Base layering is highly recommended if you’re planning to go hunting in the dead of winter.
However, wearing extra clothing underneath your outer garment isn’t only designed to help you brave winter’s frigid conditions outdoors. It also wicks moisture away from your skin, which is critical in averting itchiness and masking your scent.
Merino wool is a top pick for base layering material. The fabric enjoys the confidence of winter hunters, thanks to its ability to keep your skin warm and dry.
This post explores the factors that make merino wool the go-to base layering fabric when planning a winter hunt in Canada.
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What Is Merino Wool?
Merino wool is natural wool obtained from the Merino sheep.
The Merino is a breed of domestic sheep bred for their incredibly fine and soft wool. The breed was developed in Spain around the end of the Middle Ages but is now native to Australia and New Zealand.
Many seasoned hunters use a merino wool base layer Canada due to the fabric’s softness. The wool is also remarkably thermo-regulating, thanks to its excellent moisture-wicking properties. Its odor-masking abilities make it particularly preferable when hunting prey with an acute sense of smell.
Why Choose A Merino Wool Base Layer For Winter Hunting?
1. Naturally Engineered For Cold Weather
Merino is a cold-weather sheep that inhabits the highlands of Australia and New Zealand. The sheep credit their ability to brave harsh conditions to their natural, weather-proof wool.
Merino wool can maintain warmth when ambient conditions plummet to -4 degrees Fahrenheit, making it the ideal base layering fabric for winter hunting.
By locking warmth onto your skin, base layers made from merino wool minimize the risks of hypothermia.
2. Delivers in All Weather Conditions
Although merino wool is widely considered a cold-weather fabric, it can be just as efficient during warm weather.
Some findings suggest the material can withstand temperature fluctuations up to 95 degrees Fahrenheit. That makes it more reliable than popular base layering materials, such as cotton fabric.
Now, you don’t expect conditions to heat up to 95 degrees F while hunting in the dead of winter. However, merino base layers can effectively harness occasional surges in your core body temperature, enabling you to cool down during a hunt.
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3. Remarkably Thermoregulating
Merino fibers boast powerful moisture-wicking properties. The material wicks sweat away from your skin as vapor, then traps it inside its tiny and highly porous fibers.
The trapped moisture then condenses inside your base layer, generating the heat you require to keep warm.
As merino fibers are inherently porous, they can trap sweat without leaving your skin feeling wet and cold. That’s in contrast to synthetics like polyester.
4. Super Comfortable
When it comes to winter hunting, stealth is paramount. You want to stalk your prey as closely as possible without blowing your cover. By the time you launch a surprise attack, the animal won’t know what hit it.
Merino base layers keep your skin feeling comfortable throughout the hunt. By soaking up your sweat, the material minimizes skin irritation.
Less itchiness means you can stay still and inch closer to your target before unleashing the final blow.
5. Soft and Lightweight
Merino is the finest wool. So fine is the fiber that when it brushes up against your skin, it bends rather than prick your body.
Merino fibers are roughly ⅓ the diameter of natural human hair. For perspective, human hair is around 180 microns thick. That property makes merino base layers excellent when hunting in winter.
Thanks to merino’s delicate and lightweight properties, base layers made from the fabric won’t prick your skin.
Merino excels among materials in all aspects of fabric softness, including smoothness and flexibility. Besides, the wool contains lanolin, a natural oil that further accounts for its softness.
Photo Credit: Pixabay.com
6. All-day Dryness
Incessant sweating and condensation from plant foliage can hamper your winter hunting experience. Therefore, you deserve a base layer that can provide extended dryness.
Merino wool doesn’t just wick moisture away from your skin. The material can soak up to 30% of its weight, keeping your skin dry all day long.
What gives merino an edge over other moisture-wicking fabrics is its ability to dry up your skin without losing its thermoregulating properties.
7. Odor Repellent
As a base layering material, merino wool combats sweating in two ways.
First, the fabric wicks moisture away from your skin and locks it in its super-porous fibers. Besides, it has excellent odor-masking properties.
Note that merino is a natural fiber. Base layers made from the material are typically free from chemicals that exacerbate body odor, unlike synthetic options like nylon and polyester.
Whether you’re sweating profusely or inadvertently dribbling urine while anxiously stalking prey, you can trust merino base layers to neutralize the odor molecules.
Merino wool is easy to maintain by neutralizing odors, too. You can air-dry your base layers several times before you need to actually wash them.
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Wrap Up
Picking the right base layering fabric isn’t the only consideration when preparing for a winter hunt in Canada. Gathering other essentials (winter boots, rifles or bows, scopes, calls, etc.) is also important.
Besides, you’ll need to identify an ideal hunting ground depending on your target prey. Experts also recommend keeping an open mind and knowing when to call off the trip.
Winter can be brutal, particularly for first-time hunters. Don’t let the elements get the better of you when you can always retreat and plan another hunting trip.
