Polyester or nylon?

[kdespot]

As a lifelong lover of cotton, I'm having to re-frame my thinking as I plan my walking wardrobe for a Sept-Oct Camino. The long-sleeved shirts that are said to wick away perspiration are made of either mostly polyester or mostly nylon. Research tells me that polyester rejects moisture better and dries faster but that nylon retains less odor and lasts longer. Can anyone shed light on which of these two fabrics are preferable for day after day walking?

 

[Waka]

My preference would be neither, if you're not allergic why not go for marino wool.

 

[supersullivan]

A merino long sleeved layer has the benefit of being considerably warmer than a poly/pro long sleeved layer, can be worn for about 3 consecutive days before odour becomes an issue and can usefully serve as an extra warm layer in a cold dormitory. The drawbacks would be that it takes considerably longer to dry when washed and is a fair bit more expensive to buy. Perhaps carry 1 merino long sleeved top and 1 long sleeved poly/pro top. I would avoid cotton layers totally, they are a very poor insulator when wet, take a long time to dry and heavy compared to wool or poly/ pro layers. Have never come across nylon layers other than as a component in rain jackets so no useful advise to offer.
This link gives advise which my personal experience of multi season hill walking in Ireland supports:
http://besthiking.net/comparison-of-base-layer-materials/

Buen camino

Seamus

 

[spursfan]

Merino wool - one short-sleeved and one long-sleeved
September can be very warm, October might be colder - can wear one or both - can wear at night - no need to wash them

 

[HikeTall]

Another vote for Merino. It's an investment. But well worth it. I assume you were talking about tops & underwear. For pants I use Columbia's Silver Ridge cargo pant. They are made out of ripstop nylon, and dry super fast. Love em. Bien Camino!

 

[SYates]

Another vote for Merino for a September/October Camino.
Buen Camino, SY

 

[Deleted member 3000]

http://www.diffen.com/difference/Nylon_vs_Polyester

 

[Diane Kinney]

I loved my merino/polyester long sleeved top. Bought at Costco and very reasonable. Very light and fairly fast drying. Short sleeved Under Armour Heat Gear is all polyester but really comfortable, and dries very quickly. Finally for a September walk I also brought a very light weight Eddie Bauer micro fleece zip up jacket. Mornings were cool. Laying is the key and I was warm and comfortable and everything washed up well even by hand.
Buen Camino.

 

[november_moon]

I don't wear wool. My longsleeved shirt was a running shirt made of polyester - quarter-zip with a mock turtleneck. Sometimes I wore it alone, but usually over a tee. I wore this shirt for at least a few hours, pretty much everyday of my Camino. Sometimes it was just a layer in the morning or the evening when it was cooler, sometimes I wore it all day. I think I washed it every 3 or 4 days, and it was fine.

 

[Melensdad]

As a lifelong lover of cotton, I'm having to re-frame my thinking as I plan my walking wardrobe for a Sept-Oct Camino. The long-sleeved shirts that are said to wick away perspiration are made of either mostly polyester or mostly nylon. Research tells me that polyester rejects moisture better and dries faster but that nylon retains less odor and lasts longer. Can anyone shed light on which of these two fabrics are preferable for day after day walking?

Another vote for merino wool.

I had 2 short sleeve and 1 long sleeve merino wool with me on my June/July Camino. I wore merino when hiking across England. When hiking in Scotland. When hiking in the mountains in the US. It is my year round fabric of choice.

It also dries overnight if washed in a sink and wrung out by hand and hung to dry. Perfect for any Camino weather.

 

[JRO]

As a lifelong lover of cotton, I'm having to re-frame my thinking as I plan my walking wardrobe for a Sept-Oct Camino. The long-sleeved shirts that are said to wick away perspiration are made of either mostly polyester or mostly nylon. Research tells me that polyester rejects moisture better and dries faster but that nylon retains less odor and lasts longer. Can anyone shed light on which of these two fabrics are preferable for day after day walking?

Hi, Walking in May/June, I took merino - one short sleeved t, one long sleeved light tee, and one heavier with hood. I layered when needed. I also took one of the polyester travel shirts you reference, and preferred the merino. The polyester always looked wrinkled and didn't dry any faster. The only good thing about it was that the collar protected my neck. However, when not using my one Buff around my head, that worked for my neck with the t shirts. I also had a pair of merino underwear, but the travel nylon ones were better for drying. Buen Camino!

 

[trecile]

Another vote for merino wool.

