Are Macpac Merino any different to Icebreaker?

'This Men’s Merino 220 ' 220 denotes the material weight, grams per square meter, compare that with the weight of the icebreaker garments your looking at, heavier is more expensive. if the weight is similar then should be ok. icebreaker is as much a fashion brand now, probably more so than an outdoor brand, they spend a fortune on marketing and retailing themselves to those with disposable income.. it's quality stuff but its not value for money... you buy another brand that doesnt spend as much promoting itself to get brand recognition to those willing to pay high prices and you can still get a good quality product... given you see icebreaker advertising around airports amongst other expensive brands, its a premium priced product, so i wouldnt write off other brands because they are cheaper at all

Oh thanks Wayno

In my experience the Macpac merinos are a much coarser product. Still do the job, but I prefer the smoother finish of the Icebreakers. However, Ive found in recent years that the Icebreaker shirts dont last like they used to, and holes tend to appear after a couple of years, particularly around where pack straps are used.

merino isnt hte most durable of materials for tramping with. some brands make baselayers what are a mixture of stronger aynthetic materials to give them better durability. Rab add polyester to their merino's i dont wear merino for exercising, synthetic absorbs less moisture and lasts longer. baselayers arent about keeping you warm at all when its cold, they are about shifting the sweat away from your skin as fast as possible to prevent the moisture from chilling you.

I'm currently evaluating similar issues with my tramping gear. I've been lucky enough to score icebreaker tops second hand now and then = but the downside is that its already second hand when you start using it for pretty rugged tramping - I agree that it defo isnt durable - I'm going thru the tops pretty fast. I think it would make a good "mid" layer, with something like fleece or light wool as a top layer (in the dry). But I still find merino the most breathable and great in terms of not getting stinky. But yea, for the amount you'd spend on a new merino top, I think Im better off buying some second-hand light-weight grandpa jersey at an opshop from now on - similar warmth factor, but just as light and far more durable. I think another thing to take into account with merino is manufactured hype to boost a product's profile, and help maximise the retail price for it.

market it and people will buy it... accentuate the positive, eliminate the negative.. gore tex "guaranteed to keep you dry" it almost never does... if you get a hole in a merino it tends to ladder and unravel relatively fast. its marketed on teh "natural fibre" pitch, warm... and the whole earthy way its grown and harvested, vs the cheap plastic synthetic stuff that pills

Personally I couldn't disagree more. Yes the durability of thinner merino isn't the best. But I swear by my macpac merino for tramping. Join their club and with sales merino clothing can be bought reasonably cheaply. I love the feeling of my macpac merino. I don't tramp in merino long johns as they shred to pieces, but I almost only ever tramp in rugby shorts in all but the coldest of tops weather anyway. My short sleeve merino shirt is my first layer. It wicks sweat so well. I don't sweat enough for it to buildup. You would have to sweat buckets for this to be an issue. But the best thing is that it feels so comfortable when you have been sweating. It wicks away to the surface,unlike synthetic material that sits between you and the material and is a horrible feeling that I avoid like the plague. It's bloody warm and is super cosy to use as hut gear. I'm a big fan of macpac merino I have a lot. Just Wash it by hand and let it air dry. It lasts pretty well considering its light weight and the thrashing it gets.

@gaiters would you say the same for gloves? Merino would, as you say 'shread apart' if you use them while tramping but would be good for hut use so would it be wise to get poly pro gloves for tramping and a pair of merino gloves for hut/camp use?

I personally have polypropylene gloves and waterproof over gloves. I couldn't see merino gloves lasting long. But I haven't used them.