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Winter is coming. You’re going to need wool

  • Ron 

Okay, just so you know, ‘Winter Is Coming’ is about as far as my “Game of Thrones” knowledge goes. I’m not going to on about about Westeros and dragons. My fantasy epic reading binges stopped when I went to college.

I do know a little about technical wool clothing, though. Summer is a bit of a strange time to get long sleeve wool shirts and leggings in for review, but we have had enough cool days lately for me to test some. The latest to hit the Bike World News test drawer are the Chocorua mid-weight long sleeve crew and and Kancamagus mid-weight bottoms from Minus 33.

First, a little about Minus 33. While they’ve not gotten the notice of Smartwool and Icebreaker, they’ve been around about the same amount of time, but they come from a long history of merino wool textile manufacturing. Minus 33 is owned and operated by New Hampshire based L. W. Packard Inc. L.W. Packard is not a household brand, but in their 100 year history, they were able to count themselves as one of the world’s leading merino wool textile manufacturers. Suffice to say that they know merino.

While the fit and the cut of Minus 33’s pieces may not be as trim and sexy as those of their competitors, their prices are a lot more reasonable, too. Where a long sleeve crew from those with big marketing budgets run from $95 to $110, a similar piece from Minus 33 could be had for $65. There’s a lot to be said for being able to stick two shirts in your backpack for the same price as one from other brands.

The Chocorua mid-weight long sleeve crew fit to size and unlike some other base layers I’ve tried, the weave was tight enough to feel that I could wear it comfortably without something over it. I tried it over several unusually cool late summer evenings and it kept me comfortable whether I was in or out of the sun. It held up well through several cycles in the wash with no noticeable pilling.

While I did not wear the Chocorua while backpacking, I did notice that the shoulder seams were right at the top of the shoulder. Other shirts I’ve tested in this class either moved the seams down forward onto the chest or used a paneled construction in the shoulders to reduce rubbing.

While I liked the fabric and the overall warmth of the Kancamagus mid-weight bottoms. I really only got a chance to wear them as loungewear. It really didn’t get cold enough for me to try them under jeans or other pants. That said, I could tell that the slightly loose fit could be a problem.

My legs aren’t the tree trunks that they used to be, but they are still fairly muscular. Most jeans and pants fit me fairly snug in the legs all on their own. The Kancamagus’ are a little loose on my legs, so I could see some troubles ahead trying to wear them as long underwear. In the case of these, a ‘leggings’ type fit might be a better choice for Minus 33 to take the product. They might work okay under ski pants or bibs, however.

Overall, there’s a lot to recommend for these Minus 33 products. They definitely know how to spin and mill merino and come from a manufacturer with a long history in outdoor wear. The prices are a good third less than their competitors with little difference to justify paying the higher price.

Winter is coming – get your wool now.

 

 

Tags: American fashion, Bike World News, clothing, Culture, Fashion, Hosiery, Jeans, Merino, merino wool, Sportswear, Trousers, winter, Wool
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