It didn’t take me very many winter fishing trips to realize I needed to get more serious about insulating from the cold. My first cold temp kayak outing was with YakAnglers Mark and Adam, along with Adam’s wife Lauren and some other YakAngler alumni. Within an hour, my fingers felt like they were going to shatter and the rest of me, chilled to the bone. Since I was the oldest person on the water that day I wasn’t about to complain. I pedaled onward and was secretly relieved a couple of hours later when everyone decided it was time to head back to our vehicles.

The next day I was on the internet shopping for the much-needed base layers Adam had told me about. After looking at several options that seemed bulky and uncomfortable, I came across an offering from Columbia Sportswear. It was a heavyweight, base layer that used Omni-Heat® Thermal Reflective technology, along with Omni-Wick®, a fabric that wicks moisture away from the body to keep you dry.

I purchased from the men’s department since their sizes ran larger. I bought the “Men’s Heavyweight 1/2 Zip shirt” along with the “Heavyweight tight”.

I can truly say that Columbia hit their mark with Omni-Heat®. It’s hard to believe that such thin and comfortable clothing can keep you so warm. I’ve found that I no longer need a fleece layer except on the coldest of days. The stretch of the fabric along with the lack of extreme bulk allows for maximum flexibility, something that’s important when maneuvering on a kayak.

A feature I really like is the added length of the sleeves and the thumbhole. This makes it easy to keep the warmth tucked into your glove by not exposing the skin on your lower arms.

The Omni-Heat technology is actually a layer of silver dots coating the inside of the fabric. Similar to the technology in space blankets, it reflects your body heat inward to keep you warm. They added the Omni-Wick fabric under the arms and on the sides of the shirt to wick moisture away when you become more physically active.

Columbia’s description of the ½-zip shirt:

Construction:

• Omni-Heat Thermal Reflective breathable material on the core, shoulders, and arms regulates your temperature with silver dots that reflect and retain body heat
• Omni-Wick on the sides and underarms pulls moisture away from the body and enables perspiration to evaporate quickly, keeping you dry and comfortable
• 4-way comfort stretch for superior mobility
• Antimicrobial
• Raglan sleeves and ergonomic seaming for comfort and better coverage
• Thumb holes for coverage and security
• Imported

Fabric:
• Omni-Heat thermal reflective waffle 85% polyester/15% elastane
• Omni-Wick inserts at side and under arm

The features of the tights:

Construction:
• Omni-Wick gusset and waistband to keep you dry and comfortable
• Omni-Heat thermal reflective lining for lightweight, breathable warmth
• Compression tight, sits low on waist
• Zip open fly
• Antimicrobial treatment protects this product from bacterial growth
• 4-way comfort stretch and ergonomic seaming
• Gusset detail
• Imported

Fabric:
• Omni-Wick gusset and waistband
• Omni-Heat thermal reflective 85% polyester/15% elastane sweet rev.