We take a look at the Mt Cook Merinos long-sleeved, zip-necked merino baselayer top from Chocolate Fish.
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Chocolate Fish Mt Cook Merinos
Skivvy - First Look
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Price:
£34.50
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Weight: 219 grammes (men's
L)
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Features100% 18
micron, 200g superfine merino wool, collar and neck zip,
machine washable.
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Merino wool performance, very competitive price.
Seams not flat-locked.
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The Concept Chcolate Fish are an online retailer importing
selected merino wool garments direct from New Zealand. The clothing
is made by one of the country's major merino manufacturers.
If you're not familiar with merino wool - and it seems to be
everywhere right now - here are the salient points. It's made with
the ultra-fine wool of the merino sheep which means there's no
scratchiness, it feels comfortable against the skin in both warm and
cold conditions and it has fantastic natural anti-pong qualities
which mean you can wear it on multi-day trips without stinking out
the tent / tea house / cafe / pub, which is nice.
Features Aside from the fabric itself, which is a fine grade,
200-gramme material, the Skivvy is a simple design with a neat
double-thickness collar and short zipped neck opening. That's it
really.
In Action We like merino wool a lot, particularly in multi-day
situations where we don't want to have to go through the palaver of
washing baselayers on a daily basis or stinking and the Mt Cook
fabric is as effective as we'd expect.
That means it's comfortable against the skin in hot and cold
conditions and also handles moisture well. There's a bit of confusion
about how merino works. It doesn't wick in the same way as a
polyester baselayer, instead it's great at handling moisture and can
absorb a fair amount of sweat before becoming uncomfortable - damp
merino still feels nice against the skin, unlike saturated cotton or
most synthetics.
You do get a gentle wet wool aroma when things become damp, but
it's not unpleasant and not sweaty. If you're someone who really is
working hard and sweating lots, a good synthetic will move moisture
outwards and spread it more efficiently for evaporation, but for
general use, merino works really well. It's also more pleasant than
synthetics against the skin in hotter conditions where it manages to
feel surprisingly cool.
The zip / long-sleeved / collared design is our choice for general
outdoor use because the collar and sleeves offer extra insulation and
sun protection and the zip allows ventilation as well. A similar top
from most other brands would cost significantly more, so what's the
difference?
The most obvious one is that the seams on the Mt Cook Skivvy
aren't flatlock-stitched - above - so there's a slightly raised seam
right across the top of the shoulders. It's not massive, but could
potentially be uncomfortable with a heavily loaded pack worn directly
over the garment. We didn't have a problem ourselves, but mostly
we've been using the top under another layer, so it's worth being
aware of.
The other point is mostly cosmetic and is just the way the zip has
been inserted with a rolled seam around it rather than a flush zipper
as used by most other manufacturers, it doesn't really impact on
performance though.
At £35 odd, the Mt Cook Merinos Skivvy is a really good price
for pure merino wool, you could expect to pay up to £20 more for
a similar design from other brands. It works well hot or cold, wet or
dry and resists odour brilliantly, so most people will be able to
wear it for several days on the trot without ponging.
Our only slight reservation is over the non flat-locked seams.
They haven't given us problems and aren't massively prominent, but
it's something to be aware of if you habitually use a heavy pack
directly over your baselayer. Otherwise it's a cracking top at the
price.
Know more or want to?
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product check out our user review system and post your opinions to
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