Tough merino T Shirt?

[grfox92]

After my antelope hunt last week, and temps spring into the 90s during the day and high 40s in the morning I realize my kit is missing an important piece which would be a camo T Shirt.

I would like it to be Merino but anything merino I have ever owned is fragile and wears out fast, specifically on the belly where I would tuck the shirt in or my hip belt would ride. I've worn Black ovis, minus 33 and a few other not big name brands. They all wear holes in the same spot.soni am hesitant to buy a kuiu or First Light merino tee.

I could go synthetic, but synthetic starts to stink like rot after a day or 2 of sweating. Any recommendations? What are you guys wearing?

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[tboed]

I have a couple first lite merino shirts and they haven’t worn holes yet, but stitching doesn’t seem to be very durable. Have had some threads /seams come apart on multiple shirts

 

[Moserkr]

Dont buy kuiu merino for durability. Mine have holes in them but Im a bushehacker so not too kind to gear. Open to suggestions as well. Not sure theres a warm weather merino thats durable.

 

[Wrench]

I have several brands and first lite merino shirts that are the same thickness as the Llano would be the most durable ive seen.....but far from durable. The obsidian material is not at all durable.

 

[Yard Candy]

Get 2 synthetic t-shirts. Wear them on alternating days. At the end of each day wash the shirt you wore that day in a steam or something and hang it the following day.

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[AZ_Hunter_2000]

If you are primarily wearing out the area around your waist, either learn to sew or find someone that can. Add a section of tougher material around the waist.

Could be a potential business opportunity for you.

 

[H80Hunter]

I don’t have a ton of experience, so grain of salt, but the first lite Aerowool has like 35% nylon so it should be pretty durable. I wear it a lot BUT not under a pack and not generally as an outer layer but I’ve never had any problems. I also think Patagonia has some 50/50 merino poly blends. But I doubt anyone has under the radar, super durable 100% merino fibers.

 

[mlgc20]

I’m a Kuiu fan in general. But, I don’t like their merino. Just not a fan. I have primarily used Icebreaker as my ”go to” merino tshirt. They have been much better than average in terms of durability. And absolutely top notch in terms of comfort and odor control.

 

[missjordan]

I love my smart wool but they are not a hunting company so no camo patterns


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[TheArdentOutdoorsman]

First Lite Wick T

 

[ramsdude47]

Merino is not tough, period. Especially true with the lightweight stuff, which is the most practical.
Unfortunate since it’s amazing otherwise. I have all but given up and switched to blends. The 50/50 from BlackOvis is fantastic. I wore it every day archery hunting and it doesn’t stink at all.

Better durability, lower cost, and still doesn’t get stinky. That’s a win-win-win. IceBreaker seems to hold up better than anything else if you prefer 100%.

 

[grfox92]

So I guess merino is out. Anyone have any suggestions for a synthetic t shirt?

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[grfox92]

Get 2 synthetic t-shirts. Wear them on alternating days. At the end of each day wash the shirt you wore that day in a steam or something and hang it the following day.

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I like this idea the best

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[Yard Candy]

I like this idea the best

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Honestly I've never done it myself but after reading your post the idea came to mind as a possible solution.

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[Kwe1982]

One of my most comfortable shirts is a bamboo/cotton mix,
TASC performance Carrollton shirt, in the summer months I can hike in it on the hottest days and stay cool,
and I like the fact that it also dosent smell like sweat after a day of activity like the full synthetic shirts I have.

 

[Titan_Bow]

I have a couple of the bamboo shirts from Freefly and those are nice in hot weather. I would just stick to lightweight merino and not pay full price for it. I’d rather have a random merino shirt I got on a clearance rack for 30-40bucks than have a camo shirt at full price. Sierra Trading Post, etc. can sometimes find icebreaker, smartwool, etc. tshirts, sometimes even in earth tone colors


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[Davebuech]

I'll say it again.... Vroomi make the best SS merino wool shirts. Very durable.

 

[CoffeeGoat]

Merino is not tough, period. Especially true with the lightweight stuff, which is the most practical.
Unfortunate since it’s amazing otherwise. I have all but given up and switched to blends. The 50/50 from BlackOvis is fantastic. I wore it every day archery hunting and it doesn’t stink at all.

Better durability, lower cost, and still doesn’t get stinky. That’s a win-win-win. IceBreaker seems to hold up better than anything else if you prefer 100%.

This is my take as well, blends get you the best of both worlds. Most of the nicer brands (ice breaker, first lite, ridge, etc) are some type of blend. I really notice the difference in socks, full synthetic socks last forever - but smell awful, full merino or high merino blends are great but wear out, some where near 50/50 seems to be great.