Under Armour vs wool

[Pancho Villa]

I have some under armor cold gear and some 35% wool base layers. With the cold gear I was cold at at 35 deg. With the partial wool blend I was considerably warmer. My question is would 100% wool be even warmer than the 35% wool blend?

 

[NEhunter]

IMO yes. However, I must say that I have never had any blended but my 100% wool is 10x better than my poly UA.

 

[littlebuf]

switch to 100% merino and you will never go back to synthetics for a base layer.

 

[dotman]

Haha, there is no UA vs wool, kinda like apple's vs oranges

Once you go 100% merino you'll never go back to syn baselayers.

 

[JDeanP]

Even if there were negligable temp differences, not smelling yourself after the first day is worth going 100% merino.

 

[OBP]

Even if there were negligable temp differences, not smelling yourself after the first day is worth going 100% merino.

Fact!

 

[Jon Pynch]

Haha, there is no UA vs wool, kinda like apple's vs oranges

Once you go 100% merino you'll never go back to syn baselayers.

+1.

 

[carpssublime]

I switched to first lite from under armour this year....no comparison the wool is bad ass.

 

[rodney482]

Merino wool is like miracle material.

I use my UA gear for workouts

 

[hflier]

It's not even close, merino wool beats synthetic every time. If you look on a bunch of different forums in the classifieds there's always under armor stuff on sale, it is a lot harder to find merino wool be sold by people secondhand, That tells the whole story. But I do realize under armor looks cool.

 

[Jtelarkin08]

I used to wear under armor all the time. I was constantly cold in the stand. I switched to Marino and it is crazy. I am never cold and never hot. It's just right!!!!

 

[eleaf]

I've used both. I like wool better, but don't necessarily have a problem with UA. I have used wool for summertime hiking only so far, though that is changing as I put together a new wool camo set that will be my primary hunting clothes.

On my hunt this year in the Black Hills I used a UA Heatgear as a base layer, UA Coldgear hoodie, UA Ayton Vest, Stormkloth II Jacket. I was comfortable while moving in 6 degrees (the temp in the morning).

 

[Nick Muche]

I used to use some UA items and the difference between them and Merino Wool is night and day. Get some and see for youself...

Next to the invention of a rifle, I would be willing to bet that the introduction of Merino Wool into the hunting world has been one of the best things to ever happen to outdoorsman world wide...

 

[Wood Trekker]

I am probably one of the few people who went to merino, and then went back to synthetic. I don't like the way it handles moisture. The drying times are noticeably longer. As far as warmth, it is more an issue of perception. Wool dries slower, and absorbs water more readily, so it gives the impression of not being wet, or being warmer. As far as the tests I have seen, for equal thickness, the insulation value is about the same.

 

[squeekieslayer]

I am probably one of the few people who went to merino, and then went back to synthetic. I don't like the way it handles moisture. The drying times are noticeably longer. As far as warmth, it is more an issue of perception. Wool dries slower, and absorbs water more readily, so it gives the impression of not being wet, or being warmer. As far as the tests I have seen, for equal thickness, the insulation value is about the same.

I often wear a synthetic sitka 1/4 zip over a kuiu wool 1/4 zip. After i take my pack off the sitka is typically damp and the KUIU is soaked. If i hang them both up, the KUIU seems to be dry about 2X as fast as the sitka.... No a controlled double blind study, but i have not found a single situation where i felt like the wool dries slower than the synthetic. Maybe its just me though.

I posted a topic on this exact thing this spring and had essentially the same responses. I switched to all kuiu base layers and fell in love. I have slowly been replacing my layering system with wool. In fact, I have swapped out most of my ski layers for wool as well.

I can barely wear my UA stuff for a few hours before i stink like hell. Most of the time by my first beer break while skiing i can smell myself... which is typically about 10 am. sometimes it stinks when i take it out of the washing machine.

PS: no joke, i had a bet with my wife that my KUIU t shirt would not stink after a week... I wore it hunting for about 6 days then wore it under a sweater to work a few days later. Took off the sweater and told her to sniff my shirt.... she is biased and still was amazed. Stuff rocks.

 

[Ryan Avery]

Wool is warmer to me. I've also notice on multi day trips synthetics get clogged up with sweat and dry/breath even slower. Then there's the smell. I wore my llano for 9 straight days . I can only tolerate UA for maybe 3 days maybe!

 

[Matt Cashell]

The problem with synthetics?

Its the smell

[video=youtube;yL9Y24ciNWs]http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=yL9Y24ciNWs[/video]

 

[Wood Trekker]

I often wear a synthetic sitka 1/4 zip over a kuiu wool 1/4 zip. After i take my pack off the sitka is typically damp and the KUIU is soaked. If i hang them both up, the KUIU seems to be dry about 2X as fast as the sitka.... No a controlled double blind study, but i have not found a single situation where i felt like the wool dries slower than the synthetic. Maybe its just me though.

I posted a topic on this exact thing this spring and had essentially the same responses. I switched to all kuiu base layers and fell in love. I have slowly been replacing my layering system with wool. In fact, I have swapped out most of my ski layers for wool as well.

I can barely wear my UA stuff for a few hours before i stink like hell. Most of the time by my first beer break while skiing i can smell myself... which is typically about 10 am. sometimes it stinks when i take it out of the washing machine.

PS: no joke, i had a bet with my wife that my KUIU t shirt would not stink after a week... I wore it hunting for about 6 days then wore it under a sweater to work a few days later. Took off the sweater and told her to sniff my shirt.... she is biased and still was amazed. Stuff rocks.

Backpacking light did a study on wool vs. synthetic base layers drying time, and they found that the wool base layers dry about 50% slower than the synthetic ones (http://www.keepandshare.com/doc/497...weight-wool-and-synthetic-base-layers-2-2-meg). The difference is not that significant with base layers because they are so thin, but it increases exponentially with increased thickness. I used to wear nearly all wool, and I had way too many instances where my clothing would get wet on day one of the trip, and would still be wet on day three.

 

[MattB]

I believe the assertion that wool dries 50% slower than synthetics. In my experience, synthetics tend to be more durable as well. Having said that, the only synthetic base layers I still use are my Ex Officio boxer briefs. For me, the benefits of wool (mostly the stink factor) outweigh the negatives.

 

[Whisky]

I had a long post typed up but figured you guys wouldn't care to read it....In summary:

I HATE Under Armour bases. Their crap.

I USED to love merino, but have had some bad experiences with it this past season.

I have done a fair bit of testing lately (this late season) with med weight Patagonia Capilene, and med weight FL and Smartwool.

I guess I'm in the minority because I will be switching from merino back to synthetics (Capilene).

I've come to realize it's far more important to me to be dry and comfortable, then it is if I stink or not. Regardless what bases you wear, you will still stink and have to hunt the wind.