How to choose thermal underwear for fishing?

Active pastime in nature, including fishing, involves not only a meticulous selection of fishing gear, but also a competent choice of equipment to ensure comfort and safety. Clothing is not an exception to the rule. Its choice should also be taken seriously. Every fisherman wants to be warm and comfortable during his favorite activity.

Thermal underwear will be a useful element of equipment on a walking or winter fishing.

Thermal underwear is an element of outfit, which is used as the bottom base layer of clothing and is designed to remove moisture from the body and keep warm. It should be remembered that in order to create an ideal microclimate in the cold season, the principle of layering should be observed. A set of clothes should consist of three layers:

1. Thermal underwear is used as the lower base layer.
2. The middle layer drains moisture to the outside and also retains heat.
3. The top layer in the form of a suit protects from unfavorable environmental influences in the form of snow, rain and wind.

Now let’s dwell more on thermal underwear, more precisely thermal underwear for fishing.

Regardless of the conditions of use (which, by the way, we will dwell on in more detail) it must have a number of qualities:

• since this element of clothing is in direct contact with the body, the fabric should be pleasant to the touch;
• anatomical cut, all seams should be flat, and tags should be on the outside;
• good moisture-wicking qualities, which will allow the thermal underwear to dry quickly and regulate temperature;
• preferably the use of hypoallergenic fabrics;
• elasticity, thanks to which the underwear does not restrain movement.

The principle of thermal underwear and its main properties

Heat-saving properties. Thermal underwear, which has such properties, works on the principle of a thermos. It fits tightly to the ^body2, but there is still a layer of air due to the special cellular structure of the fabric1^. Therefore, the ^air3 is heated or cooled to body temperature, providing thermoregulation.

Moisture-draining properties. The structure of the ^fabric1 is arranged in such a way that the heated air, which is between the fabric and the ^skin2, passes through the fabric and takes with it also particles of ^moisture4. The ^air3 moves from the skin outwards, due to the temperature difference, and accordingly the pressure difference. Such thermal underwear is usually made of synthetic materials (polypropylene, polyester) and often has a slightly fleecy structure inside, which increases the surface area and the amount of moisture removed.

Heat-saving + moisture-wicking properties. (That’s it – that’s what a fisherman needs!).

This thermal underwear retains ^heat1 and wicks away ^moisture3. This is made possible by the use of several layers in the ^fabric2. The inner layer is made of synthetic moisture-wicking fabric, and the outer layer is made of heat-saving fabric (both synthetic and with natural fibers). This is how underwear can stay both dry and warm.

What to pay attention to when choosing

The two main factors to decide on when choosing thermal underwear:

1. Temperature regime (heat-saving properties of the outfit are responsible for it);
2. Activity (moisture-wicking properties). Activity can be high, medium and low. Accordingly, the higher the activity, the more moisture needs to be removed from the body, and the more important are the moisture-wicking characteristics of the fabric. Thus, for high activity in summer, you should pay attention to the moisture-wicking characteristics of underwear and choose thin synthetic underwear.

Temperature mode many manufacturers specify as “cool”, “cold” and “very cold”.

What thermal underwear is better for winter fishing?

And if we are talking about the selection of clothing for winter fishing with a large number of transitions, both parameters are important here. That is, thermal underwear should be for high or medium activity and for use in cold weather. Then you need to choose a two-layer underwear, which and moisture will take away, and freeze will not let you freeze. The outer layer of such products is often made with the addition of natural wool or cotton to better retain heat.

Conclusion: the rule of choice of thermal underwear for fishing

The general rule for the choice of material looks like this: to keep warm it is better to choose thermal underwear from natural fabrics, and with high physical exertion synthetic. If both parameters are important, as stated above, thermal underwear should be two-layer.

Care

As with any piece of clothing, thermal underwear must be properly cared for in order for it to serve for a long time and fulfill all its functions. In order not to spoil the garment, carefully study all the care information on the product label.

General rules for care:

• washing in warm, but in no case not hot water (30-40 degrees);
• it is possible to use rinses with antistatic agents;
• do not use chlorine detergents;
• it is forbidden to dry on the radiator and over an open flame, ironing;
• dry cleaning is prohibited.

Different manufacturers offer their own versions of thermal underwear for different conditions of use, so the range presented in stores is very diverse. Universal “recipe” for choosing thermal underwear for fishing, unfortunately, does not exist. Therefore, it is necessary to determine in what weather and how it will be used. Carefully study all the information that the manufacturer provides about the materials, activity and temperature regime of the underwear. Properly select the size, which is very important. After all, a good thermal underwear will not stretch and will not sit. And this part of clothing must fit exactly to the size to effectively perform its functions.