Merino Wool vs Synthetics: The Good, The Bad, and the Smelly!

Western hunts will test the limits of your gear. Here, I’ll spend weeks in the mountains, many miles from anything I don’t carry in on my back. Early season temperatures might be in the high 80s even reaching the 90s, while late season temps might reach 20 below zero F. In conditions like that, knowing how to dress isn’t just important for staying comfortable, it might just save your life. In this video I'll give you some tips for staying comfortable in extreme weather. Well talk layering outdoor clothing, from early season to late! I’ll start with the main concepts then list some specific outdoor layering systems for varying conditions and why I choose the items I do. Base layers form the foundation of our clothing system. A good base layer will actively wick moisture away from your skin which is super important for maintaining your body temperature.

I prefer merino wool because it wicks moisture, retains roughly 60% of its insulating quality when wet and doesn’t stink! On an extended trip into the mountains where I might not have access to a shower for weeks on end, merino’s natural ability to combat body funk is HUGE!

Mid layers serve two functions. First, is insulation. Second, during early season or times of high exertion, your mid layers will often become outer layers as you strip down while trying to maintain your body temp. When this is the case, synthetics are often better choice simply because they’re typically much more durable than merino. That brings up a good point in regards to synthetics. I commonly wear them as an outer layer and, virtually never wear them as a base layer, and occasionally as a mid layer. The durability of synthetics and whether I’ll be using those mid layers as an outer layer are ultimately what decide if I’ll go with merino or synthetic mid layers.

Outer layers should be durable and matched to the season and conditions. In the next segment I’ll talk more about what I wear at different times of the year. For now, some of the things to consider for outer layers are:
• weather (dry vs wet, wind, temp, etc.)
• how prickly is the country? Are you hunting brambles or other stuff that could shred lighter clothing?
• What type of hunting are you doing? Quiet is important for bowhunting, not so much for rifle, waterfowl, upland, etc.
Alright, let’s take a look at some examples of different layering kits. We’ll start with early season, warm weather and move into late season and extreme cold. I’ll also talk about different styles of hunting, active vs passive which is supper important.

Early Season Archery Elk Kit (temps 25-80F) Active Hunting
Up top
• Wick short sleeve T
• Kiln QZ Hoodie/Yuma Synthetic QZ
• Brooks Down Vest
• Heavy Wool Shirt or pullover (if colder than normal)
• Rain Shell (if it looks like it’s going to rain or snow)
Down Low
• Wick long boxer briefs
• Kiln long john (if colder than normal. I’ll often wear these early in the day and take them off when it warms up).
• Trace Pants (These have replaced the Merino Obsidians I wore forever. They’re just as quiet and they’re more durable).
• Thin wool socks

October Whitetail (temps 20-60F) Passive Hunting
Up top
• Wick short sleeve T
• Kiln QZ Hoodie
• Brooks Down Vest
• Heavy Wool Shirt/Furnace Hoodie
• Wool Pullover
• Rain Shell (if it looks like it’s going to rain or snow)
Down Low
• Wick long boxer briefs
• Kiln long john (if colder than normal. I’ll often wear these early in the day and take them off when it warms up).
• 308 Lined Pants
• Heavy wool socks

Late Season Whitetail (temps 5-30) Passive Hunting
Basically the October kit with the addition of wool bibs, pac boot down low. For up top, I’ll just wear all my layers with the heavy wool pullover over everything. I’ll also toss some hand warmers into my pockets and boots.

Late season Muzzleloader Deer and Elk (temps 15 below to 20 above 0 F) Active Hunting
Up top
• Wick short sleeve T
• Kiln QZ Hoodie
• Brooks Down Vest
• Heavy Wool Shirt/Furnace Hoodie
• Uncompahgre Foundry Jacket
Down Low
• Wick long boxer briefs
• Kiln long john (if colder than normal. I’ll often wear these early in the day and take them off when it warms up).
• 308 Lined Pants
• Heavy wool socks

A couple other items I might have with me, depending on conditions are a wool beanie, wool neck gaiter, boot gaiters, and gloves.

GEAR I USE:
Knives - https://www.montanaknifecompany.com/
Backpacks - kifaru.net/CLAYHAYES
Archery Gear - https://www.3riversarchery.com/
Optics - https://www.vortexoptics.com
Clothing - https://www.firstlite.com/

Camera Gear - https://amzn.to/47HZFrz

Essential Backcountry Gear - https://amzn.to/3u6H0If

Surviving Alone by Clay Hayes - https://amzn.to/3Qqou3l

You can also connect with me on my other media outlets!
Website: https://www.twistedstave.com/
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