Merino Wool Base Layer Top for Summer Hiking

[marty]

Hi all,

Need to buy a new base layer for warm weather hiking and am considering merino wool for the first time. Just wondering if you could share you impressions on how lightweight merino wool stacks up vs. polypro for summer hiking. Some major considerations are wicking, drying time and whether is too warm. Appreciate if you could share your thoughts.

Thanks,
Marty

 

[Little Rickie]

My experience with the wool tees I have is that they don't dry quickly, .

Compared to...?

Do U sweat a lot?

 

[DougPaul]

I have experimented with a light-weight short-sleeve (100%) Merino wool shirt (Smartwool) in warm weather and found it to be very comfortable. However, I have heard that they don't wear very well. (A blend with a small amount of nylon may wear better--after the wool wears away, a nylon mesh remains rather than a hole.)

Polyester:
* Wears a lot longer
* Stinks up a lot faster
* Is moth proof

All in all, I have both polyester and wool baselayers (summer and winter) and sometimes wear one, sometimes the other. I tend to use the wool in damper conditions. (As always, wool is king for socks...)

FWIW 1, I tend to put out lots of heat and sweat quite a bit when active.

FWIW 2, I also like Merino wool baselayers in winter.

Doug

 

[jfb]

After trying merino wool shirts for a while, I brought all my polypro to the nearest Goodwill store.

Here's the test that was the most useful:
1. Get out your favorite polypro, cotton and merino tee-shirts.
2. On a hot day, wear the cotton shirt for a few hours.
3. Change to the polypro for a few hours.
4. Change to the wool for a few hours.
5. Repeat every day for a month.

Don't try to compare the shirts by how well they wick or how long they take to dry because the fabrics work differently. Just wear them and see which one you like best. You may want to keep some polypro shirts to wear when changing the oil on you car, but not for hiking.

I'll suggest checking out the Wickers line of merino/rayon clothing at Sierra Trading Post. I also like the Icebreaker Hopper shirts with Raglan sleeves.

 

[Chip]

I'm comparing these light weight merino wool tees (whose make/composition I could find tonight, they're like 90% wool and 10% nylon or spandex) to the nylon/polypro tees I normally hike in. They dry faster than cotton, but not nylon. IME.

Never mind. Mine are Outdoor Research 88% polyester, 12% wool. I thought it was the other way around. So don't buy MY shirt. Guess I still need to try a wool shirt.

 

[TDawg]

Ibex merino is fantastic stuff and I've found dries VERY quickly. Love it.

Definitely on the pricey side but I think it's worth it. Very comfortable to wear against the skin hiking and casually. I usually try to keep an eye on the "outlet" tab on their website and pick things up at a discount.

 

[Jasper]

Second, Doug Paul's cooments

Doug's comment capture my experience with super light weight wool. I also find wool to have a wider temperature comfort range then poli pro. For day or overnight hikes, poli pro is fine. For longer or more serious stuff, wool is my 'go to' base layer.

Love Ibex stuff.

 

[Brambor]

In my experience the lightweight merino wears out quickly.

For summer hiking I do carry long johns and longsleeve lightweight merino in the pack. I put it on if it is very windy, or generally colder but for normal summer temperatures nothing beats a lightweight soft organic cotton t-shirt.

Last weekend:

 

[Chip]

I'll suggest checking out the Wickers line of merino/rayon clothing at Sierra Trading Post. I also like the Icebreaker Hopper shirts with Raglan sleeves.

FWIW: STP has 25% off orders at/over $100 now (code=SITEWOW712). I needed a decent PFD so I basically got a merino tee for "free".

 

[JacobH]

I can't specifically recommend any brands, but backcountry.com is having a sale this week too:

http://www.backcountry.com/store/subcat/100000006/sale/Mens-Shirts.html

 

[marty]

Wow, lots of great information and some sales info, too!

Much appreciated everyone.

