The Outdoor Vitals Dragonwool Hoodie
“JW Schmotzer is a participant in various Affiliate Programs, affiliate advertising programs designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to websites.”
I’m a big fan of Outdoor Vitals, and during 2022 I bought quite a few clothing items from them. However, I was really rather skeptical of the Dragonwool Hoodie until I finally broke down and bought one when they were on sale. You see, I have always been a big fan of 100% wool clothing and usually only buy 100% wool clothing, with the exception of socks. However, what I realized with the Dragonwool Hoodie is that for some applications 100% may not be the best solution for me.
Here’s the problem…
Wool does retain insulative value when it’s wet, but I needed to adjust my thinking before I could buy into a wool blend as a baselayer. The thing is, wool may have more insulative value than synthetics when wet, but the primary function of a baselayer, especially when it’s cold out, is NOT to provide insulation. The primary function of a base-layer is to keep you dry, and by keeping you dry, you are better positioned to stay warm.
Thus, while wool does retain insulative value when it’s wet, the main goal of a baselayer is to be that next to skin layer that draws away moisture from the skin and releases it as quickly as possible, and there is where the advantage of synthetics shine brighter than even merino wool. Wool is touted for its ability to retain insulative value when it’s wet precisely because wool has a tendency to hang on to moisture longer than synthetics. Sure, wool dries relatively quickly compared to cotton, but compared to polyester or nylon, wool doesn’t dry nearly as quickly.
So, while I absolutely adore 100% wool clothing for many reasons, I have concluded that, for me, it is simply not the best solution next to skin when I’m active. It’s fine, for example, when I’m sleeping in the cold, but not during the day when I’m going to get sweaty. For that, I’m going to need synthetics. However, at least in my opinion, merino wool is just so much more comfortable next to skin than synthetics, which can feel a bit clammy when they’re wet.
The Dragonwool Hoodie solves this problem by containing 59% Merino, 31% Polyester, and 10% Nylon, which offers the comfort and insulation of merino wool and the hydrophobic properties of polyester and the added durability of nylon. I haven’t done my own independent testing, but Outdoor Vitals claims that this blend dries four times quicker than merino wool does by itself.
What I do know is that the Dragonwool Hoodie is very comfortable next to my skin and it keeps me warm. It also works very well as a mid-layer over a synthetic base-layer, thus making the Dragonwool Hoodie a very versatile piece of clothing that I highly recommend.
To learn more about the Dragonwool Hoodie, click on any of the provided links!