Outskirts Overland Podcast

Gear Talk: The Ultimate Guide to Outdoor Clothing

• Charlie Racinowski

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Charlie from Outskirts Overland shares personal insights and recommendations for durable, functional outdoor clothing based on military experience and extensive backcountry adventures.

• Merino wool as the superior choice for base layers, underwear, socks, and t-shirts
• Benefits include excellent heat retention when wet, quick-drying properties, and remarkable odor resistance
• Smart layering strategies for different weather conditions and activities
• Glove recommendations including insulated leather and Seirus Extreme for winter use
• Footwear choices including waterproof boots for winter and breathable Solomon shoes for summer
• Summer clothing considerations with swim trunks as a versatile, quick-drying option
• Critical importance of burn first aid supplies for campfire safety
• Practical tips like using headlamps to secure hoods in windy conditions
• The superior performance of natural materials like merino wool and fleece that retain heat when wet

Keep preparing, keep getting outside, and remember that quality gear isn't just about comfort—it's about survival when you're miles from civilization.


Speaker 1:

Welcome to the World of Warcraft, episode 1, the Warcraft, warcraft, warcraft, warcraft, warcraft, warcraft, warcraft, warcraft, warcraft, warcraft, warcraft, warcraft, warcraft, warcraft, warcraft, warcraft, warcraft, warcraft, warcraft, warcraft, warcraft, warcraft, warcraft, warcraft, warcraft, warcraft. Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, this is Charlie with Outskirts. Overland day number three. We'll see how long I can keep this up. I really appreciate you guys being here. If you are here today.

Speaker 1:

I want to talk a little bit about clothing, because I have some definite opinions about clothing and I'll talk about it from a kind of durability, quality standpoint. Not everything I'm going to recommend or talk about here is not everything is extremely expensive, but when it comes to clothing, that's where I do tend to spend a little bit. There's no doubt about that, because that's where you're going to end up with potential issues. So one thing I'll just say right now merino wool and I say merino wool a lot and people go, oh, doesn't it itch, isn't it scratchy? Doesn't it do this or that? And it doesn't. It's more like a microfiber or even, if you're familiar with, like bamboo fabrics. It's a lot more like that. So I'm a big fan of merino wool. It keeps its heat, it dries quickly, it's very scent, like scent averse, I guess I don't know if that's the right way to say it, but anyways it keeps you from stinking and they make anything in merino wool.

Speaker 1:

Almost all the socks I wear camping or working out are merino wool, just because they do last a lot longer than your cotton ones. They don't seem to like pull. I wear smart wool and darn tough socks. I believe those are great. I also, when camping, wear merino wool underwear and, as gross as it may be, you people that camp in Overland, I myself may wear the same pair of underwear two days in a row. I typically don't go three, but maybe.

Speaker 1:

And the merino wool underwear doesn't stink, doesn't get nasty, doesn't do any of the things that any other type of underwear does. So I really like it for that when I'm camping or out in the back country or doing something like that, just because it seems to hold up, and even wearing it like far more days in a row, particularly socks too, you can just take them off and air them out. They seem to be fine. They don't stretch out to a point. They're uncomfortable. They don't start stinking. You know, when you wear a sock for a long time, the bottom kind of sometimes will get hard, depending on the fabric. If it's like a nylon or something, merino wool doesn't seem to lose its cushion or anything. So if it's like a nylon or something, merino wool doesn't seem to lose its cushion or anything. So I do really lean on that.

Speaker 1:

The underwear that I like recently is Wooly. Wooly is the brand of underwear that I like. That's Merino wool. They make men's and women's. I have heard what is it? Ridge Ridge? Merino is good. Obviously I like Smartwool. I've never tried Smartwool underwear, but I do believe Smartwool is just good period.

Speaker 1:

Also, when I'm camping and it's cold, would you guess, my base layers are often Merino, merino wool because, again, they keep you warm and they're super breathable. So, like when you have base layers and they're nylon or something, or fleece, you could sweat. You know, if you get active you could sweat Also just from being in the military nylon. If it gets burnt, it like sticks to your skin. I know this from experience. So I really try to stay away from anything with nylon in it. So I really try to stay away from anything with uh with nylon in it, anything with like uh, any type of poly material. Now, fleece is a good, fleece is a great layer. It retains heat, but I don't want fleece closest to my skin. Um, fleece is a fantastic layer and I do wear some fleece stuff. Fleece is a good thing to to maybe wear on your head, um, or maybe over, you know, your base layer.

