Merino Wool Base Layer – Everyone Knows?

Merino Wool Chukar Day

The morning started with snow and rain, but I had NOAA and the Weather Channel on my side as I hopped into my little car Friday morning. At stake was my annual chukar hunt with my good pal based in Winnemucca, Nevada. Not deterred by the weather, we met at a point in between Elko and Winnemucca, and off we went. If it is less than 40 degrees out, you can almost bet I’m sporting a merino wool base layers if I’m outdoors and today was no different.

We left the truck with the temperatures in the mid-30s and intermittent rain and snow lightly tap-tapping us as we climbed the fog-clad mountain into chukar country. I threw a jacket in my pack, but started out with the merino top and a blaze-orange t-shirt over it for safety. The day was memorable on so many levels, and we slipped and slid in the mud and snow for 7.1 miles according to my pal’s GPS. I never reached for that jacket, so even in the 30s with intermittent rain and snow, my merino was doing its job.

My Surprise

At one point, my hunting partner donned a rain jacket and asked if I was warm enough. I noticed my long-sleeved shirt was damp but I was still feeling nice and warm. As we finished up and worked our way back to the truck, I thought to ask him if he ever wears merino wool. He gave me a funny look and asked “What?”. Apparently, there are folks out there who don’t know about merino wool, and it just so happens my hard-core chukar hunting pal was one! This truly came as a surprise to me.

I explained to him that merino is a very soft wool and it works magic in keeping you warm, even when damp from snow and rain. I also pointed out that it wicks moisture away and is naturally effective at keeping odor at bay. Later, as we cleaned birds and sat around a fragrant sagebrush fire quaffing beers, he brought the subject up again. I’m almost always late to the party when it comes to adopting cool gear, but in this case I was in front of someone whom I greatly respected as a tough and resilient foul-weather hunter.

Merino Wool On Appendages

I already noted some of the benefits of merino wool, and it makes for wicked nice beanies, gloves, and socks. As hiking socks, this fabric is a natural in cooler and cold weather. It shouldn’t be overlooked as a quality material in warmer weather as it’s moisture wicking abilities sweat-soaked boots and hot spots better than you might think. In the winter, merino socks positively shine, and on long trips two pairs can be swapped back and forth for several days before they need a pretty thorough rinsing.

I use a merino wool beanie when I crawl into my sleeping bag on a cool or cold night and on any blustery or cold day. The merino beanie is thin enough to be worn under a cap if I need it and I can throw another beanie over it on really cold days. Gloves made from merino are thin and warm and can be used alone or as liners in your larger gloves, making them very versatile. As liners, they will add remarkable warmth to any gloves and you can swap back to them if you get too warm.

Obviously: Merino Base Layer

Long-johns! I grew up using waffle-patterned cotton long-johns and mostly I hated them. I grew out of my distaste and I’ve tried several types over the years. Then one day I took advantage of an Eastman’s Hunting Journal offer to receive a Sitka Merino Wool top if I gave away enough subscriptions. Well, why not? I received a long-sleeved quarter-zip, lightweight merino wool top and after only a few times in the field, I was hooked. I was already a merino wool sock fanboy, but now the light came on: merino wasn’t just for socks anymore!

I don’t know which came first, but one of my next merino purchases was a mid-weight set of bottoms. In Nevada it can be 10 degrees in the morning and 60 degrees in the afternoon in November, so layering works wonders when you are moving hard in the mountains. I’ve found the bottoms to be perfect under a light pair of hiking or field pants as they combine to keep me warm as the mercury crashes toward zero and versatile when I start to overheat.

Merino Everything?

While I do not foresee having a need for merino skivvies (not sure that is even a thing), just about every other part of my body benefits from a layer of merino against my skin. As I said before, the beanies are thin and efficient, allowing me to add a brimmed hat or another beanie to adjust as the day wears on. They are also very light and compact, so I can put them in my pack with no real penalty of weight or bulk. Socks of merino are a must in cold weather and so I always keep a few pairs on hand.

Speaking of hands, I really love my merino gloves. I’ve both a very light camo set made by Sitka and a heavier set made by Minus 33. The Sitka pair vent well enough to be used during hot archery season and also have tactile gripping nubs that make for a secure hand-hold on rifle, shotgun, or bow. I used to primarily hunt without gloves, preferring the cold to the reduced performance when I need mydexterity the most; however, with these little units, the tradeoff is minimal and the extra warmth or camo can be very welcomed in many situations.

Keep it Simple

To sum it up, merino is a very effective layer against your skin. It wicks sweat as well as any synthetic and it seems to do pretty well in weather warmer than you would expect it would. On cool and cold days, it makes the ultimate base layer and also makes a very effective set of pajamas to keep your sticky sleeping bag liner away from your skin and increase warmth during sleeptime.

I imagine there are thousands of articles on the benefits of merino, but I felt it was useful to discuss my experience with the stuff. I was surprised that an outdoorsman as prolific as my friend was unaware, so as they say…if this article changes even one life… Perhaps that is a bit dramatic, but merino wool really is a game-changer for you cool and cold-weather outdoor-loving folks!