece goes through all kinds of chemical baths after it comes off the sheep but before it becomes a shirt. I've got a couple jerseys that used to do that until they've been through several washings, and a few that have never made the wet sheep smell.
I think generally the thinner fabrics are the ones I've had that have never smelled. They're probably also the ones that will be most appropriate for you - least insulation. I'm wearing
this one to work today; it's cloudy and might rain later, but around 60 degrees, and I have plans to paddle a kayak a few miles to dinner later on, where I'll get splashed to no end.