Merino Wool T-Shirt Review - 1yr

[Bartholomew Roberts]

This is not strictly a firearm accessory; but it is a piece of clothing that comes in handy at the range or hunting.

Last year, I purchased three merino wool t-shirts - a TAD Gear microweight (15 micron), a Smartwool microweight (15 micron) and a Minus 33 lightweight (17.5 micron). The nice thing about these shirts are they are extremely lightweight and pack flat. In hotter weather, the merino wool is wicking and helps control body temp - don't get me wrong, if you are going to be in 90F heat, cotton is nicer; but if you are going from 80F during the day to 50F at night like we did here recently, the merino wool tshirts make a great baselayer since they will keep you warmer in cool weather but can still be worn in hot weather semi-comfortably due to the wicking. Additionally, merino wool keeps its insulative properties even if wet. Wool is also naturally flame resistant and doesn't pick up odor quite as fast.

Some of the downsides:

None of these will be mistaken for a cotton tshirt, though they are much nicer than "normal" wool. Only people who are really sensitive to wool will even notice.

All of them are expensive ($50 for Smartwool & Minus33, $70 for TAD).

All of them call for hand washing and air-drying on a hangar. I'm lazy so I machine washed them all on delicate anyway. So far the Minus 33 and Smartwool are holding up well despite that. The TAD is unravelling already.

These drape on the body and tend to hug it closely. I've used a cotton tshirt as a cover garment before; but the microweights will print blatantly. The lightweight is doable but not ideal. If you like a loose fit, you may want to go a size larger than normal.

These are really great if you are going to be outdoors a lot. One place I really like them is the beach/water since it might go from warm and sunny to windy and rainy in the same day and these are great all weather shirts. They are also great as a baselayer for traditional winterwear.

I am a little disappointed in the TAD tshirt. It was the most expensive by a good $20. It has been the least durable under identical treatment and it has not been any warmer, more comfortable, or performed better than the others.

 

[taliv]

interesting. if i had the money, i'd wear nothing but wool, silk and the tri-blend tshirts. good stuff

 

[Outlaw Man]

Nice review. Sounds like a pretty good option for those occasions like you mentioned with significantly changing climate in a single day - like Arkansas.

 

[Al Thompson]

Huh. Never heard of such a critter, have to look into getting one. Thanks!

 

[340PD]

There are also a lot of polyester moisture wicking products to choose from. I have been wearing them for a dozen years and they keep getting better and better. I prefer the zip t-necks as they allow a quick vent. I have paid as little as $15 on clearance racks in Dicks Sporting Goods stores.
Generally cheaper, lighter, and faster drying than wool.

 

[Haxby]

The synthetics work very well, IMO.

 

[jmr40]

Synthetics generally work well enough, and are certainly more bang for the buck. I can often find Under Armor knock offs that work reasonably well. Even the real Under Armor stuff is cheaper than wool.

There are 3-4 small specialty backpacking shops within 30-40 miles of here and all of them tend to run really good sales every June and July. Typically winter stuff is 50% off on June 1, anything left is 70% off on July 1. I've gotten several nice clothing articles made by North Face, Marmont, Mountain Hardware, etc. this way over the years at basically the same price as the knock offs sold at Walmart. Including some Smartwool T-shirts. Yes it is better. Only you can decide if it is worth the extra money.

 

[hso]

Merino wool clothing has been in use in the hiking/backpacking community for about a decade. I have Merino socks that are at least 7 years old that get worn frequently (like right now).

Tests on Merino vs. synthetics often boil down to whether you are in a damp cool environment where the shirt is going to stay damp and need to feel warmer damp or whether you're in one where the shirt will be able to dry to help keep you dryer. Synthetics dry much quicker, but wool feels warmer if it isn't going to get a chance to dry. Odor is another factor that wool and synthetics are often compared on and wool used to rule in this area. New synthetics that incorporate silver in them don't have as much of a problem as the older polypros.

As a former whitewater boater we used a lot of synthetic base layers and they STANK. You could get in someone's car that you'd just met and know they were a boater and not just a backpacker because their car had that polypro stink from hauling gear around. The trick we discovered was to not let polypro or Capeline get dry before you washed it. We'd strip the stuff into a plastic pail or garbage bag and pour some clean water in to keep it damp (the guys with the plastic buckets with lids often put a few drops of dishwashing liquid in and enough water to keep everything really wet). As soon as we got in you'd toss the entire mess in the washing machine and you'd be nearly daisy fresh for the next trip (well, at least you didn't smell like an abandoned curbside couch).

I have had a couple of merino Smart Wool Ts for several years (bought off season) for travel and to wear under PPE (thank heavens I don't have to do that anymore). I like them better than my synthetics for one reason, they won't melt if you drop something hot on them.

The advantage of the synthetics is that they're much cheaper than Merino (1/2 or less) and they dry fast. There are a lot more options for where you get them, but the internet has removed a lot of those barriers.

If you like the fact that wool is a natural fiber that is renewable and won't melt, great.

If you prefer a lower priced product that dries faster, but doesn't feel as warm when damp, synthetics are a less expensive choice.

The least expensive Merino can be found at http://www.sierratradingpost.com/ic...nderwear-and-base-layer~d~155/&colorFamily=14

 

[Bartholomew Roberts]

A couple of corrections:

The TAD Gear tshirt is "athletic fit" which probably contributes to why the fit is so tight. It also states you can wash it on gentle cycle in the washer (though that isn't working well for me).

The Minus 33 tshirt is regular fit (hangs like a regular cotton undershirt). So it may be the fit more than the merino weight that attributes to the difference.

Both the Minus33 and Smartwool say they are machine washable on delicate; but hand washing is suggested for best wear.

Of the 3, the Minus 33 seems to be both the softest and warmest (more warmth makes sense since it is heavier weight).