I’m leaving for a trip in two weeks to Bali, Indonesia in the rainy season 80F leaving from moderately but not too cold North Carolina in December 50F. Going through three airports.
I’m bringing two capilene shirts for warm conditions and cotton/poly shirts, and hiking pants and shorts and sneakers and sandals. Plus maybe fleece or cashmere for cold and a thin rain jacket.
I’m supposed to do a (short) hike up a mountain where temps may drop 20 degrees, Mount Batur, Bali, Indonesia, and be windy and rainy.
I am trying to decide what to bring for warmth. I have a fleece that’s somewhat warm. I also have a light cashmere sweater that’s been sitting in my closet for a year or two since before COVID. It’s light enough for travel. And dressy enough to look decent at dinner time.
The negative is that I do sweat a lot when I hike. So I might need to clean the sweater after I wear it. But a lot of the fleece I have is fine for sitting at home but too bulky for travel.
I am allergic to wool but I haven’t tested that theory for years so I have never tried smart wool.
Is there a lightweight fleece out there that I could pick up locally or have shipped that would not be too bulky for travel? Or is cashmere a good idea?
I probably go with something made out of alpha direct insulation.
Farpointe OG, Senchi design just to name a few…
If you start to run hot quite quick I would suggest a alpha Fleece in the 60gsm weight combined with a light Windbreaker/rainjacket.
As long as you keep moving you won’t get cold with this combi.
Paris said: @Cairo
Thanks for that. It looks like it’s a new material? Not much available yet but I did find some on Polartec’s website.
It’s fairly new material, but it has proven it in the last years as the go to material for fleece layers.
Ultra light, ultra packable all in all one of the best warmth to weight ratios.
don’t know if it’s allowed to share links to shops here…
But the brands i mentioned (farpointe og & Senchi design) definitely sell alpha direct and there is also a big onlineshop called garagegrowngear that should have the fleece’s in stock.
Almost no one is allergic to wool. There’s significant scientific doubt as to whether wool allergy actually exists. Irritation is not uncommon, but that’s a function of the fibres prickling and modern merino is much softer than older wools.
Kelly said: @Hartley
people are allergic to lanolin though… which is in wool
Modern merino is processed to remove practically all the lanolin. All wools naturally contain trace amounts including cashmere contain some. It’s just the amount that varies, but it’s removed in processing.
@Hartley
really? all the ones ive bought have included lanolin because of its antimicrobial properties. in fact, after a couple of years, merino clothing loses some antibacterial properties because the lanolin is washed out (still retains some antibacterial properties due to the yarn)
If you get irritation from wool, there’s a good chance you can still wear Marino or Alpaca. But vacation is not the time to find out IMO. I’m not sure the cashmere sweater is durable enough for activewear, so that’s a big drawback. I’d just get a thin-but-warm fleece that you can also use during other times on your trip.
I love this one: https://www.columbia.com/p/womens-glacial-iv-half-zip-fleece-1802201.html?dwvar_1802201_color=516
There should be a men’s version as well. It’s thin, has a really wide comfort rating (30-68 degrees F imo), and the warmth can be extended with a rain shell on top and/or thin long sleeve base layer tshirt over your short sleeve for your hike. Doesn’t sound like this is an item you’re going to frequently need. Don’t spend a ton of money for one use.
I use waffle tops, which are essentially a grid fleece Anorak that’s somewhere between a lightweight and midweight. They’re quite warm for what they are, and they’re supremely comfortable, durable, breathable, and quick-drying. They are not fashionable, but I love them anyway because they’re so versatile. You can usually find them new for ~$40, give or take. If not this specific item, I’d go with a light fleece. It doesn’t need to be fancy. Fleece is very generic, and there’s not a ton of difference from one brand to the next.
Smartwool might be worth considering just due to the fact that few people react to the merino wool as an allergy. People generally “react” to the fibers of the material and find it prickly. I have that issue with new shirts, so I wash mine as soon as I get them. I use Woolite Delicates detergent. I can’t promise that this will solve the issue for you, but I find my Smartwool shirts very comfy after they’ve been washed.
My system goes…
baselayer (merino wool quarter-zip from Smartwool or cheap polyester shirt) → waffle top → midweight grid fleece (when static and very cold) → weather layer (Outdoor Research Ferrosi hoodie softshell or Beyond L6 rain jacket)