Marty

 

[Stan]

Rambler's Way was founded by the founder of Tom's of Maine and they produce very fine wool under wear ... and very expensive. Having been given the gift of a few items and finding a good price on a henley at the Cuddledown factory outlet in Freeport, I can vouch for its comfort but it doesn't hold up very well, even under normal wear never mind strenuous activity. Personally, I don't find it all that comfortable in hot humid weather but otherwise it is delightful and I'd take the gift of it anytime. http://www.ramblersway.com/

 

[Montana]

No doubt merino wool

I have been using merino wool as a base, mid and outer layer for years. It is a naturally insulating fiber ever see a sheep with poly pro! I use short sleeve Ibex t's all summer hiking and mountain biking in the hottest weather. I have a 18.5 micron T I wear in hot yoga classes. Adjusts well to wide temperature ranges and dries quickly. I am a big fan of the Ibex product line. I have bought many items over the years and they ave held up well. A bit expensive but the performance and durability is worth it.

 

[Kevin Rooney]

I'm a newcomer to wool t-shirts and long sleeve shirts. What gets in the way for me (in addition to their high cost) is the snug, body-builder (i.e. "6-pack abs look") that many of the brands use. It's possible to find a few with a conventional cut, but there are much fewer choices.

Does anyone know if this cut is a style issue? Or are there technical reasons for it?

 

[jfb]

I'm a newcomer to wool t-shirts and long sleeve shirts. What gets in the way for me (in addition to their high cost) is the snug, body-builder (i.e. "6-pack abs look") that many of the brands use. It's possible to find a few with a conventional cut, but there are much fewer choices.

Does anyone know if this cut is a style issue? Or are there technical reasons for it?

I've found that a snugly fitting T-shirt layers better under a long sleeved shirt, which is nice in cooler conditions. Otherwise, I think most manufacturers describe whether the shirt is a snug or casual fit and you should be able to figure it out. I could generalize a bit and say that Smartwool sizes tend to be a looser fit than Ibex.

 

[Kevin Rooney]

I've found that a snugly fitting T-shirt layers better under a long sleeved shirt, which is nice in cooler conditions. .

In cold weather, have you tried putting the longsleeve on first, then the shortsleeve over it? It might appear a bit dyslexic to some, but I've found it is actually a bit warmer, but have no clue why. I've always figured it was just "one of those things", like putting the air mattress down first, then the closed foam - which just work better. Am not really interested in the physics of these things unless they happen to correlate with real-world experience. And no, I am not a Luddite, either.

 

[MichaelJ]

This is some terrific information, thank you to everyone contributing! In recent years I've been a huge convert from polypro to natural fibers, but a wool shirt is something that has yet eluded me. Now that I know what's out there and what to look for, I think some shopping will be in order.

I do really, really like silk as an underlayer, but it has that same wears-out-too-quickly problem, especially in the armpits and groin. Wool, or wool and silk together, could be quite the warm, comfortable base layer for winter.

 

[JoeCedar]

My favorite summer shirt is the Mammut All Year Shirt. Part of the shirt (front/shoulders) is 22/78 merino wool/polyester while other parts are 100% polyester (sides/back). I have been wearing this shirt for 3-4 years (eventually bought another). It is close-fitting, comfortable even when wet, dries quickly, and is durable.

This is not marketing gimmick--it is a great T shirt for hiking.

 

[Brambor]

while we are at it I just want to say that I switched to wool boxers and it is good ;-)

 

[DougPaul]

In cold weather, have you tried putting the longsleeve on first, then the shortsleeve over it? It might appear a bit dyslexic to some, but I've found it is actually a bit warmer, but have no clue why.

This may depend upon the details of the shirts in question (these comments apply to shirts made of baselayer fabrics):
* If one is better at blocking wind, then it is presumably warmer on the outside because it would reduce the airflow through both layers.
* If one is snug and one is loose, then the snug one on the outside would be warmer because it reduces motion-induced air circulation under both shirts. I certainly find snug to be warmer than loose in external winds for single base layers.

This reminds me of a comment that I read long ago: a mink coat is warmer fur side in than fur side out...

I have worn a long-sleeve shirt over a short-sleeve shirt at intermediate temps--it feels warmer than I would have guessed a priori. Both shirts were made from similar breathable moisture-wicking polyester fabrics and I usually use each one alone as a baselayer. I wore the long-sleeve shirt over the short-sleeve shirt simply because I might have gotten warm enough to strip down to just the short-sleeve shirt--never tried it the other way.

Doug