Smartwool

smartwool clothing and accessories Smartwool offers some essential items for backcountry skiing including socks, beanies, underwear, base-layers and mid-layers. So what set’s Smartwool apart from the plethora of other manufacturers offering performance clothing and accessories? Let’s start by asking: synthetic or wool?

I am a little biased – I spent my childhood on a sheep farm in rural Australia not far from the ‘Big Merino’, and on the farm we raised merino sheep. Though synthetics have their place in my closet, for me wool is the natural, authentic and sustainable choice. When I can, I choose wool. Good quality wool is softer and warmer. I can wear it for days in a row on a cabin trip and it won’t stink. It is a renewable resource and I am supporting farmers like my dad. Skiers beware though, there are varying qualities and for clothing that you want to have next to your skin, you will want to pay the extra for Merino wool.

Smartwool sources Zque Merino, an accreditation which ensures that the merino wool is not only of the highest quality but was produced using humane animal practices, sustainable land management and fair conditions for farmers.

Wool is predominately made up of the protein Keratin, the same stuff in our own skin and hair. Merino wool is the finest wool available which is why it is so soft and not itchy - it won’t irritate. Merino wool’s ingenious natural construction gives it the following properties:
- Temperature regulating - keeps you warm when it’s cold and cool when it’s warm.
- Water repellant due to the protein Keratin’s own hydrophobic tendencies
- Low odour - due to the fact that it wick’s moisture, keeping drier and less hospitable for odour causing bacteria.
- Natural dirt repellant due to the scales and crimps of the fibres as well as merino wools natural anti-static properties.

Smartwool maximizes these natural qualities of wool with specialized knitting techniques, articulated fit and also with zonal construction. That is, they put more wool in areas where the body chills and less where the body accumulates heat. They also use proprietary pre-treated Merino wool which smooths the woollen fibres so that their garments are definitely itch-free and, most importantly, they won’t shrink when you wash them in the washing machine. To be safe, I would follow the care directions which usually opt for a gentle, cool wash. Like my mum always says, “If you take care of your wool it will last a lifetime”.

Based in Steamboat, Colorado, Smartwool knows mountains conditions and designs their products accordingly. They have recently developed their own layering system called ‘Layer Up’ which offers technical Next-To-Skin (NTS) Base-layer and Thermal Mid-layer (TML) pieces specifically designed to work together to keep the skier drier, warmer and more comfortable. The idea is that similar fibres work well together as they behave the same way. For example, apparently merino wool deals with sweat in it’s vapour state whereas synthetics wait until you’re wet with sweat before they begin to wick moisture. So if you were to place a synthetic layer over a wool layer or vice versa the wool will not work as efficiently. Makes sense. Smartwool’s NTS and TML pieces are also cut to work great on their own but even better in tandem where the mid-layer adds warmth but continues the breathing process set-up by the base-layer. The other advantage is that zippers and seams don’t stack up onto each other and fabric weights are optimized, reducing bulk.

Following are the Smartwool pieces we looked at:

Socks:

Socks are a review on their own but for backcountry skiing we can keep it simple. Smartwool’s light and ultra-light socks work best on the uptrack - they wick moisture and are light enough that your feet don’t overheat. Worth noting are targeted cushioned areas. I actually purchased a pair last season to help cushion a hot spot on my lower shin and they worked. Smartwool socks have an articulated fit specific to either a male or female foot so they don’t bunch when you lean forward in your boot. These are high tech socks designed specifically for skiing don’t wear them around town or the house and they will last for seasons (speaking from experience).