[pct-l] Dead horse, wool vs synthetics

[Georgi Heitman]

I love wool, merino is a favorite, so soft, tho blended with corriedale or
maybe ramboulet (sp?) it would keep the softness with more durability, ( I
spin, therefore I often blend, especially to suit myself) but good blended
wool garments usually state the fleece and %age used.
 Looking at the Ultralite.com site a year or two back, I noticed an ad for a
blend of merino and possum.  I hasten to mention that merino is native to
New Zealand and, in this case, so is I'm assuming, the possum being referred
to in the ad.  Nothing like the U.S. possum, which most of us would describe
as looking like a bald rat on steroids, Kiwi possums are gifted with long,
especially compared to a U.S. possum, luxurious dark fur, s-o-o-o soft, yet
more durable when blended with merino than merino alone.  In my
recollection, these garments...watchcaps, for sure, not sure what else,
aging and memory aren't always compatible, were pricey, but 'what price
comfort?'  comes to mind here.
I'd mention tho, that wool, even blended with other fiber, when wet, does
stay warm, but when the wet is backed with windy, all bets are off. When I
backpacked, some 35 years or so ago, I carried wool, especially in winter,
but always carried as lite weight a wind shirt as was available back then as
well.  The fur on the photos of N.Z. possum however, which if I remember
correctly was, at one time at least, considered a pest, and may be a
bountied critter, looked to be especially thick,so if the blend was well
enough balanced with merino, the wind issue might be a moot one.