Find out why the best decision ioMerino Outsider Kim Havell made on her recent trip to the Teton Mountain Range was packing one well-loved ioMerino Teefor five days of hiking and camping.
By Outsider Kim Havell
When the learning curve is steep, it’s a bonus to get something right the first time.
Our daughter, Charlie, is 11 months old. Her daddy is an Outfitter and Pack Trip Guide in the Jackson area of Wyoming. If we’re going to see daddy in the summer, then we have to do some mountain travel. So, earlier in July, we joined a 5-day trip up Teton Canyon in the heart of the Teton Mountain Range — Charlie’s first camping trip up in the alpine.
Though the horses carry much of the load, you must still be efficient in your packing. There is a limit to how much weight is appropriate for the animals to carry. In order to make the trip seamless, fun, and cozy for our child, I packed as little as possible for myself in order to make room for her creature comforts. One of the best decisions I made was bringing one main tee shirt for the 5 days of hiking and camping. That shirt was a well-used grey ioMerino wool tee. It was perfect.
We spent five days of great weather — the warm daytime sun and lovely cool nights — up high in the alpine. We explored the windy plateaus, played in the wildflowers on mountain passes, and climbed around on rocks next to alpine lakes. I wore my tee every day and I pat myself on the back for a decision well made.
In my travels, I often find that I over pack on a few items. On expeditions, I still find myself thinking I could have brought less. It took having a child, and putting her needs before mine, to finally nail down the efficiency in my packing. Thanks ioMerino for making my decision a good one.
While Merino is an amazing natural fibre, not all Merino fabrics are created equal. At ioMerino, we make our own fabrics, using only the best quality fibres, and to very specific specifications that make the most of the natural benefits of Merino. All of them are 'Merino rich’. No cheap blends passed off as Merino. No cheaper scratchy fibres or synthetic substitutes to save money. No unethical production. And each fabric is made for a specific purpose. So if you see something with a small amount of elastase or nylon added, you can be sure it absolutely needs to be there to enhance the natural stretch and durability.
It took every bit of our 140 years of experience in the wool industry to perfect our fabrics, but we think you’ll agree the end result was more than worth the effort.
Ethically Made. Ethically Sourced. Perfectly Natural.
Lightweight 170gsm 96% Australian Merino Wool with 4% elastane for extra stretch and comfort. A MicroMerino® Fabric.
Lightweight 160gsm 83% Australian Merino Wool blended with 12% nylon blended for extra durability and 5% Elastane for stretch and comfort.
Midweight 265gsm 96% Australian Merino Wool with 4% elastane for extra stretch and comfort. A MicroMerino® Fabric.
Made from 45% ultra fine MERINO (Ultra Lightweight 150gsm), 45% natural TENCEL (made from sustainably grown wood fiber), and 10% nylon for extra durability.
Ultra Lightweight 150gsm 100% Australian Merino Wool. A MicroMerino® Fabric.
Midweight 280gsm 76% Australian Merino Wool, 15% Elastane and 9% Nylon for extra stretch and compression properties.
Ultra lightweight ribbed 155gsm 100% Australian Merino Wool. A MicroMerino® Fabric.
Outer Weight 280gsm Fleece 100% Australian Merino Wool. A MicroMerino® Fabric.
Midweight 260gsm 100% Australian Merino Wool. A MicroMerino® Fabric.
Midweight 260gsm waffle texture 100% Australian Merino Wool. A MicroMerino® Fabric.
Midweight 255gsm French Terry 100% Australian Merino Wool. A MicroMerino® Fabric.