Merino- All Bahhh Humbug?

[Nuts]

Well, I know it's the 'latest' thing but really, is Merino that great (or just another $ dragger)?
I have now tried the lightest options in thermal tops from 3 (well known) manufacturers. Due to my advancing age (and increasing girth) I have been sweating a lot more this year than iv'e noticed before.

I know it makes us all feel good to use this 'natural' alternative and that at least it is sourced close to home, but in practice I notice little benefit I havent done any scientific measurements but I swear, i sweat just as much in the lightest tops no matter the material (polyprop etc.). Anyone else noticed this? Are we just the latest victims of the fickle rag trade? $100 for a t-shirt, the thing should have built in air-con...

Is it just the low GSM count in the lightest thermals (or other tops) that is giving Any benefit...

[ollster]

My experience with Merino -

-Not as stinky as polypro.
-Not as durable as polypro.
-None of that yukky static electricity generation.
-A bit more comfortable against the skin.
-Maybe not quite as warm, weight for weight (but hard to tell).
-More comfortable to wear when the weather gets warmer.

The lessening of the 6 day trail stink is enough for me to prefer Merino, but I only buy it on sale.

[Nuts]

Yes, I have noticed that they maybe don't smell as bad.
I just read what i wrote and realised that I hadnt actually said that i was talking about hot weather wear (breathability?)... Their performance in the cold -the jury is still out.. I also have a very thick chlorofibre thermal that would be hard to beat, but then I havent got the heaviest weight merino thermal (i wonder when (at what thickness) they actually become a jumper?)

[loric]

About the polypro trail stink...

It's easy to get rid off on-track if you 'wash' the polypro in ya cookpot in clean water and chuck in a puritab/aquatab.
I personally use a dose from my miox purifier - but the tabs work well too.
This method also works a treat to cure stinky socks.

About socks - i use some icebreaker ones, they are OK, i think they are not as 'wicking' as the (much thicker) coolmax thorlos though. I feel like i sweat more in the merino socks...

[BarryJ]

My experience with Merino -

-Not as stinky as polypro.
-Not as durable as polypro.
-None of that yukky static electricity generation.
-A bit more comfortable against the skin.
-Maybe not quite as warm, weight for weight (but hard to tell).
-More comfortable to wear when the weather gets warmer.

The lessening of the 6 day trail stink is enough for me to prefer Merino, but I only buy it on sale.

I would have to agree with the above (although I haven't worn mine for 6 days).

[Darren]

G'Day Nuts
My wife and I have a couple of Marino tops and I love them. I back the no stink claims 100%. They also feel nice when you’re sweating heaps too. They are not very durable though, I keep one for hiking and it has a hole from my hip belt buckle and it has pilled badly on the back. I wouldn’t recommend one for hard core of track. (Too expensive and fragile) I bought an ls mid weight one a while back but it’s no warmer than poly. I get poly thermals free from work but if I do anything in them they stink terribly (to the point of having to be destroyed: D )
On a long hike I have a day tee and a night tee that doubles as my back up.
Hope that helps
Darren

[blacksheep]

the bah humbug part is the bit where you said $100 for a t-shirt! the rest is not-super comfortable for multiple day use, but if you will be wet the entire time polypro is still top of the pile, for anything else a 155gm merino base layer is superb...don't pay sill money tho...

[Nuts]

OK....Long sleve T-Shirt perhaps... My point is that in use I get just as sweaty and have heard said that they are better than poly for this??? (Where are the US military tests to assure me that I dont? )

I find it amusing that after brands flogging all the alternatives we end up back at the beginning... What's next? Wouldn't Cashmere be 'softer' (once we all have woolybacks)... OK, so i'm a cynic(?) Would make sense($) though..

