As the weather begins to cool to a moderate level here in San Diego, the weather in our mountains and deserts get positively chilly.  These are the places I love to hike and backpack, so a quality, warm, wicking baselayer is essential to being comfortable and having fun.  This winter I have the opportunity to try out a new baselayer form Polarmax called Acclimate Wool.  Here is how polar max describes their newest baselayer fabric;

“New Acclimate Wool from Polarmax combines super soft New Zealand Merino wool with Polarmax’s proprietary Acclimate Dry fibers for the ultimate in moisture management (which also means the ultimate in comfort during high output activities like skiing, running and snow shoveling).

Here’s what’s so cool about the Acclimate Dry/Merino blended fiber:

Wool fibers move moisture while in VAPOR form (steamy), and Acclimate Dry fibers move moisture away from the skin in LIQUID form (sweaty), so no matter what you’re doing or how hard you’re working, Acclimate Wool keeps your skin dry and comfortable. Acclimate Wool is also naturally anti-microbial and has superior thermoregulation properties for warmth without bulk. ”

I had the perfect opportunity this last weekend to put the Acclimate Wool baselayers to the test on a nippy backpacking trip into San Jacinto.  The weather during the afternoon was cool enough to need a long sleeve shirt, but we were working hard, exerting some energy and building up some warmth and its byproduct sweat.  These are the situations where the wicking properties of your baselayer are critical.  When you stop exerting yourself in these types of conditions, it get very cold very quickly, and having moisture trapped between your skin and clothing can be a critical situation.  I am happy to say that the Acclimate Wool baselayer lived up to their claim of effectively managing moisture and pulling it away form my skin, and keeping me warm even in that critical post exertion period.  The cut of both the bottoms and the top were true to size, and comfortable under my hiking clothing.  The texture of the fabric is very nice, soft and slightly fuzzy, more like merino wool in feel than a plasticy synthetic.

I have only used the Polarmax Acclimate Wool baselayers for a short period so far, but I am initially impressed with their performance.  The long winter will be more telling as to how these new baselayers work, and I will report back in a few months as to their performance.