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Smartwool Classic Thermal Merino Base Layer Crew

THE -20 UNIFORM

Smartwool Classic Thermal Merino Base Layer Crew

$$$ premium within winter gear

Merino does the one thing winter running demands: it stays warm when it's damp, and you will be damp. This is the layer that goes on first every single run from December to March, gets washed constantly, and somehow doesn't smell like a hockey bag. Expensive per shirt, cheap per wear.

Best for: the first layer on every run below freezing

See price & details on Amazon.ca →

Current price, sizes, flavours and full specs live on the Amazon listing.

Worth knowing about winter gear

  • Cotton kills the vibe: it soaks up sweat, holds it against your skin, and turns kilometre six into a refrigeration experiment — merino or synthetic, always.
  • Traction is for ice, not snow: fresh snow just needs your normal shoes and lower expectations, but the shiny grey stuff needs spikes.
  • A headlamp beats reflective-only: reflective gear needs a driver's headlights to work, while a headlamp is visible from every angle and shows you the ice first.
  • The treadmill isn't cheating: when it's freezing rain on glare ice, the runner who lives to train tomorrow wins — save the heroics for race day.

Also in winter gear

Kahtoola NANOspikesICE, SOLVEDYaktrax Run Traction CleatsTHE GATEWAY SPIKESKahtoola MICROspikesFOR THE DEEP STUFFIcebreaker 200 Oasis Long Sleeve CrewMERINO, OTHER FLAGCraft ADV Essence TightsLEGS, INSULATEDGore Wear R5 GORE-TEX Insulated JacketTHE WIND TAX
All winter running gear →

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