Originally Posted by
Athens80
Can you explain the difference? I understand that the jersey protects your skin from the direct solar rays. But otherwise it seems like what you want is to get sweat from the skin to the outside of the jersey where air flow will evaporate it. It seems like making the sweat go through the base layer, transfer to and through the jersey, and then evaporate is just going to slow down the evaporation, compared to just wearing a jersey that wicks moisture as well as the base layer material.
There are different types of base layers, most of the ones mentioned in this thread have been the mesh type, which are a little thicker than jersey material but in a very lightweight honey comb type pattern. Sweat is absorbed by the part of the base layer that touches your skin, then is transferred to it's outer edge where it can be absorbed into the jersey to evaporate. The idea is to pull the sweat away from your body and give you a little air gap between the jersey body so the sweat soaked jersey isn't against your body.
I have never had one of these types of base layers sopping wet as described by some, with thinner base layers more like an undershirt, yes and it's sticky uncomfortable, but not the mesh type which I always wear in the summer even with humidity.