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Chlorine-Free Wool
Raw, untreated wool has scales that make it itchy and coarse and cause
it to shrink, so most wool fabrics are treated with chlorine to reduce
the scales. But chlorine is a pollutant.
Our 100% merino wool is so fine that it can be slow-washed for softness
next to the skin and minimal shrinkage. It is chlorine-free.
Patagonia Performance Baselayers use New Zealand merino wool
of the highest quality.
Only a few ranches in the world are capable of growing wool that meets
our standards for Performance Baselayers. While all wool retains its
insulative qualities while wet, only exceptionally fine wool can wick
moisture away from the skin. We buy only 100% merino wool from three
superbly run ranches in the southern alps of New Zealand capable of
producing wool fiber to an 18.5-micron fineness, or about one-fifth as
thick as a human hair. We’re confident that our wool is the
best in the world for use as a moisture-managing baselayer. And it is
exceptionally soft against the skin, naturally odor resistant and
machine washable.
There are other benefits. Environmental standards for stock raising are
stringent. The ratio of head to hectare is low. The sheep graze on
natural grass and drink spring water. They are not subject to painful
muesling. Their wool, because it is so fine, can be slow-washed without
environmentally harmful chlorine.
Wool performance characteristics:
* 100% merino wool is the ideal natural
fiber for Performance Baselayers
* Regulates body temperature by
controlling the rate of evaporative cooling
* Soft next to skin
* Naturally moves moisture away from skin
* Naturally odor resistant
* Chlorine-free (see sidebar)
* Machine washable (lay flat to dry)
We offer three wool fabrics:
* Wool 2 is our lightest weight and best
suited to active use in warm to cool conditions
* Wool 3 is warmer, best suited to
active use in cold conditions
* Wool 4 is for the coldest conditions
and styled as outerwear for a seamless transition from active use to
“after use”
When to choose wool over Capilene® polyester:
* If you prefer the feel of a natural
fiber on your skin
* For a fabric that’s warmer
for its weight than Capilene polyester
* For natural odor control that will not
diminish even with repeated washings
* Both fabrics move moisture away from
the skin, provide environmentally safe odor control and are
machine-washable
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