5 ms·

Merino Wool: The Good, the Bad, and the Not-So-Stylish

23 points by teleforce 4y ago

sdan 4y ago
A bit tangential but Patagonia's Cool Merino Shirt is probably top 3 in shirts/long sleeve apparel I've ever worn Mostly recycled merino wool and some polyester make it extremely soft and breathable
apsurd 4y ago
the ads make this unreadable on a phone. 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.
qbasic_forever 4y ago
Wool is great as an outdoor adventure fabric. My big complaint is that wool and velcro (the hook side specifically) are _mortal enemies_ and wool will not survive even the most brief encounter with the other. It's seriously like matter and anti-matter meeting, the wool gets shredded and rips apart in an instant. Be super careful with wool around hook and loop fastener!
- mncharity 4y ago
  > wool will not survive even the most brief encounter with [velcro] 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.
  - qbasic_forever 4y ago
    Wool socks get torn up in my experience.
    - mncharity 4y ago
      Nod. And hook size likely also matters. I tried the shirts with a course large-hook strapping velcro. Upon reflection, I've a fuzzy recollection of encountering shirt problems with a fine small-hook decorative velcro.
- Leftium 4y ago
  Also happens (to a lesser degree) with mesh-backed chairs. So I always cover my mesh-backed chairs to protect my wool shirts.
amelius 4y ago
I'm wearing Merino woolen socks at the moment. Good to read about the deodorant properties.
- medellin 4y ago
  Same but i haven’t been able to find a pair that doesn’t get holes in them after 3 years. For the price i would like something that lasts a bit longer. Currently using bombas but going to try darn tough next.
  - Daltzn 4y ago
    With the Darn Tough warranty, lasting even two years and then getting a replacement would probably be best for you.
  - blacksmith_tb 4y ago
    Another one of the cool things about woolens is that you can use needle felting[1] to repair holes. TL;DR version, in felt wool fibers get tangled together, with a piece of fluff (aka roving) and a barbed needle you can tangle a patch into place. I have fixed a bunch of sweaters and socks by needle felting, even with pretty big holes in them. 1: https://www.thehookandi.com/2011/01/08/sock-repair/ https://www.thehookandi.com/2011/01/08/sock-repair/
  - Fricken 4y ago
    After going through a bunch of merino socks over several years I'm back to bulk packs of basic wool socks for pretty much all outdoor activity. The $20 a pair merino socks are just not that much better than the 2$ a pair basic wool socks.
flappyeagle 4y ago
Merino is plenty stylish when used correctly.
radiojasper 4y ago
My Merino wool socks have saved me from many, many blisters compared to wearing cotton socks. Also they simply don't stink, which is a great addition. Easy to wash, quick to dry, no wrinkles. Perfect for hiking.
radiojasper 4y ago
Have the ad-free version of this article as well: https://archive.ph/99V0E https://archive.ph/99V0E
- password4321 4y ago
  Doesn't archive.today basically replace the ads with their own? https://blog.archive.today/post/680555809289224192/why-are-there-ads-on-this-site https://blog.archive.today/post/680555809289224192/why-are-t...
  - radiojasper 4y ago
    I personally don't have ads on the archive.ph version on my phone. I don't know if others see ads.
dayvid 4y ago
Big fan of lightweight merino and almost never wear cotton except for pants. 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
xashor 4y ago
When buying Merino please inform yourself about mulesing beforehand. Those sheep got bred so they have wrinkly skin, so more surface for wool growth. They suffer and likely die when not taken care of: the wool around the buttocks get encrusted in feces and urine, and the parts get often infested. Instead of breeding further sheep that are vulnerable to this, many farmers, for example most in Australia, cut off skin, so the scarred tissue won't grow wool. Google some images and decide if you want to support such practices. If you can't live without Merino wool, check up your sources, as there are less violent methods. But in the long run it would be better if those sheep weren't further bred.
- mncharity 4y ago
  Fwiw, a Patagonia shirt praised in another comment, on its page mentions "All of the virgin wool Patagonia sources is certified to the Responsible Wool Standard (RWS) from farm to fiber to help ensure protection both for the animals that supply it and the land they graze."
ITB 4y ago
[flagged]
spadros 4y ago
Seems highly opinionated and not based on fact. IE a typical low quality blog post. 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.
crazygringo 4y ago
> You know how styrofoam cups keep hot drinks like coffee hot and cold drinks like iced tea cold? Well, merino... keeps you cool when it’s hot and warm when it’s cold... merino’s insulating incredibleness... 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...
- spadros 4y ago
  Yeah, this blog post is mostly opinionated drivel mixed with false statements. Not based on facts at all. It’s like the author chose to talk about something they knew nothing about and didn’t even bother to do real research.
- tshaddox 4y ago
  It is presumably about breathability and moisture wicking.
- fsckboy 4y ago
  > 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.
- theshrike79 4y ago
  Hello, 24/7/365 merino wearer here. 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.
mncharity 4y ago
> machine wash 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).
- spadros 4y ago
  Machine wash hot or cold is fine for merino. It’s the drying on anything but low heat that ruins it.
foobarbecue 4y ago
Articles like this make me wish you could downvote posts on HN. 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).
762236 4y ago
The discourse around clothing performance is so confusing. Clothes insulate you. They don't cool you (except for the case where solar load on direct skin is higher than when clothes reflect some of that solar load). Some yarns are better than others at allowing your body to cool itself through evaporation in the face of too much insulation (potentially via the yarns wicking the sweat and then evaporating it off the outside of the fabric). The best way to maintain homeostasis is to dress to avoid sweating, and if that means removing clothing, then remove the clothing (except when the clothing is protective or required by social norms).
nunez 4y ago
merino wool is by far the best material for travel out there next to synthetics. it's almost all I use when I travel. Being able to use the same undies and socks for a week straight with, like, two shirts, a pair of jeans and shorts/joggers for working out is a godsend.

