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A merino base layer is the shirt you wear against your skin on a bushwalk. Fine merino moves sweat vapour, stays comfortable across a change in temperature, and resists odour better than a cotton T-shirt, which matters on a multi-day walk when you are not washing kit every night. The weight of the fabric is the main decision. A lighter top suits a warm coastal track or a high-output climb. A heavier top suits a cold start in Tasmania, the Victorian High Country or an alpine hut trip where you stop and cool down.
This guide uses retailer listings checked in October 2026 at Snowys, BCF and Anaconda. Prices move with sales and club offers, so treat every figure as the price shown then, and check again before you buy. Where a page did not publish a fabric weight, fit or garment weight, that gap is left as a gap.
Our picks at a glance
| Pick | Best for | Price band | Where to check |
|---|---|---|---|
| Icebreaker Women’s 175 Everyday Long Sleeve Crewe | Light 100% merino, if stock returns | A$49 listed | Check price at Snowys |
| XTM Men’s Merino 230 Long Sleeve | Colder hikes, best value warmth | A$69.90 | Check price at Snowys |
| XTM Women’s Merino 230 Long Sleeve | Colder hikes, women’s cut | A$69.90 | Check price at Snowys |
| Mountain Designs Men’s Merino Long Sleeve | Milder walks, lighter 100% merino | A$129.99 | Check price at Anaconda |
| Mountain Designs Women’s Merino Long Sleeve | Milder walks, women’s cut | A$129.99 | Check price at Anaconda |
| Macpac Women’s 220 Merino Long Sleeve Tee | Slim 100% merino, check the club price | A$74.99-129.99 | Check price at BCF |
| XTM Men’s Adventure Merino Long Sleeve | Faster days, merino blend with stretch | A$99.99 | Check price at Anaconda |
| XTM Women’s Adventure Merino Tee | Faster days, women’s merino blend | A$99.99 | Check price at Anaconda |
The picks
Icebreaker Women’s 175 Everyday Long Sleeve Crewe
Who it suits: women who want a light 100% merino long sleeve for hiking, trekking and travel, and who can wait on stock.
Key strengths: Snowys describes a slim-fit base layer in 100% merino wool, 175 gsm, rib knit, with raglan sleeves and a slightly open neckline. The suggested use on the page is hiking, trekking and travel. Snowys lists the weight as 0.16 kg on the XS listing (supplier code 104471001XS) and shows an XS chart of chest 76-82 cm, waist 58-64 cm, hip 84-90 cm and arm 77-77.5 cm. The page’s product data listed the price as A$49.00 AUD. No separate recommended price was shown for this top. A site-wide Snowys footer says prices are discounted off RRP, but that notice does not give an RRP for this shirt, so A$49.00 may be a sale or clearance figure and it can change.
Trade-offs: The visible page no longer has a buy box. It says Snowys is unable to get any more of these, and the product data marks the offer out of stock. A staff note on the same page says Snowys cannot accept change-of-mind returns on thermals. The warranty listed is one year. This is a women’s slim cut, not a men’s top.
XTM Men’s Merino 230 Long Sleeve Thermal Top
Who it suits: men hiking in colder conditions, including alpine mornings and trips where you spend time standing around camp.
Key strengths: Snowys lists 100% fine Australian merino at 230 g/m2 and 20.5 microns, Woolmark certified and Oeko-Tex 100 certified. The page lists a raglan sleeve, interlock knit, thumb gussets, flatlock seams, a non-itch construction, odour resistance and UPF 50+. Listed garment weight is 0.240 kg in a reference size large. The price shown was A$69.90. No crossed-out RRP was displayed next to that price. Several sizes in black and mid grey marle showed quantity in stock on 17 October 2026, and other sizes showed none, so check your size.
Trade-offs: Snowys pitches this top at frostier trips. A 230 g/m2 merino layer is the warmer shirt in this guide, so it is a poor choice as your only top on a hot, high-output day. The default view asks you to select a size before it will show overall stock.
XTM Women’s Merino 230 Long Sleeve Thermal Top
Who it suits: women who want the same heavier merino as the men’s XTM 230, in a women’s size range.
Key strengths: Snowys lists the same fabric line: 100% fine Australian merino, 230 g/m2, 20.5 microns, Woolmark certified and Oeko-Tex 100 certified, with a raglan sleeve, interlock knit, thumb gussets, flatlock seams, odour resistance and UPF 50+. The price shown was also A$69.90, again with no separate RRP on the product price. Sizes 10 to 18 in black, and several mid grey marle sizes, showed stock on 17 October 2026.
