Thank you so much! While both your sun hoodie and your mid layer did great for what they're supposed to do, it's hard to say which material is better because your sun hoodie has 65% merino while your alpaca mid layer has 100% alpaca. AGC also makes 8020 alpaca sun hoodie. Hope you'll make a stink test video for both in the future.
I have noticed that as well. I wonder if Alpaca is natively more costly or if there just aren't enough companies on the band wagon yet like there are for Merino?
I did a lot of research before going to the arctic for an expedition and came away with alpaca socks that were the bomb. Far better than the merino at least for my purpose.
Nice video Doug. I don’t have any merino or alpaca wool gear but def tempted to grab some. Usually just a fleece and down jacket guy myself. Have you been hiking in Henry Coe State Park at all in the Morgan Hill/Gilroy area? Holy cow it’s beautiful this time of year. Thanks for the vids
I've had socks and a shirt in merino wool and liked them, this is my first Alpaca. Yeah I've been to henry Coe two or three times. Good training trails and I love the Manzanita!
@@BackcountryPilgrim I find the inclines there to be very tough, not a whole lot of switchbacks, mostly just straight up. Fantastic training for the Sierras though! And a very underrated park with beautiful scenery (especially with the spring wildflowers)
Alpaca is a bit warmer per weight than merino, provided the micron count is similar, because alpaca fibers are significantly more hollow in nature. It is the trapped/stilled air that insulates, and nothing traps and stills air better than a fully encased structure (in this case, a fiber). With that said, if the merino is a much lower micron count than a much higher micron count alpaca garment, then insulation will be similar or even better with the merino, because fiber size and arrangement is the primary way to trap/still air. Theoretically, alpaca should dry a bit faster since there is less solid material to absorb moisture and thus need to be dried. But then again, its not so simple because much of the drying time of a garment relates to the thickness, because the more spaces you have between fibers, the more areas you have for water to be held. Typically very thin garments of any material, will dry significantly faster than thick garments of any material. But then again, with something like polypropylene, even if it is thicker, you can ring or swing out much of the water quite quickly, because the water neither adheres to the surface well nor does the material absorb much of it into the internal structure. Dropping some water onto or soaking a fabric and then letting it dry, can be different test than a real world test of ringing and/or swinging it to remove moisture. In the latter case, highly hydrophobic materials will always do much better than natural hydrophilic materials. Where Merino and Alpaca both shine, is in the natural odor prevention, and ability to wash it out once it does form. And yes, they do tend to be a bit warmer when damp than most other fabrics (except hollow core polypropylene).
Excellent write-up! I've seen more and more people becoming unimpressed with Merino even though it seems like it's been considered the GOAT for years. There are, as you well pointed out, many factors though! Thanks for watching!
@@BackcountryPilgrim Cheers. My biggest issues with merino is lack of durability and long drying times. I don't mind merino synthetic blends as much, as it improves both depending on the ratios. But the ultimate for me in balance of properties (odor, thermal insulation, reasonable drying time, durability, etc) is alpaca-synthetic blends.
C’mon man. Stop with the hiking videos. Your calling in life is rap. Maybe do a Gangnam Style video called “Hiker style” and you can use that to preach the pros/cons of alpaca and merino. Stop trying to provide informative, researched content. Just give me hot girls dancing to cool music. That’s what the internet is for.
Alpaca vs. Merino . . . Thoughts?
Thank you so much! While both your sun hoodie and your mid layer did great for what they're supposed to do, it's hard to say which material is better because your sun hoodie has 65% merino while your alpaca mid layer has 100% alpaca. AGC also makes 8020 alpaca sun hoodie.
Hope you'll make a stink test video for both in the future.
My kids love it when I make them help me with stink tests LOL!
Merino is a bit more budget friendly, if you catch the right sales. I haven't seen alpaca anywhere near the price I've found some Merino items.
I have noticed that as well. I wonder if Alpaca is natively more costly or if there just aren't enough companies on the band wagon yet like there are for Merino?
@@BackcountryPilgrim probably a bit of both.
"Satins cesspool " lol I love that name , that's gonna be the new name of my neather region after a long summer hike lol
I did a lot of research before going to the arctic for an expedition and came away with alpaca socks that were the bomb. Far better than the merino at least for my purpose.
Dang that's a good stress test too! Good to know, thank you!
I hope AGC can make a revival. They have great gear.
Yeah I was real sorry to heard they folded. :/
This was super helpful...thanks so much for doing proper testing.
You are so welcome!
Nice video Doug. I don’t have any merino or alpaca wool gear but def tempted to grab some. Usually just a fleece and down jacket guy myself. Have you been hiking in Henry Coe State Park at all in the Morgan Hill/Gilroy area? Holy cow it’s beautiful this time of year. Thanks for the vids
I've had socks and a shirt in merino wool and liked them, this is my first Alpaca. Yeah I've been to henry Coe two or three times. Good training trails and I love the Manzanita!
@@BackcountryPilgrim I find the inclines there to be very tough, not a whole lot of switchbacks, mostly just straight up. Fantastic training for the Sierras though! And a very underrated park with beautiful scenery (especially with the spring wildflowers)
For sure! It's like: "There's the top of the hill. Go!" Haha!
Alpaca is a bit warmer per weight than merino, provided the micron count is similar, because alpaca fibers are significantly more hollow in nature. It is the trapped/stilled air that insulates, and nothing traps and stills air better than a fully encased structure (in this case, a fiber). With that said, if the merino is a much lower micron count than a much higher micron count alpaca garment, then insulation will be similar or even better with the merino, because fiber size and arrangement is the primary way to trap/still air.
Theoretically, alpaca should dry a bit faster since there is less solid material to absorb moisture and thus need to be dried. But then again, its not so simple because much of the drying time of a garment relates to the thickness, because the more spaces you have between fibers, the more areas you have for water to be held. Typically very thin garments of any material, will dry significantly faster than thick garments of any material.
But then again, with something like polypropylene, even if it is thicker, you can ring or swing out much of the water quite quickly, because the water neither adheres to the surface well nor does the material absorb much of it into the internal structure. Dropping some water onto or soaking a fabric and then letting it dry, can be different test than a real world test of ringing and/or swinging it to remove moisture. In the latter case, highly hydrophobic materials will always do much better than natural hydrophilic materials.
Where Merino and Alpaca both shine, is in the natural odor prevention, and ability to wash it out once it does form. And yes, they do tend to be a bit warmer when damp than most other fabrics (except hollow core polypropylene).
Excellent write-up! I've seen more and more people becoming unimpressed with Merino even though it seems like it's been considered the GOAT for years. There are, as you well pointed out, many factors though! Thanks for watching!
@@BackcountryPilgrim Cheers. My biggest issues with merino is lack of durability and long drying times. I don't mind merino synthetic blends as much, as it improves both depending on the ratios.
But the ultimate for me in balance of properties (odor, thermal insulation, reasonable drying time, durability, etc) is alpaca-synthetic blends.
Hi Doug, what are your thoughts regarding quality of construction of the App Gear Co. product?
So far so good, super comfortable and appears to be very well made.
What happened to Appalachian gear Company?
I don't know. They seem to have gone dark last May. :(
Appalachian "Sorry, this store is currently unavailable."
Yeah they recently went out of business. :(
C’mon man. Stop with the hiking videos. Your calling in life is rap. Maybe do a Gangnam Style video called “Hiker style” and you can use that to preach the pros/cons of alpaca and merino. Stop trying to provide informative, researched content. Just give me hot girls dancing to cool music. That’s what the internet is for.
I see I've let you down. I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me. (At least until next April 1...). :)