The move to wool as a base layer

I’m almost there. I’ve worn Smartwool socks for many years (my favorite). I got a nice pair of wool long underwear and have worn them several times this winter and found them much nicer then poly or fleece. Very light weight, warm without being too warm. Washed and dried well and no shrinkage. I added a wool/poly blend top that I really like but am eyeing the all wool tops (Smartwool, Ibex, others). They are expensive but when I find a deal I will probably spring for it. Any recommendations? Anyone else make the switch?

Icebreaker

Check out the Icebreaker Merino products. My wife & I wore a single (each) T-shirt on an 8 day backpack last September & were amazed at the comfort and lack of polypew. We are using long sleeve merino tops this winter, and so far, I prefer them to polyester.

They are just a bit slower to dry, but don't feel as cold when wet as does polyester.

I've tried a long sleeve blend for winter hiking, but found it to be less comfortable that the Icebreaker 100% merino. These garments are NOT cheap, and I have no idea how long they will last, but so far, so good.
Ed

I love my smart wool long sleeve top and bottoms, as well as the glove liners, socks, and beanie. After a while, though, they do sometimes tear in odd places, not necessarily along seams. I got several years out of each piece, but agree that they're expensive even with a 20% off sale. In addition to hiking, they're just comfortable to lounge in, better than PJs.

If you can wait, Ibex has a tent sale in the summer with AMAZING discounts!
The sale is in Quechee, VT ( near the I 89/ I 91 interchange).
I got a pair of wool "soft shell " pants for $30. I think they retail for $110 or so.
They had tons of baselayer stuff there.

You can even work the sale and get first dibs on things and a deeper discount.

carole said:

Anyone else make the switch?

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I just bought a pair of wool moufles , I bushwhacked all weekend (6 F sunday), they were AWESOME. No sweating, no freezing, they don't get wet from the snow, and they smell like sheep.

Like I said that day : it's summer in my mitts. I guess underwears would feel the same.

Patagonia makes some nice wool baselayers -- W2, W3, and W4. The higher the number, the thicker/warmer the piece. Yeah, it's pricy, but it's good stuff and is on sale right now at www.patagonia.com

It's very warm, comfy/nonitchy, "breathes" well, and doesn't hold odors like my capilene or other synthetics. Just don't put it in the dryer; it WILL shrink.

I second the Ibex products, too.

I've switched back and forth a few times with various wool layering set ups etc.
The last couple of years though, I've gone with more of the quick drying fabrics that are on the market, they are available these days with "anti stink"
options.(basicaly silver woven into the material if I remember corrrectly.)

My socks and mittens are still wool though.

For a couple of seasons I put forth the idea of trying some outings dressed old style with woolens and what not but it didn't generate much interest.

The Conovers put forth a strong case for wearing wool including the fact it breathes so well...

I'd love to switch to all wool base layers. Price tags keep me from going that way. I have a boiled wool EMS sweater that I've had for several winters now. You couldn't get me to trade that for a fleece, ever. I've got wool military style pants, but they're just a tad big. Wool socks, hat, and mittens.

Spider solo, I'd be down for trying out a traditional dress winter trip. Too bad I live in MI now. Have you read Paradise below zero by Calvin Rutstrum? Classic winter camping.

spider solo said:

The Conovers put forth a strong case for wearing wool including the fact it breathes so well...

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I think the Conovers' case is 100% solid, though I suspect they would be the first to admit that their trips are very different from our winter mountain hiking.

For those who don't know what we're talking about, it is Garrett and Alexandra Conovers' book The Snow Walker's Companion. Highly recommended for a very different perspective on winter travel.

I think merino is great stuff, and I like the idea of it as a base layer. But I've been disappointed in the quality of the Patagonia merino I bought. It was the lightest version, and it basically falls apart. It developed holes almost immediately, seams failed, etc. (I got it at a very good discount, so I did not return it.) I have a lot of very good older Patagonia stuff, but my perception is that their overall line has gone way downhill in the last few years. Fit, styling, and quality are not what they were in say, 2002. Don't know why.

TCD

sleeping bear said:

Have you read Paradise below zero by Calvin Rutstrum? Classic winter camping.

