Winter has returned to The Middle of Nowhere with a vengeance, and I find myself leaving home virtually every day wearing a fleece top, sweater, or sweatshirt.

A couple of Orvis Pima Cotton Sweatshirts are seeing heavy rotation in my wardrobe as a result.

Good looking, comfortable, and surprisingly warm, these shirts are warm and perfect for business casual and look great with a pair of jeans. A bit of neutral color inside the collar and cuffs is a nice touch, and unlike some sweaters and sweatshirts from Orvis, they run true to size.

Available in Small to XXL, in five colors. Very positive feedback from customers.

$89.  See it here: Orvis Men’s Pima Cotton Sweatshirt

The Highs: Really grips your foot; provides extra cushioning where needed; no more confusing your left from your right sock ;-)

 The Lows: Price unfazed by The Great Recession, potential Greece default, or anything else

 The Verdict: The best golf socks I’ve ever worn

You may have never seen them before, but FootJoy launched its line of “TechSof” socks back in 2008.  From the FootJoy website:

The TechSof sock from FootJoy features an anatomically-shaped footbed for enhanced cushioning in targeted areas of high impact and is designed to provide support, conform to and cradle the foot for better stability.

Breathable mesh inserts are strategically positioned to increase ventilation, while DriLex moisture control technology is designed to provide comfort and quick-drying.

I’d never seen TechSof socks in a pro shop or golf store, but stumbled across them in The Golf Warehouse catalog; intrigued, I bought a few pair. Let me skip to the punchline: eight months later, these are the only golf socks I wear now, and no, they aren’t going to lower your handicap. They are, however, ridiculously comfortable and supportive, and seem to offer a modest benefit in terms of moisture wicking.

Regardless of where you buy them, the socks come in an elaborate retail package that touts their features and benefits. Each pair of the sport version sells for around $12 a pair; they’re $9.99 at The Golf Warehouse, though.  I’ve also seen the Tour Crew (calf length: MSRP $14) for $9.99 at Golf Galaxy, so look around if you’re interested.

As your feet are mirror images of one another, the socks are shaped to fit each.  (See below.) Here’s a suggestion: don’t remove your golf shoes in front of your buddies while wearing these, or the resulting abuse might last for years. Just put them on the correct feet, enjoy the comfort and support, and keep your little secret to yourself.

I’ve been too afraid to investigate what happens if you switch them up and wear the socks on the wrong feet; doing so would undoubtedly rip a hole in the time-space continuum, or something infinitely worse; don’t do it.

FootJoy TechSof socks come in three sizes:  “Tour Crew” (calf height); “Tour Sport” (shown here); and “Tour Low Cut” (below), in several colors. MSRP for the Tour Crew is $14; the other models, $12. As mentioned earlier, if you search, you can find them for ~$10.

It’s not as though you’ll turn your game around by switching to these socks. That said, they’re dramatically more supportive and comfortable than garden variety golf or other athletic socks.  There’s no reason, by the way, that you couldn’t wear the Tour Crew (calf length) sock to work, or use any of the TechSof socks for other athletic pursuits.

If you’d like to learn more about TechSof socks, visit the FootJoy site here:  FootJoy TechSof socks.

I have no connection to FootJoy, Golf Galaxy, or The Golf Warehouse.

Another “Friends & Family” promo – 25% Off (including luggage), free shipment on orders of $50 and higher: Lands’ End 25% Off  Ends Tuesday, September 27th; online only.

Note: I have no connection to Lands’ End

The Highs: Great moisture-wicking & warmth; dries quickly

The Lows: Polymer-esque; not inexpensive

The Verdict: Very good base layer for a variety of activities

Imagine for a moment those poor souls who hiked, skied, or climbed mountains 40  or 50 years ago. Their “base layers” were made of cotton or wool. Cotton absorbed moisture and felt clammy; wool – 4 or 5 decades ago – was scratchy and heavy.

What a difference a few decades makes!

Today we have multiple options for base layers, with the primary contenders being: a) synthetics, and b) Merino wool.

Capilene is Patagonia’s synthetic base layer material and brand; made with recycled polyester (minimum 50% recycled content), Capilene is surprisingly soft, durable, and wicks away moisture quite effectively.

I’ve owned a couple of Capilene shirts – a tee and a long sleeve ¼ zip – for a couple of years, and have worn them dozens and dozens of times, mostly while playing golf in cool weather, running, or working out. After a couple of years, both look brand new.

