Polypro or Merino Wool?

[ProAlpine]

Merino everyday I'm in the mountains!

First Lite is good and I really like the Fusion camo. It's great for September deer and Elk hunt where its frosty in the am and hot in the afternoon.

Icebreaker is now making layers in camo patterns (real tree). They are the industry leader in merino and I've had an Icebreaker top now for more than 10 years and its as good as new. I just picked a new LS zip on real tree and am very happy with it.

Fit is a big thing with Merino. A lot companies don't have the weave down like Icebreaker does and the fit is very baggy and loose, and gets baggier with age. Ice breaker have always held their shape for me. The actual fit is more athletic, where as First Lite is a little more round in the mid section.

My suggestion is to buy quality and it should last your years to come. Take care of it - don't wash hot or warm, wash cold and always hang dry.

[katman]

Picked up my first merino wool base layer shirt this year(first lite), now have a pair of bottoms and 2 more tops, love the stuff, light layer for mild conditions, midweight for colder.

Skokin joe, put a layer of silk next to skin then merino, should work well for you.

[JDinPA]

Originally posted by ProAlpine:
Merino everyday I'm in the mountains!
 The actual fit is more athletic, where as First Lite is a little more round in the mid section.

 

The older I get, the better First Lite seems to fit me  

[Duncsquatch]

I just wear minimal clothes up top for he hike so I am too cold to stand still and tie the warmer stuff around my waist until I get to where I am going to be.  Then let my self warm up slowly as I add layers to a temp where I am just a hair short of comfortable.  Besides if I am too comfortable I'll probably fall asleep when I find a place to hunker down.  If I do this it doesn't really matter much what the layers are made of.  I have to work to keep dry as I am a human furnace and sweat easily even when I don't feel like I am expending much energy at all.

[SKITCH]

Originally posted by ProAlpine:
Merino everyday I'm in the mountains
... where as First Lite is a little more round in the mid section.          

Looks like I found the one for me.  

[wapiti]

Went to silk as a base layer several years ago. Never looked back. Never found anything more comfy under my wool hunting shirts, coats and pants.

[stillhunter]

Minus 33-warm,comfortable (no itch),no stink, and NO STATIC.

[Arrowcraft]

I own a lot of wool garments including many types of merino wool and have found the Woolpower line of garments made in Ostersund nothern Sweden to be the warmest and most comfortable .

          --------------------------
                Black Wolf
                 TALL TINES

[Orion]

Smokin Joe:  You might try pure silk or a silk cotton blend as the first layer under wool.  Pure silk is rather thin and you might still feel the wool through it.  A silk cotton blend is thicker and should keep the wool off your skin.  Then just layer with heavier thicknesses of wool if you need to.

I'm not particularly allergic to wool, but have used silk and wool for as longs as i can remember.  Tried the polypropylene and poly ester stuff.  Polypro in particular really stinks on me after a few hours.  Polyester isn't far behind.  No stink with wool, and warmer to boot IMO.

[Terry Green]

actually itching is not any allergic reaction....some skin is not as tolerant of the 'pricking!' of the many ends of the wool fiber.  I itch too with regular wool outer garments next to my shin....and I had some Filson themals  also that itched....its all in the fiber and process that stops the 'pricking' effect.

     

[mbugland]

I know the stuff I referred to as "Silkies" is a full synthetic super thin of underwear.  It's just what we have called them, sillies, ninja suites... Whatever it is, the ultra thin poly layer, then a wool/fleece/poly pro layer, then an outer shell or gorges has held me through some of the most ridiculous weather out there.

[Orion]

Correct.  Allergy is the wrong word.  Sensitive would have been better. Agreed that type of wool makes a big difference,but some are also more sensitive than others.

[Overspined]

After skating today with polyester (polypropylene, fleece, etc) it reinforced why I hunt with only wool. That stuff doesn't do well at dealing with moisture.  I've never felt clammy in wool like I do with fleece. Not even a contest. Everything non-wool or non-down compares to the best....wool or down

[maineac]

I am a wool fan as well.  First lite is having a sale right now. Might as well try it at a discount.

[BAK]

Marino wool if you can afford it.  By far a better product.