Originally Posted by
staehpj1
Synthetic for me as well. I very much prefer to avoid wool. I find it soaks up more water and dries much slower. I also find that for me at least, contrary to reports by some, it tends to stink more than most of my synthetic garments.
I once used a lot of Smartwool, but I'm going away from it. I find wool to be heavier and slower drying than the synthetic alternatives, and wool also develops holes and wears faster. I use wool socks, balaclava, and wool blend padded underwear, but I like soft polyester L/S T-shirts with zips like Patagonia's Capilene baselayers, I carry a lightweight (#2) and a midweight T-shirt by EMS. Combine those with an insulation layer and a rain jacket and you can cover a wide range of weather.