100% Merino Wool Women's Base Layer Bottoms - Thermal Underwear - No Itch Renewable Fabric

I purchased this Midweight Minus33 XXL bottoms and the matching Minus33 Mindweight XXL crew top a while ago for to take on a week long elk hunting trip into the great alpine wilderness of Eastern Washington. I knew it was going to be COLD up there and I am not someone that easily stays warm in the elements. Cutting wind, snow, ice, frigid rain... you never know what is happening next. I decided to save my review until after I'd put these to the test.I was looking for 100% wool base layers in something my size and was very pleased to find these, not only in my size, but made for a woman. Bless you, Minus33!! I've spent a lot of very cold, miserable winters wearing other "thermals" that either didn't help at all or made me sweat so much becuase they did not breathe that I was uncomfortable and froze anyway. They seem to be well made, I found no flaws in the initial "once over" nor after I put them on and wore them. I had no issue with the elastic as one person had reviewed. They wore well and laundered nicely... even in a bucket of ice cold stream water, being poked with a stick and hung over the camp stove to dry... if you can call that laundering.Both the top and bottoms came in the mail quickly, and when I tried them on, I was very pleasantly surprised. It was SO nice to put these on and have them fit so well. I am long through the body and tall, and these fit like they were custom cut for me. Stretchy and cozy, I was immediately happy. The crew top was long enough in the hem to fit my long body nicely and the sleeve was long enough that the cuffs actually came down to my wrists. The bottoms were also cut nicely, long enough for my long legs, fit me VERY well all around, perfect through the butt and crotch, waist line high enough to not worry about "cracking out" when I bend over, which has always been the price of having to wear men's thermals (not to mention no "front door" to have to sew shut!). The material did feel just a little bit itchy when I first yanked them out of the package and tried them on, but that went away after a gentle wash and dry.I can honestly say that these Minus33 100% wool, midweight base layers made all the difference in the world this last season. NEVER before have I been actually WARM when out in the elements for any length of time. The 5 mile hike up into camp in a foot of snow would have rendered me a sweaty, wet, frozen mess before but this time I was comfortable and toasty, even when we stopped to rest and cooled down. I had packed polar fleece thermals with me just in case these weren't enough, but those never made it out of the pack. I was so toasty in these, I often just wore them by themselves with a down vest for hiking around in, carrying my heavy outer wear in a back pack to put on over them when I got to where I would be sitting.They really proved their worth in the wet, too. One morning I slipped, lost my footing, and fell into the creek and had to hike back to camp just wearing them, carrying my outerwear and my gear. My boots were soaked but I was also wearing 100% wool socks. I wasn't exactly warm along the way but I wasn't frozen by the time I got to camp. My Dad was an ice fisherman and he always, ALWAYS wore his wool and told me that there was nothing better, especially if you ended up wet. I wish I'd have listened to him years ago, I wouldn't have spent so many winters shivering.These came home in great shape after a week of crawling around in the elements being worn constantly as under wear and as only wear. I literally lived in these things and wouldn't hesitate to buy another set. Thank you, Minus33 for an absolutely outstanding product.

nice pants, quality fabric, good color, comfortable, good size, good value

I love Merino Wool!! Have become an advocate of Merino base layers having recently been introduced to them this last year. I had purchased a couple tank tops from Sierra Trading post to try out Merino on a trip to Scotland. One was the Super.Natural brand which runs extremely small and had to give to a friend. However, after test driving Merino and realizing that Merino was pretty amazing, I purchase some higher quality Minus 33 tank tops. I could not be happier and show everyone the wonders of 100% Merino Wool. They can't believe wool can be so soft. Who knew one could wear wool against delicate skin. Before Merino I could rarely wear wool even in sweaters because I could not stand the itchiness. Found a cashmere sweater in Hong Kong and thought cashmere was the way to go. However, after experiencing 100% Merino I now prefer it to cashmere. Just as soft and not fuzziness to pill. These pants are the perfect weight for everyday wear during Utah's winter. I find them superior to the silk base layers I have worn for years from Cabella's. I also own the heavier weight pants but reserve them for extreme weather working outdoors. I'm sure they would be prefect for winter sports. However, these lightweight ones match the weight of the Minus 33 vests which I live in while in Utah. The knit is so fine and so soft I wish someone made 100% Merino pajama. I love, love, love the Minus 33 vest/tank tops. Perfect for keeping your core warm without overheating. They will also come in handy for the wet winters and spring of Oregon.Others on Amazon have said these pants were too thin and they ran like nylons would. I have not had this problem but then I bought an XL because I don't like tight long underwear. I typically wear a L. I would suggest that if one pulled hard enough to put runs in these long underwear then they were most likely sized too small. Go up a size if you do not wish them to fit like tights or panty hose or have to struggle to get them on. Long underwear should slip on easily and not be a struggle to put on.These have washed wonderfully. I put them in a mesh laundry bag to avoid them getting harmed by other clothing or any velcro. I hang them up to dry even though the manufacturer says they can be put in the dry. With long legs I don't wish to loose any length. The XL also provides a little more length and easily reaches the bottom of my ankle with some room to spare. The waist band come up to my natural waist and I am slightly long waisted. Crotch is not snug or tight.Also, I would very highly recommend this weight because they do not show underneath your jeans. The midweight ones being heavier do show through my jeans or at the least make my jeans feel snug.Just talking about the softness and quality of Minus 33's base layers makes me want to rub the softness of the fabric against my face!

If you are looking for a natural fiber, wool base layer, look no further. This is my second pair of black wool leggings. They keep you warm. These wool leggings are not scratchy. True to size. I spend most of my days outside in the cold and these do the trick of providing a warm base layer.