23 points by teleforce 4y ago

sdan 4y ago

A bit tangential but Patagonia's Cool Merino Shirt is probably top 3 in shirts/long sleeve apparel I've ever worn Mostly recycled merino wool and some polyester make it extremely soft and breathable

apsurd 4y ago

the ads make this unreadable on a phone. 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.

qbasic_forever 4y ago

Wool is great as an outdoor adventure fabric. My big complaint is that wool and velcro (the hook side specifically) are _mortal enemies_ and wool will not survive even the most brief encounter with the other. It's seriously like matter and anti-matter meeting, the wool gets shredded and rips apart in an instant. Be super careful with wool around hook and loop fastener!

mncharity 4y ago
> wool will not survive even the most brief encounter with [velcro] 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.
- qbasic_forever 4y ago
  Wool socks get torn up in my experience.
  - mncharity 4y ago
    Nod. And hook size likely also matters. I tried the shirts with a course large-hook strapping velcro. Upon reflection, I've a fuzzy recollection of encountering shirt problems with a fine small-hook decorative velcro.
Leftium 4y ago
Also happens (to a lesser degree) with mesh-backed chairs. So I always cover my mesh-backed chairs to protect my wool shirts.

amelius 4y ago

I'm wearing Merino woolen socks at the moment. Good to read about the deodorant properties.

medellin 4y ago
Same but i haven’t been able to find a pair that doesn’t get holes in them after 3 years. For the price i would like something that lasts a bit longer. Currently using bombas but going to try darn tough next.
- Daltzn 4y ago
  With the Darn Tough warranty, lasting even two years and then getting a replacement would probably be best for you.
- blacksmith_tb 4y ago
  Another one of the cool things about woolens is that you can use needle felting[1] to repair holes. TL;DR version, in felt wool fibers get tangled together, with a piece of fluff (aka roving) and a barbed needle you can tangle a patch into place. I have fixed a bunch of sweaters and socks by needle felting, even with pretty big holes in them. 1: https://www.thehookandi.com/2011/01/08/sock-repair/ https://www.thehookandi.com/2011/01/08/sock-repair/
- Fricken 4y ago
  After going through a bunch of merino socks over several years I'm back to bulk packs of basic wool socks for pretty much all outdoor activity. The $20 a pair merino socks are just not that much better than the 2$ a pair basic wool socks.

