Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Backpack Hunting Silk vs merino wool long johns- thoughts please

Opinions please. I need to revamp my under stuff and am looking for a non-poly option. Thanks.

I like merino wool because it is a bit stretchy and clings to the skin well. Plus it just feels warm.

Some people prefer silk as a base layer. I just don't care for the feel of silk.

I made the jump over to merino this year (Icebreaker 200s for my bottoms) and really like them. They are very warm, but I think they breathe much better than synthetic when the temp or your activity increases. The stink factor is also much better than synthetics. Haven't had it long enough yet to know about durability.

I've found wool to be fairly durable if you take care of it. Gentle wash and hang dry. My Ibex superfine shirt is starting to show a small rip near a seam but I've had it over five years and wear it EVERY time I go out summer through winter. My Smartwool heavy weight stuff is starting to show similar wear but I used to tumble dry on low and think that accelerated things.

The smell factor cannot be overstated in my opinion although that is more in comparison to poly. Perhaps some of the new anti-microbial synthetics are an improvement but I doubt they can beat wool for long term stench prevention.

I have some silk that I bought for a base layer and to have something clean to put on in my sleeping bag. Found I sleep too cold to just wear silk in a bag so they only get used on relatively active day trips when I want just a bit more insulation than pants. Based on mine, I really doubt they will hold up as well as wool. Silk vs. fishnets is a whole 'nother topic though.

Sorry if this is not much help but i do have a experienced based observation to relate that may be helpfull.

I was picked for a LE elk unit in WY in 08. Going over all my clothing for the hunt i found I had no light weight under were for use as a wicking base layer. As my profession is now entering into its sixth consecutive year of poor employment, my budget was understandably tight. As luck would have it Cabelas ran a early bird four hour sale that featured 100% SYN light weight base layer LJs at 60% off or $9.99 per top or bottom. I bought four each tops and bottoms. They also featured a anti-bacterial fabric as well. I was not expecting to much for under where costing so little, but like i said I could not afford to buy 3-4 sets of underwere costing 2-3x as much per set.

I used them litteraly every single day on my WY elk hunt for 19 consecutive days of hard, hard, b*ll breaking hunting where I sweated hard almost every day. The unit I was in had it seamed almost no flat ground, I was ethor going up a drainage or down in my persuit of a bull. I weighed myself both before I left home and the day i got back and i lost over 8lbs, which did surprise me as I ate like a hog, snacking all day long on top of three good meels.

Simply put I was blown away by how well this stuffed worked at keeping me dry by wicking my sweet away, and how lightning fast it would dry, even while I wore it, and how well it insulated and kept me worm despite how thin it was. What ever fabric or coating they used to give it anti-stink capability work rather well. When worn in concert with my HS anti-stink deoderent I could get three full days of use before I could smell any BO and needed to give them a airing out on the camp cloths line. As it wound up, I would alternate between two sets of where one for a day while one aired out a day for five days, then start out with two fresh sets that allowed two sets to air out for five full days. Combine this with taking a sponge bath every day (we camped neer a steam) and I kept my BO under control. At least to the opinion of my nose.

Now except for my Smart Wool socks, I have only 100% synthetic hunting clothing, that includes boxers, Ts, LJs, hats, caps, pants, shirts, jackets and parkas. My last trip proved to me beyond any doubt using clothing that absorbes less than 1% of its weight in water is the only way to go, if for no other reason doing so might just help save my life. I could tell literaly instantly just by touching if the article of clothing was cotton or synthetic as the cotton always seemed damp to the touch.

I know wool is awesome, but at anywhere from $30-$50 per top or bottom it is like UU simply out of my price range as only one set of LJs or base layer LJs will not allow me to hunt to my max potential.

I guess my point is, the new super wools might be the cats rectal cavity, but for my budget synthetics are a good (and my only) alternative.

Ohhh, I don't know where to even start with this one...

I'm no expert on this stuff.
Pick up some of each. I wear silk when I want, or might want later in the day, just a touch extra warmth. If it's chillier, I go to something heavier- some thin Mossy Oak underlayer that STP had on sale; or my big gun, a terry-ed synthetic Guide Gear item. I choose out of my duffel each morning.

I prefer a silk base layer. It helps with wicking moister away from your skin, keeping you at a more comfortable constant temperature. If you are moving around and perspiring a lot, a base layer like silk is a must. Wool will keep you warm even after it gets wet, but wool does a terrible job of drying its self off, and if you are in real cold (-0 Fahrenheit and lower) it will eventually freeze, loosing all of its insulating qualities.

I was watching a PBS documentary about Roald Amundsen, and they were descuscing the europen falt of incisting on using wool on polar expiditions. So what I am getting at have you concidered Caribue Skins (grin).

Nobody I know that is into mountaineering wears silk any more.
There are a few who do like merino wool, but the big favorite is Patagonia's Capliene. Got a buddy who lived in it for three days while stuck on the side of Denali at 14,000 ft. in a storm.
I've worn mine day after day. No smell problems. I usually hunt fairly dry areas, I might add. But as far as hunting effort goes, in spite of my eating rich, restuarant food on my off days, I lost 14 lbs. on my first elk hunt.
Like the man said, if your base layer doesn't stay dry, you will chill. I've got both merino wool and capliene tops. The capliene dries much faster. Not as warm, but I have my insulation layers for that. E

As I have said many times, I have a closet full of synthetic base layers including capliene and I almost never wear them. I will opt for Merino in any weather from 100 F to -40 F.

I am a late 'convert' to Merion wool.
Don't think I will go back to capliene anytime soon.

I didnt read all the others so sorry if a repeat. i have both silk and merino wool long johns and have switched to Patagonia Capilene as a base layer. It definately wicks better during high exersion like climbing mountains or even getting into a tree stand. I still use the others, but prefer the capilene.

At $11 a piece (currently under $9 on sale) the lightweight Comfortrel Polyester longs from Sierra Trading Post have made a good base layer for me for probably 12 years now. I would never spend $38 a piece for a synthetic base layer like Capliene after using both.

Duofold used to make a 160gm/m� 100% merino wool longs that only cost $30 a piece that were fantastic base layer. I have tops and bottoms but I tore up the top a bit, still use it though. I think you can still get some sizes at the Montana Woolen Shop.