I thought the whole 'merino wool base layer' thing was just hype

I bought a cheap one from a big box store for a trip to the White Mountains last fall and it was awful, itchy and didn't dry. My buddy finally convinced me to try a real one from a brand called Smartwool. I wore it for three days straight in damp, 40-degree weather and it didn't smell at all. It also dried overnight hanging in my tent after I got caught in the rain. I was totally wrong about the material. What other gear did you all think was overrated until you tried the right version?

3 comments

3 Comments

danielm4820d ago

It's funny how often the cheap version of something ruins the whole idea. Makes you wonder what else we've written off because of a bad first try.

grant46520d ago

Yeah but sometimes the cheap version is fine and you save a ton of cash. I get what @danielm48 is saying, but I've had the opposite happen too. I bought a really expensive rain jacket once and it was just as stuffy as my old one from the discount store. For me it was hiking poles, thought they were silly until I borrowed a pair on a long downhill.

the_jason14d ago

That rain jacket thing hits home. I've learned to check the return policy before buying the expensive stuff, just in case it's not any better.