No. 1 hiking base layer is The North Face Long Sleeve Dry Crew. It's about 80g in size L at ¥5,280, the lightest of the ones you can wear alone and the cheapest of the five. If you want to add one layer to what you already wear, the 56g finetrack Dry Layer Basic is No. 2.
The Gear Nerd's Pick
Hiking underwear has two jobs: one layer absorbs sweat, and one moves sweat off your skin. The moving-off layer doesn't hold water, so by itself the sweat has nowhere to go. That's why I first pick a light, cheap layer you can wear alone, and think of the moving-off layer as an addition.
Key points
- Price per gram across the 5 ranked ranges from ¥50.3 to ¥109.4, about a 2.2x spread. The most expensive is the 56g Dry Layer Basic, an undershirt that assumes 1 more layer on top
- Layering the Drought Quad over the Dry Layer Basic comes to 181g and ¥13,112. The North Face Long Sleeve Dry Crew is about 80g and ¥5,280 for 1 layer
- Wool content is 85% in the out-of-ranking mont-bell Super Merino Wool L.W. and 37% in the finetrack Merino Spin Light. Even among merino undershirts, the contents differ by more than double
Choosing a base layer starts with splitting the two jobs
For a hiking base layer, first decide: a layer that absorbs sweat and dries, or one that keeps sweat off your skin (a dry layer)? No. 1 puts both jobs in one layer, the roughly 80g, ¥5,280 The North Face Long Sleeve Dry Crew.
The jobs differ, so the weights don't line up either. The finetrack Dry Layer Basic is 56g and the Millet Drynamic Mesh is 140g, 2.5 times apart. I ranked 5 long-sleeve undershirts whose Japanese official pages give a weight and price (the Millet is three-quarter sleeve).
How I chose
I looked at these three things, in this order.
- The job. A moving-off undershirt needs another layer on top, so I put the ones you can wear alone above it.
- Weight and the official price. I line them up by price per gram.
- Wool percentage and how the skin side is made. That's where I split the close ranks.
This ranking is made from what you can buy on Rakuten. mont-bell, sold only through its official shop, is shown as out of ranking, with its numbers listed.
Quick table of the 5 base layers
Scroll the table sideways →
| Model | Weight | Material | Official price | Price per gram |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 1 The North Face Long Sleeve Dry Crew | About 80g (L) | 85% polyester · 15% polypropylene | ¥5,280 | ¥66.0 |
| No. 2 finetrack Dry Layer Basic Long Sleeve | 56g | 100% polyester (water-repellent) | ¥6,127 | ¥109.4 |
| No. 3 finetrack Drought Quad Long Sleeve | 125g | 100% polyester | ¥6,985 | ¥55.9 |
| No. 4 finetrack Merino Spin Light Long Sleeve | 115g | 63% polyester · 37% wool | ¥9,933 | ¥86.4 |
| No. 5 Millet Drynamic Mesh 3/4 Sleeve Crew | 140g | 66% polypropylene · 28% nylon · 6% polyurethane | ¥7,040 | ¥50.3 |
| Out of ranking: mont-bell Geoline L.W. Round Neck Shirt | 120g | 100% polyester | ¥3,740 | ¥31.2 |
| Out of ranking: mont-bell Super Merino Wool L.W. Round Neck Shirt | 128g | 85% wool · 15% polyester | ¥7,590 | ¥59.3 |
Image: Rakuten Ichiba
The North Face Long Sleeve Dry Crew (men's)
Lowest price on Rakuten: ¥4,752 (as of 10/14). Prices vary by shop, up to ¥5,280, and change daily.
RecommendedSee it on Rakuten IchibaSee it on Yahoo! Shopping JapanWhy this order
| Rank | Model | Why it's ranked here |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The North Face Long Sleeve Dry Crew | The lightest of the ones you can wear alone, and the cheapest of the five |
| 2 | finetrack Dry Layer Basic | The lightest of the five at 56g, but it assumes another layer on top |
| 3 | finetrack Drought Quad | A 3-layer fabric with elaborate construction, but 45g heavier than No. 1 and ¥1,705 more |
| 4 | finetrack Merino Spin Light | A light merino blend at 115g, but only 37% wool, and the most expensive of the five |
| 5 | Millet Drynamic Mesh | A thick 66% polypropylene mesh, but three-quarter sleeve at 140g, the heaviest |
No. 1 The North Face Long Sleeve Dry Crew | about 80g in one layer
I'll say this with some heat. The fabric has two layers: polypropylene on the skin side, which barely holds water, and polyester on the outside, which absorbs and spreads it. Size L is about 80g. It puts the moving-off job and the drying job in one layer, and ¥5,280 is the lowest price of the five. The thing to watch is that polypropylene is only 15% of the whole, a different thing from the 66% of the Millet.
It suits people who want to keep it light with one layer and no extra layering.
No. 2 finetrack Dry Layer Basic | 56g
56g is the lightest of the 5. It's a water-repellent mesh, and by the maker's own listing the repellency score stays at 80 after 150 washes. Here's the weak spot: at ¥109.4 per gram it's the most expensive, and you can't wear it by itself.
Layer the same maker's Drought Quad over it and the total is 181g and ¥13,112 (56 + 125, 6,127 + 6,985). It suits people who want to add 1 layer to what they already wear.
Image: Rakuten Ichiba
finetrack Dry Layer Basic Long Sleeve (men's)
Lowest price on Rakuten: ¥5,170 (as of 10/14). Prices vary by shop, up to ¥8,775, and change daily.
