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looking for a quick dry clothes for camping
Hi Gang.
Got my 15 day trip to Finland coming up and need some advice. CLOTHING ! Last year went to Sweden and too far too many clothes ! I now own a good mesh with armour jacket (if its too cold use a fleece and my waterproof jacket over the top). Now wearing Hardass jeans (again if its cold stick my waterproofs on) The reason for the cooler gear is that last year Sweden was red hot and I sweated my butt off !! Heres where I need advice... Tshirts and Undies, need to be quick drying and comfortable, also looking for a UK supplier...... oh and any other advice any one wants to give :-) Cheers Geordie |
I know that everyones' selections are a little bit different to each other, but I would recommend:
Helly Hansen Lifa undershirts. Hardwearing, comfortable, and do their job come rain or shine. They also wash and dry in seconds, which fits your requirements. I like to wear full leggings rather than underwear, it eradicates uncomfortable seams, and stops linings sticking to clammy or sweaty skin. The ones I'm using now are by EDZ, but there are loads of different ones out there for very little cash. Link to some EDZ stuff - http://www.hideout-leather.co.uk/tag/edz/ . I don't normally go for advert speak, but they are as good as their promise 'keeps you warm in winter, cool in summer.' For 20 squid for the leggings, I think it is a bargain. Brit army issue long johns are not as good, but still relatively comfortable (bit warm though,) for the bargain price of £3.99 on ebay. I do believe someone recently (Grant?) recommended some underwear that he has been wearing but I can't remember where the thread was. If I have remembered correctly though, he couldn't speak highly enough of 'Brand X' underwear. Happy Riding Joel |
Some options
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I vaguely recall that thread: I think it was about silk underwear (for us boys). Anyway, my basic idea is wear synthetic stuff rather than cotton which can be cold (jeans are a good (i.e. bad) example of cotton outer wear) - some one else, somewhere and way back in time, offered the idea of taking all of your old skiddies and chucking them each day - by the end of the trip you have more room in your luggage for your "duty free goods". Having said that, sods law says it will be freezing for you this trip, since you got the good times last time around :rolleyes2: I do hope not!! |
5.11 Tactical
Nylon pants and shirts, not thin lingerie stuff either - overnight dry. |
Yeah definatly stay away from cotton based products unless you are expecting a heat wave. I have not been to impressed with Hele Hensans latest tops they seem to make you sweat more than the older stuff. I have a berghaus thermal which has seen 10 years good use. I always wear long johns if its cold but found M&S to be pretty good. I always carry a spare top and bottoms they are great to sleep in if its cold.
Dont know much about the wool blend stuff but the merino based thermals seem to get good reviews and dont smell as bad. I want to try these next time but they are a bit more pricey. Aldi and the other bugdet shops offer thermals at the moment top and long johns for less than £10 and the quality seems to be ok. |
Rukka do some seamless underskiddies. My mate swears by them. Me I just wear what's on top of the pile as usual. I'm lucky I guess, as I don't suffer from "monkey butt", monkey breath, possibly, but I'm blessed with an iron butt. Anyway, a little bit of pain cleanses the soul. As they say "pain is just weakness leaving the body"
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"5.11 Tactical
Nylon pants and shirts, not thin lingerie stuff either - overnight dry." For those hoping for a more peaceful trip; 5.11 tactical come in a civilian range called Royal Robins, though if you do need a a pocket for your tactical torch oh and a back up mag for your semi auto Glock hand gun; 5.11 is the way to go! Get pair of nylon running or swin shorts that have the lining in them, wear them intead of underwear. you wash them in 20 seconds in the shower (when you get to one) and they'll be dry by morning. good to go. I used only two pairs for 4 months. worked like a charm. For Grants recomendation Silk underwear works well but is a bit hard to get hold of other than Canada (It's a big seller there because of it's heavy fire regulations, polypropelene was banned there a years back for a fire hazard (never mind all your polar fleece and riding gear! or a tank full (hopefully!) of petrol) |
sorting out you old cruddy undies and socks before a trip is the way to go...you can leave a little bit of skid and sweat at all your stay over points.
This is a great way to save the planet. The poor locals can then re-use your cast offs for many years to come! Happy days. Roy:thumbup1: |
Don't forget the Horizons Unlimited synthetic t-shirts!!:thumbup1: A good cause for sure!