[adventurescape]

Hey Nuts,
If you want to try AUST MADE(!!!!) Merino top without forking over a packet, try Merino skins. You can get them online or Paddy Pallin in Lonnie have them for $60. I own 2, one I have had for 6 yrs and the other is new last winter. The only way I can tell between the 2 is the old one has a tiny hole in the belly that has got no bigger over time and the tag has no writing left on it at all. No fading, pilling or going out of shape. The old one has copped punishment. I cycle couriered in it for 3 winters and have rockclimbed in it for the last 2 years. I reckon merino is great, takes a lot of body skank to make them stink. I find poly pro will smell within an hour, even without working up a sweat. I used to ride a pushie for eight hrs a day in the Perth cbd, rain, wind, sun, shell on and off, periods of sitting still, the works basically and it kept me comfortable. I would wash it (machine wash) every 3rd day because I thought I should, not because it smelt. The downsides of merino are it takes ages to dry (compared to polypro)and it loses thermal properties when overly wet (over 1/3 its own weight with water I think). My tops are black and in the situation where I am in the sun and working physically, I don't feel the same conductive heat load as if I were wearing a black cotton tee.
Anyway, its a good option to try as opposed to $150 plus for a Chinese made, Icebreaker equivalent.
Sam

[Son of a Beach]

In my experience merino wool doesn't make you sweat any less than poly, but the big difference is that it doesn't make you stink anywhere near as much as poly does. The difference is just huge. I mean of course you'll still built up a bit of an odour after a few days of hard walking, but it's nowhere near as bad.

[sthughes]

Deodorant is like $5 a can. I imaging it would last many years if only used bushwalking. Cheaper option??

[Son of a Beach]

Deodorant is like $5 a can. I imaging it would last many years if only used bushwalking. Cheaper option??

Depends on how much you stink? (not you personally, sthughes). Besides, a can of deodorant is heavy!

[nothingwmn]

Deodorant on the trail? No thanks! I prefer the smell of sweat & BO over the out of place, horrendous stench of synthetic chemicals mixed with sweat & BO! I once went on a nine day walk with a mate who was paranoid about his odour, so every morning he would pull out his can of Lynx & saturate himself from head to toe -- it isn't very pleasant sharing a hut or a tent with someone like that!

But back to the topic at hand, I MUCH prefer Merino tops because I sweat like a swamp donkey & wool seems to breathe better in hot weather & DEFINITELY doesn't smell anywhere near as much as polypro! Also, in my experience, it does still insulate well when wet, so the fact that it takes longer to dry doesn't matter much to me.

[Ent]

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[blacksheep]

I know of one store in hobart that has superfine (17.5 micron, 155gm) merino that is a LOT cheaper than that! (and they have websales)...

[Ent]

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[blacksheep]

and the website is? (momentary pause to build suspense I assume?)

nah, i can answer but can't volunteer info (i have an interest in the company)
macpac
actually not on the main site (still!!) but click on the sale catalogue and you'll see a bit of info there...

[Son of a Beach]

Please note that I've split off the discussion about commercial posts to a new topic (which I'll now go and tidy up a bit).

[Kainas]

I will swear by them.

I wore a merino wicking shirt with a polyester outer on a 6hr 'straight-up' hike. Made it to the hut, changed into camp clothes.

The next day woke up and went to put yesterdays clothes back on. The outer layer STUNK (the polyester)...the merino had no noticable smell at all. This was tested by waving them in my husband's face and saying "smell this"

Clearly they did there job. Allowed me to wear the merino wicking for my entire trip, and only bring a change of outer layers (two for the 4-day hike).

[ivantheterrible]

yes merino is nice to wear, and doesnt absorb your smell as much (though you yourself do stink like a polecat underneath). But after buying a wardrobe full of icebreaker shirts, i am sad to see the little holes appearing in them already after a very short time. For $100 a shirt, its a bit disappointing. They are great aside from being a bit fragile and too expensive

[r3volution]

From what I've experienced, merino (finer wool is usually better, but a mid weight is most robust & warm) is far superior in all wear characteristics to synthetics. I've heard varying stories about which is warmer depending on what conditions, and nothing definitive one way or the other, but I've never felt cold wearing a merino thermal. I've heard of a few to many people having icebreaker fall apart on them, so I've steered clear of that, but i just bought a rammite merino top which has been awesome so far. In my experience the only time synthetics are better than merino is if you know you're going to be spending a lot of time saturated, otherwise, merino tends to be better.

[corvus]

yes merino is nice to wear, and doesnt absorb your smell as much (though you yourself do stink like a polecat underneath). But after buying a wardrobe full of icebreaker shirts, i am sad to see the little holes appearing in them already after a very short time. For $100 a shirt, its a bit disappointing. They are great aside from being a bit fragile and too expensive

Sorry to read that, my cheaper Snowgum long sleeve got a small hole which I have "super glued" jury still out but this may be the way to go
c

[bigtfuzzywarbler]

I agree with Ollster's comments a few posts back.

