100 percent merino wool activewear -- really!

The two don't sound like they'd go together: itchy wool and sweaty bodies. Ew. But a few months ago some friends bought a bunch of 100 percent merino wool activewear for a trip to Zion National Park. It sounded awful to me, but they swore up and down that it was the best wicking/temperature regulating/odor-repelling material out there and NOT ITCHY. Harrumphf, I thought, until I walked into Icebreaker, a store in Portland's Pearl District (on 11th & W. Burnside) that manufactures 100 percent merino wool clothing. Guess what? It's not itchy! The wool is ultra-fine and looks a little like silk. It's really, really comfortable.

Merino wool is a natural fiber (obviously), not a synthetic. All of the technology that goes into making synthetic high-performance athletic clothing is just naturally-occurring in wool. Merino wools adapts to your body temperature, so it keeps you warm in the winter and cool in the summer. I worked out and did yoga in an Icebreaker t-shirt yesterday and it was great. I sweated, but the shirt didn't stink like my other synthetic workout shirts.

The downside is that superfine merino wool clothing is expensive (unless you shop the 50% off rack like I did). A full-price t-shirt is around $65 at Icebreaker, and underpants are $35. Even at 50% off I typically wouldn't spend $17.50 on a pair of underpants (but oh my gawd I love them). I got the boy shorts and they are so darn comfortable. I also suspect that the clothing will last for a long time. I do love my cozy fleece, but I'm sold on merino wool activewear. (They also have it in kid sizes.) Have you tried it?

And, hey, Portlanders, on Saturday April 26 and May 1, take in an old cotton t-shirt to Icebreaker and they will sew it -- on the spot -- into a handy reusable shopping bag. PLUS you'll get $10 off a pure merino superfine top!