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5.11 tactical.
Isn't that the stuff that is sold at every USPX in the world? I'm sure I recognise the name from buying frenzies! I think I bought some of their trousers after an embarrassing heli incident left my crotch gaping. If it is, I remember being distinctly unimpressed with their longevity, and it makes you look like an off duty US soldier, or a PMC. Neither of which is a good look! Like Steve said though you do get a quick release leg holster though, so it is horses for courses. I seem to remember mine also had a scabbard kind of thing on the calf, for those moments when you can't quite reach your boot knife. :thumbup1: On the silk undie tack, it sounds very pimp, and I want to try some. Happy Riding Joel |
Yeah Joel; it would be a hell of a pick up line eh!? "Hi there cutie...my name is Bob, I ride motorcycles but i wear silk underwear...ggrrrr:D
Seriously though, it's very good on the odour front, it drys quickly, and offers reasonable warmth. If you wanted really warm underwear have a look at Merino wool thermals; No stink, warm when wet, and no itch. They don't dry as quick as silk but will keep you plenty warm when wet. for all but the hottest time of the year I always wear Icebreaker Merino thermals. It's not cheap (it's actually quite expensive) but you'll never want to take it off. Worth every cent ( or penny!) |
Hi Gang,
Many thanks for all the replys... Not sure about throwing my skiddies away.. im a tight arsed git and hate throwing things away lol Silk undies.... going to grab a pair and give them a trial run Just thought, i bought some mountain gear.. cant remember the trade name but bought long sleeve and short sleeve, washed them and they took like 20 mins to dry. so thats my day/riding gear sorted. evening wear.... got 3 pairs of zip off pants (pants that convert to shorts) so just need to find some good washable T- shirts As for wearing army long johns, well after 23 years of them .. i think its time i became a full time civvy lol Cheers Geordie |
Hit the sales!
Hi Geordie,
Cotswold Outdoor have a sale on at the moment, offer of the month might fit the bill for you! They are also selling merino base layers for £20.00, which is a bargain. I have one by another maker and it's excellent but I've ordered one of these while they're going cheap. As for undies, if I remember rightly Grant's post related to LDC comfort underwear. A lot of people like these as they are made for bikers but as far as I'm aware they are only available in North America. Pricy too. If you manage to get a silk pair, let us know as I've not had much sucess finding any at a decent price. Happy hunting, Cotswolds links below. https://www.cotswoldoutdoor.com/webp...USEACTION=main |
Told the girlfriend tonight about this thread... silk undies :censored: Then her daughter started taking the mick about pink thongs !!! note to self... keep quiet from now on lol
Anyways, thanks for all the links, going to google silk undies Cheers Geordie |
Just found this link
Thai Silk Clothes - Silk Boxer Shorts what do you think ? buy 3 and get 4 works out to £33 incl del Cheers Geordie |
hhhmmmm
When we were talking about silk underwear we were talking about thermals, it spun in a different weave that is more stretchy and are long john type clothes. though i guess the quick drying thing would be the same...... I remember as a young fella i got some silk sheets spun in the same way to impresss the girlfriend... the things were so slippery you almost slipped off the bed! ...not what i had in mind ;) hahaha I'd hate to hear about you slipping off the bike in your silk boxers LOL... sorry mate they'd work fine no doubt |
I remember my sister buying me some for xmas a few years back ... and i hated wearing them !!
Infact Im sure I ended up ripping them by putting my big toe thru them while putting them on !! BUT if they work ... and can be washed and dried quicky then I will only need 3 or 4 pairs for a 15 day trip. My girlfriend said.. just go commando ! I said can you imagine the smell of my hardass kevlar jeans after 2 weeks ! Cheers Geordie |
haha Just because it's bulletproof doesn't mean it is skiddie proof:clap: and ooooohhh how itchy!!:eek3:
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Also try the running short / swim short thing as underwear as i said before i used it for 4 months while traveling. worked really well they are comfy breathable, they will be dry by the morning
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Hi Steve
Do you mean the Lycra running shorts.. very popular in the nineties with squaddies out running ?? I used them all the time to run in... would i not sweat too much in them ? Cheers Geordie |
One pair of cycling shorts
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Don't worry about the sweat - wash them out daily when not on the bike and wear almost immediately. You can get by with one pair. |
Geordie;
I was meaning a more traditional short like Rugby shorts Amazon.com: Speedo Men's Solid Surfrunner: Apparel I've used both Speedo (no, not the skimpy's ;) )and nike's (on special) Just normal cut shorts made out of tactile Nylon, with a tricot mesh liner brief in them Have a look at the link. I only had 3 pairs, so if you had a lazy day not doing your personal admin you have a few spares. They weigh almost nothing, take up less room than that You proberly have an old pair of PT shorts knocking around. try them for a day see what you think |
Damart: They do a nice range of silk thermal underwear, well they do in France anyway, along with gloves, socks, balaclavas.
