I’ve been Merino obsessed for many years now, and every year I see more and more people hopping on the Merino Love train. Welcome to the world of versatile, less smelly clothing! We’ve been waiting for you! Merino wool is undoubtedly the best material available for travel and outdoor clothing. Whether you want to save space in your travel bag by packing less because it is so smell-resistant that you can rewear, rewear, rewear, or you want an amazing feeling base layer to get you through that epic hike you’ve been planning that will keep you warm even when wet, Merino is the way to go!
Before I share the list of my favorite merino wool brands, a quick piece of advice for the newer adventurers: Yes, merino is more expensive. But if you have not learned yet, you will soon learn that it is better to pay once for a piece of gear that will last you forever than to be limited by something cheap and have to replace it. It is also much better for the world 🙂Â
1. The best merino base layer brand:
(woolpower.us) Of all of the categories, base layers are probably the most important piece of gear for serious adventurers. A good base layer will be versatile across a wide range of environmental conditions. This category was also the easiest for me to choose a favorite brand: Woolpower’s LITE base layers far outperform any of the other merino base layer brands that I have tested. And I am betting that you’ve never even heard of Woolpower! That is because they are a Swedish brand. But they have US distribution that ships quickly out of South Carolina! Woolpower is trusted by many of the top Olympic cross-country ski teams. Can you think of a better sport that requires clothing to be comfortable across a wide range of temperatures? I cannot!Â
Woolpower’s LITE collection is definitely the jack-of-all-trades here, but their 200 and 400 base layers will keep you warm in the absolute coldest conditions. I wear my 200 on sub-30 degree nights to make up for my worn-out sleeping bag.
I was recently going through my pictures of the 2019 small-group trip that I led to Peru and realized that I love my Woolpower quarter-zip base layer top so much that I literally wore it every day! And I never had a single guest tell me I was smelly 😂 Take a look for yourself:
2. The best Merino Wool travel tees
After saving pennies for years, I have slowly built up a collection of enough merino t-shirts that I almost never wear cotton or synthetics, even when I am just hanging out at home! I have bought from every brand that you’ve ever heard of, and while I love all of my merino tees, Icebreaker wins this category. With my Icebreaker tees, I could travel out of a backpack for a month or for ten years and I can confidently say that I would only pack three t-shirts. They feel better than any other brand that I have and it takes A LOT of activity to make them smelly. Looking on their website, you’ll find about a trillion t-shirt options. I own their ‘tech lite’ shirts and can’t recommend them enough. Smartwool tees come in at second-place, but they just are not nearly as comfortable as my Icebreakers. My Smartwool tees also seem to absorb deodorant stains, a problem I’ve otherwise never experienced. It’s not fun to have a $50+ t-shirt ruined by deodorant…Â
Think that wool t-shirt would be hot? Think again! Check out my trip video to Egypt in 2019. Unless I am wearing a scuba wetsuit, I had a merino tee on every day in the 120+ degree heat!
3. The best merino socks
Anyone and everyone can benefit from some awesome socks! Is it weird to say that socks are one of my favorite gifts to receive? There’s not much left to say here. A good merino hiking sock will handle smell, keep your feet warm even when wet, and avoid blisters! Below is a list of my favorite sock brands based on purpose:
- Swiss-army knife hiking sock: Darn Tough socks or Smartwool socks. Both brands are great and both stand behind their products with great warranties. Darn Tough slightly wins due to their warranty policy, although I doubt you’d ever need it!Â
- Sock liners: Woolpower. Are you super prone to blisters? So is my wife! That was, until she tried out sock liners from Woolpower. These eliminate friction on your feet and should be worn under the Darn Toughs or Smartwools above.
- Warm sock: Woolpower. Looking for something to put under a ski boot? Going on a long winter hike? Pick a heavy sock from Woolpower and your worries will dissipate. Add a sock liner for even more warm and blister elimination.
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