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Reviews > Clothing > Base Layers and Undies > Terramar Thermawool Base Layers > Test Report by Gail StaisilTerramar Thermawool CS Crew and BottomTest Series by: Gail Staisil, Marquette, Michigan 
Page Contents: Initial Report: December 13, 2015 Tester Information Name: Gail Staisil Age: 63 Gender: Female Height: 5' 9" (1.75 m) Weight: 160 lb (73 kg) Location: Marquette, Michigan USA Email: woodswoman 2001 AT yahoo DOT com Product Information
Initial Impressions and Product Description  The Terramar (Hottotties) Thermawool CS Crew and Bottom arrived in great condition exhibiting fine workmanship. The warmth factor of the baselayers are rated at 4.0 or extreme (the manufacturer has a Warm Factor rating from 1.0 at warm to 4.0 at  extreme).
I wasn't completely aware of this from the website but the packaging
had a chart on the side of each box and it also refers to it as
expedition weight. This completely explains why the separate pieces
feel weighty compared to most baselayers I own. On the website if
one checks for the listings under expedition weight specifically,
the Thermawool shows up. The actual description under the item
refers to it as midweight though. Each baselayer is fabricated with
an outer layer of 30 percent Merino Wool and 70 percent microfiber
polyester while the inner surface is comprised of 100 percent
microfiber. The latter is very soft brushed fleece which feels nice
against my skin. Just a side note the top is also available in half
zip and full zip versions.I am definitely between sizes according to the manufacturer's size chart. When this happens (often) I go up a size to make sure that the clothing will not be too snug. I ordered the Size XL and am pleased in general with the fit but wish the bottoms were a bit longer. Overall both pieces are slightly loose fitting but not overly so. Looking at the size chart once again the bottoms are designed for the "average woman" - their words. It indicated that the person would be 5'3" to 5'6" (1.6 m to 1.68 m). There are no tall sizes available in women baselayers but they are offered in men's sizes though (sniff). Because I will be wearing the bottoms with mid-crew or knee-high socks for most activities it probably won't be an issue for me. The baselayers that I requested are in the color of Purple Heather. It is a very deep shade and all the contrast stitching is in a hot pink color. The bottoms have a very wide waistband (3 in/7.6 cm) which sits a bit below the waist in the front. It is lined with microfiber. The whole inside layer is brushed microfiber in fact, which is so comfy. There is an embroidered script (HOTTOTTIES CS) which is sewn just belong the waistband on the left side. Since this is sewn all the way through I can't help but wonder if it will be an irritation point. There is also an embroidered manufacturer's symbol on the back of the waistband but the inside of the stitching is covered by the lining. Each front leg section is sewn in two contoured pieces with contrast stitching. The inseam measurement is about 30 in (76 cm) for size XL. There is a small gusset sewn into the crotch area. The crew baselayer has more than a little detail. The front and back sections are sewn with several pieces. The front section is comprised of five sections which presumably gives more shape as well as style to the base layer. The back consists of three sections and the sleeves each have two. All of the sections are highlighted with double stitching in a contrast color (hot pink). The underarm-to-wrist measurement is 18.5 in (47 cm) and the underarm-to-hem measurement is a wonderful 19.5 in (50 cm)..lots to cover my backside.  The
crew top has a stretchy but flat bias-cut neck trim. It measures
about 0.75 in (1.9 cm) wide. The inside of this trim is highlighted
with a hot pink stretch ribbon with the company symbol and
"hottotties" repeatedly printed along the entire trim. The label is
also embroidered on the bottom of the crew just like it was on the
bottoms. The manufacturer's symbol is also embroidered on the center
back of the crew. This time I noticed that the embroidery was faced
on the interior possibly preventing irritation. Not sure why they
