Why should we choose clothes made of merino wool when we travel?

I'm sure many travel and outdoor enthusiasts have heard the term: merino wool. A lot of outdoor and travel clothing is made from merino wool. It is an excellent material with quite a few advantages.

However, it is relatively expensive, so is it really worth spending that much money on a garment? Let's take a look.

First, let's understand what merino wool is.

Like other wools, merino wool comes from sheep. But this kind of sheep is special, their name is Merino sheep, mainly in New Zealand and Australia.

The main characteristic of merino wool is that it is very fine and soft, and does not scratch or itch like rough fabrics. There are many grades of Merino wool, classified according to their coarseness.

But even the coarsest wool is under 24 microns. In simple terms, it is about half the thickness of our hair. This shows how fine merino wool is.

Why is merino wool suitable for travel clothing? This brings us to the characteristics of Merino wool.

High quality

Merino wool is of high quality, and by high quality, I mean the softness of the wool. Merino wool is very soft, and clothing made from it is very flattering and soft, with a very good drape and a smooth, natural line.

It is very elastic and can be stretched or crumpled without easily deforming. Different grades of wool and blending ratios can lead to different quality of the finished garment. Good merino wool clothing has a feel very close to that of silk. Clothes made of merino wool are comfortable to wear and do not wrinkle easily.

Water absorption and water repellency

Merino wool is excellent at handling moisture, absorbing up to 30% of its own weight in water. The point is that even after absorbing this much water, the garment remains dry.

Merino wool has a water-repellent wax coating, known as lanolin, which repels water. In addition, merino wool is a great insulator for keeping your body warm and it also wicks away moisture, creating a cooling effect during evaporation.

Temperature regulation

Merino wool has a natural ability to regulate temperature. In the early morning when the temperature is low, merino wool clothing will keep you warm, but not feel too hot. In the afternoon when the temperature is high, it will keep you cool and dry. And when you wear it as a baselayer, it's a great insulator.

Odor Resistant

Merino wool has been praised for its resistance to odors and antibacterial properties. In summary, when traveling, if you are wearing merino wool, you can carry less other clothing. Because one piece of merino wool clothing can be worth more than one, and it also greatly reduces the time and number of washes, giving us more time for travel and adventure.

How do I clean and maintain my merino wool clothing?

Cleaning merino wool clothes does not require much effort or energy. You can wash them separately, in warm or cold water. If it is not too much trouble, you can turn the clothes over and wash them with normal laundry detergent.

Be careful not to use clothes softener, bleach or any additives. When traveling, just wash by hand at the sink. To prolong the life of your clothes, hanging to dry is recommended.

Why are merino wool products so expensive?

Merino sheep are an alpine sheep and there are several reasons why they are expensive. First, this merino wool grows slowly. Six months of wool growth is only enough to make a summer coat, or a year if it is a winter coat. Moreover, the growth rate of wool cannot be accelerated. If you want more wool, you have to raise more sheep. But the cost of labor, land, and feed will also increase. Also, merino wool is very fine and soft, so more wool is needed to make a garment.

GECKO MASTER uses high-tech sifting technology to minimize damage to the quality of wool and retain the soft and fluffy qualities of wool itself, so as to provide discerning consumers with a new experience of better and more comfortable wool products.