For me, I prefer wool regardless of temperature, humidity, etc, but as you mentioned it is expensive....and not always long lasting.
I bought some 100% merino underwear from MEC, the Canadian REI. $40 per pair. Both destroyed after a month or two of bike touring. Then smartwool. They lasted a year and are just now showing signs of failure. I bought some Riv striped ones 18 months ago, they are still as tough and comfy as the day I bought them. Man I wish they'd make more of them :( On the hottest of days, I love wearing a very thin merino shirt and underwear. They never feel soaked with sweat and best of all they don't hold smell. For summer touring, it's the best. I can sweat all day in my clothes, rinse them out (or not!) in a stream and the next day they feel and smell great. With cotton I find my clothes start to feel clammy and really smell foul without a proper soapy wash each day. In winter wool is a must for me, precisely due to moisture management. It can be really challenging to stay completely dry while riding in winter. Pushing through the snow, pulling your bike through big drifts, etc. It all is very physical, in more of a 'full body' way than just your legs. I find with wool, I can sweat but stay warm even when damp, and within a short time the wool has dried and I'm back to warm/dry. With cotton, I've been caught out shivering cold and impossible to get warm once I've over done it. the only option then is to keep your physical output high so you keep generating heat, and seek shelter asap. When you're doing an overnight though, these situations can turn south pretty quick. That said, I probably wear cotton 90% of the time while riding, other than underwear, just due to the cost. if I'm going out for a day on the bike, who cares if I get wet and smelly if I'll be returning home afterward. I've also tried all manner of synthetic materials. Many can match the moisture control of wool, but none of them stay fresh feeling and smelling more than a day. On Thursday, August 11, 2016 at 2:11:21 PM UTC-5, Deacon Patrick wrote: > > I've been on bikepacking trips with my Hilltrek Cotton Analogy jacket and > nothing dried out, but I was comfy and dry (and kudos to Hilleberg tents as > well -- set up and tear down without having to set up a fly keeps the > inside dry! > > Note, that's with cotton analogy, so same weight as double ventile, but > with "capillary" action that mimics hair to actively draw both liquid and > vapor moisture to the outer layer, even as the outer layer is saturated. > Works amazingly well, and in my experience is superior to double ventile > for the same weight. > > With abandon, > Patrick > > On Thursday, August 11, 2016 at 12:58:40 PM UTC-6, Matthew Snyder wrote: >> >> I'm particularly interested in whether you can wear it on multiple rainy >> days in a row, or whether it gets too clammy and needs to dry out between >> uses. >> >> >> Matthew Snyder >> Seattle WA >> >> On Wednesday, August 10, 2016 at 11:44:27 AM UTC-7, Deacon Patrick wrote: >>> >>> I thought I’d share my clothing journey over the past few years, for any >>> who are interested… >>> >>> Wool is awesome! Wool is expensive. Wool wears thin out as quickly as >>> cotton. These things, combined with my quest for the best of all possible >>> worlds moisture management system led me to: >>> >>> Wool's benefits are all about temperature regulation in a wide variety >>> of conditions. However, after discovering the wonders and beauty of >>> Ventile, I wondered if I wore cotton as my base and insulative layers as >>> well as my outer layer, as conditions require, would I stay as dray and >>> warm in all conditions? Short answer, yes. >>> >>> Lesson: the key to comfort is moisture management, no matter the >>> conditions. Manage that and the material used for warmth is far less >>> critical. >>> >>> — Base layer: (extreme cold) Wiggy’s fishnet long johns. >>> — Insulate layer and/or base layer for down to -10˚F: various layers and >>> weights of cotton >>> — Outer layer: Ventile (Hilltrek) >>> >>> I have done everything in this basic system for two years (though I’ve >>> yet to get the fishnet long johns, which are nylon rather than cotton). It >>> is far easier on the budget, and I have no issues with moisture or oder >>> management. >>> >>> (Note: I still have my Wooly Warm sweaters, love them, and will wear >>> them until they wear out, then replace them with cotton sweatshirts. These >>> mid-weight wool sweaters wear extremely well compared with others I’ve had >>> and worn daily.) >>> >>> With abandon, >>> Patrick >>> >>> www.OurHolyConception.org <http://www.ourholyconception.org> >>> www.MindYourHeadCoop.org <http://www.mindyourheadcoop.org> >>> >>> >>> -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