didn't do that on the bottoms as noted above. As previously noted the baselayer crew and bottoms are made with a blend of fibers including wool and microfibers (polyester). This combination reportedly allows the fabric to breathe and manage moisture. This technology is called ClimaSense which allows comfort in all conditions. The propriety fabric "has been formulated to adapt to an active body's changing physiology". The fibers reportedly contract to trap air when it is cold and and the opposite occurs when it is warm. Other attributes worth noting are that the fabrics are supposed to wick fast and dry as well as inhibit the growth of bacteria that causes odor. The fabrics have a UPF rating of 50+ which is good to know if I ever wear them by themselves without a jacket or another layer. The baselayers are to be washed inside out and hang dried. Ironing or bleach is not recommended. Simple enough as I always line dry my activewear. I am looking forward to wearing the baselayers for many winter activities. Top of Page Field Report: March 10, 2016 USA Locations and Conditions During the testing period I have spent fourteen days in backcountry rustic cabins (skied into pulling sled), six days on an annual cross country skiing trip and two days winter camping at a national lakeshore. I have enjoyed the outdoors most other days on snowshoes, skis or ice cleats. Locations of all trips were in the State of Michigan and ranged from lakeshore to boreal forest. Elevation ranged from above 600 ft (183 m) to almost 2,000 ft (610 m). Location of Trip: Hiawatha National Forest Length of Trip: 5 days, 4 nights (December 30 - January 3) Sled Weight: Estimated 45 lb (20.4 kg) Distance: 25 mi (40 km) Sky and Air Conditions: Cloudy, snow, some sun Precipitation: About 7 - 8 in (18 - 20 cm) of new snow Temperature Range: 17 F to 34 F (- 8 C to 1 C) Location of Trip: Keweenaw Peninsula - State of Michigan  Length of Trip: 6 days, 5 nights (January 24 - January 29) Sky and Air Conditions: Snow, snow and snow Distances: 5 to 12 mi skiing per day (8 to 19 km) Precipitation: At least 14-15 in (36 - 38 cm) of new snow Temperature Range: 11 F to 29 F (-12 C to -2 C) Location of Trip: Hiawatha National Forest Length of Trip: 4 days, 3 nights (January 30 - Feb 3) Sled Weight: Approx 40 lb (18 kg) Distance: 20 mi (32 km) Sky and Air Conditions: Cloudy, windy and warm (for winter) Precipitation: Light dusting of new snow Temperature Range: 19 F to 42 F (- 7 C to 6 C) Location of Trip: Hiawatha National Forest Length of Trip: 5 days, 4 nights (February 21 - 25) Sled Weight: Approx 40 lb (18 kg) Distance: 23 mi (37 km) Sky and Air Conditions: Cloudy, a wee bit of snow Precipitation: Trace Temperature Range: 2 F to 37 F/-17 C to 3 C (mostly about 25 F/- 4 C) Location of Trip: Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore Length of Trip: 2 days, 1 night (March 4 - March 5) Sled Weight: Approx 35 lb (16 kg) Distance: 11 mi (17.7 km) Sky and Air Conditions: Cloudy, sunny, light wind and snow Precipitation: About 1.5 in (3.81 cm) of new snow Temperature Range: 12 F to 35 F (-11 C to 2 C) Day Trips: Noquemanon Trail Network, Blueberry Ridge Trail, Valley Spur Trail, Eben Caves, McKeever Trails, Swedetown Trails, Michigan Tech Trails (Michigan Counties of Marquette, Alger, Houghton and Keweenaw) Distances: 4 to 12 mi (6 to 19 km) Temperature Range: -8 F to 40 F (-22 C to 4 C) ------------------------------------------------------ Trip Talk During the last three months of testing, if I could sum up the Thermawool CS Base Layers in two words it would be "very warm". I have struggled to find the happy medium for this set of long underwear as most of my activities are highly aerobic and don't 
generally require expedition-weight warmth. I have found that the
best use for the layered set is when I wear the top with just a
light vest and the bottoms with a light layer. Of course this only
works if the temps cooperate and the winds are not high. The perfect
weather has happened quite a few times for wearing the top and that
has been approximately 25 - 30 F (-4 to -1 C) with light wind. They
even worked well on my last trip when the temps climbed to 35 F (2
C) while pulling a winter sled about 11 mi (17.7 km) total during
two days. Of course the layers have been perfect for hanging around
in a rustic cabin and for sleeping in my winter tent inside a toasty
sleeping bag. They have also been comfortable while wearing during
