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Newbie here.

Few days back I came to know about merino wool. This was from an article about travelling the world in just 20 lb or roughly 10 kg backpack. From the article -

My socks, shirts, and undies were all made from Merino wool and I tried to pick dark colors to conceal the inevitable dirt and grime build-up.

Merino wool is an amazing material. It has great flow and insulation properties (it will keep you warm when it’s cold outside and cool when it’s hot outside), it dries quickly, it has high odor resistance (you can go longer before washing), it’s not bulky or itchy, and unlike cotton it will still keep you warm if it gets wet.

Often times I’d jump into the shower wearing my shirt and undies, give them a good wash, wring them out in the sink, roll them up in my towel like a burrito, and step on it (to get more water out). Then I’d put the damp clothing back on and within minutes of walking around they would be dry and clean.

It’s the perfect material for the minimal traveler. - artofmanliness.com

I did some more research and came to know that most people think of putting clothes in layers, base layer and so on and so forth.

I come from Asia, so am used to temperate climate of 27°C or 28°C degrees and above are ok. For myself, 20°C or less is not good.

I hope to travel to Canada where it would be chillier than what it is at the present.

How can I keep warm myself there without getting too weighty.

Umm... I am fat and don't wear undies.

If I were to buy clothes (specifically merinoo wool clothes) in Canada, which brands would people suggest I look for without breaking the bank.

Somebody pointed that you can get "last season stuff" in a store, should I be asking at the store about "last season stuff" . Also does "last season stuff" equate to used clothes or not ?

I know there are multiple queries but all are related with each other. I did try my hand at asking at travel but was hammered as it's not directly related to travel.

Charlie Brumbaugh
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shirish
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  • Hi and welcome to TGO. Sorry that I have to say the following: The questions about shopping are not on topic. The other questions, about merino and layering in general are too broad as asked here. And they are covered in other topics on our site too. Please use the search function here, you will find really a lot (see my next comment for examples). – Wills Dec 23 '16 at 12:53
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    http://outdoors.stackexchange.com/a/5719/2653

    http://outdoors.stackexchange.com/a/10490/2653

    http://outdoors.stackexchange.com/questions/11512/why-not-use-a-cotton-base-layer

    http://outdoors.stackexchange.com/questions/3257/is-department-store-merino-wool-less-effective-than-branded-i-e-smartwool-mer

    http://outdoors.stackexchange.com/questions/3357/are-there-any-exceptions-to-the-layer-principle

    http://outdoors.stackexchange.com/questions/4497/does-my-layering-system-need-adjusting

     – Wills Dec 23 '16 at 12:55
  • @Wills, thank you for sharing the links, going through all of that. Any idea where I can ask the shopping part of the questions ? – shirish Dec 23 '16 at 13:12
  • where in Canada, and during which season? – njzk2 Dec 23 '16 at 15:11
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    Really?! I spent a great deal of time on an answer and somebody puts it on hold? –  Dec 23 '16 at 15:36
  • If you're coming to Canada, then I should introduce you to MEC. You can get everything you need there. – ShemSeger Dec 23 '16 at 15:51
  • If things fall into place, then Montreal Canada, end July - early August. – shirish Dec 23 '16 at 16:24
  • "dries quickly"... What a lie... Merino is great. I use a few items myself but it doesn't dry quickly. It still warm even when wet but if trekking for days, my merino t-shirt will be wet for days. – Desorder Dec 23 '16 at 20:11

1 Answers1

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Your best bet is a layering system. This allows you to alter your clothing to your need. Briefly you'll want:

Base Layer

Possibly merino if you want here.

This layers principle job is to wick sweat quickly away from your body. Sweat (or any moisture) against your skin is going to get you cold. This is possibly the opposite to what your used to in a warm climate. Merino is a great wicking layer and it has the added advantage of being a good insulator too. Another good option is polyester.

You can get different thicknesses of merino for this task. The thickness depends on personal preference and/conditions. A thick layer means you need less additional layers but is less flexible if you get too warm.

Mid layer(s)

This is the main insulating layer. Typically this consists of jackets offering various degrees of warmth from a thin soft shell right up to a thick down jacket. You can get merino jackets too, though they tend to be pricey.

This is the main layer you use to regulate your temperature. If you're too warm you remove layers, if you're too hot you add layers, etc.

Outer layer

Your final layer is typically a waterproof/windproof layer. This is high to protect you form the worst of the elements, snow, rain, ice, etc. You may not wear this all the time but you should always have it with you. Again, if you get wet, you're in trouble.

SQB
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