Try MEC
Mountain Equipment Co-Op sells it. their prices are usually reasonable. I haven’t tried it yet, though.
Cold and DRY only
I’ve worn a thick 100% cotton sweatshirt as the outermost layer when mtn biking and hiking in snap-your-skin-dry Colorado conditions. It works fine for those conditions, as long as the underlayers are not cotton also. Next to the skin in cold conditions, several layers of good wool or wicking synthetics work best.
The sweatshirt works for the above use because it is tightly woven enough to provide some wind blocking but not so much that it keeps sweat vapor from passing out to the dry sunny air, where it can quickly evaporate.
If there was any threat of snow–even our usually-dry kind of snow-- I would not wear a sweatshirt because then it would become a giant sponge.
I’ve never had a problem using Gore-tex jackets in any conditions, but if sweat production were simply too fast/too high, then I could see it happening. But it would also happen with ANY outerwear under such load.
When I was race-training, I usually didn’t use any shells, period. I just wore thin layers of wool and synthetic knits. If there was a cold wind, I would add a special windbreaker that had a Supplex front and sleeves with a full-mesh back. That worked perfectly. All the heat and sweat could exit in back, where it was sheltered from wind chill.
Campmor and Sierra Trading Post
They always have some wool or wool-blend long undies, often at sale prices.
Duofold and Terramar are probably your best bets for reasonably-priced wool underwear.
The softest, least scratchy type of wool is Merino wool, but it tends to be expensive. Don’t put it (or any wool, for that matter) in a hot washer or dryer, as it will shrink.
Good wool that is well-cared for lasts a long time. I still have my Protogs merino wool cycling jerseys from the late 70s, and they still insulate as well as ever. The trick is to keep the moths from getting to them.
moths
How can moths destroy wool? What parts of the country does this happen?
You must be a young pup!
Did you know that we used to play music recordings from vinyl records too?
Seriously, there is at least one species of moth who’s larvae feed on wool, and in the time of my parents and grandparents, protecting clothing in storage was a never-ending battle. You have heard of “moth balls”, right?. Do a Google search using just two words, “moths” and “wool”, and you should find more than enough info on this topic.
source!
I finally found a great source for wool underwear!
Hanks Clothing Search it online, their prices are low and the quality very good.
I have no personal connection with them.
Minus33 merino wool …
Stanfields Superwash, Terramar Thermawool.