- In this video series,
we're going to be covering all things Merino wool for travel.
I'm Tom, the founder of Pack Hacker,
and we're a team of frequent to perpetual travelers
that do travel gear reviews.
We share our travel tips and tricks,
and we do guides just like this one.
So if you're new here, consider subscribing.
I've even spent a year and a half living out
of one single 40 liter backpack with three Merino T-shirts.
We're going to be covering the benefits
of Merino wool for travel.
We're going to talk about a couple different clothing pieces
and articles that you should consider.
And lastly, we're going to talk about how
to care for your Merino wool.
This guide is also available
in written format at packhacker.com,
and we'll be sure to keep that updated as we learn more
about Merino wool and the landscape changes.
Let's jump right into this guide all about Merino wool.
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So first of all, Merino wool is soft and comfortable.
Maybe when you think of traditional wool,
you think of a sweater that your grandma knitted for you
during the holiday season.
It's definitely not like that.
It's a lot softer and is very comfortable to the touch.
Merino wool is naturally anti-microbial,
and what that means is that it doesn't stink.
So you can wear a Merino wool T-shirt a bunch
of different times between washes when comparing it
to a traditional cotton T-shirt.
Merino wool can absorb and retain about 30%
of its weight in moisture,
which is going to be really great,
let's say if you're working out on the road
or headed for a hike in hotter weather.
This fabric does a really great job
at regulating your body temperature depending
on what kind of climate that you're in.
So if you're in a really warm climate,
it's gonna keep you cool.
If you're in a really cool climate,
it's gonna help with some additional insulation
and keep you warm, because science.
Merino wool does have some natural elasticity to it.
But companies that do want to add more will add things
like Lycra or Spandex to their garments.
Merino wool has a natural ultraviolet protection.
So that means that a UPF of 40 in a Merino wool garment
is gonna block about 97% of those ultraviolet rays,
whereas a cotton T-shirt for instance, with around a UPF
of five, is only going to block about 20% of that.
So you're definitely getting a lot of that benefit
without using sunblock or any type of chemical creams
to block those ultraviolet rays.
Merino wool is biodegradable.
Nothing lasts forever,
and when it comes time to recycle your clothing,
it's going to degrade a lot faster than say some garment
made out of nylon, or polyester,
or any other types of synthetic materials.
It's pretty good for the Earth.
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So how about Merino wool versus other fabrics.
Let's start with wool.
When you think of wool,
it's easy to think of something really itchy,
a thick sweater, and something that's just generally
not that comfortable to wear.
Merino wool is a lot different.
It is a lot softer.
It's comfortable to the touch.
And it feels a lot better to wear,
even as a T-shirt, underwear or socks.
A lot of the other properties are going to be similar.
You're going to have that antimicrobial properties.
You're going to have that wicking.
And you're going to have all the benefits
that come with regular wool,
it's just going to be a lot softer.
So how about Merino wool versus cotton.
To start off with, Merino wool comes from sheep,
whereas cotton comes from plants.
So that's definitely a key difference there.
Cotton is generally going to be more breathable
than Merino wool depending on the weight
of the fabric used and what the specific garment is.
However, cotton is also going to just
absorb all of your sweat,
which is going to make it smell faster than Merino wool.
It's going to get a lot heavier
than a Merino wool garment would.
And generally, you're going to need
to wash cotton a lot more when you're traveling.
So unless you love spending your time in a laundromat,
we'll chalk this up as a win for Merino wool.
There are a lot of people out there
that prefer synthetic clothing for travel as well.
And we're a big fan of that too.
Again this guide is all about Merino wool.
Kind of up to your personal preferences
what you wanna travel with between those two.
What we will say about synthetics
is that they tend to dry faster,
even though Merino wool
has a super fast drying time already.
But synthetics are less antimicrobial
than Merino wool for the most part.
So with Merino wool, it's a little bit lower maintenance.
You're going to be able to get more wears between washes.
Again, your mileage may vary.
It's totally up to you what you want to wear
while you're traveling.
Thanks for taking a look at our first video on Merino wool.
Be sure to stay tuned for the next video where we'll talk
about some specific products for travel
that are made of Merino wool and some of the benefits
that they give you when you're on the road.
Thanks for checking it out.
We'll see you in the next video.
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