5 Reasons Why Wool Is Underrated
For outdoor products that *must* perform under cold & wet conditions, I love the fact that all the $$$ and textile science in the world still can’t compete with…sheep.
It might be where I grew up (the tropics + American South), but I never understood or used wool until I was an adult. The stuff is like textile magic, and wool does not get the appreciation that it deserves.
Wool Works In Cold – Even When Wet
Wool is so weird. I’m pretty sure that, if sheep had not already invented wool, there is no way that we could have invented it, even with all the materials and textile science at our disposal.
I mean, the stuff can be soaking wet with cold water and wrapped around my bare feet…and my feet will be warm. It’s bizarre.
Wool Is Fine In Summer
I also grew up thinking that cotton was the best material for summer, and that, if wool was good at anything, it was just for cold Canadians. No!
Wool is breathable, wicks sweat, and helps regulate skin temperature in any season. It even blocks more UV rays than cotton and polyester. My wool base layer and thin wool socks are incredible for backpacking in the summer.
Wool Lasts Longer Than Cotton + Synthetics
I own three pairs of wool hiking socks and three wool base layer shirts. I wear them out when backpacking. My cotton gear looks like trash after a couple of trips, but my wool stuff is fine even after years of wear. It’s so much more durable.
Wool Has Come A Long Way Recently
I always thought wool was supposed to be scratchy, heavy, and smelly. But it’s not? Maybe it was in World War II, or something before New Zealand gifted humanity the improved Merino sheep, and we keep developing advanced weaving machines.
And it’s all cheap! REI has branded shirts, pants, and socks that are not that much more expensive than cotton + polyester.
Wool Is Key To Enjoying Outdoors
This post is not an ad for Big Wool, even though it could be. I’m just disappointed that I spent years backpacking before I learned about wool. I spent too much time worrying about getting wet in a creek or a storm and getting hypothermia when the sheep solved this problem a long time ago simply by being too dumb to find shelter like competent animals, like horses and cattle.
*Addendum: It’s also really cool that wool is a win-win-win product for everyone. It’s so crazy! The sheep like being sheared. We don’t have to use pesticides or herbicides to grow cotton. We don’t have to dig up and use oil for polyester/synthetics. Go wool!
