Reviewer  information

Name	Marie-Noëlle Augendre	I started backpacking eight years ago, day-hiking in Ile-de-France all year round, and doing several one or two-week trips in more mountainous regions (Corsica, Pyrénées, Cévennes, Lubéron, etc.) each year. In the past two years, I have gradually lightened my pack load as I changed to a hammock, an alcohol stove, a light pack and running shoes instead of boots. Nowadays, I am more and more attracted to the outdoor way of living, to the point I am about to move to northern Quebec, in order to spend as much time as possible not only backpacking, but also kayaking, canoeing, snowshoeing, dog-sledding, etc.
Age	48
Gender	Female
Height	about 5 ft 2 in (1.57 m)
Weight	159 lb (72 kg)
Email address	augendre.bgt@gmail.com
City, Country	Paris, France

Product information

Manufacturer Duofold URL http://www.duofold.com

Top (size L) Bottom (size L) Listed weight none none Actual weight 6.3 oz (178 g) 6.0 oz (170 g) MSRP 21.00 $ US 21.00 $ US

This report is the second in a series of three. For a complete description of the product, and my first impressions upon reception, please refer to my Initial Report.

Testing conditions

During the past two months, I have mainly used the Duofold Midweight Base Layer when day hiking in Ile-de-France, in gently hilly terrains and elevations in the 165 ft / 1150 ft range (50 m / 350 m). I have encountered temperatures between 23°F and 46°F (-5°C / +8°C), mostly with little wind and some humidity (mist or fog, but no real shower) and have sometimes been greeted by a nice - but not so warm - winter sun.

I  have always worn the Duofold set as a base layer: I wore the bottom under light cotton pants to protect it from possible outside damages; and I put a microfleece over the top, and sometimes an additional heavier "with shell" fleece jacket to provide enough top insulation.

"That" was not supposed to be part of the test ...

A little incident took place on the first of these outings: I fell backwards on a protruding branch (about 1 inch diameter) and made several holes in the bottom back (see picture on the right).

In order to prevent the damage from getting worse, and even before putting the bottom through its first wash, I had to make some kind of repair. Using an embroidery frame and my sewing-machine darning capabilities, I ended up with a result which certainly  looks questionable, but the main purpose is fulfilled as it appears to stop the fabric from running and raveling.  My artistic work would have certainly looked "nicer" and less conspicuous had I used a thread color closer to the fabrics; on the other hand, the thread color precisely shows the details of the repair.

What I think of the Duofold Midweight Base Layer

I have really appreciated this base layer set during all my outings: it is very very comfortable and smooth against the skin and, though the fabric appears to be on the light side, it has always been warm enough in the conditions encountered up to now.

On a few occasions, when climbing up a hill at a quick pace or trying to cut a path through some wild vegetation, I have perspired quite a lot and felt the clamminess of the top, especially against my back. However, this unpleasant feeling has disappeared rather quickly, and didn't last long enough for me to feel cold.

I have not been as bothered by the low crew cut as I initially feared, because the zip-collared microfleece I use to wear upon the top provided enough protection against potential drafts. And the strong and narrow elastic waistband of the bottom hasn't been too hurtful, as I wore sport briefs under the bottom, and those have a larger and even stronger elastic waistband.

The Duofold Midweight Base Layer has been machine-washed after each outing and, apart from my not very stylish embroidery, it is almost as pristine as its very first day. However, the bottom shows some pilling traces in places where the fabric is the most subject to rubbing. This can be seen on the three pictures on the left, that show: upper back inside of the thigh (left picture), back seam area (middle picture) and hip larger point (right picture). My guess is the dark coloring of the pilling comes from the dark gray pants I use as an outer layer.

For the next two months

I am shortly moving to northern Quebec (Canada), in the Saguenay - Lac St Jean region, where I'll have plenty of opportunities to use the Duofold Midweight Base Layer in much harsher conditions, especially very low temperatures, to 5°F (-15°C) and even below.

Up to now, the Midweight Base Layer has proved to be a good addition to my apparel, and I expect it will perform even better in weather conditions even more suitable for it.

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I would like to thank Duofold and BackpackGearTest.org for giving me the opportunity to test the Varitherm Midweight Base Layer.