In Defense of Merino: Why We Stopped Buying Synthetic Baselayers
It costs more, it dries slower, and we will never go back. A long answer to a short question.
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There is a reason every shepherd in the Pyrenees for the last six hundred years has worn wool. It works.
Merino is not magic, but it is the closest thing we have found. It regulates temperature across an absurd range, resists odor to a degree that synthetic fabrics simply cannot match, and — perhaps most importantly — feels like clothing rather than performance gear.
## What we wear
The [Smartwool Classic Thermal Crew](https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Smartwool+Classic+Thermal+Crew&tag=bucketlist02b-20) (250-weight) for shoulder seasons. An [Icebreaker 175 Tech Lite](https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Icebreaker+175+Tech+Lite&tag=bucketlist02b-20) t-shirt as a year-round trail layer. [Darn Tough](https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Darn+Tough&tag=bucketlist02b-20) socks, always.
## The tradeoffs
Merino dries slower than polyester, costs three to four times as much, and will eventually develop small holes around the shoulder seams from pack straps. We have made peace with all three.
## The math
A $90 merino shirt that you wear for five years on every hike is cheaper, per wear, than the $25 polyester shirt you replace each season because it smells like a locker room by mile four.