RecommendedSee it on Rakuten IchibaSee it on Yahoo! Shopping JapanNo. 3 finetrack Drought Quad | 3-layer synthetic
A 3-layer fabric aimed at 4 things: sweat absorption, quick drying, breathability and fabric strength. It's a staple for spring and summer. What to watch is the price: ¥6,985 for 125g, ¥1,705 more than No. 1, The North Face.
It suits people who want a matching top and bottom from the same maker as the dry layer.
Image: Rakuten Ichiba
finetrack Drought Quad Long Sleeve (Men's)
Lowest price on Rakuten: ¥6,380 (as of 10/14). Prices vary by shop, up to ¥9,440, and change daily.
RecommendedSee it on Rakuten IchibaSee it on Yahoo! Shopping JapanNo. 4 finetrack Merino Spin Light | 37% wool
Of the five ranked, this 115g piece is the only one with wool. It's 63% polyester, a fabric that combines wool's warmth with synthetic's quick drying. Here's the weak spot: wool is 37%, and at ¥9,933 it's the most expensive of the five.
It suits people who want a merino blend for spring and fall through the late-snow season, with dry speed first.
Image: Rakuten Ichiba
finetrack Merinospin Light Long Sleeve (Men's)
Lowest price on Rakuten: ¥9,441 (as of 10/14). Prices vary by shop, up to ¥13,516, and change daily.
RecommendedSee it on Rakuten IchibaSee it on Yahoo! Shopping JapanNo. 5 Millet Drynamic Mesh | 66% polypropylene
It's ranked 5th, but as a moving-off undershirt it goes the furthest. A thick mesh of 66% polypropylene, at ¥50.3 per gram it's under half the dry layer. What to watch are its 140g and the three-quarter sleeve.
The official page says that if your skin is sensitive, the mesh may leave marks, and to take it off when you sleep. It suits people who want a thick base for winter layering.
Image: Rakuten Ichiba
Millet Drynamic Mesh 3/4 Sleeve Crew (men's)
Lowest price on Rakuten: ¥5,984 (as of 10/14). Prices vary by shop, up to ¥9,089, and change daily.
RecommendedSee it at L-BreathSee it on Rakuten IchibaSee it on Yahoo! Shopping JapanOut of ranking: mont-bell Geoline L.W. and Super Merino Wool L.W. (bought at the official online shop)
The Geoline L.W. Round Neck Shirt is 120g and ¥3,740, about 40g heavier than No. 1, The North Face, and ¥1,540 cheaper. At ¥31.2 per gram, it's lower than any of the five ranked. The Super Merino Wool L.W. is 128g and ¥7,590, 85% wool. It's 13g heavier than No. 4, the Merino Spin Light, has 2.3 times the wool, and is ¥2,343 cheaper.
The Chameece Jacket, an active layer you wear over the undershirt, is 262g and ¥6,800. I compared the 1 wind layer to put over it in windshell rankings.
Dry layer vs. base layer: "moving off" vs. "absorbing and drying"
finetrack's design is a water-repellent mesh that moves sweat away from skin and hands it to the sweat-wicking, quick-drying layer on top. Millet does the same with the thickness of a polypropylene mesh that doesn't hold water, keeping the sweat-soaked layer off your skin. In both, the sweat goes to the layer above, so layering is assumed.
The Drought Quad and the Merino Spin Light are the opposite: the fabric absorbs sweat, spreads it and dries it.
Who is it for?
My split: No. 1 for people who want to get by with one layer, No. 2 for people who want to add something under their current undershirt to cut sweat chill. If you layer No. 2 and No. 3, the total is 181g and the two jobs are split across two layers. No. 4 is for people who want the feel of wool, and No. 5 for people who want a thick base for winter layering.
For breaks where you stop and get cold, putting a down jacket over your undershirt separates sweat handling from warmth. For new fall undershirts, I also wrote the finetrack Drought Largo review.
If you're happy with your current synthetic undershirt, No. 3 does the same job, so you can get by without buying more. Thick midwinter undershirts are different product lines, so there are other ways to choose.
I covered brushed-lining pants for winter low mountains in the Semnoz Ripstop Pants review.
FAQ
Should I pick merino wool or synthetic for a base layer?
For price and weight, synthetic. The No. 1 pick, The North Face, is about 80g and ¥5,280. If you go wool, check the percentage. Even among merino, the out-of-ranking mont-bell is 85% and the Merino Spin Light is 37%.
Can I wear a dry layer by itself?
It isn't an undershirt you wear alone. finetrack describes it as worn directly on skin with a sweat-wicking, quick-drying layer over it.
What's the difference between Geoline L.W. and M.W.?
They're the fabric-thickness grades of the out-of-ranking mont-bell. Geoline was 120g and ¥3,740 in L.W., 159g and ¥4,730 in M.W., and 215g and ¥6,050 in EXP.
Gear in this article
Ad · Images: Rakuten IchibaSources
- mont-bell official online store: Geoline L.W. Round Neck Shirt Men's
- mont-bell official online store, product search: Geoline Round Neck Shirt (weights and prices of M.W. and EXP.)
- mont-bell official online store: Super Merino Wool L.W. Round Neck Shirt Men's
- mont-bell official online store, product search: Chameece Jacket Men's
- The North Face official store: Long Sleeve Dry Crew (men's)
- finetrack official: Dry Layer (how it works)
- finetrack official online store: Dry Layer Basic Long Sleeve MEN'S
- finetrack official online store: Drought Quad Long Sleeve MEN'S
- finetrack official online store: Merino Spin Light Long Sleeve MEN'S
- Millet official online store: Drynamic Mesh 3/4 Sleeve Crew (men's)
- Millet official: DRYNAMIC (how it works)
