Merino

amp713

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Have yet to get into the merino game but want to for base layers.

I keep seeing black Ovis and occasionally core 4 for sale. Anyone have experience with either? Worth getting as a startup or save for better and if so what's"better"
 
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Mar 2, 2014
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I got some of the Ovis boxers but can't wear them, I end up with chafe everytime I used them. They fit great and are comfortable, but after awhile the burn begins in the sensitive spots. I went back to my trusty bicycle shorts and no problem.

I really want to try a merino shirt, but am nervous now. Not sure if it is the moisture retention, the seam placement or the fabric that caused issue, although I do notice some itch with all wool I have tried, even merino. I do use merino smart wool socks, even those itch after a while but better than blisters.

I am curious to see what others experiences are as well.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk
 

Agross

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Camofire has the black Ovis quite often. Better to try em for that price. I like my minus 33 and first lite a little better , but they are more spendy. I wouldn't be afraid to try the black Ovis . I finally took the plunge on merino base layers a few years ago, wish I would've done it a lot sooner.
 

danarnold

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my opinion, skip core4, I have a L long sleve from them that doesn't get used at all, it's not confortable
I have some minus 33 that feels way better, I switched to synthetics with polygene in various weights and wont look back, mostly sitka...more comfort , dries super quick, no stink
 

wyosteve

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I have some of the Black Ovis long sleeve tops and love them. Well made and fit is great.
 

AdamW

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Just bought a Black Ovis beanie off camofire last week and the feel of it feels okay, looking forward to trying it out. I think as with anything there are levels of quality. My original merino was a smartwool 1/4 zip and I feel like the quality and comfort of it is way up there, even when compared to my First Lite (which I'm wearing my chama hoodie as I type this). I think you'll find you like merino as soon as you make the jump. Rotating 2 pair of base layers for 10 days in CO last year and never having any funk was a game changer for me. Like eating good food, having clean feeling and smelling clothes is a big mental thing for me in the woods. My biggest regret is not discovering it sooner. I bought some Icebreaker boxers and long base layer pants off Sierra Trading post for cheap a year or so ago. Didn't get to choose much on colors but the price was right.
 

GKPrice

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FWIW, here is my "take" on merino - I buy 2 or 3 Smart Wool SS teeshirts and pairs of boxers every so often, I hand wash them when they need cleaning and replace them as needed - As soon as hunting season starts I start wearing them next to the skin and quit when the first warm spring day hits, each and every year - I am never uncomfortable, not ever - fishing, skiing, hiking, working outside, whatever .... over the "next to skin" layer I wear whatever I want to try, what is functional for that activity, something "new", or the good stuff from last year or the years before - If it worked then it'll work now - I see it here on Rokslide daily, the "next big thing" is usually just "the next thing" ...... companies separating us from our money
 

mtwarden

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I've owned numerous merino layers of varying weights and from numerous manufacturers and have concluded that a mix of merino and syn gives me the best results as a base layer- the addition of syn helps the layer dry quicker and significantly increases the durability of the garment, but still gives the advantage of merino; ~ 65:35 percent merino to syn seems to be very close to the sweet spot for me
 

tbone131

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Have yet to get into the merino game but want to for base layers.

I keep seeing black Ovis and occasionally core 4 for sale. Anyone have experience with either? Worth getting as a startup or save for better and if so what's"better"

Many companies try to compete in this market but my favorite is First Lite. Give them a try you won’t regret it. I have other brands such as Kuiu, Cabela’s, and others and they don’t compare to First Lite.
 

GKPrice

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Many companies try to compete in this market but my favorite is First Lite. Give them a try you won’t regret it. I have other brands such as Kuiu, Cabela’s, and others and they don’t compare to First Lite.

I would DEFINITELY agree with this ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
 

go4thegusto

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If you are a medium I have some items cheap to get you started my boys grew out of after just a few wearing's. PM me if interested. Thanks
 

go4thegusto

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Many companies try to compete in this market but my favorite is First Lite. Give them a try you won’t regret it. I have other brands such as Kuiu, Cabela’s, and others and they don’t compare to First Lite.

Hmmm interesting. I've owned most all of them and find the FL saggy, baggy, and strangely tailored as well as way big for the size labeled. KUIU for me...to each his own I guess.
 

tbone131

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Hmmm interesting. I've owned most all of them and find the FL saggy, baggy, and strangely tailored as well as way big for the size labeled. KUIU for me...to each his own I guess.

Kuiu would probably be my second choice. With that being said some of their merino is blended. Not sure if that matters to anyone but it is. I prefer the FL due to feel. It is the softest to skin in my usage. Some of the Kuiu stuff I have is itchy.
 

Gorp2007

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I've got a mixture of FL and SmartWool and I prefer the FL for everything based on how it feels next to skin. The only exception is the SmartWool boxers, which I prefer because they're shorter in the legs than the FL Red Deserts so I can wear them with shorts.
 

wapitibob

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I have over a dozen of the Core4 merino tops in 190 and 190/250 blend. They can't be beat for the price and they wear like iron, way better than the KUIU I have, which by the way, all have holes in them. The merino blend boxers are my go-to as well. The Core4 soft shell jacket is every bit as good as my Sitka 90% and the Core4 Puffy is awesome as well.
 

