Base Layers (or Baselayers, if you prefer!) are critical to comfort. And although we hope to eventually produce WeatherWool Base Layers, there are important reasons why we have not begun to work on them.

First ... I don't want WeatherWool to ever be a "fine print" company. And I have not been able to figure out how we could provide our current level of customer service if we offered base layers. Once someone wears base layers, even if just to try them on, they count as used. And if they didn't fit, that means they would be good only for donation. So if someone orders the wrong size, we'd wind up losing the garment, plus dry cleaning, plus 3 ways shipping.

Second ... Base Layers are knitted, and WeatherWool (outerwear) is woven. Outerwear needs to be very tough to stand up to abrasion ... knits are great when used within their limits ... but knits tend to shred pretty quickly from brambles or tree bark. Because knits are so very different from wovens, for us bringing out a line of base layers -- particularly base layers knitted the way I have in mind -- would be almost like starting a whole new company.

So ... base layers will wait.

Funny thing, though ... we were sort of backed into making one knitted product, our Neck Gaiter (and now Watch Caps, too!), and that has given us a very, very little bit of a start in the base layers direction. Please stay tuned!

We recommend only wool base layers under WeatherWool if there is any chance whatsoever of hypothermia ... if there is any chance you might wind up spending time in cool/cold and/or wet weather, we believe you need wool. And cotton kills.

Here are some names in the Wool Base Layer space. Note that some of these companies are known for synthetic outerwear, but nevertheless offer wool base layers!

• Aclima
• Arc'teryx
• Bjorn Daehlie
• Brynje
• Duckworth
• Fjällräven
• Helly Hansen
• Houdini
• Icebreaker
• Mammut
• Minus 33
• Norrøna
• Ortovox
• Outdoor Research
• Patagonia
• Rab
• Ramblers Way
• Saxx
• Smartwool
• Stoic
• The North Face
• Under Armour
• We Norwegians
• Woolpower

3 December 2023 (although no real changes since 2020!) -- Ralph