Date: 2017-01-29
To: Gear Review: Wal-Mart Base Layers (seriously.)
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

LONG SHIRT AND LEGGINGS - CUDDL DUDS Gear Review!Weight: no idea...! Not muchLike my shirt choice, I didn't really think much about my long layers. I knew I wanted a tight fitting long sleeved shirt and a pair of leggings. I already owned a bunch of sets of the VERY basic "Cuddl Duds" stretchy, spandexy, from-WalMart-for-ten-bucks options and knew that they kept me warm and comfy while snowmobiling. I figured that I wouldn't be in temperatures colder than Michigan in January and that I'd be working out and sweating so I'd probably not get cold during the day. I had already bought a VERY warm sleeping bag and puff jacket so I just needed and extra layer to help a bit at night and for when it was a in-between temperature day. I picked up a purple long sleeved shirt and a pair of black leggings like I've been wearing around the house and through the winter for years - I'm telling you they were 9.96 at Wal-Mart and I probably even got them on sale. That SAME top and pair of leggings were with me on Springer Mountain and Mt. Katahdin. They both lasted 2,189 miles and I STILL WEAR THEM WEEKLY. Seriously. Who knew Wal-Mart could be a gear supplier??Day 1 - purple top and black leggingsOf course, after summertime hit in the Shenandoahs and the temperatures shot up during the day I very rarely wore my long sleeves while hiking. I still occasionally would wear my leggings during the day - if it rained, I wanted the leggings to be a barrier between my skin and my clingy rain pants, and if it was cold or I was doing lots of hand-over-hand climbing, I was more comfortable in leggings.Same leggings and long sleeves underneath my jacket on Mt. Washington in NHLeggings and previously-reviewed Lucy top in MainePros:-Durable and Easy. Same as the Lucy top from the last entry, both items did exactly what I wanted them to and didn't look terrible. They're also easy to wash (on warm, on hot, on cold, on whatever - totally fine) and easy to dry and when anything got wet from sweat or rain it dried reasonably quickly on my body.-Fit. Um, they're some kind of lightweight nylon spandex material and sorta just fit tight to your body. The leggings got a bit stretched out by the end of Maine but it wasn't a deal breaker. Cons:-Not a cold layer by themselves. If it was VERY cold, like it was in NC and TN, I needed to wear my Cuddl Duds layer and my puff jacket and rain pants over top. They aren't lined and they are relatively thin. I would not have chosen them as my base layer if I didn't already know that they worked for me in very cold weather (while snowmobiling). Full disclosure: I did wear Under Armour fleece-lined leggings to climb Katahdin but only because I was worried about the temperature and didn't want to have to carry my rain pants as a backup warmth layer.Do I recommend this gear? Yup. Literally still wear the same leggings and shirt weekly. I recommend them for lounging and for hardcore thru-hiking, but PLEASE TEST FIRST. I don't want to be responsible for you freezing to death because they don't work for you.Any questions!? Think I should add more info somewhere? Feel free to email me at elleoutdoors@gmail.com!Disclaimer: I did a LOT of research before starting my thru-hike but my Gear Review series is about my personal experiences with my choices of gear and everything might not be true for everyone! Decide carefully, my hiker friends, and get things that work for you