I recently had the opportunity try out the Odlo base layer available at Gear.com.
I had been making a series of range trips out in the cold Nebraska weather and was freezing myself half to death. I have a series of large jackets, but the bigger jackets severely hinder movement while shooting and make it difficult to get a consistent cheek weld.
I was hoping a quality base layer would solve my problems by letting me stay agile, but still keep me warm. I went with the Odlo base layer because it also had a face mask and hood that can be easily taken on and off. Having the hood built into the base layer makes it so you have one less item you have to remember to grab when heading out.
The fit for the base layer is similar to other compression style shirts. My base size is an XL and I found the XL fit me perfectly. The base layer is snug against the skin while not being an extreme level of compression. After putting it on, it made me warm without making me feel uncomfortable. The fabric stayed close enough to the skin to capture heat while not feeling crushed.
The hood also fits extremely well. I was worried it would slide down, but the face mask raises high enough to cover my ears while the hood can be left down. This is my preferred method when running in the cold to help stay warm but still dissipate heat. The hood can then be flipped over the head to add another level of warmth, if needed.
I took the Odlo base layer out to the range first, and found it to be extremely warm. One of the things Odlo touts is how this shirt is designed with different zones. While wearing the Odlo base layer, it felt like some zones were designed to maximize heat retention while others were designed to maximize your body movement. I felt like it was both retaining heat in the right places, while also adding tension in intelligent ways to aid in muscle movement. I was able to move around freely out on the range with just a light coat, long shirt, and the base layer. This would normally not be possible without my teeth chattering. When the wind would get particularly bad, I could also throw the mask on. Due to the design, the mask would funnel my own warm breath down into the base layer, adding additional warming. I was extremely happy with the performance on the range.
Realizing how much I enjoyed the performance of the Odlo base layer at the range, I decided to use it out on a winter run, throwing on the base layer with a t-shirt and shorts. I found the mask was extremely breathable and didn’t hinder me at all during my four mile run.
It kept my face significantly warm….but I realized I need Odlo to come out with a base layer for my hands!
Again the performance aspect of the Odlo base layer impressed me the most in that the intelligent zones seemed to be aiding in my movement by adding additional compression in the right areas to improve muscle movement.
A long brisk run was extremely comfortable and now I just want to try to the Odlo base layer leggings to see if those can increase my run and gun times!
-Walsh
