Merino Wool: The Good, the Bad, and the Not-So-Stylish
theunconventionalroute.com
theunconventionalroute.com
That is... not true? How could there be any such thing as clothing that keeps you cool via insulation, when your body produces heat?
Pretty sure all you can have is lighter, more breathable clothing that allows the heat to disperse rather than trap it. And light-colored clothing that reflects sunlight rather than absorb it.
I mean, nobody's wearing a merino sweater to keep cool in the summer...
traditionally Bedouins and other like cultures live in the hot desert and wear full coverage clothing.
The same merino wool T-shirt that keeps me warm in the -25C winter also keeps me cool (and warm) in the heat.
The magic is in the fact that wool is warm even when it's wet. It also dries like nobody's business. I tried every single technical clothing brand before I discovered merino wool. Every single high-tech garment was cold AF when it drew the sweat from my body.
A merino T-shirt is still warm and dries quickly in the slightest of breezes.
And don't get me started about cotton shirts, they're just plain death traps in the cold and not much better in the warm.
Linen is the only thing that comes close to merino wool in comfort during the summers.
I literally don't know what that means. Cool and warm are opposites.
And setting aside water, either a garment insulates well or it doesn't. If the former it keeps you warm in the winter, in the latter it doesn't trap heat and is therefore good in the summer. It can't be both. That's just physics.
It's also warm if it's a bit chilly in a way that a cotton shirt isn't, again because of the fact that it traps pockets of air between the fibres and that insulates a bit. Thicker wool clothes do the same thing, but more.
Because of the "pourousness" and the fact that the wool fibers are covered in natural fats (lanoline) it also dries really fast because the fibers don't suck in the moisture as, say, cotton does.
Yes, it won't keep you warm in gale force winds, but I've got a shell jacket for windy days.
The author doesn't seem to know the basics of how to layer for the outdoors, tradeoffs between insulating vs wicking etc. The author doesn't even seem to know what Merino is (they try to distinguish it from wool without explaining that it's a breed of sheep).
Perhaps that's a particular knit, rather than wool-ness? I just now mashed three merino T's (a 100%, a blend, a wrapped nylon core) with velcro, and aside from a slight tackiness, I only got grab on seam stitching.
Plus, most people don’t wear 100p merino. It’s usually a blend with other materials to help combat the so called “problems” described.
My blended, mostly merino hiking socks are incredibly soft while still being incredibly durable and quick drying. Also prevent blisters unlike anything else.
In a nutshell, this post is mostly drivel.
yes i use safari reader mode but whenever i do it think "wow i shouldn't need to do this; here i am curious and our first interaction is so adversarial".
Surely there's a "post SEO" world imminent, im curious if we think it'll be better or worse.
Gasp, why? Also avoid "Woolite" and generic detergents. As for the photo of merino hanging from clothes pins... pickachu.
Rinsing after exercise helps (at least for Smartwool with nylon structure, not 100% wool).
Mostly recycled merino wool and some polyester make it extremely soft and breathable
Looks and feels nicer than cotton and doesn’t retain moisture like cotton does and not as heavy. Bamboo-blends are also good for cooler weather, but not as popular
https://blog.archive.today/post/680555809289224192/why-are-t...
Currently using bombas but going to try darn tough next.