Merino Wool or synthetics as a base layer?

I've done the synthetic tee with a merino wool second layer...usually a zip neck and it seems to work pretty well. I have not used wool long underwear but I've run across a pretty good deal and am tempted to try it for a season and see how it goes (ice and alpine climbing I am referring to here) Cold New Hampshire and Adirondack winters...

Merino for long/cold days. Syntheic for shorter/warmer days.

As a "best of both worlds" compromise, maybe try a wool/polyester blend.

I really love my Meco hoody from Rab. Really comfortable, stretchy, and breathable material, with a well fitting hood and long arms with thumb loops.

-Scott

MyFeetHurt wrote:The thing to remember here is dont wear THICK wool when you will sweat, which is pretty much every trip as a climber. Thick wool sucks, dont use it for insulation.

Nailed it.

I also agree with Scott's post above, I have tried the rab meco and was impressed at how well they do dry fast. The partial poly construction seems to up durability also. I have 120 pants and a t-shirt.

MyFeetHurt wrote: Wool doesn't dry fast, but doesn't stink. Synthetics dry fast but stink. I wear a really thin wool t-shirt as a base layer and put synthetics over it as needed, usually my piton hoody if its cold. The thin wool shirt is enough to keep the true stink down and still dries fairly fast since the thin layer cant asborb much sweat in the first place. The thing to remember here is dont wear THICK wool when you will sweat, which is pretty much every trip as a climber. Thick wool sucks, dont use it for insulation.

Would you consider the Smartwool 250 to be thick wool? I am wool over synthetics 100% of the time year-round. However, maybe the 150 would be better for me as a base if I'm sweating in colder conditions (i.e. ice climbing)?

Silk

I love wool, but silk's my inner layer.

I love my smart wool stuff, but they got itchy as soon as I accidentally put them in the drier once. They have gotten better with some vinegar washes but it's just not the same. YMMV. 

The only good thing about wool is that it dont stink when you dont wash it. It is good for things when you are very inactive, like sleeping. Wool still gets wet and takes forevery to dry. Syntetics does don not get very wet and dries fast. I much prefer synthetic when I´m doing anything active.

The base layer that will give you the best performance will be a wool polyester blend of around 50/50. blends have been shown to have better performance than any single fibre type of material, even a bamboo(viscose) polyester blend will function better than a pure polyester.

There has been pure polyester baselayers that actually use different types of yarns in the construction to mimic the effects of having different materials but there's no way to verify this when you're buying your next patagucci layer. 

Thick wool is fine, sheep use it, I use it in jackets and jumpers all winter. Big fan of thick wool. The thicker the wool the more capacity the wool has to hold moisture and the dryer it will feel. 

Fun fact, wool creates an endothermic reaction when wet, it is literally, warm when wet. 

Silk is poop though, wool is a superior fibre in pretty much every single way for a baselayers. 

If I was going to go for a baselayer rn money no option, I may very well choose the patagucci capeline air, lofted wool is gd, the blend is gd, the texture allows for a microclimate next to skin which is gd for comfort. I would like to see maybe more space next to skin, maybe something like a grid fleece but with wool and I'm sure it exists but idk where. 

I’ve tested both pretty extensively while hunting and have come to the following conclusions:

1) Synthetic is warmer if you are going to exert yourself and you really need to stay warm after (vigorous hiking in cold conditions). Synthetic wicks away moisture much better than wool does because wool fibers actually absorb moisture to a degree. So if it seems like your wool base is staying wet too long, try synthetic.

2) Wool is good for keeping odor down (although some synthetics also have silver in the blend, which helps a lot) and for exerting yourself when the temps are warmer and you want the fabric to help cool you down (cool, but not cold conditions). See above comments about wool absorbing water.

3) A wool/synthetic blend of at least 25-30% synthetic fibers is a pretty good compromise, and MUCH better than pure wool. You’ll feel noticeably drier and warmer. Still not as warm as synthetic, however, but a good compromise. 

Your personal stink level matters more than what you are wearing on top of it. Stink is bacteria. Bacteria multiply faster in wet conditions with nutrients, eg prolonged sweating. If you start out clean and use deodorant, most folks can sweat for a few days in synthetics without much issue. If you are a naturally stinky person wool can buy you some time. 

Polyester: cheap, wicks well, dries fast, warm, lasts decades, can be made any color, you can ignore washing and drying instructions, holds smells, can slightly stick to other layers, looks nice for synthetic (more of a matte finish)

Nylon: cheap, absorbs some water, dries moderately fast, any color, lasts forever, holds smell, can mostly ignore care instructions, does not stick to other layers, shiny. 

Acrylic: Warm, dries very quickly, any color, fuzzes up, holds smell, follow care instructions, stick to other layers, Mostly used for beanies. 

Cellulose/rayon: absorbs some water, dries moderately fast, doesn't hold smells much as other synthetics, any color, follow care instructions or buy slightly larger size (shrinks in dryer, first time only), does not stick to other layers, shiny.

Wool: looks nice (matte finish), arguably most eco friendly, wick okay, dries slowly, not very durable, must be washed and dried with care, doesn't hold smells, sticks to other layers, only takes certain dye colors. 

Alpaca: significantly warmer than almost any other fibre, wicks well, dries fast, sadly not durable at all, limited dye options, barely holds smells, sticks to other layers, matte finish. Some newfangled processes can make it kind of durable-ish - get on a waiting list now if you want those garments. 

Bamboo: holds a fair bit of water, wicks well, dries slowly, does not hold smells, any color, very durable, shiny.

Silk: not durable, doesn't wick as well as you hope, dries pretty fast, any color, follow care instructions, does not stick to other layers, moderately holds smells, shiny (usually). 

Cotton: looks great, holds water big time, dries very slowly, doesn't hold smells very much, moderately durable, any color.  

Fleece (polyester): warm, wicks incredibly well*, dries almost instantly*, absorbs almost no water*, durable, light, holds smells. (*Applies to traditional fleece, "nicer" fleeces with face weaves and stretch materials wick less well, absorb more water, and dry more slowly). 

Elastane/spandex: holds water, dries slowly, will eventually stretch out and not return to shape. Still very worth it in most cases. Makes garments warmer by allowing them to fit tighter without discomfort. 

Anything else you guys want me to cover? 

Wool climbs so much better than synthetic. If you're in OW, chicken wing, knee-bar, chimney land, you'll be happy to rub some holes in some nice wool. There's some army surplus sort of wool that's more affordable than merino and takes longer to develop holes.

In SoCal, I find that wool that is nearly pure will get holes eaten in it by the little moths.

Scott D wrote:

...

Anything else you guys want me to cover? 

Well, you didn't do polypropylene.

(-;

knudeNoggin wrote:

Well, you didn't do polypropylene.

(-;

It's warm but stinks because it absorbs oil, same reason why nylon stinks. 

I have used Wool & several synthetics & Silk is by far the best!

It all depends on the activity, weather and time out. I find if I can ventilate properly that cheap old cotton works 75% of the time. I'm not a sweaty person so that helps. Smart wool/duofold is great but $$$