Merino Wool durability

[peakbagger]

I have been roaming my new wood lot in Randolph of late and despite it being fairly open hardwoods I have noticed that on sunny days when I am just wearing a long sleeve Icebreaker Merino long sleeve top that every trip leaves another scar in the fabric. I have been sealing the edges and holes with shoe goo type products so the shirt is still usable in the woods but was curious if others have noticed how weak this stuff is compared to polypro type fabrics.?

The land got nuked by the icestorm of 1998 and is regenerating with a lot of beech and that's the normal culprit. I appreciate that its carries far less odor and the insulating value seems to be good but not sure I want to drop $50 a pop on gear that really isn't that durable.

 

[bignslow]

My merino is nowhere near as durable as synthetics, especially in the lighter 150 weights (i.e. t-shirt material). Because of its high price and reduced abrasion resistance, I reserve my high end stuff for my high end outdoor pursuits (e.g. hike - Merino, trail run down the street from my house - synthetic).

 

[egilbe]

Mine is starting to get a few holes in it here and there, but I wear it quite a bit, so its worth it, to me. 150wt is a perfect baselayer weight for wool. Thin enough that I want another layer over it if its cold, but not so warm that I cant wear it when its warm out. I expect that its fragile. I know holes are going to appear, but they havent gotten any larger than the initial wear spots, wgive on me, is wear I snap my pack belt together. Maybe Ive caught it in the buckle a time or two.

 

[DayTrip]

I have several Minus33 merino wool products and they seem to be holding up fine. I don't generally wear exposed but have worn them enough and they seem to hold up quite well. They have a slight "pilled" look in spots (I wash and dry without doing any special handling so that may well be on me) but overall do well and haven't lost their elasticity, etc. This does seem like a product where manufacturer to manufacturer the quality varies. I have moved to synthetics since my first year of hiking and generally reserve the merino wool stuff for sleeping/hanging around the campsite versus hiking.

 

[jfb]

I appreciate that its carries far less odor and the insulating value seems to be good but not sure I want to drop $50 a pop on gear that really isn't that durable.

If cost and durability are important to you, then merino wool is definitely not your best choice.

 

[TCD]

My Smartwool and Terramar are holding up OK. Early on, I had a Patagonia that fell apart. I think the technology is a little better than it was ten years ago, but they are still not as durable as synthetics.

 

[bignslow]

I have several Minus33 merino wool products and they seem to be holding up fine.

Agreed their stuff is nice, but I've only had experience with their mid-weight products, not the lighter weight stuff

My Smartwool and Terramar are holding up OK. Early on, I had a Patagonia that fell apart. I think the technology is a little better than it was ten years ago, but they are still not as durable as synthetics.

I've found that the lighter the weight, the more you will want a blend (so that the synthetics can provide some structure for the merino). I've had socks where the wool is all gone, but the synthetic fibers which comprise the fabric are still there (almost like a mesh).

I would have all of my base layer pieces merino if I could afford it.

 

[bikehikeskifish]

I will say that this http://shop.ibex.com/merino-wool-clothing/accessories-hats/meru-hat is my favorite hat of all time. I wear it on almost every hike and under a helmet all winter while riding (and sometimes skiing). I've had one for 9 years and it's still in very good shape, despite getting plucked off my head many times by overhanging branches.

Tim

 

[peakbagger]

The hat you linked is merino blend which may be why its durable.

The main reason for the post is that I think more than a few folks think merino is a direct replacement for polypro. From a performance standpoint I consider it superior to most polypros but I wouldn't recommend it to a thru hiker or someone who works in the woods as its durability is questionable when used is common situations.

I was hoping that some firm makes a more durable merino weave fabric but to date it seems that its just an issue inherent with all merino wool gear.

 

[jfb]

Wickers used to make a blend of merino wool and rayon, but the company went out of business. Smartwool and Icebreaker now use a nylon core on some of their clothing: http://www.smartwool.com/content/vfcorp/smartwool/north-america/en_us/merino-150.html

 

[Stan]

In general, my experience with lightweight and fine wools is that they're very comfortable ... some even find them comfortable in warm weather but not me ... but not durable if you're doing repetitive motions for a long time. Blends are probably the best best for durability. I like that they're comfortable, and effective, even when wet.

Odd that some of my newer wool sweaters pill so quickly. I've got wool sweaters and hats that have endured everything on land and sea for decades, yes 20-50 years, and they're in good condition and as functional as when new! Can't wreck them. What, are today's sheep all wusses?

P.S. Peakbagger, any man that owns his own woodlot should have a good collection of wool outerwear!

 

[DougPaul]

A key distinguishing feature of Merino wool is the fine (<24 micron) fibers. The fine fiber is softer and less itchy than coarser fibers, but it is also less durable. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wool

The recent emphasis on removing the itch from wool may be a cause of the reduced durability of modern wool outdoor gear.

In my experience, wool is less durable than polyester. I have both polyester and wool baselayers and generally wear the polyester unless I anticipate needing the better moisture handling of the wool. (I generally try to keep an outer layer over the wool to protect it.)

