Bushwalk Australia

Hi everyone,

I was wondering if anyone had any experience with merino sun hoodies, specifically regarding comfort in the sun and durability in the bush.

Most sun hoodies I have seen online are 100% polyester or a poly/wool blend, but I am interested in getting a sun hoodie custom made that is 100% merino (150gsm, so quite light). I have a few merino shirts in both short and long sleeve and while these are very comfortable I am concerned that merino might not be durable enough for bushwalking in Australia. A lot of video reviews of this type of gear are from the US where they commonly have big, wide, well-maintained trails, while over here I am usually going through narrow trails or through scrub where a sleeve is more likely to get caught on something and tear.

I love merino and it seems to be becoming a more popular choice for summer clothing but I don't want to sink money into something that is going to be ripped after the first hike. Should I just give up and accept a 50/50 poly/wool blend sun hoodie, or is my dream product actually practical enough to warrant the cost?

Cheers

I'd be interested too. I've used poly ones for a couple of years now, my favourite (Rab) is getting quite tatty now. As you'd expect, they get quite stinky after a few days sweating in them.

Have looked at the IceBreaker Cool lite... feels like it would wear pretty quickly, and is still more synthetic than wool anyway, so what's the point (esp. at the price)?

I can't imagine anything more uncomfortable than merino on a humid hot day. That aside, merino is not especially robust even if you baby it so whatever 100% merino top you get don't expect it to last.

merino blends, in a lab, are as good as merino in preventing stink; down to an 80:20 synth/wool blend (that's right 80% synth). In the real world, YMMV, of course.

I wear often wear Ground Effect cycling merino/poly blend base layers in non-summer and they are pretty good balance of cost/wool content/toughness. Alas, no hoodies in their lineup. I wouldn't contemplate wearing them above 30 degrees in any sort of humidity but that may be just me.

I'm a recent convert to sun hoodies.

My understanding is that the sun protection either comes from the material or a coating. How a Woolen one would maintain a high upf rating over time would be my concern.

I have no issue with my poly ones, what interests you in wool?

Wool is just personal preference, I like the feel and the weight. I agree that they might not be great in humid conditions, but on a hot and dry day I find them very comfortable.

For casual wear they are awesome, but the durability is my main concern. I have babied all my merino gear up until now and usually only wear them hiking if I know I'll be wearing something like a jumper over the top whilst walking.

Never used a hoody of this type but 150 gm/m is not light for fabric-it may be light for merino -but a hoody made from 150gm/m wool will be one chumpy/heavy little number compared to the other options and possibly more 'heat' inducing, especially in full sun.
One thing about merino of this type is it repairs really well and easily-by hand often invisibly.
You won't lose a sleeve or anything-they will be held on with poly thread.
Seems more a one-trick-pony Hoody.

Light merino is far more coomfy in warrm weather than most people expect. It breathes well and wicks moisture away, so the constant evaporation keeps you cooler.
It also wears better than you might expect. The upper sleeves are the first places to go, but It's always taken me a lot of scrub-bashing to get to the holey stage. And then, eventually, you have a short-sleeved top ...