Trade-offs: Snowys did not list a garment weight on this women’s page. The copy is aimed at cold-weather trips, so treat it as a cold-hike layer rather than a summer walking shirt. Stock is by size and colour.
Mountain Designs Men’s Merino Long Sleeve Thermal Top
Who it suits: men who want a lighter 100% merino top for hiking, snow and everyday outdoor use, and who prefer a regular fit.
Key strengths: Anaconda lists 100% merino wool, and the product copy says 100% Australian merino, Woolmark certified, at 180 gsm and 18.5 microns. It has a crew neck, raglan sleeves, jersey knit, flatlock seams and side panels. Anaconda lists the fit as regular, and the overview also describes a close next-to-skin fit. Primary activities on the page are everyday outdoors, hiking and snow. The price shown was A$129.99, and the RRP data on the page was the same A$129.99, so this was not shown as a discount off a higher RRP. The listing had an add-to-cart control and did not show an out-of-stock notice.
Trade-offs: At A$129.99 it costs more than the heavier XTM 230 at Snowys. Anaconda’s price data did not show a member price for this top. A lighter 180 gsm fabric gives less insulation when you stop on a cold ridge.
Mountain Designs Women’s Merino Long Sleeve Thermal Top
Who it suits: women who want a light 100% merino long sleeve for hiking and cold-weather days, with room to move.
Key strengths: Anaconda lists 100% merino wool. The copy says 100% Australian merino, Woolmark certified, 180 gsm and 18.5 micron fibre, with a crew neck, raglan sleeves, jersey knit, flatlock seams and side panels. The fit field is regular. The price shown was A$129.99, matching the RRP figure on the page. The listing had an add-to-cart control and did not show an out-of-stock notice.
Trade-offs: It is the same shelf price as the men’s Mountain Designs top, and well above the XTM 230. The page describes it as lightweight warmth, so pair it with a fleece or shell when the forecast drops. Anaconda did not show a separate club or member price in the price data for this top.
Macpac Women’s 220 Merino Long Sleeve Tee
Who it suits: women who want a slim 100% merino long sleeve for hiking, camping or travel, and who can use a BCF Club price.
Key strengths: BCF lists 100% merino wool, a slim fit and a long-sleeve crew. The product info says merino regulates temperature, breathes, resists odour and is machine washable, and that the long sleeves have thumb holes. BCF says it works as a base layer under a jacket or vest, or on its own on warmer days, and names hiking, camping and travel. Garment weight is listed as 180 g in size 10. The page showed A$129.99, and a BCF Club price of A$74.99. Product data marked this women’s tee in stock.
Trade-offs: BCF does not state a fabric gsm on the page, so the “220” in the name is the model name only until you confirm the weight with Macpac or in store. The Club price needs Club membership. BCF also lists the Macpac Men’s 220 Merino Long Sleeve Tee at the same A$129.99 and A$74.99 Club price, in 100% merino with a slim fit and crew neck, but that men’s page was marked out of stock.
Check price at BCF Check price at BCF
XTM Adventure Merino Long Sleeve, men’s and women’s
Who it suits: hikers who run warm, sweat on climbs, or want a bit of stretch in the base layer. The men’s shirt and the women’s tee are separate cuts.
Key strengths: Anaconda lists the men’s Adventure Merino Long Sleeve Shirt at A$99.99, with the RRP data also at A$99.99. The material field is 41% merino wool, 41% Tencel, 13% nylon and 5% elastane. The copy cites a 170 g/m2 merino construction, 19 micron fibres, UPF 50+, flatlock seams and a raglan cut, and names hiking, camping and travelling. The women’s Adventure Long Sleeve Merino Tee was also A$99.99, with the same RRP figure. Its material field is 41% Australian merino, 41% Tencel, 13% nylon core and 5% elastane. The description calls the fabric an Australian merino and eucalypt blend with TENCEL, lists a crew neck, UPF 50+, odour resistance, Woolmark Blend certification and a carbon-neutral claim, and describes the tee as lightweight. Both listings had an add-to-cart control.
Trade-offs: These are blends, with nylon and elastane in the material field, so they are a different shirt from the 100% merino tops above. Anaconda did not list a fabric weight for the women’s tee. Neither page showed a member price below the A$99.99 figure.
