15 Reasons 100% Merino Wool Should be in Your Saddlebags and Backpack

On my Italy/Croatia trip, I lived in wool tee-shirts, 1/4-zip long sleeves, and sleeveless tops. For a long-distance hike or bike trip, I am most comfortable in 100% merino wool.

Why wool? The benefits of wool are numerous. Here are 15 reasons to wear 100% merino wool.

15 Benefits of Wool

Wool has a natural layer of lanolin so the fabric is odor-resistant, stain-resistant, and water-resistant. I can wear my tee shirts for days without the stink that often permeates synthetic or cotton fabrics. The tee shirt I wear on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday will still smell fresh on Thursday. Every few days, I do my laundry in the evening, hang it up to dry overnight, and it is all ready to go the next morning.

Italy in April, is cool and rainy. I relied on layering my tops to stay comfortably warm and cozy. It was only during a steady rain that I needed my raincoat. Croatia in May, on the other hand, is hot and dry. When I was sweating it out on the never-ending hills in the glaring sun, my wool tee shirts worked overtime wicking away my sweat, keeping me cool and dry. As a bonus, the wool tee shirt naturally provided me with UV protection.

Wool is highly breathable and naturally thermoregulating. Its natural rapid moisture-wicking ability traps moisture and releases it as vapor before turning to sweat. Therefore, you stay drier longer, so you feel cooler in hot weather. When the weather turns cool, the natural crimp of wool not only makes it elastic, but it also allows it to trap air for insulation and warmth. Even when wet, wool keeps you feeling warm and dry.

For those with sensitive skin, 100% Merino wool is hypoallergenic and anti-microbial. Because Merino wool is one of the finest gauge wools, it feels soft on the skin and not at all itchy. After wearing the tee shirts a few times, I find they soften up even more.

Wool is durable, light-weight, and wrinkle-resistant so it makes the perfect choice for cramming into your backpack or saddlebags without taking up a lot of space. Because it is so durable, goes a long time between washings, and is natural and sustainable, it is environmentally one of the best fabric choices you can make. When your tee shirt is threadbare and has reached the end of its lifetime, you can even throw it on the compost heap to biodegrade.

The downsides to Merino wool? The only one I can think of is the cost. The clothes will last you for years to come and the benefits do far outweigh the initial expense. After years of being seduced by the fast fashion industry, it can be a bit jarring to pay $80 for a tee shirt when you used to spend $12. But when you factor in the lifespan of a wool tee shirt vs that of its cheap cotton counterpart, the cost just ain’t so bad.

What about the sheep? Is harvesting the wool painful to the sheep? What about the practice of mulesing, which is the cutting of strips of wool-bearing skin around a sheep’s buttocks to prevent a parasitic infection? What is wool’s carbon footprint? There is a lot of information regarding these questions and it can be found here and here. The bottom line is that the industry is becoming more sustainable and less harmful to the sheep and the environment. With that in mind, The companies I recommend are all committed to the environment, to the ethical treatment of animals, and to fair-trade treatment of factory workers.

You can find items on sale, but be sure and read the content labels. Many of the deep discounts you see on the internet are with brands that only have a partial amount of wool in the clothing. I only order 100% Merino wool items. Some of the better known brands and those with better reputations do make items that also contain other materials such as nylon for athletic wear, but I prefer the all wool items.

My Favorite Brands

The following are my three favorite brands. I love what I have ordered from them and will order from them again. I feel good recommending them to you and I do not receive anything in return for promoting them. I include a coupon code to Woolx to receive $20 off of your order; in return, I will receive the same. But that is it.

Minus 33 – This is a company based out of New Hampshire and has deep roots in the textile industry. They are transparent about everything from where they source their wool, to where their clothing is made, and how it is packaged. They are committed to the environment and sustainability. I have found their clothing to be well made, and very durable. I will have their tee shirts for a very long time. My only gripe is that I wish they had more colors to choose from.

Woolx – This upstate New York company began in 2012 by a father/daughter team looking to offer a high-quality Merino wool line of clothing. Everything they offer is 100% Merino wool which is ethically sourced from Australia and is Woolmark certified.

My favorite item from Woolx is their Stella Leggings. I wore these nearly every day during the first month of my trip to Italy when it was often cold, windy, or rainy. They comfortably fit over my bike shorts on chilly mornings and were the first thing I put on for comfort at the end of the day. Three years later they still look and wear as well as they did the first day I purchased them. They are in regular rotation in my winter wardrobe, on and off the bike.

If you click on my referral code, as a new customer, we will both receive a coupon for $20 off. Coupon Code

Ibex – is another US company committed to producing a high-quality product using certified Woolmark Merino wool. They also pledge to protect the environment, promote a “fair, safe, non-discriminatory and empowering workplace”, and be transparent in their supply chain process. The company started in Vermont in the 1990s looking to offer something other than the Gore-Tex and fleece flooding the market at that time. The company is now based in Colorado with new owners slowly expanding its catalog.

I own their underwear, sports bra, and a sleeveless tee. Some of their items are not 100% Merino wool, but they offer plenty that is all wool.

In short, you cannot go wrong with Merino wool. Go out and get some. You’ll thank me later.