The merino fiber might be naturally grown but it’s highly sophisticated in its range of attributes, enabling it to be fashioned into all manner of fabrics. One of the reasons an i-merino garment is such good value is that it can be worn in a wide variety of climates and situations. For the traveler, backpacker or mountaineer, that can mean packing fewer garments.
Able to be knitted or woven, merino can be used to create a range of fabrics that few textiles can match. While some may be familiar with flatbed-knitted woolen fabrics, more recently cost-effective circular-knitting techniques have been developed that are ideal for the activewear market. i-merino currently produces circular knits and body tubes in pure 100% i-merino, while the circular knit is also available in a blend.
Merino is renowned for its warmth but what is less well known is that the Bedouin tribes of the Sinai, where temperatures reach extreme highs, have been wrapping themselves in wool for centuries. The merino fiber works as a condition buffer; in the heat to cool the body initially through managing the build up moisture vapor internally, keeping the wearer drier for longer, and then through not clinging to the skin even when the fabric is wet allowing the skin to still do it’s job through sweating and cooling the body .
In cold conditions merino effectively reduces the rate of heat transfer to the environment, assisting the body to maintain its optimum temperature. Its thermal resistance lies in its ability to immobilize air within the matrix of the fabric. Trapped air is one of the best insulators of heat available. [Read more]
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