XTM Alpine 230 Merino Women's Pants

Who it's for

The half of the base layer people forget to buy. A merino top over synthetic leggings only does half the job, and you find that out on the first cold wet day, and on multi-day trips it is the bottom layer that starts to smell first. Skiing, alpine walking, winter camping and cold mornings anywhere.

Fit and layering

Cut to sit next to skin without binding, so it layers flat under a fleece or a shell. Presentable enough on its own that it works as a normal top on the drive home, which is more than most technical base layers manage.

Fabric and construction

100% fine Australian merino at 230 gsm. Wool works as a thermo-regulator rather than a simple insulator: it moves moisture away as vapour and keeps insulating when damp, so it holds heat in the cold and sheds it the moment you start working. Fine-micron merino is what makes that comfortable against skin - the itch people remember is coarse fibre, not wool.

It also resists odour, which is the reason one pair covers a week away when a synthetic equivalent needs three.

Care

Cool wash, dry flat, keep it out of the dryer - dryer heat is what shrinks and felts merino. It needs washing far less often than synthetic anyway; airing it overnight resets it, which is the whole point on a long trip.