I had 2 short sleeve and 1 long sleeve merino wool with me on my June/July Camino. I wore merino when hiking across England. When hiking in Scotland. When hiking in the mountains in the US. It is my year round fabric of choice.

It also dries overnight if washed in a sink and wrung out by hand and hung to dry. Perfect for any Camino weather.

I've made a dress out of merino that I'll be using on the Camino. I washed it in the sink and wrung it out by hand (not very well) and it dried within a few hours. In fact it was mostly dry in less than two hours. I was very surprised at how quickly it dried.

 

[homebuilt]

Merino Wool is the best choice. Natural materials are better for your skin. Big brands like Icebreaker and Smartwool can always be found on sale. Look at buying different weights of merino sized so they can be layer. Being built for comfort I wear merino polo shirts or smart merino shirts.

 

[Donna Sch]

My favourite T-shirt was a Merino based Montane Bionic. I walked the VDLP in the height of summer and it was not too hot yet it was also good under a windbreaker on the day when the temps dropped to 12 deg C. Very versatile.

 

[gerardcarey]

I prefer the blousiness of polyester long sleeve shirts.
A collar to protect the neck against the sun
Long sleeves give warmth in the mornings and ventilation when rolled up.
Buttoned front gives further ventilation options.
The womens version of the Columbia men's Tamiami 11 shirts I buy have a vented back also.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001MF68QW/?tag=casaivar02-20
They are definitely not itchy!
Regards
Gerard

 

[Hope0925]

As a lifelong lover of cotton, I'm having to re-frame my thinking as I plan my walking wardrobe for a Sept-Oct Camino. The long-sleeved shirts that are said to wick away perspiration are made of either mostly polyester or mostly nylon. Research tells me that polyester rejects moisture better and dries faster but that nylon retains less odor and lasts longer. Can anyone shed light on which of these two fabrics are preferable for day after day walking?

Merino wool, hands down, for any weather any season.

 

[Wokabaut_Meri]

I have an old faithful merino and silk base layer vest which has travelled around the globe a few times and pair this with a high wicking mesh lined polyester shirt.
This article is a great guide to how the different materials preform and what they are best sited for: Comparison of Base Layer Materials

 

[movinmaggie]

Ditto Merino.....

I have an old faithful merino and silk base layer vest which has travelled around the globe a few times and pair this with a high wicking mesh lined polyester shirt.
This article is a great guide to how the different materials preform and what they are best sited for: Comparison of Base Layer Materials

 

[RumAndChupacabras]

Since you didn't ask about Merino wool my vote is Nylon, for the same reasons @gerardcarey pointed out.

 

[scubajunky]

Once you wear merino, you will never wear anything else for hiking again. In fact I only wear merino whatever the occasion. Does not smell, keeps you warm, keeps you cool, keeps you dry !!!

 

[Melensdad]

I prefer the blousiness of polyester long sleeve shirts.
...
They are definitely not itchy!
Regards
Gerard

Interesting comments.

My Smartwool merino wool polo style shirts are loose fitting (blousiness fit) and are not itchy at all either.

Good merino wool is not itchy.

Any material can be fashioned into any style of shirt. I have tight (body fit) merino. I have loose (relaxed) fit merino. I also have similar polyester and nylon. But neither of those offers all the advantages of Merino.

 

[kdespot]

Ok, so the almost unanimous response to my question of polyester or nylon seems to be merino wool! I'm really happy to hear this because the other two just take me back to smelly discos from the 70's. I've ordered an Icebreaker and look forward to being amazed. Thanks to all. Love this forum.

 

[ranthr]

I'm in the merinovoteclub, use shortsleeve merino in very hot summerdays too. After some years of reluctance, I have, after trying it in very hot Mallorcamountains some years ago, never used anything else for walking.

 

[JeepsNRoses]

I'm in the merinovoteclub, use shortsleeve merino in very hot summerdays too. After some years of reluctance, I have, after trying it in very hot Mallorcamountains some years ago, never used anything else for walking.

Define 'hot' and 'very hot'. I am sitting here in Houston, Tx where it is 97 F at 8pm and 70% humidity. Are you saying merino wool would be the choice hiking here as well?