Owenst7

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Have yet to get into the merino game but want to for base layers.

I keep seeing black Ovis and occasionally core 4 for sale. Anyone have experience with either? Worth getting as a startup or save for better and if so what's"better"

I bought a pair of Black Ovis boxers (medium), the 1/2 zip hoodie (large), and the beanie off CamoFire several weeks ago, right before I left for my hunt. I'm 5'10", 160 lbs, 32"x32" pant size when carrying IWB. I wear a 15.5" neck, 34"/35" sleeve dress shirt. I set up a spike camp about 7 miles in from a road, and probably backpacked around 10 miles a day on average.

I was out for 13 days and wore the hoodie and beanie every day, minus a couple zero days where I was goofing off around camp. I even slept in them. I took a zero day after 4 days of scouting and hand washed everything the day before my season opened. I wore them for about 3-4 more days before hanging them to air out with our sleeping bags (bad condensation in a crowded tarp) for a day. The armpit of the hoodie would smell just like my armpit after a day or two, but airing out for a few hours would get them to where I didn't detect much smell, and I have a pretty sensitive sense of smell.

The beanie was a great liner to my heavier beanie that I wear when it's really cold out. It was breathable enough that I used it pulled down to my eyebrows to prevent sunburn on my forehead. I rarely needed to take it off, even when the sun was out and I was climbing up steep hills to glass. It also stayed in place on my head at night, unlike my heavier beanie that kept falling off and letting me get cold.

The fit on the hoodie is great. I typically wear a medium in fitted shirts, but ordered this in large due to my long arms and torso. My only complaint with the fit is that when I have the hood up, there is a slight tug on the shirt coming up the back. If they added an inch of fabric to the back of the hood, I think it would be perfect. I did not have any discomfort or issues with the shirt coming untucked, however; which is a common issue for me having a long torso proportional to my girth. The cut of the hood was such that I frequently forgot if I had it up or not, even when wearing a thick beanie over top (when it was cold, I'd wear the BO beanie, hood over that, and my heavy beanie over that. I'd add my rain jacket hood or down hood depending on conditions). The sides of the hood stayed out of my peripheral vision well. I wore the hood far more often than not, as it added a lot of warmth to my neck and the back of my head.

The boxers fit me well and did not ride up my thighs like most boxer-briefs do. They are not as supportive and form-fitting as the boxers I usually prefer for hiking, but I did not notice that while wearing them. They were substantially less "clammy" and more comfortable than the polyester/spandex underwear I typically use. They also warded-off stink for about a day longer, although I've found that airing out, especially if a quick rinse is done, makes a big difference regardless of material. Aired-out anything will trump 2-day worn anything in my experience. I will say that I missed the merino underwear when I was wearing something else, simply due to the comfort against the skin. The main criticism I have for the boxers is that the waist band is thin. The Starter/Russel brand polyester boxers I usually use that are only $10 at Walmart have a substantially higher quality waist band that is about double the width and is made of quality elastic that lasts me several years of backpacking and daily wear.

My favorite shirts, for comparison, are the Paradox brand 1/4 zips from Costco. They are 30% merino/70% polyester IIRC. I've worn them year-round for many years, and have found them to be very comfortable in virtually all conditions, extremely durable (even machine washed/dried), and they dry very quickly. 100% merino products annoy me in comparison due to falling apart and absorbing too much water/not drying quickly. I've found that blends retain much of the benefits of merino and offset the negatives with all the benefits of polyester. That said, I knew that I was going to be cold on this last trip, so I bought the hoodie to try out as a heavier base layer than I normally wear. I would still prefer a blend over straight merino, but I've yet to find a product I like the fit/weight/construction of for winter conditions that is a blend. In other words, I really like the Black Ovis merino stuff I used-more than any other product I've found, but I would like them a whole lot more if they blended them with polyester (and put a better waistband on the boxers).

I refuse to pay name-brand prices for 100% merino clothing, because I feel that it is an inferior textile to the blended stuff I can buy for $15-$30 . I just wish the cheaper stuff came in more varied weights and configurations to account for different seasons. I have not been impressed with the fit or stitching of the name-brand stuff I've handled either, for that matter.
 

LostArra

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May 9, 2013
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I think boxers must be like boots, everyone is different.
I've never been impressed with merino boxers (camo? really?) so I just quit wasting my money and stayed with my Arborwear Tech boxer briefs. I bought 10 pairs which could very well last my entire life.
 

HeadnWest

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May 28, 2017
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I got 2 pair of the Black Ovis 50/50 boxers for $14, each on Camofire. Rotated them for a week long hunt in Idaho this year. Loved them. Fit great and kept me dry. Will probably buy a few more pair, to keep at the truck for longer hunts. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them to you.
 

topher89

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Oct 27, 2012
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Colorado
Love Merino Wool and wear it Fall, Winter and Spring. I find even the lightest merino too warm for high output summer activities. Of all the brands I have tried, First Lite is the best

I hate wool boxers though.
 
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