The Superior Qualities of Wool

I've been investing in Merino wool for all my outdoor pursuits for a few years now. And it’s fantastic! I rarely buy cotton any more. Besides being the most pesticide intensive crop, it’s also a material that gets wet and stays wet. Fine if you’re in the desert, but not if you’re in a boreal forest) or any sort of synthetic base or mid layer (beyond the burn hazard, the stuff smells raunchy after a while.)

Even after a day of strenuous paddling, I’m totally dry, and perfectly comfortable in just a T-shirt or two. My companions have to strip off or add layers. After a day of being up to my knees pulling boats through shallows and being up past my knees clearing obstructions out of creeks, by night fall, my wool socks and long johns are dry. Totally dry.

It’s warm when it’s cold, it’s cool when it’s hot, sparks or a dropped heater won’t burn holes in it, it won’t cause me to die of hypothermia because it’s saturated with sweat, and it doesn’t stink. What’s there not to love? Well, it isn’t the cheapest thing, but in the end it ends up being very good value.

Resilient –

• Resists wrinkling.
• It can be stretched up to 30% and will return to its original shape.

Durable –

• A wool fiber can be bent back on itself more than 20,000 times without breaking compared to 3,000 times for cotton and 2,000 times for silk.
• It lasts for years without losing its resilience.
• Wool has a superior long term appearance due to the fibers natural resilience.
• It doesn’t pill easily.
• It resists snags and tears.
• It’s resilient – resists wrinkling.

Insulator –

• Insulates without overheating or underheating you.
• Used in both the heat of the desert and the coldest arctic climates. It is worn in many areas of the world to keep warm, yet the Bedouins of the Sahara wear wool because it keeps them cool.
• The springy, naturally resilient wool fiber batting structure contains an abundance of air and provide natural insulation.

Resistant to Flame –

• Instead of burning freely when touched by flame, wool will char and stop burning when the flame is removed.
• Does not melt when burned as many synthetics do. (For safety reasons, many airlines use wool for the upholstery fabric on their seats.)

Absorbent –

• Handles moisture better than any other fiber without losing its insulating properties.
• Wool has the ability to easily absorb up to 30% of its weight in moisture without feeling damp or clammy.
• It will absorb perspiration and keep your skin dry in warm weather.
• Wool wicks away moisture from the body.
• The fiber responds according to your temperature changes.
• Due to its physical structure and its natural chemical make up, wool fill handles body moisture under warm and cool sleeping conditions in a manner superior to any competitive cotton, down or synthetic fiber.

Dust Mite Resistant –

• Wool dries very quickly and dust mites don’t like dry places.

Mildew and Mold Resistant –

• Wool is a non-allergenic fiber which does not promote the growth of bacteria, or give off harmful emissions.

Soil Resistant –

• Synthetics such as olefin, nylon, polyester, etc., need frequent cleaning. It’s a fact that soil from industrial emissions and petroleum sources, particularly those in the air, are attracted to the petrochemical based synthetic fibers.

Recyclable and Biodegradable