Cold Riding

nimhbus is the Merino wool washable then? do you wear it next to the skin? doesn't it get all sweaty, like?

i wash mine at 40° wear it next to skin, the strange thing about merino is that it doesn't smell like a synthetic baselayer, people who go touring a lot use them as you can wear them for several days without washing, it's actually quite hard to tell if you have worn it or not as they just smell of clean washing (unless you had curry the night before or pissed yourself while wearing it). they stay warm when wet and they don't get any more sweaty than a synthetic.
i'm not buying any more synthetic baselayers now, merino only. there are some wool/synthetic mix ones out there i don't know what they are like? helly hansen do them.

icebreaker merinos are good they sell them in blacks outdoor shops.