Speaker 1:

Merino, I even, most times under my base layers, a t-shirt. Um, sometimes I just wear a t-shirt. Just, I don't know why, it's unnecessary, but I do it. So sometimes I just wear a t-shirt and then maybe fleece or a down garment. There's been a lot of times where it's where it's cold, and I'll wear my base layer, my base layer shirt, with a rain jacket and that the rain jacket doesn't breathe, so you're keeping that heat in. If it's, if it's like, say, it's windy or it's raining, that works really well and that's where you're layering from the inside. You can also layer with, like, your base layer and then something warm on the outside, and that's totally fine too if you're real cold.

Speaker 1:

As far as gloves go, this is me and I'm a guy. Okay, so I realize this is different for females, but as a guy I wear insulated leather gloves and I treat them with mink oil and I treat them until they get pliable, but in the winter I wear I like. I have a different pair that I will recommend. I like, uh, I like the merino or excuse me, merino. Here see, I'm talking about too much. I like the leather insulated gloves. They me Merino. Here see, I'm talking about too much.

Speaker 1:

I like the leather insulated gloves. They're like leather, insulated in them. You can get them at like Home Depot, tractor Supply, like all those places. Now I have another pair of winter gloves and I got these because these are what I used in the military. They're Cirrus Cirrus brand and I have the Cirrus Extreme and I might even have them in this car right now. Sure, freaking do. This is them. This is the Cirrus Extreme. They're waterproof and breathable. When I was in the military I used these. They also make like a seal skin sock. Again, that's for like some extreme stuff, not the glove so much, but the seal skin sock. But that brand makes that's a great glove and it's thinner. So you don't have that big bulky uh, you don't have that big bulky, you know, like glove to it.

Speaker 1:

As far as on my head, I wear a number of different things. I have fleece line cotton beanies. I have fleece line cotton beanies. I have merino wool beanies. I have a trapper hat that I like as well. If you're watching, you can see me holding the trapper hat up. I have that as well.

Speaker 1:

I'm a sweater, so I'm going to be a little different than some of you guys as far as base layer for my legs. My legs are something that really I don't. If I've got a base layer on my legs, I have smart wool again smart wool. I love it. I don't love it because it's fad or anything. Also used it in the military. It works and I have worn smart wool base layers for 40 days straight with that. That like only one pair, top and bottom, 40 days straight. I have worn darn tough socks same pair of socks 40 days straight. The stuff lasts. Obviously it's underneath, so it's not like it probably would snag if it was your outer layer, but it shouldn't be.

Speaker 1:

But as far as my legs are concerned, I typically don't get cold in my legs. So if I have a base layer on my legs of merino wool, of smart wool, I usually have bibs over top, and when I say bibs, when I go cold camping, the bibs I wear are fishing bibs, so they're a waterproof, windproof bib. They're not a winter bib. Like I said, I'm a sweater, but also when it comes to bibs, I want pockets. So I want pockets to put stuff in. You know, take a glove off, put a glove in it. Pockets are important. That's why you don't want to wear like non-pocketed, like I'm wearing a hoodie right now. Hoodies are great, but if you're also wearing sweatpants, you know pockets anywhere and everybody knows you kind of use pockets. When you're also wearing sweatpants, you got no pockets anywhere and everybody knows you kind of need pockets. When you're camping, you put something in it, you know. So that's what I would say, and I'm just talking cold right now.

Speaker 1:

I'll get into others and again I will just preface this by saying Merino wool t-shirts with Merino wool underwear, that's good summer attire. Like I'm not just a fanboy. I have no skin in this game. I've used them to where they should have sucked by the end and they don't. I still have some of them and they're like they look used but they still work just the same and they're machine washable. It's not a big deal. Also, cheers to the bang for the morning. So merino wool is just. I mean, it's gonna cost you some money, but also take into account and I know it sounds so gross and it's gonna sound gross to you guys, but I am who I am.

Speaker 1:

You can literally wear these underwear three days in a row. You can literally wear this shirt in the summer three days in a row. It's not gonna stink. It's a it's. It sounds crazy, I know it's crazy, but it's not gonna stink. It's not going to stink. It's a it's. It sounds crazy, I know it's crazy, but it's not going to stink. It's not going to get sweat stains, it's not going to do any of that stuff.

