Wool not used for just cold weather anymore

Brian Metzler, Special to The Rocky

Published July 17, 2007 at midnight

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During a recent meeting of a running group in Boulder, about one-third of the runners who showed up for the 60-minute trail run were wearing wool-blend T-shirts.

The temperature was in the upper 80s. Were they out of their minds?

Apparently not. Wearing ultra-thin merino wool T-shirts in warm weather is a growing trend among runners, hikers and climbers. Once thought of as only an insulating material for cold conditions, wool also has significant performance values - namely breathability and the ability to pull moisture away from the skin and speed its evaporation - that apply to warm-weather applications as well.

And unlike synthetic fabrics, wool also acts as an antimicrobial to block the bacteria that causes foul odors.

"I wear wool in the summer all the time," said Jenny Taylor, an avid trail runner and mountain biker from Boulder. "It doesn't stick to my skin when I sweat and I think it dries faster than a synthetic shirt. And I just like the way it feels."

Wool fiber has thousands of tiny air pockets that act as a buffer to cool skin amid the heat of a midday run, ride or hike. And wool fabrics are semiporous and can absorb more moisture than petroleum-based synthetic materials, which have to wait until moisture condenses into liquid before the wicking process can begin, said Adam Stosak, supervisor of the apparel department at the REI store in Lakewood.

It's especially effective in Colorado's high country, where a hiker, camper or trail runner can experience a wide temperature change on any given day.

"Synthetics have always been popular, but I would say merino wool is the ideal fabric," he said. "First, because it's the best at wicking moisture away from the skin and secondly because of the comfort factor. It's made from a soft, comfortable fabric that feels soft against the skin."

Wearing a merino wool shirt in heat of summer might seem counterintuitive, but it shouldn't be, said Gardner Flanigan, marketing director at Steamboat Springs-based SmartWool, which has seen rapid growth of its short-sleeve shirt business since its started making summer-oriented apparel in 2003.

"The majority of people are still looking to wool for winter apparel and layering," Flanigan said. "It's definitely growing in the summer because the versatility of the fabric and the fiber is really amazing. We're still trying to get that message out. It's funny because nobody, I mean nobody, questions it in socks. But then when you come out with a shirt and they say, 'No way.' So I think people have to feel it and wear it to believe it."

SmartWool is the primary company pushing the trend but several other companies, including Outdoor Research, Arc'teryx, Icebreaker and Ibex, slowly have started to follow suit. Next spring, SmartWool will release sport-specific apparel for trail running and biking.

There are eco-friendly reasons to wear wool, too: Wool is a natural, renewable resource, and its production doesn't increase greenhouse gasses. Plus, many of the companies selling wool apparel have taken steps to ensure the sustainability of environmentally sound sheep ranching in New Zealand, including SmartWool's development of a minimum price structure that can help ranchers avoid the pressure of selling their land to developers.

Several wool companies also have encouraged the elimination of the outdated practice of mulesing, the surgical removal of strips of wool-bearing skin from around the tail of a sheep.

Higher prices might be the only downside of wearing wool on summer adventures. Whereas a short- sleeve synthetic shirt might cost between $30 and $40, merino wool shirts typically costs $50 to $70.

"A merino wool shirt can be a little more expensive," Stosak said. "And not everyone is willing to spend a little bit more for what might be the best option."

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