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Not since I was 14 years old and it started me on winter camping (well, OK, maybe another dozen times since then . . .)

One of my alltime favorite quotes: "Now, dammit, at last we can holler for help and not be heard."

Wool--what was old is new again...

spider solo said:

For a couple of seasons I put forth the idea of trying some outings dressed old style with woolens and what not but it didn't generate much interest.

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I still have my wool fishnet (tops and bottoms), merino wool long-johns and long-sleeve tee shirt, wool sweaters, wool shirts, wool pants, cotton/polyester 65-35 wind shell (my 60-40 shell is a bit too "ventilated" except for warm days...), and leather double boots.

I still use the wool pants and leather boots as front-line gear. The old wool inner layers work better than newer polyester inner layers in very wet conditions.

Doug

I've always been an advocate of wool. Used it for years. Wool and down can't be beat in my book.

My favorites:

Smartwool longjohns and crews. I find these much more comfortable than my Icebreakers which are coarser than Smartwool.

Smartwool:
gloveliners
beanie
v-neck lightweight sleeveless tops for all but the hot dog days of summer
very heavy witner socks
low cut socks for sneaker wear year round
underwear shorts

LLBean merino wool cresta hiking socks in midweight for summer hiking. I actually like the feel of these better than the smartwool of the same weight. Cresta lightweights for summer hiking with lightweight hiking shoes.

Soft shell pants made of WB400 (Wool Blend)

Ragg wool mittens both single layer and double thick. My double thicks are almost 30 years old and still going strong. Lots of versatility used with the smartwool liners.

Wool shirt jac-you know, the red and black hunting plaid style. Tough and hard working. Goes through lean2rescue work like a dream. Sheds water and keeps me warm.

Pullover wool shirt jacs

Wool blend jacket
Wool blankets
Wool socks- big and loose raggs for sleeping in at home

Baa

I'll keep an eye out for the Icebreaker Merino wool. I still prefer fleece for tops and hats, but I wear Smartwool socks in all seasons.

I prefer wool on rainy days. If it's raining, I'm eventually going to be wet to the skin, no matter what shell. Once I get wet to the skin, wool keeps me warm and comfortable.

happy trails

IF you ever run across these...don't hesitate. They are really good.
http://www.darntough.com/
I know that Adventure Outfitters in Amherst sells them.
Mine are in their third year, wear them every day in both my hiking boots and Sorels, run them through the normal cycles in the washer/dryer and they look and feel like new. The same 3 pairs!!!
I am a Smartwool addict but I will admit that I like these as much....OK....a little bit more.
I need to get some of the thinner versions for the summer months.
I LOVE my smartwool thermal underwear. They are lightweight and are perfect under the Mount Hardware soft shells top and bottom.
Those arctic mitts look really nice Carole.

Smartwool

I've been wearing Smartwool midweight top and bottoms this season and have been very happy. They feel (to me at least) more comfortable when damp and the dry time hasn't seemed to be much more than poly stuff. I also like the idea of using something that is from a renewable resource.

I don't carry any fleece gloves. I've got 2 pair of wool gloves and 1 pair wool mittens along with a waterproof mitten shell. I haven't been using fleece jackets lately either. A schoeller fabric soft shell jacket and a OR Sequence Tee (which is 12% merino) have been good while hiking down to about 5 degrees. Hard Shell and down jacket are carried if needed. So fleece is phasing out and wool is sneaking in.

So I took the leap and ordered an Icebreaker zip-T. Can't wait to try it. Thanks for everyone's input.

Don't forget Shetland wool

It's nice to see that wool is not a forgotten fabric. Let me also plug Shetland wool as equally fine and comfortable as merino. It's not used as widely by the manufacturers but check locally. You can get it from crafters and handspinners.

Some people are sensitive to wool that's close to their skin and need a layer below it. However, the finer the quality of the wool, the less likely it is to contribute to that sensitivity. I typically wear a wool shirt on winter activities but only over less abrasive undergarments.

Another consideration in choosing wool, or silk, over synthetics is that they are renewables and usually far more benign in their production than synthetics which depend on petroleum based chemistry.