Merino Wool is a fabric that boasts countless natural properties, making it a top choice for anyone looking to work or play in the great outdoors. Merino Wool ranks as the world’s best natural fiber for a number of reasons:
Unlike synthetics or cotton, there is a limited global supply of Merino Wool, which explains - in part why many companies opt for an easier, cheaper supply chain and outsource manufacturing to countries like China and Vietnam. Moreover, when you look at cotton as a textile, it does not thermoregulate well for body warmth (being plant based) and it holds water and water vapor to sometimes perilous effect. Some people even throw around the expression, "cotton kills." Synthetics are no different. With Merino, the quick drying and warmer-when-wet properties are unmatched.
The “Merino” in Merino Wool is the name of a specific breed of sheep. While all domestic sheep grow wool, they aren’t created equal. Merino Wool is prized above all others for a specific combination of qualities, such as its unparalleled ability to wick moisture, insulate and breathe simultaneously, and superior durability.
Duckworth’s Merino Wool is grown, sheared, and sorted at our ranch in Dillon, Montana. Temperatures are the ranch range from -40 to over 90 degrees Fahrenheit annually. Such a range requires our sheep to grow a natural fleece adapted to all the variable weather elements that arrive across all four seasons. Some Merino Wool is harvested in Australia and New Zealand, but those locations lack the intense temperature variability we see in Montana. As a result, their wool doesn’t have the same unique thermoregulating properties.
A lot of customers ask us, “Is Merino Wool itchy?” Nope. Unlike some wool garments, Duckworth's 100% Montana-grown Merino Wool will not itch–it’s very comfortable and soft. Our high-quality Merino Wool sports a fine "micron diameter” (width of the fiber) and long "staple length” (length of the fiber).
And what is "thermoregulation" anyway? Well, wool is to a sheep what insulation is to a house - when it's cold outside, it keeps temps on the inside warm and cozy; when it's hot out, it keeps the cool air right where you want it. Better yet, these effects are on an ever-evolving spectrum, with the Merino’s thermoregulation properties reacting to your own core temp and the outside conditions.
If you’re wondering, “Does Merino Wool dry fast?”, you’ve come to the right place.Duckworth has pioneered the art of creating fast-wicking and quick-drying Merino Wool fabrics, proprietary items you won't find elsewhere. Wool is naturally "hydrophilic," meaning it is chemically attracted to water and water vapor. The end result? A garment that doubles as a sweat vacuum, pulling potentially life-threatening, chill-creating sweat and moisture from the skin. On a warm day, the effect is just as effective, keeping you sweat-free and dry despite heat and exertion. That’s why Merino Wool is the sensible choice for anybody who works up a sweat running, hiking, skiing, hunting, biking, climbing, or simply spending their day outdoors.
Thanks to its makeup at an atomic level, Merino Wool helps draw moisture vapor into the center of the fiber. There, the hydrogen bond of water is broken, generating heat when combined with pockets of trapped air. The end result? Clothing that will literally become warmer the damper it gets, which is a game-changing asset in heavy rainfall or snow.
Because our Merino Wool grows perennially on our sheep's backs–no different than the hair on your head–Merino Wool is widely considered the world’s most sustainable fiber. Our premium Merino Wool fleece is shorn once a year by skilled shearers. The sheep’s wool grows back over the course of the following 12 months, producing a new batch of fiber destined for environmentally-friendly clothing material. Eco-friendly fabric techniques are then integrated at every possible step of the process, a tradition of sustainable excellence our fans and customers have come to appreciate deeply.
The natural moisture-wicking profile of Merino Wool denies odor-causing bacteria the moist environment they need to thrive and multiply. In other words, Merino Wool is constantly drawing moisture up and away from your body, preventing sweat from bonding to the surface of your clothing. Our wool has natural antimicrobial goodness.
Bent back and forth repeatedly, a strand of polyester fiber will snap after approximately 3,000 bends. By comparison, Merino Wool is more than six times as durable, breaking only after it’s bent roughly 20,000 times. The choice is simple for the savvy investor in fine outdoor clothing.
Merino Wool is flame-resistant to boot. Its inherent fire resistance is derived from its naturally high nitrogen content. Because of this natural rarity, Merino Wool requires higher levels of oxygen in the surrounding environment in order to burn. Our wool may be ignited if subjected to a significantly powerful heat source, but it does not support flame easily, smoldering for short periods instead–and usually only for a short time. Even more remarkably, Merino Wool’s cross-linked cell membrane structure will swell when heated to the point of combustion, forming an insulating layer that prevents the spread of flame. This also means Merino Wool produces less smoke and toxic gas than synthetic fibers when in contact with an open flame. For campfire aficionados, Merino Wool is the sensible choice.
We don’t source wool, we grow it on our very own ranch in Montana. We carefully manage every step of the process, from fiber to finished garment. Sheep to Shelf.
Trust, quality and comfort are paramount, assured by the pedigree of our wool supply from our founder's ranch and select certified Rocky Mountain wool growers.
Merino Wool layers made in the country of origin of the fleece – The United States – creates value added product for our local economies, bringing heirloom jobs back.