Speaker 1:

And you don't have to get t-shirts that are like a baseline or they're tight Like. You can get a t-shirt, t-shirt, um. Tons of brands make merino wool t-shirts. Amazon is the you know the best place got to look at it from the aspect of how much you can use it and not have to. You don't have to. You don't need to.

Speaker 1:

I am a redundant individual. I don't have two of any of this stuff. Well, I have more underwear, yes, um, but I don't have two base layers. I don't have tops, bottoms, shirts. I don't have to. I've won and it's fine. So make sure you think about that like, because you're gonna see it. You're gonna be like damn, and again I pay full price for all these things. It just is that good.

Speaker 1:

Those gloves, I think, are 40 bucks, but again, super duper good. I will preface this by saying guys, I wasn't, wasn't in the military, like with a clipboard, like those gloves. They last I did mountain warfare training for a month, maybe a month, outside with those gloves and my last pair. So I went to mountain warfare training in 2008, 2008. I had those gloves same, not that pair because I lost them. They weren't even bad till 2018, 10 years. So again, if you're committed to this stuff, hell. If you just like to shovel your driveway, those are the way to go.

Speaker 1:

The leather gloves if they get wet, there's some maintenance to those. You got to keep putting mink oil or leather oil on them. Keep them pliable, keep them in good shape. The seams do eventually break. All of them are susceptible to. If you're screwing with hot logs or something, it's going to tear them up, so pay attention to that.

Speaker 1:

As far as shoes go, I don't wear insulated shoes, but waterproof boots breathe less well than non-waterproof boots, so I always wear in the winter, a waterproof boot and that's warm enough for me. I can always make it warmer with my socks heavier socks. I can always get heavier socks. I always buy a half size too big in any shoe that I might wear in the winter just to make room in case socks. But I don't like to get a you know cause 30 degrees is still cold, but it doesn't merit a insulated boot, so I just wear a waterproof one.

Speaker 1:

In the summer I wear, um, I wear Solomon tennis shoes. I like them because they're usually rip string like pull string. They don't have laces and they just last they. They got good soles. I wear Solomon shoes in the summer. I wear what do I have? Xa, solomon, xa 3D, something like that. My boots that I wear in the winter are Merrells.

Speaker 1:

I'm a big fan of Solomon Again, wore it in the military. My Solomon shoes aren't waterproof. You can get waterproof ones. I don't. I don't because, again, I don't care to wear. I wear shorts and boots. I don't care. I don't care. I'm outside Like who cares? If it's, if it needs it, if I need waterproof protection, I that's what I do. Anyways, I wear Salomon shoes. They make they don't make them all with these ripcord laces. So just look, I mean Salomon is S-O-L-O-M-O-N, not like salmon Salomon. They make running shoes and stuff. I don't have a lot of experience with those so I couldn't tell you if they are or are not good. I could tell you that I have a couple other friends that wear Solomon's speed crosses, like them a lot. That's never been my jam, but I am aware and have had a lot of friends that wear those, so that's what I wear.

Speaker 1:

For shoes, I have Merrell boots now for real, real, real, real, real cold. I do, and this is bougieie, but if you're the person that does like a lot of real cold stuff, I do have some like mild Alpine boots that are Danners. Um, they are, and I say mild Alpine, but that's like extreme, regular human boot. They were a ton of money and I have them because, again, I've guys I don't want to say like this is something that's not something you need, but I want to cover it because you may see me in these white boots. Um, they're white and black. They got some lime green on them. They're more of a like a. They're what's, they're what.

Speaker 1:

The uh, crag rats. Crag rats is like a Alpine search and rescue. There's a boots that they wear. You can look them up. They're not real popular crag rats. I mean, they deserve a lot more respect than they have, something I know about. But anyways, they're actually non-insulated other than the forefoot, so pretty much from the middle of your foot forward that boot is insulated. It's also not a flexible boot so it's, like I said, it's Alpine boot, so it's more of a rocking. They're heavy duty, very heavy duty.

Speaker 1:

If you're somebody that likes to that, maybe wants to get into like snowshoeing, you know, pulling a sled, like a little gear sled behind you or something like that, those are a way to go. Um, again, I'm talking to overland community, but I do know I have some overlap and I have a lot of experience in the space of like I don't even know the outdoor camping is the word, it's survival, um skills, you know, because government doesn't want you to die as their investment. Um, so I personally have those boots, they'reers. I had a pair of Danners when I was in the military. I wore those to winter in Afghanistan. So it's mountainous and pretty rugged and pretty terrible, so they're shot. So I bought a pair as a civilian. So I do have those, just in case anybody's like oh, let's see your podcast. I never heard you talk about these. I'm touching on them Like $500 boots Probably not for many of you at all. They're not even like super warm. They're made to be warm when you're active. So just throwing that out there In the summer, the summer's kind of funny.

