Under Armour shirts

For Christmas I (asked for) received a long sleeve under armor shirt (63% nylon 25% polyester 12% spandex) as a step up to keep me warmer and wick moisture away from my body. The thing is pretty warm for 8oz in weight and definitely does a good job wicking sweat away from my body. As usual, the sleeves are too short. But my real problem is that I can't wear it for prolonged periods of time without it getting itchy. I can wear it a couple hours a day every day and be OK. But not solid for a couple of days in a row. I have been testing it out since January. Any suggestions?

Could it be drying out your skin? Or could you have existing dry skin that it is irritating?

Could it be your laundry soap? It might not bother you lightly touching your skin like most normal shirts, but the tightness could be having more impact.

Where is it irritating you? Back, underarms? In other words, is it rubbing?

Heather

It could be the soap Heather...maybe I'll try just rinsing in cold water a few times. The shirt generally feels comfortable and is not rubbing. It just gets itchy all over. I was a little red and irritated after a hard two day in the desert. But it cleared up after a shower. I have shirts that are 50/50 cotton/polyester and no problem. This is the first time I have moved over to this combination of materials.

Interestingly, looking on line others (albeit only a few) have had similar problems. Just the itchiness. I have to admit to spending most of my life in cotton or wool (next to my body).

SK...

Is this the first time you've worn a shirt with that much spandex in it? It almost sounds like an allergic reaction. Also, if you're wearing it without rinsing it, it could be bacteria build-up or something along those lines (either on your shirt or on your skin).

MNS

Actually, MNS this is the first anything with spandex in it. That includes the 80's btw. I will wear the thing only a few days before I wash or rinse it out. During desert outings, I automatically go into water conservation mode and will not waste water rinsing anything I don't have too out. On the overniter I decided to push through and wear it the whole time thinking that this might just be in my head.

It does what it is supposed to do quite well. So I am hesitant to give up on it yet even though one of my thoughts was minor allergic reaction. I think it may be back to cotton in the desert though...

I've never gotten itchy feeling from wearing Under Armour all day. I've been wearing Under Armour since my baseball days in high school. Maybe a scratch test is in order?

Thank you all for the feedback. I was hoping someone would post something like hey dummy, you are supposed to rinse it out with this stuff first. Looks like I will check for allergies.

I have never felt comfortable in anything but cotton (or cotton blends). I know cotton is supposed to be banned from backpacking but its the only stuff that I have found I can wear. I have definitely been thinking about getting some under armour but I am pretty sure I will have the exact same problem you describe.

I've had problems with spandex causing rashes in the past. I had a real problem when bras with spandex first came out. None recently, though.

I have a hard time wearing tight clothing for a long time. I like it when I go running or swimming, but can't stand it for more than a few hours. My wife is the opposite. Maybe it has to do with all the hair on my body? Underarmour, and other brands, sometimes make the same clothing, but with a loose fit. Those never bother me.

One of the young gear testers I do a trip with once in awhile, suggested over a year ago to give Ice Breaker wool shirts a try. She says she can go days without a shirt getting smelly. I've used a couple pieces so far and it seems great for winter use, I'll have to give it a try in warmer seasons. I've used the 150 weight so far and have a few heavier pieces that I just can't bring myself to use much, you know, its new and un-used, expensive don't wanna get it dirty thing. I have other shirts that have lots of trips left in them, so I'm reluctant to cast them aside and the closet space is getting full of clothes anyway.

Sales dude... sales. Well, Ice Breaker doesn't go on sale much =(, but Ibex does.

http://www.sockcompany.com/smartwoolsocks.html (they usu. have Ibex and Ice breaker as well, but they must be out right now)

http://www.ibexwear.com/shop/index.php -> outlet

Well Missy, that is the only way I would buy the stuff and is how I got what I have. Ice Breakers was recommended, but 20% over on a few places I visit still makes the stuff expensive. Almost pulled the trigger on another top this Winter, but held off.

Well...even discounted they are expensive. I picked up a couple of discontinued T's at 37% off. Basically $40 ea including shipping. It sounds like it will be worth it though. Thanks for the tip Duane.

Now that I know what weight Ice Breaker pieces are when they give 150, 200, 240 etc. now Heather wants me to learn more stuff. Too much for us getting older folks. I checked out both links she provided, similar weight looks like to Ice Breaker and same price. Hope it works for you skcreidc. I grab my 150 weight top thru the winter on snow trips now, has become a favorite piece of gear.

Yeah, I know

I need another long sleeved shirt, non-cotton and my husband keeps saying "How much?!" So it hasn't happened yet. Priorities... <sigh>

Anyone know a washable wool brand that is less expensive? And in half way decent colors (I'm an non-bright color person - why do wool clothing people think fusia is a color everyone wears?!)

(three brands I know about: SmartWool, Ice Breaker, Ibex)

Yes, women's backpacking clothing always seems to come in my least favorite colors, what I call "bink and burple." I have no idea why the manufacturers think we want our clothing in a color resembling wine vomit.

And then there's black. Just the color I need with a perpetually-shedding blond dog at my side!

Why are nice inconspicuous (less visual pollution) colors like tans, browns, green-grays and blue-grays limited to men's wear? This is true for clothing to wear around town, too! I can wear men's tops, but they don't fit as well. However, for the colors I want, I have little choice. Once upon a time women's clothing came in those colors, but no longer.

EDIT, later: Some other brands of merino wool baselayers include Minus 33 (sells through amazon.com) and Duofold, which has also gone into merino wool. I have no experience with either. For sales, you might want to check out the various outlets listed under "Other TLB Sponsors" in the left-hand columns.

Later still: Found this one (Mountain Hardwear) on Campmor--it's a merino wool-polyester blend. Search there for other good prices.

I've lucked out and found wool (even merino) sweaters at thrift stores quite a few times. They're probably not really intended for hiking, but at $5, I don't mind so much if they wear out quickly.

Well, the first pass with the ice breaker T's has been positive. I got pretty sweaty today for a 2 hour session and the shirt worked and felt fine. I need to go on a 2 to 3 day trip next to fully test.

Mine is my go to shirt for early season trips, I treated a couple of different shirts with permethrin to ward off mosquitoes, one reason I may not use a Ice Breaker shirt for summer yet.