Patagonia Wool Base Layers

Patagonia is known for making high quality products and the wool base layers uphold that reputation. The base layers are made from ultra fine Merino Wool which is processed using a chlorine free process to make the wool as soft as cotton. In addition to being extremely soft, Merino Wool is naturally anti-bacterial which makes it almost odor free. Even after a week of backpacking the shirt hardly gave a whiff of an odor. The raglan sleeves kept the shirt from chafing even after hours of hauling packs up and down mountains, and the long cut in both the sleeves and the torso make tucking in and wear under jackets extremely comfortable. As if that wasn't enough, the wool has a self regulating property to assist you in keeping warm when it's cold and cool when it's hot. It also works well very well in wicking moisture away from your skin. The one downside we found is the fine properties of the fabric make it rather susceptible to snags. Other than the few burrs the shirt sports, it continues to hold up quite well despite the abuse we put it through. Patagonia makes four different weights of the base layer from wool 1 (silk weight) t-shirt for summer pursuits to the wool 4 shirts for the coldest weather, as well as pants to match in weights 2-4. Though the wool base layers may not be cheap, they will fulfill most, if not all of your base layer requirements.