Merino wool

Before this trip I watched lots of YouTube videos and read information about our destinations. I have found it’s always a good idea to see what other people have been through at those locations and learn from their experiences and mistakes.

Before this trip I kept hearing people talk about Merino wool and encouraging other travels to use it. So of course I had to check it out.

According to the claims, Merino wool has some type of antibacterial properties that will keep your clothing smelling fresh and clean; even undergarments. T-shirt, socks, and underwear can be worn repeatedly without washing and still stay fresh and clean.

I was skeptical. Not only did it just not sound very reasonable, or sanitary, I sure didn’t like the idea of wearing wool for underwear. I just imagined non stop hives and itching. 

I continued to see many different people praising it that I finally bit the bullet and bought some to try it out for myself.

Here is what I found out about Merino wool and why it is considered a fantastic choice for travelers:

Unlike traditional wool, merino wool fibers are incredibly fine and soft, making them comfortable to wear directly against the skin, even as underwear. They are as soft or softer than any other underwear I had.

Merino wool excels at absorbing moisture from your skin and releasing it into the air, keeping you dry and comfortable. 

This feature alone had me intrigued. I have never been on a long trip like this yet that I haven’t experienced some chafing. I’ve learned to bring along some baby powder, not only for my shoes but also to put between my legs to resist chafing. 

Merino wool naturally insulates, keeping you warm in cold weather and cool in hot weather. Another plus, but seems like an unrealistic claim.

And perhaps the most important thing, it is odor resistant. The natural antibacterial properties of merino wool help prevent odor buildup, so you can wear it for several days without it smelling.

Odor is always a big problem on a trip. Even though I’m not prone to smelly feet per se, after walking in various terrain for 12 hours, my socks definitely smell worn and I don’t want to wear them again without a good washing first. 

We can easily go a week or more at times until we get access to a washing machine. I’ve always had to pack plenty of socks, underwear and t-shirts to have enough clean ones. And I certainly don’t want to put the dirty ones with the clean ones because then they all start smelling musty. 

Keeping two separate places for the same item then becomes an additional space problem in a small suitcase. 

Merino wool is supposed to help fix this problem. 

Additionally, Merino wool allows air to circulate, which helps regulate body temperature to stay comfortable. It has strong, durable fibers making garments last longer, and of course made of natural, biodegradable material making it an environmentally friendly choice.

This all sounded too good to be true and with all the high tech properties it seemed like I would end up walking around in a suit of armor. 

On the contrary, it was incredibly lightweight and took up almost no space in my luggage. So not only did I need less of the same items, they also took less room.

I heard repeatedly that Merino wool garments can be worn multiple times between washes. That would be ideal for our trip since we had limited access to laundry facilities.

Now that we are at the end of the trip; how did it hold up? 

Well first I have to comment on the comfort. 

It truly was soft, breathable and kept me cool. It was perfect for our long days of exploration and travel.

John is allergic to wool and immediately breaks out in hives, yet this didn’t seem to bother his skin at all.

As for chafing, I had absolutely no problem this trip, none. For the first time, I went all day long and didn’t have even the slightest problem. And I didn’t have to use any baby powder. The Merino wool really kept me dry, soft and comfortable, even on long, hot days of constant walking. 

Part way through the trip I decided I really ought to wash a few things just in case. Everything smelled fine but also also wanted to test the claim that they dry fast. 

I brought some mild detergent with me and hand washed several things and hung them up in the room to dry. (I also brought a clothesline). We went out for a few hours and when we returned everything was indeed dry. 

Now as for the odor, well, there was none, at all. It was true. Even after a long day of walking everything stayed smelling fresh. 

I stored my used underwear socks and T-shirts in the same place with my clean ones and there was never any small at all. In fact I couldn’t tell the difference between ones I had already worn and my clean ones. 

That certainly made packing so much easier and I didn’t have to keep a dirty clothes section. Even on the last day of a three week trip, opening my suitcase it smelled no worse off than when I started. 

The other guys were of course skeptical too and I’ve been trying to convince them. I just can’t get any of them to even take even a small whiff although I’ve offered to pull down my pants and let them smell for themselves. Oh well, their loss.

Overall, Merino wool really did turn out to be a fantastic travel companion! It was very comfortable, versatile, pleasant to wear and low maintenance. From now on this will be a must for all my trips!