Polypropylene - Too good to be true?

[Captain Hardhead]

I have a Bare Nexgen shell and have read a lot of threads about undergarments. The Polypropylene sounds almost too good to be true (for a cheapskate like me). I have read where it has been worn under other undergarments and by itself, but I have a few questions that I cannot find the answers for.

1) Since it seems to come in thin and thick versions, how cold (for the average Joe) would they work (not with other undergarments)?

2) How about if you wear both?
3) Does it require more weight than the thinsulate type undergarments?

 

[JKSteger]

I have a Bare Nexgen shell and have read a lot of threads about undergarments. The Polypropylene sounds almost too good to be true (for a cheapskate like me). I have read where it has been worn under other undergarments and by itself, but I have a few questions that I cannot find the answers for.

1) Since it seems to come in thin and thick versions, how cold (for the average Joe) would they work (not with other undergarments)??

I have a set of thin polypros...don't waste your time or money. They don't offer much insulation at all for me. I did buy the top and bottoms for the Expedition weight Polypros from Bass Pro Shop, RedHead was the brand name, and they have worked out great! I dive a USIA shell and have been down into the upper 50's and felt comfortable. They are almost as warm as my USIA Exotherm II undergarment that I bought with the drysuit. This winter I plan on layering the 2 together.

Oh, little tip, I bought some drysuit socks off of ebay (double layer fleece) and my feet stay warm. Was worth the $20.00

2) How about if you wear both?
3) Does it require more weight than the thinsulate type undergarments?

Can't help you here except that if you layer the polypro's you should stay warm and it shouldn't take too much more weighting. I would try it in the pool or shallow area first.

Jeremy

 

[Gillty]

I have the heavy polypro's as well my main advice would be to buy 1 or 2 sizes bigger than you need. The first pair I bought have shrunk since I bought them. And oh yeah they work great. Lot's of warmth and you don't need as much weight as the typical thermal wear.

 

[rongoodman]

I wouldn't bother with polypro for anything--it's unstable with any kind of heat, such as a dryer, and notorious for retaining odors. It was pretty much replaced in the climbing community years ago by the polyesters, such as Capilene.

 

[Scared Silly]

Ditto, polypro is out - I had some stuff that after a couple of expeditions to Alaska made a dumpster smell good. Capilene and PolarTec are what is used these days. I would not put any synthetic in the dryer. The thin stuff is great as a first layer but does not provide any real insulation. I prefer several layers rather than a "suit" like much of the dry suit clothing. It is also more flexible than than a suit.

 

[Diver Lori]

A little bleach or white vinegar help with deordorizing polypro....some toss it in with their sink the stink.

That being said, I use a pair of wool long underwear that I like particularly well. I still wear my thinsulate, but use the wool stuff to keep my thinsulate clean longer. The underlayer works well to keep the body odor at bay with the thinsulate, plus if there is any seepage from my Depends....it will absorb before getting to my thinsulate. TMI?

 

[francousteau]

I've been using the same set of the heavier polypro for the past 2 years as a base layer with polartec fleece as the outer layer with no problems. As Gillty said above, get a size or 2 larger. The temp range I dive is anywhere from 38degF - 55degF and I've been as warm or warmer than guys wearing Weasle Extremes and DUI undergarments. I've also washed and dried the polypro set and have experienced no problems. This has been my experience but YMMV

 

[cummings66]

I use Polartec myself for the undergarment inner layer. I do it to preserve the thinsulate undergarment, they shouldn't be washed that often.

I have used regular thermal underwear completely for diving, two layers made for a comfortable dive during the summer months. It wouldn't work in the Winter.

 

[JKSteger]

My preference is for polartec not the polypro's but for $50.00 for the top and bottom together in a set for the polypro's is not too bad. I did buy a set of the polartec's and it ran me about $125.00!! But now that I have them I do like the polartec's better.

Jeremy

 

[CompuDude]

I wouldn't bother with polypro for anything--it's unstable with any kind of heat, such as a dryer, and notorious for retaining odors. It was pretty much replaced in the climbing community years ago by the polyesters, such as Capilene.

Polypro IS a polyester. Capilene® is Patagonia's proprietary blend of Polypropylene homopolymers, impact and random copolymers, with their own additives to prevent odor retention.

Polypropylene is a generic, non-trademarked, non-company-specific fabric that has a variety of construction techniques used by various companies to overcome some of the problems the fabric can have. There are a number of varieties of polypropylene that are just as good as capilene, but they can be hard to find. Bergelene from Eastern Mountain Sports is an example. That said, I agree that Capilene is probably the best on a consistent basis, and the easiest to come by. But in the end, all it is is a variety of polypropylene.