casual walks to ice caves for exploration.Anytime I wear any type of shell jacket with the layers I am way too hot. However there were several days of below-zero weather (0 F/-18 C) with high wind chills so the layers became important during that time. I actually just wore a soft shell over the top layer and it was perfectly fine for cross country skiing. Normally in those conditions I would have worn more layers but I knew the Thermawool CS baselayers would be warm enough. That said in the many instances where I was too hot the layers remained comfortable against my skin and I didn't feel like I was terribly clammy or anything like that. One thing that I didn't notice about the bottom layer at first, is that if I try wearing them alone with just a winter down or synthetic skirt over them or wearing them for sleeping, the wide waistband is too loose and it generally drifts downward. In other words, the bottoms require me to wear a pair of pants over them to fit right. This well may be that I could have worn a smaller size but they are comfortable otherwise. I do love the softness of the top and bottoms and at no time have they been itchy or uncomfortable. The length of the bottoms has been a non-issue in reality. I love the longer top layer as it has not become untucked during activity. I have washed them probably about 10-12 times (lost count) and they have held up well and dried very nicely on a drying rack in my low-humidity basement at this time of year. Unfortunately I have not always remembered to turn them inside out as suggested by the manufacturer but they haven't suffered any ill effects as far as I can tell. I haven't noticed any smell factor after wearing them several days in a row on many of these trips. Perhaps the wool factor in their composition helped with that. Given the right conditions the layers shine. Likely they would be best suited for ice climbing or downhill skiing instead of the type of activities I normally do. That said I have had plenty of experiences with them (as noted above) where they did perform well for me. Top of Page Long Term Report: May 4, 2016 USA Locations and Conditions During the testing period I have worn the Terramar Base Layers for many outdoor activities including cross country and backcountry skiing as well as snowshoeing. Locations of all outings were in the State of Michigan and ranged from lakeshore to boreal forest. Elevation ranged from above 600 ft (183 m) to almost 2,000 ft (610 m).  Location of Trip: Hiawatha National Forest - April 23-24 Length of Trip: 2 days Pack Weight: 26 lb (11.8 kg) Distance: 9 mi (14.5 km) Sky and Air Conditions: Cloudy Precipitation: None Temperature Range: 48 F to 25 F (9 C to - 4 C) Day Trips: Noquemanon Trail Network, Blueberry Ridge Trail, Valley Spur Trail Distances: 4 to 15 mi (6 to 24 km) Temperature Range: 57 F to 29 F (14 C to - 2 C) ------------------------------------------------------ Trip Talk During the last two months of testing, I have continued to wear the Thermawool CS Base Layers for outdoor activities. The typical day would including wearing the base layers with just a vest over the top and a winter skirt over the bottoms. It was simply too warm to wear them with pants as the weather was slightly above freezing for the most part. I often wear skirts for my activities anyway but they were varied, and included an insulated down skirt, a synthetic insulated skirt and a light wool skirt. All of these skirts are made for recreational purposes. Recently the temps have shifted upwards and I have found the top with only a light vest over it handy for mountain biking and dayhikes, and sometimes I even removed the vest when I got too warm. The temps have been mostly in the 40-50 F range (4-10 C) the last few weeks (although the daytime temps today are below freezing again). The top still functions well at those range of temps but the bottoms are simply too hot to wear for exertion activities. During my short backpack trip I wore the top while hiking but both the top and bottom for sleeping. I continued to have an issue with the bottoms slipping downward when pants weren't over them. It is more annoying than anything but of course it was only a matter of approximately an inch or two (2.5 to 5 cm) so that can be handled. I still love the long length of the top which keeps my back from being exposed when I bend over to do tasks such as setting my bindings on my ice cleats, snowshoes or skis. The base layers are very soft and the comfort level has been very high otherwise. I have washed the set a bunch more times (probably about eight) with no issues and they have dried quickly on a drying rack in my basement. Again this is a very warm set of base layers. They are best suited to wear without a jacket unless the temps are way below freezing. I will put the set away for the spring and summer season but next fall and winter I will again find them right for very cold activities. Pros
Tester Remarks Thanks to Terramar Sports, Inc and BackpackGearTest.org for this opportunity to test the Thermawool CS baselayers. This concludes my Long Term Report and the test series. Photo Copyright for crew and bottom - Terramar Sports, Inc Top of Page Read more gear reviews by Gail Staisil Reviews > Clothing > Base Layers and Undies > Terramar Thermawool Base Layers > Test Report by Gail Staisil | ||||||||||||||||||||