Gear Review: REI MTS Polartec Power Dry Midweight Base Layer
A baselayer made for high-exertion activities.
[best all-around]
A steal for any hiker. That’s the verdict from our test crew, which deemed both the top and bottoms, made with perennial favorite Polartec Power Dry, rock-solid performers whether we were skate skiing for 30 minutes or climbing hard for six hours on an ascent of New Hampshire’s Mt. Chocorua. Credit the fabric’s two-yarn blend, which speeds wicking and disperses moisture on the outside for fast drying. “I never felt wet, even when I was cranking out sweat by the bucket,” said a tester after a 25K ski race. The fit is just right: streamlined, but not skin-tight, with a long tail for stay-put tucking. $32.50 (top or bottom); 7 oz.; men’s crew S-XXL, women’s V-neck (pictured) XS-XL; rei.com