>>1991609>wool is incredibly itchy>I have tried super soft cashmere and merinoI see where you're coming from and also attributed it to the wool. Having never worn merino until recently, I was surprised by both the slightly "electric" feel and by how much I loved it.
>>1991653Re: lanolizing. I think that if the wool is ever to be washed, it should be lanolized, especially underwear. Lanolin is the perfect skin cream and it greatly enhances the water/odor wicking abilities and the anti-microbial powers. Long story short, there's no downside to putting your genitals in some lanolin-infused fabric.
>aren't you overlooking normal abrasion? I've got holes at the seams at my waist and wrists, where it's constantly rubbing agains the backpack or surfacesPic related is the Duckworth 220gsm shirt stitching. The whole shirt is like this: 5 cross stitch layers where normal shirts have 2 straight stitches. If there are some holes or small tears, I have needles and woolen thread. 100 gsm is not worth considering IMO.
The elbows are a concern, which is why I bought a USMC milsurp sweater for like $30. It's 100% wool with padded wrists/elbows and shoulders, cheap, olive drab, perfect for /out/. For summer hiking I would simply use a wool cycling jersey. Another purchase was an old wool one with some holes and general sadness, like the USMC sweater, all the benefits of wool at a price point that doesn't leave you paranoid about catching a branch on your $100 shirt.
