Mother Nature’s favorite fiber: Merino wool.
Photo: Smartwool
Wool is an amazing product. It insulates when wet, wicks moisture away from the skin, and naturally prevents odor from building up in the fibers.
I recently got my hands on the Smartwool NTS Midweight Crew made from 100% Merino wool, and took it out on a day hike up to Mt. Tamalpais, just north of San Francisco this past holiday weekend. The wind was steadily blowing and chilling the air up a bit.
On the 10 mile loop up to Mt. Tamalpais, I began to see the wonderful properties of merino wool. It is soft right out of the box and is ready to stand up to your adventures.
One of the most important aspects of wool is its ability to manage body temperature. It kept the moisture off my back from the heat of my backpack and kept my upper body warm from gusting wind. Even though it was wet from the sweaty hike, it allowed me to hike comfortably even when the wind was blowing.
I wore my Smartwool NTS Midweight for five days straight, finally taking it off after the hike. It stayed odor free and dried quickly from my morning bike rides around the city.
Best of all, none of my friends knew I was wearing the same shirt five days in a row.
Tip: Don’t forget about your feet: Try a pair of the 4-degree fit Smartwool PhD Socks with wool-on-wool technology to reduce abrasion and shock.
Your feet will thank you.
Cost: $75 | Where to buy: Smartwool
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7 Comments... join the discussion!
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Ah, Merino wool. I have an Ibex baselayer that I find every excuse to wear.
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Sweet, I should get one just for walking to work.
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HELLO! what about Icebreaker? I practically live in their wool clothing. Its expensive, but not much more so than Smartwool, and they have everything from T-shirts to pants.
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I have to echo Johnny’s comments. Icebreaker is thex of the merino wool pyramid. A comparable item to evaluate might be something like this:
http://www.icebreaker.com/site/icebreaker_man_bodyfit150_ls_atlas.html
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Hey, I love Icebreaker as well. It’s all about the wool: http://matadorgoods.com/pure-new-zealand-merino-wool-icebreaker/
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Theres nothing like running in wool, especially in Sweden, where its really cold, several moths of the year!
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