The tee shirt, shown in the adjacent images,  is a perfect lightweight layer for cool weather.  It weighs 130 grams (about 4½ oz); by comparison, a standard weight Gildan cotton tee in the same size weighs 205 g, or 7.2 oz.

Weight is only part of the story; despite its origins, Capilene is silky and soft to the touch, and surprisingly warm. When exercising strenuously, it really does wick moisture away from your skin, although I should note that some users feel that synthetics do in fact feel clammy when wet.  That hasn’t been my experience, but YMMV.

Another significant benefit of Capilene is that it dries extremely quickly. If it becomes wet during a run, for instance, it dries fast and still feels reasonably warm. Also of note is the fact that Capilene is machine washable, which makes care easy.

On the downside, last time I checked, “polyester” was classified as a polymer, which is, if you’ve been paying attention, plastic. This is a synthetic material, and as is the case with virtually anything, there are some negatives that tiptoe into the room right behind the positives. You may prefer to opt for wool, should wearing a synthetic shirt be a show stopper for you.

Patagonia has expanded the Capilene line-up over the last several years, and now offers the material in 4 different weights; the following information is from the Patagonia website:

Capilene performance characteristics:

• Quick to wick, quick to dry
• Designed for fast-forward, aerobic activities
• Features Gladiodor natural odor control
• Made with recycled polyester (50% recycled content or more)
• 100% recyclable
• Machine washable

Patagonia offers four Capilene fabrics:

• Capilene® 1 Silkweight is the silkiest and can be worn alone or as a baselayer
• Capilene® 2 Lightweight is a great weight for aerobic use in mild to cool conditions
• Capilene® 3 Midweight is a versatile, do it all baselayer for active use in cool to cold conditions
• Capilene® 4 Expedition Weight is our warmest Capilene fabric

The other contemporary choice for base layers is Merino wool. Not to be confused with the stuff some of us grew up with, today’s woolen base layers are utterly fantastic. These new wool fabrics are soft against your skin, hold in warmth, and are remarkably odor resistant.  Versus synthetics like Capilene however, they don’t dry as quickly, and hand washing / drying flat is generally recommended. Depending upon brand, Merino wool can also be considerably more expensive than synthetic alternatives; it definitely pays to shop around. In another few weeks I’ll do a quick review of a Merino ¼ zip LS top from Icebreakers.

Head to Head:  Wool vs. Synthetic

The editors at Backpacking Light have written an extensive comparison test with synthetics and wool base layers, entitled Comfort and Moisture Transport in Lightweight Wool and Synthetic Base Layers. If you’re interested in learning more – much, much more – about the differences between these two base layer options, check it out.

They went so far as to have a couple of test subjects use specially constructed shirts which combined wool and synthetics, side by side (image on left).

The article is fascinating, and I encourage you to give it a look. Overall, the differences were not as significant as you might imagine:

Differences between wool and synthetics for both water absorption and drying times were not as earth shattering as we initially thought.

Choices we make for base layers should be based on conditions we hike in, and properties of fabrics. But even under similar conditions personal preference plays a big role. Each of us has different comfort levels for each fabric. Some people can’t wear even the softest wool fabrics without breaking out in a rash, while others cannot tolerate the stench of wearing a synthetic garment for a week, and still others hate the clammy feeling of synthetics. Whatever your personal preferences, we hope the information provided here will help you make more informed choices about your base layer.

Wrapping up

Whichever base layer you opt for, be thankful you’re able to benefit from the advances in technology which have occurred over the last several decades.

Patagonia’s Capilene base layer shirts are certainly a solid option.  Prices for tee shirts range from $29 (Capilene 1) to $39 (Capilene 2); LS shirts range from $45 (1 & 2) to $49 (3) to ~$99 (Capilene 4), in a variety of colors.

Consistent with its green philosophy and a nice touch, Patagonia accepts used Capilene garments as part of its recycling program.

See the Patagonia Capilene base layer options here:  Men’s Capilene & Women’s Capilene

The Fine Print: I have no connection to Patagonia

Everything (excluding shoes and some accessories) at JosBank.com is 50% Off through midnight PT on Monday October 11th.   This includes Bank’s Traveler collection, my favorite for business wear, and of course, travel.  Click on the ad in the right hand column or click here:  Joseph A. Bank 50% OFF Sale.