Speaker 1:

I talk a lot about merino wool underwear here but in the summer I pretty well stick to huck brand swim trunks. I wear swim trunks a lot like with the, the underwear on the inside, because they dry quick. They got a lot of breathability. You can always throw them in a river or you can just get in a river and they'll dry out. I wear a lot of Huck and I'd say other brands like I think Columbia makes them, I think Frog Togs maybe probably makes them. I mean, there's probably a lot of companies that make a quality swim trunk. Mine are all Huck brand H-U-K swim trunks.

Speaker 1:

I wear gray ones. I have like two pairs. You'll see me in them a lot of the time. I do sometimes bring other pairs of shorts just because shorts are easy to pack. But again, ankle socks well, no-show socks, but they're still merino wool.

Speaker 1:

I'm typically wearing my Solomons and a t-shirt. I'm usually wearing rarely cotton, usually a merino wool blend or full merino wool t-shirt and there's a lot of companies that make them. They look good. They're not all like black or gray or cream colored and look like shit. They make a lot of colors. It's a popular thing anymore Used to be pretty well to get like black and gray. That was about it back in some years ago. So I still do that.

Speaker 1:

I still wear merino wool underwear in summer, like as a regular human. Like, say, I'm going to the Ozarks and we're going to spend some time scenic outlooks, maybe I'm at rendezvous in the Ozarks or something like that, and I'm going to be more around people. I still take the merino wool underwear. I take a little more clothes because I want to look. You know everything gets dirty, so if I get out and it's muddy and it's clay, I mean it's still going to get that on it. You can definitely wash them off, but still going to get that on it.

Speaker 1:

So paying attention to, like, where you're going to be. And again, I do a podcast and I have a built truck and people do come talk to me. So I want to look presentable. That is not. Looking presentable is also not a necessity though, so think about that. They make it for men and women. Merino wool is unisex like, not unisex in. Women are going to wear men's underwear and men are going to wear women's underwear and shirts and pants, like they make women's stuff, they make men's stuff, they make kids stuff. So, just paying attention to that, merino wool, fleece, full wool, all those things hold better than 60% of their heat when wet.

Speaker 1:

Now, when you look at clothes that are any type of polyester, nylon, spandex, cotton, those lose all R value, heat value, when they get wet. Now a lot of people are like rain sweat is wet, sweat that's steaming is moisture. So like, again, we're 98 degrees and our clothes are gonna probably get wet at some point, unless you just sit there. Now a lot of people get cold because they get a little sweaty. Then they sit and then they're cold. That's not the garment's fault, that's your fault for not being prepared. You know, sometimes it's better to even just wear way less dry and then put layers on. So you know, these are things that I've learned and again, my place here is I want to try and educate people. So I want to try and get people something they may not know.

Speaker 1:

Okay, like I wear a hat to work every day, but this again is cotton on the inside. Is that OK for, like a lot of the year, yeah, but I mean, even look at me, I shave my head so that a beanie doesn't jack up my hair and hurt so bad. Like I maybe am not you, you know. Like maybe I'm a little different, so take it in consideration as well. Hair gets wet. That's where a merino wool would help you keep it dry. It's going to help keep it dry. If you've got a lot of hair, that's. I'd highly recommend that and not cotton, like Carhartt makes those cool ones that everybody thinks is cute the girls and the guys. But hey, that's cotton. Guys Looks cool, not ideal, not a good plan. Um, they also make stuff that's like legit with like fleece on the inside. But again, you can get smart wool. You know, beanies, that they're not really much more than any other being. They're tight, they work, they're real lightweight, they're real thin, they keep you real warm. So it's kind of a it's. It's a little bit of a mind shift there, but they're great.

Speaker 1:

I'm trying to think what else I wear in the in the summertime. Gloves are still important in the summer. A lot of times I have deer skin leather gloves. For the summer I have worn like mechanics impact gloves, cause they got a little more like to them. I really burn up mechanics gloves. So in the summer I still keep a pair of brown gloves, uh, and I just get. If they get wet, if they get this, if they get that, you just got to treat them when you get home because they will rot out if you just get them wet with water and stuff um. But gloves are still extremely important in the summer.

