Anyone have any experience with them?

I find wool itchy, must be one of my allergies.

No, sorry.  But if you're looking for a cold-weather long underwear type baselayer, you might try fleece pants.  I wear them under my waders for winter steelhead fishing and they work great.  I wear a light pair of zip-off type fishing pants over them, and it's very comfortable.  The fleece is good in case you get wet; not that that ever happens to me while wading in an icy steelhead stream...  Also works well under raingear on a cold fall or spring day in a canoe.  I don't even own any long underwear anymore.

Merino wool is worth every cent paid no matter what the season. Yes I was skeptical too about a wool t-shirt in summer. And merino wool socks have no equal. Itch is not a word ever used to describe merino wool.

OS- the merino has the itch out...the wool fiber that you grew up with have small "scales" that are removed through various processes. Those are the buggerg that make the itch as they irritate the skin...

Terry-been running wool and plastics in baselayer forms for years...pros and cons to both. Plastic a bit more durable but then one has the funky fragrance and "oil". Wool is pretty much funk free, a different kind of warmth (drier IMHO), but the fiber is more fragile...and the merino garments are a bit more pricey.

So ergo the wool power query....they are one of the few that use a blend of plastics and wool in their base layers. I like the wool but the durability, costs, overall greenest are taking away from that dry warmth looking for an improvement  or maybe I am just splitting hairs so to speak....just saying.

I have not heard of "wool power".  Have been wearing merino wool for several years now and love it!  Wear it in the BW, for cold football days (like today) and whenever I need a base layer.  If it gets warmer I am never uncomfortable in it.  Never gets clammy and sweaty, never seems to get smelly.  Not the least bit itchy.  Far softer and more comfortable than cotton or even silk.

Pricey, worth every penny in my opinion.  Spartan1 switched over recently and he agrees, I think.  He will wear his today, too.

I watch "Steep and Cheap" and get it when it is on half-price.  

I switched over to Merino wool socks for winter wear all of the time a few years ago after finding how comfortable they were on trips, now I wear them three seasons 100%.  Gave all of my cotton socks to Goodwill.

Baaa!   ;D

Marlin,
I bought my wife an Ulfrotte (which is now Wool Power) turtle neck top in the base layer weight a number of years ago.  These are my comments based on my observations:

Durability:  It seems to have held up just fine.  She only wears it occasionally now in the winter, but lived in it 24 hours a day during an extended trip in northern Manitoba and on sporadic trips since then.  It looks nearly brand new.  The weave isn't particularly tight, and there are little loops of fabric on the inside that seem like they would easily catch on branches, twigs, zippers, etc and pull.  However, this hasn't occurred based on what I've seen.

Warmth:  Heard good things.  Dries faster than pure merino.

Fit:  Seems good, though I think it has shrunk a little over time, even though it is washable.

Odor:  none, although my wife doesn't stink like I do ;D

I've had a Sierra Trading Post MyUpdates subscription set for 'merino' since May. Ideally, I want to try a crew neck top, long sleeves, tall with a small percentage nylon or something for shape retention. Best price I've seen was $60 but it wasn't a tall so I'm still looking. If you see anything I'd appreciate a heads-up if you think of it. ;)

I did snag a doufold cotton merino blend from Fleet Farm a while back. I'm wearing it right now. Even though it has cotton next to the skin I find it a little itchy but tolerably so. It was under $20 retail so perhaps the merino isn't the best quality?

This may sound weird but that's never stopped me before so...
I can wear a next to the skin cotton top for a week on a trip easy. Anything poly, you name it, I can't stand wearing next to the skin for more than a day or two. The best description of why is it simply makes my skin hurt to the point I have to put a t-shirt under it and my arms are still unhappy after day three.

If anyone with half a clue what I'm talking about with some merino experience can comment I'd appreciate it. I can live with a mid forearm sleeve length and sometimes that's a plus but I don't need any more $60 thermal underwear for sledding and ice skating. I have numerous weights and enough for a full load in the washer already.

Campmor has Smartwool stuff 20% off right now and free ship over $100

Just to add a few points not made yet.

Comfort; I think as we get older our metabolism slows down. IMO Wool feels warmer when I'm not moving and generating heat from physical activity.

Safety; Skin burns aren't as bad with wool if that should ever happen. Synthetics are a petroleum produce and campfires are usually involved with canoe camping. Not a great mix. During the Falkland wars the British reissued wool to all ther seamen after they experienced the results of a missile attack on one of there ships. Nasty wounds, with melted plastic embedded in the skin.

Thanks for the info AP....

Jim-so true the wool is naturally fire resistant.

Smart Wool....Been running Smartwool for years, both socks and baselayers. The initial experience kept me coming back...but recently the baselayers have been somewhat disappointing from the durability perspective...I have gleaned: this is an inherit issue with the fiber/textile. Still curious as to why I am seeing it now after so many years :-/What I am seeing is that the garments get to a point and just disintegrate, darning is not the solve :o The use has been uniform, so the fiber issue is sort of mute but the construction is suspect, sorry Rep. That is why I am on the search...for garments that are of the hybrid persuasion, wool for the natural warmth and such and polypro/capalene for the strength and hydrophobic features...woolpower, mountain hardware, and patagonia are the possibilities that I have gathered so far; and woolpower I know very little about both in company and design. Just picked up another set of smartwool for my control in the adventure and discernment.

DB...justa notion...try a second rinse and mind the bug dope. Just a notion mind you. The burn is suspect, and a "control" may yield the knowledge you seek ;) or more questions for sure. Do you use that Pyrethrin based log lasting garment applied bug control?

Kingfisher wrote on Nov 20^th, 2010 at 3:00am:

Merino wool is worth every cent paid no matter what the season. Yes I was skeptical too about a wool t-shirt in summer. And merino wool socks have no equal. Itch is not a word ever used to describe merino wool.

Agree, though someone with an allergy would have problems.  I feel for those folks since wool is such an effective material.

DB,
 It's not just you, I have the same problem. Poly does'n bother my sons, just me. I now use a cotton t shirt as a buffer.
Reguarding socks,  I've been using military surplus 100% wool socks for the last 9 years. The itch doesn't bother me, but drives my buddy nuts. I watch the surplus sales and pick up a dozen at $20. Not sure what country's military uses them.

I've had some durability isues with Smartwool and Terramar Thermawool also. But these,   (You need to Login or Register
(medium wt.) have been holding up very well! Nice to be able to stand my own stink after several days in the bush! In my opinion wool has the greatest temp. comfort range of all the fabrics I have tried.

butthead

Merino wool has made cold wet October trips much easier to bear. I've found this brand   (You need to Login or Register to be virtually itch free and very durable- no holes or tears despite a year and a half of hard use (medium weight zip).