Polyester-Merino Wool Baselayer Idea

[Kent C.]

Thought this was interesting when I read it, but haven't tried it. Maybe this could help some of you.

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=15366

Author states in part:

"On a whim, I sprayed some hydrogen peroxide, H2O2, (3% solution from the pharmacy) on the key areas of a synthetic shirt and gave it a good workout. No stink! Eureka!

OK, must be some catch, like disintegration of the polyester fibers, fading of the dye in the fabric, sublimation of polyester molecules in saron gas, something… but in 3 months of testing on a variety of synthetics, from Patagonia Capilene, to Nike Sphere, to Addidas Climalite, I can see no negative affects of H2O2 on the fabric. H2O2 has a slight organic odor, but this fades away and is hardly noticeable anyway. A couple of sprays last at least 18 hours for me, and higher dosages seem to last longer. As a test, I wore the same shirt for three days, and gave it minor touch-ups once a day, and it was good as new at the end. I've regularly worn the same shirt for two days with the same results."

Good luck!

[sheila o]

Not wanting to hijack your discussion, but this is related.
Is there a LS marino wool or blend that be worn on the trail in the hot Sierra summers comfortably? I love my MH wicked crew, but wondering if there is a non-stinky verion out there??
Smarwool Microlight is 150gm/m2, BPL UL crew is 115gm/m2??
Any suggestions? Did the Pantagonia Airius work on the stink factor? Am I hoping for something unobtainable?
Cheers!

[Alan Little]

I bought my Patagonia Wool 1 crew in late september, so I can say with any confidence yet how it would perform in warm weather. My impression, though, is that it would be a a good deal more comfortable than any comparable synthetic base layer I've tried. Sleeves roll up comfortably well past the elbow, for example.

[CW]

Tom-

I've worn my UL hoody on multiple trips now and have no signs of wear. I'm even bad and wash and dry it in household machines with the regular laundry.

[Bradley Danyluk]

In my experience, colour is everything in summer. But I haven't been able to find a lightweight WHITE merino top! It makes too much sense for anyone to sell it, I guess.

This summer I went on a bike tour through Italy and France in 110+ degree weather. My coolest shirts were my loose, vented nylon MH Canyon shirt and a plain white (but heavy) cotton LS tee. I had an ultra-lightweight merino SS tee in grey, which never smelled and vented well, but just felt hotter than the others due to the colour.

[Miguel Arboleda]

MontBell makes "pewter" colored merino baselayers. Pewter is off-white.

[Cord Dennig]

It doesn't seem like it would be too hard to add Merino patches to an existing pair of polypropylene thermals. You could cut up a small Merino garment for the patch material, to avoid having to buy Merino by the yard. Should be an easy sewing project, and you could have the patches exactly as you wanted them.

[Anonymous]

"I've worn my UL hoody on multiple trips now and have no signs of wear. I'm even bad and wash and dry it in household machines with the regular laundry."

Thanks for the feedback, Chris. I've got a long range follow up question : What kind of shape is the hoody in after a season's wear? I know this is premature, but maybe one of us will remember it at the end of next summer. Given the expense, it is a concern for me.

Tom

[Chris Jones]

How are the Icebreaker and BPL long-sleeved baselayers in terms of sleeve length and body fit?

As I mentioned in another thread (http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=15941), I have long arms and a somewhat slender body (as you would expect of anyone who partakes in an healthy dose of outdoor activities), so Marmot and Arcteryx baselayers fit me perfectly, but Patagonia and Mountain Hardwear do not.

[David Chenault]

Chris, Icebreaker has a very good athletic fit. Hope it stays that way. (I used to wear a medium in capilene, now I wear a small.)

It seems to me that a promising combo would be a light wool/poly weave with the wool against the skin (or at least a greater percentage). The issue I've always had with wool tops is the convective heat loss, they don't dry fast enough and spread the discomfort out over minutes and minutes. Having the poly on the outside might also help with the toughness issue. I've yet to own a light (Wool 2, Iceb. 150) wool top that didn't have a hole after six months. Capilene 2 on the other hand is pretty bomber for the weight.

Current technology works pretty well, but I'm waiting for something better anyway.

[josh wagner]

i actually think this is a great idea – merino is great for anti-stink and poly dries faster/is more durable. sure you can say the BPL merino hoodie does all that poly does, but that's a paper-thin hooded long sleeve T shirt that costs $100. it better work for that price.

roll some into production, copywrite the idea, then start pitching it to the big companies. someone may take a bite and pay you to backpack the rest of your life…

[Anonymous]

"Current technology works pretty well, but I'm waiting for something better anyway."

David,

Helly Hansen's Prowool LS crew neck shirts might be worth a look. They have a polypro inner layer somehow bonded to a merino wool outer layer. The polypro wicks the moisture away from the body and disperses it into the wool, where it can evaporate away from the body. I've found them to be comfortable and warm. A medium weighs ~8 oz.

[Author]

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