Speaker 1:

Having you know and I'm not talking first aid today, but in the summer, having you know and I'm not talking first aid today, but in the summer, having some type of burn first aid is super important. I'll just throw that out there Burn first aid is something we should all be carrying, you know, and a tourniquet, but I'm not going to go down that road right now. Anyways, I'll cover that road later. You know, and these are all just recommendations, I'm not like the guy, but these are all things that can help you out.

Speaker 1:

So, thinking like, think, base layer closest to your skin, something you want to breathe outside your skin, something you want to be warm but not necessarily has to breathe the best, because, like, say, you've got a jacket on and you start to get hot, unzip it, like it. There's air, or some jackets that I have have like zippers in the armpits and I unzip those. You know stuff like that. Or maybe some even have zippers in the back and like flaps Unzip that or unclip it or whatever they do. You know different stuff.

Speaker 1:

As far as rain gear goes, I just get rain gear Like you got to just pay attention to. Is it breathable rain gear or non-breathable rain gear? A lot of rain gear that's non-breathable is like a PVC type. It's very, very waterproof but doesn't breathe at all. Um, my rain gear is my bib. Overalls are like a fishing overall, magellan brand from Academy, and my jacket is a REI brand rain jacket that like packs up in itself rei brand rain jacket that like packs up in itself.

Speaker 1:

It's pretty lightweight and it I mean it works and it's got a big hood a big proponent of hoods. Um, at least somewhere, because it blocks the wind. You know this part of your face isn't covered typically when you're wearing a beanie and a something else, and that's where a hood comes in. Um, and if your hood just pro tip, if your hood keeps flying off, weird as it is, uh, get a headlamp and put it over it and your hood won't go nowhere. Um, again, weird, maybe you didn't think of it, but keep your hood on your head. You know some hood cinch too, but I'll put a a uh yeah, head headlamp on and that keeps it from going anywhere. You know, kind of adjust it, slip it on there, do you think? Um, and that's super helpful, headlamp, something that I think everybody should have.

Speaker 1:

But these are all things, topics I'm touching on topics I'm gonna touch on specifically later. So that's that's kind of how I handle clothing and my methodology. With methodology, with clothing, like stuff that's going to breathe, stuff that's going to keep heat. If it gets wet, stuff happens. That's why socks are super important. You know, you fall in a lake and you got you fall in a lake and you got merino wool socks, merino wool underlayer, merino wool shirt. You're going to be okay. You just need to get all the other stuff that you might have on top of it that's retaining water off, and that might be a little weird or it might not be. I don't know if you go with, like, you know Instagram models or not, but like, do you want to die? I don't know. Like, think about it.

Speaker 1:

Also a thing to consider is you might get hypothermia way, way, way, way, way quicker if you are burnt, so burn. I can't stress enough how important having some type of burn gel, dressings, different things of that matter for treating burns, because campfires aren't a stove Like, they're not 200 degrees, 300 degrees, you think those things are hot. Those fires are real hot and stuff flies Like I have a burnt hole in my Solomon's. Right now my camp chair has a patch from. You know, luckily I wasn't in it when it did it, but you know, little chunk came, blew off, burn stuff. Super important, like extremely important for camping, overlanding, outdoor activities. Having something to treat burns is so freaking important, so freaking important. Anyways, I'll get into sanitation how I handle sanitation in the back country as well, on a different one, but that's what I got.

Speaker 1:

For clothes, I may think of a couple more things, but I really wanted to cover again. Clothes are most important in the winter, in inclement weather, winter rain, different things like that. In the summer, you know, just wear stuff that's breathable, that can dry. Um, the only tip I really had is that I wear a lot of swim trunks, because then you don't really have to wear underwear with them. They dry quick, you know. So if you're a, I mean, I think females been doing this on spring break forever, wearing their swimsuits under their jean shorts and tops Like I think it's just, I just don't think it's like a terrible idea. Drys quick. You don't look like you're in underwear to take stuff off and dry out Like I don't know. Just like I think it's a good idea. I don't think it's a good idea. Like you should do it. I just think it's like a legit good thought. So that'll be it for today, guys.

Speaker 1:

Wednesday. Wednesday is Thursday, almost a weekend, guys. All right, I'll catch you guys later. I did record a Benji last night. It was long and, oh my gosh, I got some spam people on here. Anyways, I'll catch you guys later. Have a Thursday, love you, keep it real, keep preparing, keep getting outside. Talk to you guys later.