 

[-karioo-]

Wool is cool

 

[donaldum]

A merino long sleeved layer has the benefit of being considerably warmer than a poly/pro long sleeved layer, can be worn for about 3 consecutive days before odour becomes an issue and can usefully serve as an extra warm layer in a cold dormitory. The drawbacks would be that it takes considerably longer to dry when washed and is a fair bit more expensive to buy. Perhaps carry 1 merino long sleeved top and 1 long sleeved poly/pro top. I would avoid cotton layers totally, they are a very poor insulator when wet, take a long time to dry and heavy compared to wool or poly/ pro layers. Have never come across nylon layers other than as a component in rain jackets so no useful advise to offer.
This link gives advise which my personal experience of multi season hill walking in Ireland supports:
http://besthiking.net/comparison-of-base-layer-materials/

In order of affinity for water/ sweat wicking cotton is greatest,then wool then nylon and polyester.the inverse applies to ease of drying,so for eg polyster is quick drying and slow to adsorbe sweat,and mist.In hot external ambient air cotton cools best due to acting like an outer sweating skin if it is loose.polyester has best air retention and concequent best heat insulating properties but if the external air is hotter than comfortable or if your body has to dissapate heat polyester is the poorest at this function.loose cotton or wool is used by desert dwellers,not cheaper nylon,polyester of acrylic.

 

[HikeTall]

Define 'hot' and 'very hot'. I am sitting here in Houston, Tx where it is 97 F at 8pm and 70% humidity. Are you saying merino wool would be the choice hiking here as well?

Yup. Merino wool t shirts are Very cooling. It's pushing 90 degrees here in NY with humidity in the high 80% range and I'm wearing The Icebreaker Tech lite t shirt. Soooo comfy and cooling. Wicks the sweat away. Breathes. And the amazing thing about merino wool...is that if the temp drops suddenly at night or the wind picks up...it's very warm. And if it rains, it drys super fast. Can't say enough about merino wool.

 

[homebuilt]

Another advantage of merino is that it comes in different weights the lightest weight about 120 - 135 for warm weather and 300 plus for cold weather. I have found packing different weight tops helps cover all potentially temperature ranges and if necessary both can be worn together.

I remember reading an article on choosing a down coat for walking and the recommendation was rather than having one coat you are better of having two different weights of down coats one provides 40% of warmth and one provides 60% of warmth or both worn together providing 100% warmth. The advantage is that you can cover all temperature ranges with out being to warm or cold. I try to apply this when choosing what I am going to pack.

 

[ranthr]

Define 'hot' and 'very hot'. I am sitting here in Houston, Tx where it is 97 F at 8pm and 70% humidity. Are you saying merino wool would be the choice hiking here as well?

Yes! The thinnest and lightest Icebreaker is excellent in temperature over 30-35C too!

 

[Donna Sch]

Define 'hot' and 'very hot'. I am sitting here in Houston, Tx where it is 97 F at 8pm and 70% humidity. Are you saying merino wool would be the choice hiking here as well?

Absolutely. I live 13 deg South of the Equator and we have those conditions as well as dry hot conditions. For both I would pick the Merino shirt in preference. And that for any of my Merino based tops, the Montane Bionic or the Kathmandu based light T-shirts which feels like a thin soft cotton. The only thing you may have to consider is the durability of the particular blend you have. Certain materials develop holes quickly. Pack straps can do a number on a thin shirt. That is where some of the synthetics may have an advantage (but not always).

 

[Melensdad]

Define 'hot' and 'very hot'. I am sitting here in Houston, Tx where it is 97 F at 8pm and 70% humidity. Are you saying merino wool would be the choice hiking here as well?

I hike in the midwest, we have 80% humidity and its commonly in the 90s. I use Merino for hiking here.

I wore 3 different Merino wool shirts on my June/July Camino. It hit 104 one day. Was in the upper 80's to mid-90's most every single day. Merino kept me as comfortable as possible in those conditions and the "stink" or "funk" factor is minimized.

Each night I hand washed the shirt I wore during the day, hung it to dry and it was always dry the next day.

 

[november_moon]

Good merino wool is not itchy.

Many people who are sensitive to wool are actually sensitive to the lanolin, which is in the merino wool. If your skin isn't sensitive to wool, then merino wool will not be itchy, but if you are sensitive, then it will likely cause the same itchiness, welts, and redness as any other wool.

 

[HikeTall]

Many people who are sensitive to wool are actually sensitive to the lanolin, which is in the merino wool. If your skin isn't sensitive to wool, then merino wool will not be itchy, but if you are sensitive, then it will likely cause the same itchiness, welts, and redness as any other wool.

It's funny...I have really sensitive skin. Never could stand regular wool. It was always itchy and left my pale Irish skin red and sore. So when I first heard about Merino wool, I automatically thought it wasn't for me. However...I finally did try it, and it is the most comfortable material I've ever worn. Go figure. It doesn't itch me at all, and my skin has zero reaction to it.