I have been using wool shirts for the past few years but have really never pushed them because I don't run or climb but just more meander along and used them mainly for odor control. About a week ago I was really sick with pneumonia and wore a Stoic Merino 150 crew short sleeved shirt to bed with a pair of Ex Officio boxers. I like the Stoic because the XXL is kind of thin on the body but really long. I put two fleece blankets on me and went to sleep. I woke up about 6 hours later drenched in sweat and roasting. I threw the covers off and cooled down for awhile. The Ex Officios dried off quite a bit but the wool was still very damp and not warm and did not feel warm at any point. The house temp was about 60F. I really never tried to experiment wearing the wool shirts around when soaked and now I am reluctant to take them with me out camping in case one of them does get soaked. Has anyone had a similar experience?

You can add a wind shirt to your hiking clothing to wear over your wool shirt which will add some warmth for almost no weight and volume penalty.

You can switch to synthetic shirts too, which will dry out a little faster, but I find them to not breath as well as wool and thus be more likely to be sweated in. Also they stink

Lastly you can always wring out the shirt if its truly that wet. should help.

If you're concerned about warmth though you should probably bring at the very least an insulating layer for when your activity level drops along with the outside temps. You could bring a dry shirt to replace the wet one with too, but I don't think that is necessary

to be fair, it's not really a good test when your sick and likely have a fever and sweating more. but in any case you can usually wring out wool fairly well, but once wet wool does indeed take a little longer to dry

That is what synthetics do, the allow the moisture to pass through and not absorb it like wool does. But it has no insulation properties. So in cold windy weather the best system is synthetic/pile/shell, for me is Capilene/R1/Houdini. In warmer weather, when just hiking in a base layer I have a merino/synthetic blend from Mountain Hardware. I think it is around 50/50 and I like it best.

My comment was more pointed towards the thinner wool shirts being wet or damp and not really being warm. I can try again today by making one damp.

I actually have two different wool 150 shirts, Stoic 150 and Patagonia Wool 2, and one synthetic shirt, Terramar Pioneer Crew (cap 2) drying right now. The were made wet, wrung out and hung to dry. Lets see which actually dries faster.

Edited by bpeugh on 01/25/2012 08:43:17 MST.

Right. They are not going to feel warm and as moisture evaporates you are going to feel cool. That is a good thing in warmer weather. They are going to retain the moisture longer than a synthetic.

The wool will take longer to dry. It'll also be heavier than a similar synthetic shirt. Those are the trade-offs one makes for wool.

I like wool for a lot of reasons, such that the trade of is worth it. My Stoic and Smartwool tops have been more durable than my lightweight synthetic tops. They're warmer, retain less odor, and feel nicer. Lightweight merino wicks at least as well as Cap 2 in my experience. Not as well as Cap 1, but well enough to keep up with me sweating up to the 80s or 90s F. In 90+ F at 99% humidity, I'd take the Cap 1 or similar over Cap 2 or Merino, but that's about it.

my personal view is that

- synth is more durable IME ... i climb in my synths ... never my woolies ...
- synth dries quicker ... in humid conditions it can also dry with body heat and sufficient puffy insulation over it
- synth does stink after a while ... but a quick wash and wring will solve that issue ...
- synth is generally cheaper ... mec synth shirts costs like ~40$ ... ones at a discount store can be had for 10-30$ ... bankbreaker costs moola ... note that you CAN get decent merino (100% and blends) at costco sometimes for 10-20$, but most BPLers are a bit too elitist for that ;)
- if i want "warmth" ... it isnt coming from a base layer ... a warm base layer means yr overheating at high exertion .... thats what something like a R1 is for ....

bottom line ... i wear my sheep in social situations ... but outdoors in the PNW its all synth ...

Edited by bearbreeder on 01/25/2012 14:06:56 MST.

I am getting to that point also but most of the synthetic ones I use are about $20 while the wool ones are about $45+ because of sizing.

"- synth does stink after a while ... but a quick wash and wring will solve that issue ..."


Man I wish this were true. I wonder how much of the odor problem has to do with individual body chemistry? Every synthetic base layer I've tried has stunk to high heaven, and no amount of washing helps. My Golite running shorts with the mesh liner stunk when they came OUT of the washing machine.

Wool is like a freakin' miracle fabric in my household.

I'm one of those people who sweat a lot, and have had synthetics get pretty rank smelling after 2-3 hot days. So, I tried out a "miracle" lightweight merino shirt...and the stench would start 10 minutes into a day hike in cool temperatures. The first time this happened I was repeatedly checking my shoes for evidence that I had stepped in dog poo. It's a toss up whether the 10 minute merino stench or the 3-4 day synthetic stank is more objectionable.

So, individual body chemistry definitely matters.

I tend to wash synthetics every day or two on the trail. Stench does build up on them over time, but that can be ameliorated to some extent by adding vinegar to your wash at home.

The best base i found where synthetic with the silver-ion treatment.

Merino starts out with good anti-pong but needs a harsh every few months to get the bio off it as otherwise its initial few days of odour-free deteriorates.

For active outdoors I still prefer synthetic. For more casual about-town travelling/work type I'll take a thin Merino because it looks smart and I don't need to wash for a multi-day trip.

One thing I have against Merino is its much too warm, it needs to be generally winter for me to wear it but for general living I'm now usually wearing Merino all winter at home and business trips but I tried and now never wear it for active hard outdoors needs its simply too warm and stays wet too long.

"can be had for 10-30$ ... bankbreaker costs moola ... note that you CAN get decent merino"

lol @ bankbreaker.

I was hoping that merino wool would be warmer when damp, but I didn't notice a difference from several past hikes with similar temperatures and same locations. I have an allergy to cold where my skin actually breaks out in hives. I usually don't notice because I'm a hot hiker, but my skin is still cold to the touch.

Edited by TRAUMAhead on 01/26/2012 01:17:24 MST.

I am in the same boat. I still will stink out a wool shirt in a day or two but it will smell differently than poly. Same thing with the poly silver ion stuff or visaendurance, it will still stink out but will smell different. All of it just from body chemistry. What I have been using around town and in warmer temps if just some Soffe 50/50 tops because they are pretty durable, cheap at 3 for $20 and do help cut down on the stink with the cotton. I don't have to worry about them getting a hole if they touch a tree branch but they do take a little bit longer to dry than full poly but are still pretty thin.