Doug

 

[NorthShore]

I have a merino quarter zip shirt that is about 10 or 11 years old and has a number of small holes, stretches and other aberrations in it. A couple of years ago purchased a couple of new ones (same shirt / brand), but find myself still wearing the old one most of the time. I've bushwhacked in it and it's been laundered countless times. I think I like the fact that it is now thinner than the new ones; more appropriate for hiking. It's still soft, still doesn't smell and still performing. In my experience, they don't stay new looking for long but they last me a very long time. Brand was Terramar. I own SW and Ice Breaker stuff too and like them all, but keep wearing the old garment.

 

[Summerset]

I currently have and have had quite a few wool pieces, tops mainly, but also tights and underwear from Smartwool, Icebreaker and Minus 33. I have worn mine both for day hiking and thru hiking. Here are my observations.

Long sleeve tops, 200 weight, which is probably the mid-weight. I have both Smartwool and Icebreaker in the quarter zip style. I alternate them both for day hikes and the Smartwool came along for the LT, AT and other backpacking trips. I machine wash and air dry these two pieces and they've held up very well. The Smartwool is probably 4 or 5 years old.

Short sleeve tops, 150 weight, in Icebreaker these would be the Tech-lite tees. For thru-hiking, I was getting about 700-800 miles out of a shirt. I only had one shirt and wore it just about 24/7, except when I did laundry. Hence, the short life span. I did hike with a guy who wore the same Icebreaker from Springer to Dalton, MA and then it really was done and trashed it there. The shirts would get thin on the shoulder and back where the pack would rub and eventually get a hole and then it was done. These shirts I machine wash and dry and they seem to be fine. I had one Minus 33 and it got a hole rather quickly, and I was only day hiking with it. I have not bought another one of those.

The tights, I've had both the 150 and 200 weight and the 150's were fragile. I thought they were a bit thin for what I put them through hiking, they got holes easily. The 200 weight are going strong and are my "light tights" for winter hiking and thru-hiking/backpacking when the temps are cooler. I've had them 3 or 4 winter seasons. These get machine washed and dried. They seem to bag out at the knees and elsewhere, meaning they stretch out with wear, but rebound after washing.

Underwear, at least for the women, the Icebreaker underwear I found to fragile for thru-hiking, but okay for dayhiking. The Icebreaker bras are excellent, I've had several and used the same one for the entire AT and still wore it afterward, same cleaning routine on the trail as the long distance shirts (laundry once a week or so). Eventually the edges frayed and the elastic gave out, but not the main fabric, so it had to go.

All that said, polypro and the like are definitely more durable and preferable depending on the activity. If I am going to be bushwhacking, I will not wear my long sleeve wool tops, I will go with an old red EMS polypro quarter zip. Thru-hiking, I expect things to wear out, they just do if you wear the same shirt day after day. We did find that the wool was less stinky for continuous wear than any synthetic. I say "less" because thru-hiker funk is pretty much thru-hiker funk - it is all bad and nothing short of incinerating the garment will get rid of the smell.

 

[Summerset]

Oh, and one more odd fact I remember about a particular wool clothing item, the men's boxer briefs, both Smartwool and Icebreaker. Having hiked over 2000 miles of the AT with the same two guys, we did (as many thru-hikers do) combine laundry loads as it is quicker and cheaper in town. They each had a different brand, but I don't remember either of them replacing any underwear the entire trip. Maybe the men's is beefier than the women's? No idea.

 

[sardog1]

There's a reason that Woolrich uses a blend of 85 wool/15 nylon or 80/20 in a vast number of its products.

I used to sell Ibex stuff and I've worn SmartWool and Minus 33 for years now. Wool is wonderful, right up until you think about the implications of wearing very pricey soft wool as an outer layer. For me, merino is a baselayer and an insulating layer.

 

[CaptCaper]

For a side note on Wool... I just did work for the owner of a Wool company in Boston area.. his Grandfather started it.. he's one of 7 companys left in USA.. He almost closed his doors but a friend suggested selling on the Internet.. this saved him.. he sells to crafts people all over the world..

 

[dave.m]

I have been roaming my new wood lot in Randolph of late and despite it being fairly open hardwoods I have noticed that on sunny days when I am just wearing a long sleeve Icebreaker Merino long sleeve top that every trip leaves another scar in the fabric. I have been sealing the edges and holes with shoe goo type products so the shirt is still usable in the woods but was curious if others have noticed how weak this stuff is compared to polypro type fabrics.?

The land got nuked by the icestorm of 1998 and is regenerating with a lot of beech and that's the normal culprit. I appreciate that its carries far less odor and the insulating value seems to be good but not sure I want to drop $50 a pop on gear that really isn't that durable.

I grew up when wool meant Johnson Woolen Mills or Harris Tweed. I also (ahem) knit). There's a reason why elbow patches are common old wool jackets.

I worry about the environmental impact of plastic clothing, but honestly, it wears so well that I'd have to think there's tremendous impact offset in that. Processing wool isn't all tidy either.

Time for a Pendleton wool shirt?

 

[Stan]

... Time for a Pendleton wool shirt?

The best! I've been wearing them for years, dry cleaning as necessary. Have a hand-me-down from my late father as well as one from my late father-in-law. They never come into fashion nor do they go out. The life cycle costing of these shirts must beat everything. I'll bet you can occasionally find one at a thrift shop for a good price. I have about a dozen ... they don't wear out!