When are you off to Finland? My girlfriend's in Lahti and up until recently it's been lovely and mild, but last week the snow came with avengence, so thermals might be needed. |
'As for wearing army long johns, well after 23 years of them .. i think its time i became a full time civvy lol'
Haha, fair one, on the plus side though - that means you don't even need to ebay them - just pick a pair out of your old kit! I think half my riding gear is sponsored by Her Majesty. 'I used them all the time to run in... would i not sweat too much in them ?' I use them for running too, never used them for riding in, but Steve's/Walkabout's advice sounds good. I think I may try it. Last time I went travelling for a month, I went commando, and I didn't smell very social very much of the time. Also made admin a lot harder, because it meant washing a pair of trousers regularly, when I could have been washing a pair of pants alone! Happy Riding. Joel |
Alexlebrit,
Im going to a 3 day vsoc club rally at Säkylä Finland. were not going till mid June so hopefully wont be cold. Commando is a no no !! cant stand the thoughts of my bits dangling around lol Going to get a pair of lycra shorts and give them a bash At least ive got plenty of time to try different things before i go Cheers Geordie |
Ahh, June you should be fine.
Back to clothes, whilst they're not cheap, Rohan stuff is very good and a lot of it is in quick dry material. It also packs incredibly small if your roll it, and doesn't really crease either. |
:offtopic: 'Im going to a 3 day vsoc club rally'
Really? Which centre are you? I've been to a few of their rallies, mostly centre 9 I think. Good laughs and some decent people. Back to topic - as for underwear, guess who got hold of some silky silky pants today! I'm too crocked to ride, but can't wait to get on the steed and give them a good road test! I've never been so chuffed with a pair of pants, I'm tempted to just wear them around the house. They make me feel like a cross between Huggy Bear and Ali Baba. Happy Riding Joel |
Hi Joel,
Im with Centre 4 the Northern Raiders, great bunch, been with the club now 4 years. I ride a Suzuki 1500 intruder (big ol cruiser). of course in time I will get a smaller bike when I retire in 3-4 years and do more travelling. I went to Sweden with them last year, I had a great time but thought the getting there bit was all a bit too rushed. So this year Im on my own, will meet up with them in Finland and then make my own way back. Cheers Geordie |
I'd definitely recommend Icebreaker merino wool. Keeps you very warm (wear 2 lightweight layers). It dries very quickly and if it gets wet or isn't dry in time, it will still keep you warm and dry whilst you wear it. I wouldn't travel with anything else. Also, it doesn't smell even if you don't wash it very often. Get some 200 base layer and either a 260 weight or 320 weight top layer and you'll be fine into the minus temperatures.
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DOTCAF;
You speak the truth; I always wear icebreaker ( infact i'm sitting in the office wearing two layers right now.) I have tops that are 5 years old and in winter some of them are almost permantly on. They start looking better rather than worse after a few years. Look quite tidy too, so going for a walk around town after you've got to your day's destination they're great as well. the Heavier "sport" layer is as warm as a 200 weight fleece but is very low profile/ low bulk so You'll be able to wear it under your kacket nae bother. Combine this with a lighter top like the 260gm (as dotcaf says) and you onto a winner. The warmth is amazing but you never seem to overheat - just comfortable. |
Travelodge are offering silk sleep suits, basically hat gloves top and long johns at some of their lodges. You can get a deal £19 in advance and supposedly you can keep the free silkies after youre nights stay.
Dont know if anyones tries this but its worth ago for free under garmets, helmet liner and gloves.:cool4: |
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