flappyeagle 4y ago

Merino is plenty stylish when used correctly.

radiojasper 4y ago

My Merino wool socks have saved me from many, many blisters compared to wearing cotton socks. Also they simply don't stink, which is a great addition. Easy to wash, quick to dry, no wrinkles. Perfect for hiking.

radiojasper 4y ago

Have the ad-free version of this article as well: https://archive.ph/99V0E https://archive.ph/99V0E

password4321 4y ago
Doesn't archive.today basically replace the ads with their own? https://blog.archive.today/post/680555809289224192/why-are-there-ads-on-this-site https://blog.archive.today/post/680555809289224192/why-are-t...
- radiojasper 4y ago
  I personally don't have ads on the archive.ph version on my phone. I don't know if others see ads.

dayvid 4y ago

Big fan of lightweight merino and almost never wear cotton except for pants. 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

xashor 4y ago

When buying Merino please inform yourself about mulesing beforehand. Those sheep got bred so they have wrinkly skin, so more surface for wool growth. They suffer and likely die when not taken care of: the wool around the buttocks get encrusted in feces and urine, and the parts get often infested. Instead of breeding further sheep that are vulnerable to this, many farmers, for example most in Australia, cut off skin, so the scarred tissue won't grow wool. Google some images and decide if you want to support such practices. If you can't live without Merino wool, check up your sources, as there are less violent methods. But in the long run it would be better if those sheep weren't further bred.

mncharity 4y ago
Fwiw, a Patagonia shirt praised in another comment, on its page mentions "All of the virgin wool Patagonia sources is certified to the Responsible Wool Standard (RWS) from farm to fiber to help ensure protection both for the animals that supply it and the land they graze."

ITB 4y ago

[flagged]

spadros 4y ago

Seems highly opinionated and not based on fact. IE a typical low quality blog post. 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.

crazygringo 4y ago

> You know how styrofoam cups keep hot drinks like coffee hot and cold drinks like iced tea cold? Well, merino... keeps you cool when it’s hot and warm when it’s cold... merino’s insulating incredibleness... 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...

spadros 4y ago
Yeah, this blog post is mostly opinionated drivel mixed with false statements. Not based on facts at all. It’s like the author chose to talk about something they knew nothing about and didn’t even bother to do real research.
tshaddox 4y ago
It is presumably about breathability and moisture wicking.
fsckboy 4y ago
> 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.
theshrike79 4y ago
Hello, 24/7/365 merino wearer here. 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.

mncharity 4y ago

> machine wash 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).

spadros 4y ago
Machine wash hot or cold is fine for merino. It’s the drying on anything but low heat that ruins it.

foobarbecue 4y ago

Articles like this make me wish you could downvote posts on HN. 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).

762236 4y ago

The discourse around clothing performance is so confusing. Clothes insulate you. They don't cool you (except for the case where solar load on direct skin is higher than when clothes reflect some of that solar load). Some yarns are better than others at allowing your body to cool itself through evaporation in the face of too much insulation (potentially via the yarns wicking the sweat and then evaporating it off the outside of the fabric). The best way to maintain homeostasis is to dress to avoid sweating, and if that means removing clothing, then remove the clothing (except when the clothing is protective or required by social norms).

nunez 4y ago

merino wool is by far the best material for travel out there next to synthetics. it's almost all I use when I travel. Being able to use the same undies and socks for a week straight with, like, two shirts, a pair of jeans and shorts/joggers for working out is a godsend.