Why Merino Wool Works
Sheep have evolved over hundreds of thousands of years while living in Siberia’s freezing high alpine slopes and the blistering heat of the Australian Outback. Their wool coats both shelter them from the cold and protect them from the heat. Merino wool base layers do the same against our skin--they regulate body heat and keep you comfortable in a broader range of temperatures. When it’s hot, wool transports moisture and warm air away from the skin and disperses it into the air. When it is cold, it traps the warm air from your body and keeps it close to the skin.
The Benefits of Merino Wool
No Smell
“They can hear you twice, see you once, but if they smell you, they’re gone.” Every hunter knows the importance of minimizing human odor and there’s no fabric better at keeping B.O. to a minimum than wool. Wool absorbs 30% of its weight in moisture which then passes through the material and evaporates instead of remaining on the skin.
No Shine
Wool absorbs UV radiation through the entire UV spectrum, unlike some synthetics and other naturally occurring fibers. This means merino doesn't shine from light reflection, which helps hunters evade detection when crossing slopes, gaining ridgelines, and maneuvering through country.
No Sound
Wool is inherently quiet. Wool doesn't flap in the wind, doesn't shear when you walk, or crackle when it's cold. All of First Lite wool products are made with high-quality, low micron fibers and yarns made out of long filaments, which helps reduce any remaining noise.
Shop Aerowool
Sweat less, exert less energy and stay more comfortable with First Lite's Aerowool Technology. Our ultralight base layers fight stink and noise like the Merino you love but dries three to five times faster and brings improved durability to the table. Whether you're hiking through high desert pursuing a heavy pronghorn or scouting for that giant whitetail buck in the back forty, Aerowool is your best hot weather, active base layer.
Shop Merino-X
Merino-X brings increased warmth, improved structure and resistance to tears and bagging to merino wool. Merino-X is built with a ultrafine merino wool in a high loft, interlock knit to create styles that surpass expectations in the broadest range of temperature and weather conditions. Blending a small component of spandex into this knit, these lofted interlock pieces can withstand extended hunts in the field, regardless of the season.