Check price at Anaconda Check price at Anaconda
How to choose
Match the weight to the walk. On the pages checked here, the lighter 100% merino options are the Icebreaker 175 gsm top and the Mountain Designs tops at 180 gsm. The XTM Merino 230 is a clear step warmer at 230 g/m2. Use the lighter shirts for milder bushwalks, travel days and walks where you keep moving. Use the 230 when the morning is cold, you are above the treeline, or you stop for long breaks. Australian hiking covers both in the same month: a coastal track in October is a different shirt from a Tassie alpine day.
Pure merino or a blend. The Icebreaker, XTM 230, Mountain Designs and Macpac tops in this guide are listed as 100% merino. The XTM Adventure shirts are 41% merino with Tencel, nylon and elastane, and Anaconda cites stretch on the men’s shirt. Pure merino is the listing to start with for multi-day walks. The blend is the one to look at when you want that stretch on a faster day.
Fit it under a pack. Snowys lists the Icebreaker as slim and the Macpac women’s tee as slim. Anaconda lists both Mountain Designs tops as regular, and the men’s overview still talks about a close next-to-skin fit. A base layer should sit against the skin so moisture can move, without binding across the shoulders under a pack. Raglan sleeves, which show up on the Icebreaker, both XTM 230s, both Mountain Designs tops and the men’s Adventure shirt, are there to keep a seam off the shoulder.
Thumb holes and sun. Thumb gussets are listed on both XTM 230s, and BCF mentions thumb holes on the Macpac women’s tee. They cover the wrist on a cold start. UPF 50+ is listed on both XTM 230s and both Adventure tops. That matters when the base layer is your outer shirt on an exposed track. The Mountain Designs pages checked here did not show a UPF rating.
Read the price type. A$69.90 at Snowys and A$129.99 or A$99.99 at Anaconda were the prices on the product pages, and Anaconda’s RRP fields matched those selling prices. BCF showed two prices for the Macpac tees: A$129.99, and A$74.99 for BCF Club. The Icebreaker figure of A$49.00 was in Snowys product data only, with no product RRP beside it, on a page that says they cannot get more stock. None of these prices is locked in.
Check size and returns before a trip. Thermals are often excluded from change-of-mind returns. Snowys says that outright on the Icebreaker page. If you are between sizes, check the chart in store. The Icebreaker chart on Snowys is an XS chart, the XTM men’s weight is quoted for a large, and the Macpac women’s weight is quoted for a size 10.
FAQ
What merino weight is useful for hiking in Australia?
Use the fabric weight on the label, not a marketing name. In this set, 175 gsm and 180 gsm are the lighter 100% merino tops, and 230 g/m2 is the warmer one. The Macpac “220” name was not backed by a gsm figure on the BCF page. Lighter fabric suits milder walks and days you keep moving. Heavier fabric suits cold starts and alpine days.
Is 100% merino better than a merino blend?
For a multi-day walk, 100% merino is the simpler choice because these listings all cite odour resistance and temperature regulation. For a fast day with a lot of sweat, or if you want stretch, the XTM Adventure blend (merino, Tencel, nylon and elastane) is the one built that way. It is not the same shirt as the XTM 230.
The Icebreaker was A$49. Is that the price to expect?
Snowys product data listed A$49.00 AUD for the women’s 175 Everyday Long Sleeve Crewe, with no separate RRP on the product. The page says Snowys cannot get any more, and the offer is marked out of stock. That figure may have been a sale or clearance price, and it may change or disappear. Do not plan a hike around being able to buy it at A$49.
Do men and women need different tops?
The cuts here are sold separately. XTM, Mountain Designs, Macpac and the Adventure range each have men’s and women’s listings. The women’s XTM 230 uses sizes such as 10 to 18. The Icebreaker page is a women’s slim fit. Buying the other cut to save a few dollars usually means the shoulders and sleeves sit in the wrong place under a pack.
Are club prices the same as the ticket price?
No. BCF showed A$129.99 and a Club price of A$74.99 on the Macpac 220 tees. Anaconda’s price data for the Mountain Designs and XTM Adventure tops showed the selling price only, with member price fields at zero on the pages checked. Snowys showed A$69.90 on the XTM 230 tops with no second price.
Can one merino shirt cover summer and winter?
One weight will not. A 180 gsm shirt can be the only layer on a mild day and a base layer under a fleece when it cools. A 230 g/m2 shirt is too warm for a hot climb and more useful when the forecast is cold. Many walkers end up with one lighter top and one warmer top rather than a single shirt for every track.
