Great Base layer

By James MacDiarmid Ranked #46 - Men's Shirts August 28, 2008

People aren't lying when they tell you that merino wool doesn't hold odor. This top breathes well, wicks sweat, and dries quickly when wet, and is cotton soft. Ultra-light. And doesn't smell. Not super warm, but they sell heavier weight tops if you want warmth. As it is, this has worked ideally for me in temps to the mid-50s under just a wind jacket so long as I'm moving some. Lower if I'm moving more. I haven't had any durability issues in 4 months and have worn it regularly for morning runs, day hikes and multi-day backpacking trips with heavy-ish packs. It's a base layer, i.e. always under something, so I don't know how it would respond to snags or abrasion. It holds up pretty well to washing, though you don't have to do it often as it never stinks, just gets dirty. I have two, and one I've been less careful with, allowing it to end up in a washing machine rather than hand washing, and it has started to pill ever so slightly and feels a tad bit rougher than the almost exclusively hand washed one. Either way, it's been 4 months and neither shows any major signs of wear. My only complaint is that even though the seams are flat, they still will chafe a tiny bit under a heavier pack (over 15 lbs, say). With a daypack, this hasn't been an issue. I'll probably get something with a raglan sleeve for backpacking, but it will definitely be made of merino wool.

View Details: SmartWool Microweight Crew Shirt - Long-Sleeve - Men's

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