Base Layer

Some T-shirts look cool in everyday life and some work as a base layer for sports. And then there are those that simply always fit - whether you're climbing, cycling or in the city, the Penguin Merino Stretch T-shirt cuts a fine figure everywhere. Thanks to the two fabric weights, you are well equipped in all seasons.

Baselayer shirts are like avalanche shovels: you rarely talk about them enthusiastically, but if they don't work, the day is over. This makes it all the more important to have a piece you can rely on - one that you can pull out of the wardrobe in the morning without thinking. The MAMMUT Trift longsleeve has taken on precisely this role over the past few weeks, when temperatures have rarely gone above zero. As a go-to shirt for skiing, ski touring or hike & fly, it has proven itself very well so far. It does its job - and does it quite inconspicuously well. And that's a great compliment for a base layer.

For many people, merino wool underwear, also known as a base layer, is the foundation of a warm and breathable ski outfit. The finely crimped merino fibers form many insulating air pockets and at the same time absorb water vapor, which they release to the outside. However, as the test of the "Merino Seamless Longsleeve Shirt" and the "Merino Seamless ¾ Leggings" from PowderGuide partner company Penguin showed, this is not the only practical feature of this stylish two-piece.

Drei Worte fassen die Rose Merinounterwäsche von Kari Traa perfekt zusammen: weich, bewegungsfreundlich und wunderschön.

What a T-shirt! And the emphasis here is on "a", because the soft merino shirt from Penguin is a shirt for everything! It accompanied me hiking in late summer and now keeps me warm on cold ski tours and always dry - I can say we are now officially best friends. I could have done without the change of shirt.

The Stratos Shift Bra is a more or less classic racerback sports bra with "medium support". Thanks to the merino synthetic fibre material blend, the bra is more elastic than pure merino and dries relatively quickly.

The Bella Tech LS is a thin merino longsleeve for "multisport" use in warmer temperatures. Thanks to the well-known, pleasant material properties of merino, it is comfortable to wear even when wet.

The new PowderGuide partner UYN (which stands for Unleash Your Nature) is probably unfamiliar to many PG readers. However, the popularity of the high-tech underwear from Italy can be seen, for example, in the fact that almost all World Cup skiers from various countries are wearing UYN equipment. We have tested how the EVOLUTYON shirt performs in freeride and touring use.

When it comes to merino baselayers, most people automatically fall back on brands such as Ortovox or Icebreaker, but Mons Royale's merino underwear is certainly impressive and can easily keep up with the better-known names.

The PYUA brand stands for the use of the most sustainable raw materials possible for functional clothing. This approach is naturally also applied to the baselayers. The combo of Salt (shirt) and Pepper (trousers) is made from a material mix of merino wool and polyester, which is made entirely from recycled materials.

Penguin is an independent Swiss company that emphasises functionality without a lot of frills. In its merino items, it uses Nuyarn, an innovative yarn technology whose fibres give the yarn more volume and greater elasticity. The core of Nuyarn is nylon, which is particularly tear-resistant and elastic. The merino wool wraps around the nylon core. The result is a yarn construction that combines all the positive properties of synthetic fibres and merino.

Every winter sports enthusiast really likes merino underwear. So of course I also took a closer look at the Yotei Powder Hood from our partner Mons Royale and would like to present it to you here in a Gear of the Week.