Description of Backcountry.com Merino Zip Tee - Long-Sleeve - Men's:
We made our Backcountry.com Men's Merino Long-Sleeve Zip Tee with super-fine New Zealand Merino, flat-locked seams, and a ½ zip chest so you can tackle anything from a 5-day backpacking trip to a run around the neighborhood. Given its super-fine 18-micron Merino knit, the naturally odor-resistant Merino Zip Tee feels great as a next-to-skin base layer. Merino wool transfers your moisture just as well, if not better than most synthetic fabrics, and it won't leave you shivering after a good sweat since wool stays warm even when wet. Bust open the ½ zip neck for a little extra ventilation when you reach the top of your climb or finish your bike ride with a sprint. Thumbholes in the Merino Zip Tee's cuffs help the sleeves stay put when worn as a layering piece, and the contrast side panels put an end to being rubbed the wrong way.
Bottom Line: The Backcountry.com Men's Long-Sleeve Zip Tee leaves stinking synthetic base layers wanting.
The Wool insulates and breathes while the zip dumps heat. This piece never gets smelly or irritable against your skin. It works well with a Rime or R1 pullover and still allows for the zip to function. Thumbholes are choice, as is the subdued logo. I will have this for quite some time.
This is a great base layer! The merino wool rings true to what you should expect from that material. It fits true to size although it seemed to run a little long in the body and sleeves, but that was a bit of a plus for me. They do stretch a little but always go right back to shape. These are very versatile and extremely insulating and a great addition to the collection!
I spent an entire month long expedition in the Merino Zip Tee recently. It performed relatively well, but the white sleeves became brown in a matter of days and holes emerged where my backpack rubbed against the shirt within about a week. I also feel that while this wool may make you smell less bad in a typical human BO kind of way, in the end you still smell bad, just a different kind of bad. Maybe more like a "wet sheep" as the other reviewer said.
In any case, the shirt worked well to deflect the sun (we were on glacier most of the time) and managed heat and moisture just fine. It did stay damp for longer than I expected, but I didn't feel cold in it when it was damp like I would with a synthetic baselayer.
Also, after two washes the sleeves are still brown :( Its probably not going to make it after what I put it through.
