Why synthetic shirts over wool?

[Stats 2012]

When I see thru-hikers on the Trail they all seem to be wearing synthetic T-shirts. I, too, have them (I drank the Kool-Aid) but they stink something god-awful and wear out so easily.

Why don't modern-day hikers wear wool any more? (e.g., (http://www.rei.com/product/785073/.) Merino wool shirts are soft, comfortable in a wide range of temperatures, insulate even when wet, don't hold odors, and come in a variety of thicknesses.

Before I go out and buy wool T's for next year's thru, can someone tell me why most hikers seem to have switched to synthetic materials?

[Iceaxe]

I used a Columbia Titanium long sleeve synthetic shirt for each of my triple crown hikes.
White shirts for the PCT and CDT and a light green one for the AT.
The PCT shirt got thread bare but never wore out. it was only a few weeks after the hike that a hole appeared in the shoulder during a post-hike training hike.
My CDT white titanium shirt is still in excellant condition but has pack stains around the shoulders and hip.
My AT Columbia shirt is by far in the best condition. I would not hesitate to take it on another thru.
Ever smelled a wet wool shirt? None of my synthetic shirts smell after laundering.
By the way, i was a wool fan before i was a synthetic fan of clothing.
The only regret i have is that Columbia shirts are NOT made in America. Places like Duncannon would be alive today if we did not allow these jobs to go overseas.
As for synthetic clothing.. quite simply--> It rocks.
It excels in wear resistance, moisture management, and durability.
The only thing i would not do with my synthetic is jump through fire... of course i would not do that in my Woolrich shirt either.

P.S. I re-read your post.
I think the "insulate when wet" part is a clue.
For a summertime thru hike the last thing many hikers want is an insulating base garment.
Synthetic dries quickly. Many times i was asked why i wore long sleeves. I stay cooler in a synthetic long sleeve while sweating than a short sleeve shirt.
The polyester wicks the moisture up and spreads it over a large surface area where it evaporates and cools my skin better than simply "sweating bullets" on bare skin.
I know the wool would do the same thing but it's hard to find a durable wool shirt as thin as a polyester shirt.
Before you freak out.. know that i am a huge fan of Smartwool, Woolrich and others, just not for a "wear" layer next to my skin and under my pack during summertime thru hike conditions.
okay, lambaste me into infinity!

[ChinMusic]

I always wear wool shirts, winter/summer, east/west/north/and south. My fave is the Icebreaker Hopper.

[Jack Tarlin]

IceAxe pretty much covered it. Can't speak about what works best in the West, but on the A.T. the overwhelming majority of folks prefer synthetics: They're reasonably priced, come in all sorts of colors and styles, they don't itch, they're lots lighter than wool, they have less bulk (i.e. take up less space in your pack), are easier to clean, and most important, they don't take a long time to dry out.

[Panzer1]

I have wool shirts for cold weather.

Panzer

[Stats 2012]

Thanks, for the input ChinMusic and Iceaxe!

No lambasting here, Iceaxe; your arguments were excellent and appreciated. I'm curious, however, if the microweight wool shirt I referenced doesn't actually wick moisture. I've held them in my hands and I can imagine they'd do that pretty well. And from what I hear they don't stink even after months on the trail.

(BTW, my synthetic shirts don't smell after washing, either, but sweat in it for five minutes and the old hidden smells return with a vengeance!)

[Stats 2012]

Thanks, Panzer. (You posted while I was replying.) Have you worn the super-thin wool shirts in summer?

[aaronthebugbuffet]

I haven't had a problem with synthetic wear. I had two with 1000 miles each that held up. I'll agree they do get stinky. It doesn't bother me that much when I'm hiking though.
That shirt you linked is $65. The synthetics I wear can be picked up for about $10 at WalMart or Target.
I would consider the wool one if I was going on a thru or needed to wear it it for several months though.

It seems that wool has been getting more attention in the last couple of years. Synthetic was the all rage before as people stopped using cotton.
I think some still think of wool as a hot and itchy material.

[bigcranky]

I wear wool year-round. Synthetics do dry a little faster, but on me they stink to high Heaven. Ick. Wool all the way.

[Raul Perez]

I wore wool on my last 50 mile section hike late June 2011. The rumor is true... wool doesnt stink up that much and I was sweating quite a bit. Which goes into my other observation... I was sweating a bit more wearing the thin wool shirt (Icebreaker) and I can see the durability being an issue for a thru hike since after day 1 my shirt started to pill up.

Another observation.... during breaks my shirt nearly completely dried up while I was wearing it. Much faster (to me) than my synthetic shirts. However, when hanging it on the line it was still damp in the morning unlike my synthetic shirts.

[Bearpaw]

Wool is MUCH more expensive than most synthetics. This is a big part of the issue I imagine.

I own a microweight smartwool short-sleeve shirt. I never wear it because it is noticeably warmer than a comparable synthetic. It wicks swear well, but in southeastern humidity, it still has no hope of keeping up with the sweat I produce in warmer weather. Such a shirt might do well in the cooler, dryer climates of the CDT or PCT.

Last, synthetics last longer than wool. I still have the 12-year old thorlos I hiked in on my thru-hike. While I prefer merino wool socks, even in hot weather, they wear through in a few hundred miles, maybe 500 at the most. I wouldn't want to subject a merino wool shirt to a full thru-hike.

I DO love the lightweight and midweight long-sleeve tops I own for cool and cold weather. Their sweat control is truly remarkable.

[Tom Murphy]

Why don't modern-day hikers wear wool any more?

Thanks for the link. I didn't know SMARTWOOL offered that.

Most of my winter layers are wool including socks, base layers, liner gloves, toque [all from SMARTWOOL], wool pants from an army surplus store, a midweight longsleeve from ICEBREAKER, and a nice heavy sweater from EMS.

But you can regulate the layers in the winter. Not so much in the summer.

Every material has its advantages and disadvantages.

I prefer the synthetics t-shirts for hikes in hot weather. I find they wick moisture well and dry easily. A light weight wool t-shirt was not an option when I started hiking 9-10 years ago, or at least I never saw one.

I also find synthetics work better as a soft shell material than wool which doesn't seem to shed snow melt as well.

My hiking clothing is a mix of wool and fleece and polypro. My sleep system is mostly down. Didn't intend that, but now I like the variety.

[skinewmexico]

Wool is expensive. I have a few synthetics that are treated for stink and seem to work well, but they tend to get more expensive too. Easier just to go to Walmart and stink.

[rsmout]

Mountaingear.com is having their 25th anniversary sale this month (only two days left!). They have SmartWool micro-weight tee-shirts at 33% off, about $40. These shirts are usually $60 or more, even at REI. I own three, one of them a long-sleeve 3/4 zip. Yes, they do smell like a wet dog when saturated with sweat, and they get heavy when wet, but I try to wash them out and put them in my sleeping bag at night to dry out.

[4Bears]

You can also check out these folks, not cheap but quallity work. http://www.ibexwear.com/shop/

[LDog]

I have one of those Smartwool NTS Microweight T-Shirts in green. Love the shirt but, because of the dark color, I wouldn't want to walk in the hot sun in it. I see they make a grey that is relatively lite colored.

[Del Q]

Lightweight Merino Wool is my choice, Icebreaker or Backpacking Light (not selling gear anymore), no smell, comfortable, dries really fast, summer or winter, my choice. Negative - they do tear easily and they are expensive.