A few other comments.

- have not had much luck with Merino socks, just not durable enough
- merino garments are generally not as durable as synthetics (fray on ends, wear out on elbows and crutch)
- merino garments can be composted, I have worn out a few over the years and that is where they ended up.

Fuzz

[strewth]

i had a merino top i wore for 24 days bushwalking...still no smell, despite giong for it! JJust hung it up to air each evening. Fab...dont think i would try underwear for 24 days though that might be taking it a bit far!

[Rod]

Due to the comfort of merino and the lack of odour I'm an "IB" (Icebreaker) convert.
Like some of the previous posts I have a stack of them ....
Another point to add is that although they are expensive they do wash and wear well if cared for properly-I have T shirts that are 3-4 seasons old and they look almost like new.They certainly hold there shape well.
I understand that the small holes are caused by moths and the cardinal rule is not to dry them on the line outside.
I dry all mine inside and have since had no problems-I also keep them in plastic tubs with lids in the wardrobe to keep out the silverfish etc .
Hopefully this may save some future garments....
Cheers
Rod

[slparker]

INteresting reading - I too have bought the marketing hype and invested $100s of cash in merino over the last few years. I've recently gone back to polypro for active wear as I've found merino stays wet and what's worse it gets really baggy when wet... Polypro dries in about 3 seconds (especially when exposed to a dry wind). I actually am starting to think that merino is a safety hazard - I have been really cold in merino as it traps sweat/water next to the skin for hours until it dries. As distinct from polypro that I've been wearing recently from XC skiing to cycling in sub zero temperatures - it's really really cheap, and more importantly it dries quickly and stays warm_ sort of the point when it comes to thermals I thought.
What I love merino for is travelling as it looks good and you can wear it for a couple of days without it reeking.
I find polyester pretty good too - not as quick drying as polypro but very versatile - a coolmax top is great in hot and cold weather - I can wear the very same top in 40+ temperatures or on a glacier in NZ_ keeps me comfortable in both extremes.
So I've found the whole merino thing quite disappointing - I love the idea of natural fabrics and supporting the Aus or NZ wool industry but now I have a wardrobe of baggy merino garments with holes in them that cost heaps and don't keep me warm when they're wet. The only time I wear a merino now is at work (under my uniform they're more comfortable than polypro), when I'm standing around in the cold and not doing anything active (in case I sweat in them) or if I know I can change out of them into something warm and dry (like coming back from skiing). I remember a time when wool was all we wore out bush, but synthetics superceded that in the 80s and 90s... you know there was a reason for that!
Am I missing something or is just that other people don't sweat, don't get wet or don't wear their merino garments for extended periods in cold weather?

[Ent]

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[north-north-west]

I've been wearing Merino Skins (Australian made, between $40 - $60 per piece) for years, both for diving and for walking, even at work in the cooler weather. Only holes are in on a top that the mice got at after some sauce was spilt on it.
Doesn't irritate the skin, doesn't smell, lasts well and I feel warmer than in polyprop.

You don't need to go for an expensive brand to get good gear.

[Ent]

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[blacksheep]

this may be of interest in relation to this discussion- macpac has some new deals going for those of us that live in merino( or those that have been put off by some high prices.)
http://macpac.com.au/
I'm a big believer in merino- I pretty much wear it everyday- to work, on the bike, on a run.. it just works for me. Anti odor, fire resistant, naturally renewable, bio-degradable, has the ability to regulate temperature (sorption) and dry feel against skin even when it has absorbed 30% of it's own weight in moisture. In all but the wettest of conditions I'll wear merino over a synthetic everytime. (but will choose a sportswool/ interwool as second choice- blend of merino and polyester)
the link will take you the Macpac website- click on the link in the banner to see New NZ made merino, in a wide range of weights (we will soon have 130gsm, 150gsm, 190 gsm, 230 gsm, 280 gsm, 390 gsm) and MWC members will have access to pricing that is pretty hard to beat for a quality product. (more styles added over next few weeks )