Anyone ever try Mountain Hardwear Integral Zip Shirt baselayer?

Or The North Face Warm Blended Merino L/S Zip Neck? Also curious about stink?

I was looking at that same shirt as an all day long rain base layer, balancing warmth while wet with drying times. But I don't know anything about polypropylene…. do you have an insight into wool/polyester vs wool/polypropylene?

Polypropylene vs polyester–generals. Polypropylene fibers are lighter, more hydrophobic (so more odor retaining, but faster drying), slightly weaker, and slightly less thermally conductive (so if everything else is the same–size, shape/structure of the fibers and thickness of the garment, polyproplene will be a bit warmer at a lighter weight) as compared to polyester.

Some of the very first technical synthetic baselayer were made out of all polypropylene, but quickly built up a reputation for being very stinky and tended to pill, sometimes badly. They also were considered very light, very warm, very quick drying and warm when wet.

Some of the methods for making polypropylene fibers have probably improved so pilling could be a reduced issue.

So theoretically, a wool-polypropylene baselayer should tend to be a bit lighter, a bit stinkier, a bit faster drying, possibly a bit warmer especially when wet, as compared to a similar thickness and weaved wool-polyester baselayer, and maybe a bit less durable long term. But, i don't know for certain as i don't have any wool-polypropylene blend garments yet, which is why i was looking for feedback on these particular shirts. Some of the reviews on these and similar, indicated that they didn't stink, so that's good.

I went with a similar design (60% merino, 40% polypropylene), a Stoic, women's large version on backcountry because it was only 35.

del

I just picked on up the other day on STP because it was basically free, not realizing what it was (mine is the hoody). This thing is awesome.

Kind of reminds me of an ever-so-slightly lighter version of the ibex indie hoodie.

Thank you for the feedback Rick and Jennifer. Yeah, saw some on STP too, but haven't gotten a good coupon from them in awhile. Went with the Stoic version, which uses the same ratio blend of wool to polypropylene, cost 35 not including shipping. Some said the Stoic was a little itchy.

Previous review by Serge,

"Just a few impressions of the integral out of the package. I think its just thin enough for most rocky mountain summer backpacking. My size M was 7.5 oz, the same weight as my beloved (size L) I/O bio contact hoody. Just from holding it up to the light it looks a little more densely woven. I'm betting more durable, but a little warmer/less breathable. My I/O is a little warm for hot summer days, and the dark gray makes it hotter under the sun, so I was looking for a lighter colored and thinner hoody that would work well even on those hotter days.
Out of the package, I'd definitely recommend this as a backpacking piece, but it didn't offer any real advantage over my I/O, so I'm returning it. The other thing, which I think makes I/O wool better than any other I've tried, is that the weave is sort of loose and open, and it uses %4 elastin. I immediately noticed with the slightly tight MH integral that it was restricting my motion a little bit, and it didn't have that nice stretchy quality to it. Not sure what I/O has done with the contact hoody, or whats even going on with them as a company, but so far thats still the best I've tried."