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THE MERINO WOOL GUIDE

Nature inspires the materials we make, the clothes we create and the way we dress – and merino wool may well be nature’s best invention. This wool has been tested for thousands of years and we’re still nowhere near creating a synthetic that even approaches its excellence. Clothes made from merino wool are perfect for outdoor activities year-round, for working out, travelling and they're gentle on the environment too.

If this guide doesn’t win you over, try merino wool for yourself and you’ll soon understand!

Merino

A winning combination

  • Soft and doesn’t itch
  • Temperature-regulating
  • Keeps its warming abilities even when wet
  • Suppresses odours naturally
  • Wicking
  • Quick-drying
  • Resilient
  • Offers natural UV-protection
  • Flame-resistant
  • Biodegradable

What makes merino wool so special?

Merino wool comes from merino sheep. They live in harsh and vulnerable mountain environments where they need to survive in seasons of extreme winter cold and scorching summer sun. Such conditions require their wool to be able to both heat and cool their bodies.

The unique yarn

Merino wool consists of ultra-fine fibres that are much thinner than regular wool and have a structure and surface that makes them unique. That is what makes merino wool so incredibly soft on the skin in comparison with thick wool (that can feel itchy). The fibres’ smallest components are arranged in spirals which makes them resilient and flexible. That is why your merino wool clothes quickly regain their shape and don’t wrinkle.

Put smelly training clothes aside

An unwelcome effect of sweating is that our clothes become hospitable to bacteria. Merino wool has natural antimicrobial qualities in every fibre that inhibits the creation of bacteria and keeps your clothes fresh for a long time. This makes it perfect for multiple-days excursions as your clothes stay fresh every day!

When tempo and pulse rises

Merino wool is perfect for high-intensity activities thanks to its temperature-regulating qualities. When we generate heat it’s released in the form of vapour. Merino absorbs vapour instantly and transports it out into the atmosphere. This means it works for you before you’ve even started to sweat; unlike synthetic clothes that may quickly feel uncomfortable. Wearing merino is like having your own air conditioning system for your body. When you get sweaty the fibres wick the drops and push them to the outer layer of the fabric – keeping you nice and dry.

Warm even in wet

Merino wool has tiny air pockets that isolate warmth when you are cold. Combined with its ability to give warmth even when its absorbing moisture, it maintains comfortable body warmth even though your clothes are wet. Quote: “merino wool deserves a space in your everyday closet as well as in your adventure closet”

"Merino wool deserves a space in your everyday closet
as well as in your adventure closet"
Merino
Merino
Merino

For every season and activity

Merino sheep have a summer coat and an extra layer during winter. When temperatures drop during the colder months they develop an extra layer of wool on top of their base layer. This is exactly how we should dress – using merino wool with different thickness in several layers. This is even true for underwear, if you don’t wear merino wool closest to your body it doesn’t matter what you are wearing on top since the effect is lost.

The word ‘wool’ makes us think of winter but in fact merino wool can be used all year around, you just have to find the right thickness to match your activity. The higher density per square meter, the warmer you get. To make things easy for you, we’ve categorised the different qualities as thick, thin and super-thin.

  • Thick: These clothes will keep you warm when it’s really cold out and are best suited for the winter season. They have an average weight of 260 g/m².
  • Thin: Thinner clothes have weights of approximately 200 g/m². They work perfectly as base layers all year around – during hiking, paddling or for just everyday outdoor adventures.
  • Super-thin: With a density of about 150 g/m², this super-thin merino wool is perfect for summer activities, as underwear and day-to-day clothing.
  • We also want to highlight merino wool when it comes to packing light. With all its fantastic qualities, and since the clothes maintain their freshness for a long time, you won’t need to bring as much stuff with you. If you’re going hiking and aren’t too fussed about bringing a towel, you can just throw on your merino base layer straight after an invigorating dip in the mountain stream. You’ll dry and become warm quickly.

    What does mulesing-free mean?

    Mulesing is a procedure performed on merino sheep to prevent flystrike, since the wrinkled skin in their buttock area easily attracts flies. The procedure consists of cutting off strips of wool-bearing skin from around the breech, which is very painful for the sheep. The procedure is most often done without anaesthetics and is very traumatic for the animals. Mulesing-free merino wool means that the sheep that the wool comes from haven’t been subjected to this kind of cruel practice.

    Care

    Merino wool clothes don’t need to be washed after every time you use them. Hang them up to air out and you’ll save water, energy and the clothes will last longer. They can be washed in a washing machine at 30-40 °C, preferably using special wool detergent that helps the wool to keep its natural qualities. Hang your merino piece(s) out to dry and you’ll find that the merino wool will quickly regain its shape. You won’t need to stretch it out or iron it.