3 Great Reasons you need Merino Wool

The Mountain Men didn’t have the luxury of synthetics and blends, they had wool!

Yet those intrepid trappers, hunters, explorers and settlers of history didn’t freeze, nor did they smell quite as bad as you might think. 3 Reasons to wear Wool, looks into the science, and ethicacy of wool, and its history. Summer or Winter, old school or new school, soft Merino Wool works.

1. You Love The Planet

Unlike other fibers which often are based on petroleum or other harmful elements, wool is a sustainable, 100% natural, biodegradable and a compostable fiber. Wool will far outlast synthetic fibers due to its unique “crimped” structure.

Because wool garments last 200 times longer on average than “Cheaper” synthetics, it creates less impact on the Planet. But even when the time comes to say adios to your well-loved wool shirt, shorts or base layer, you can rest assured it is only a natural fiber going back to the Planet.

“There is nothing “natural” about clothing made from animal skins or furs.” P.E.T.A.

This Bull Sh*t argument from P.E.T.A. lacks any Historical facts, Romans used wool. Woolen garments were worn in ancient days since the early inhabitants of Latium, shepherds had wool from their own sheep.

During the Roman Republic, wool was used extensively for men and women clothing, the Mountain Man made his clothing from leather and Skins as well as the American Indian. Their argument is based on cruelty to animals, and P.E.T.A. thinks if a dog is barking its cruel. if it barks to help humans.

2. Wool is well-known for its superior insulation

Wool has built-in climate control that allows your skin to breathe in the summer, which keeps you cool and it’s all the more reason to wear summer wool during hot weather. On the other hand, wool is a natural insulator in the winter and helps keep you warm.

Wool allows your body to stay at its optimal temperature, unlike synthetic fibers that do not breathe as well as wool, wool serves as a bulwark against extreme heat and extreme cold.

The inner core of wool fibers can absorb 35% of its own weight in moisture. Not until wool is saturated with 60% of its own weight will it feel wet to the touch. Because of this, even when wool is moderately damp, the insulating air pockets are still intact. Furthermore, the wicking properties of wool fibers draw moisture away from the skin helping to keep the body warm.

Technically, it can be argued that wool does not wick moisture. The end result, however—fibers moving perspiration away from skin and dispersing it through evaporation—is the same. This a good thing because the moisture dose not travel through the hallow inside core of the wool fiber, but along the outside, retaining its insulation properties while cleaning itself, boooyahh.

​3. Wool Base Layers fight off odor

Wool also has natural anti-microbial properties because bacteria tend to be attracted to smooth positively charged surfaces like those of synthetic fibers rather than the scaly, neutrally charged surface of the Merino fiber. Hospital studies have shown that bacterial colonies are common in cotton sheets while not present on Merino blankets subjected to the same environmental conditions.

Diminishes Body Odor (perma-funk)

Most synthetic fibers actually increase body odor because they create a breeding ground for bacteria. Sweat itself, has no odor, but over time bacteria develop and create unpleasant odors.

Merino wool reduces the opportunity for odors to develop because it quickly absorbs sweat and evaporates it into the air. Unlike synthetic fabrics, wool does not retain odors and will freshen just from airing out. In addition, the outer layer of wool fibers have a high concentration of fatty acids, which have anti-bacterial properties. the internal layers of wool fiber actually bind with acidic basic, and sulfurous odors that are components of body odor.

We have all heard, Cotton kills, now we can add Synthetics Disfigure.

Marines conducting operations outside forward operating bases and camps in Iraq can no longer wear synthetic athletic clothing containing polyester and nylon,

Marine Corps commanders have ordered the ban on popular clothing from companies like Under Armour, CoolMax and Nike comes in the wake of concerns that a substantial burn risk is associated with wearing clothing made with these synthetic materials, officials said.

When exposed to extreme heat and flames, clothing containing some synthetic materials like polyester will melt and can fuse to the skin. This essentially creates a second skin and can lead to horrific, disfiguring burns, said Navy Capt.

Stars & Strips A warning on the Under Armour Web site reads:“Do not wear Under Armour products when exposed to extreme radiant heat or open flames. Under Armour products may melt in extreme heat that exceeds 350ºF. Never use Under Armour products as a substitute for flame-retardant or ballistic protective equipment.” Lame-o-Alert “No one said anything about using these garments for flame-retardant or ballistics”, dumb-asses

I could go on and on about the advantages of wool, but I wanted to keep this brief and informative. Below is the products I bought and Love, they are also listed in the PG’s Country Store. For tons more information, Please gimme a share down below and get the FREE PDF file with all the notes from my research. Hopefully this article, and my notes, can help you choose a great base layer for your outdoor adventures. Making the right decisions, returns the right results.

A Great Supporting Video