I like the COSTCO Paradox poly and Merino blend zip neck tees and long johns. I find for the $20 Canadian price for the tops and less for the bottoms that they are 1/5 the cost of KUU merino tops and they last 5 times longer and dry 5 times faster. I back pack hunt, cross country ski, hike etc and the Paradox stuff works way better than Merino for me. The exception being that I love the COSTCO Merino wool socks and Ice Breaker Merino boxer shorts.
Yes, even best/most expensive 100% wool doesn’t dry as quickly as synthetics, plus it generally a bit more scratchy.
These days performance fabrics are not limited to high end brands, and good stuff can be found at the big box stores at a fraction of the price. I live in baselayers during the winter for work, and a lot of my work baselayers come from WalMart or STP.
Not wool, but as an added note I mostly wear silk bottoms hunting, skiing, work, etc. It’s amazing to me how such a thin base layer can be warm, and yet it is the best at regulating temperature. The only time I wear something heavier is if I’m taking a stand somewhere and not moving much, or if temps start approaching single digits.
