Mons Royale
From New Zealand, on Lake Wanaka, Mons Royale has been designing quality ski underwear since 2009. Hamish Acland, a professional freerider, started rethinking ways to improve ski underwear after countless competitions and shoot outs for videos. His desire was to optimize and improve the inner baselayer. In 2009, a more exciting Merino range was introduced in terms of design. Initially just skiwear, 'Mons' has now evolved to produce for multi-sport and winter sports. Today, Mons Royale is still headquartered in the legendary New Zealand ski area 'Wanaka'.
Sustainability & Animal Welfare
In addition to ensuring the highest quality of wool, it is also important for Mons Royale to ensure that production is climate and environmentally friendly. Animal welfare must also be top notch, and Mons Royale's suppliers must all be climate neutral in their production chain. Mons Royale takes pride in producing quality products and keeping a sustainable mindset in production.
Mons takes responsibility for their cardboard boxes, plastic, tape and ensures that their brands are all made from recycled cardboard that is also biodegradable. They also go the extra mile when it comes to animal welfare, working exclusively with producers who must meet strict requirements, including that the sheep live outdoors, that the sheep are not sheared in the middle of winter and that the sheep are generally only fed from the land they walk on. All Mons Royale's wool is thus produced in a transparent production chain - from sheep farmer to seamstress.
Why Merino?
What is merino and why choose it over other wool products? - Merino wool comes from the New Zealand Merino sheep that originally lived in the alpine regions of the two islands. The weather here is harsh. When it's hot, it's really hot, and when it's windy, it storms! This allowed the sheep's wool to develop a much denser structure that could endure the extremes but still breathe.
Wool is great for being active. Many have tried to produce a synthetic fabric with the same qualities as wool, but have failed. Nothing can both wick sweat away from the skin and insulate to the same degree as wool. That's why you often find that cotton or nylon gets wet during activity and then has a hard time getting rid of the moisture again. This means that when you go from high activity to inactivity, you quickly get cold. This happens less when using wool, and even less when using merino wool.
When Hamish set out to produce merino wool products, it was because the wool on the market was often very thick and scratchy. With merino wool, you can weave the fabric much thinner and finer than many other types of wool. This results in a lighter and softer product than 'normal' wool, and especially softer and lighter than cotton, for example.
The unique structure of merino wool also makes the garment virtually odorless. Bacteria from sweat have a very hard time settling in the structure of the wool, which means you can easily reuse the garment several days before it needs washing. After use, you can often 'get away' with hanging the garment out to air.
As well as being comfortable and practical, merino wool is highly insulating. You only need a very thin layer to achieve the same warmth effect as traditional thicker wool products.
Merino wool is warm when you need it, after breaks on the slopes or after a run, where it ensures warmth and breathability. The perfect insulation, it's great in the lift queue, at the restaurant and in the blizzard. So why merino wool? - Because it's simply the best you can get!
The 3-layer principle
If you've done even a little bit of skiing, you'll probably have been given the sensible advice that you should use the layer upon layer principle. Typically, you use a 'baselayer', 'midlayer' and an 'outerlayer'. A baselayer is the layer against the skin and is therefore the innermost layer. It's important to have something that can wick sweat away from the body, while the warmth only comes in the next layers. The midlayer is where you need your primary insulation. Here it's still important that the layer is breathable, but also adapted to the weather. whether it should be thick or thin. Finally, you'll find your outer layer, which should be wind and water resistant - preferably waterproof, but with the ability to open up so you have control over your temperature.
However, don't just take any material and distribute it randomly across the three layers. It's important to use wool as your baselayer and midlayer, for example. There's no point throwing on a cotton t-shirt as the innermost layer and expecting a wool baselayer to work as it should. Wool is clearly preferable as the inner layer as it can wick sweat away from the skin but also insulates and retains heat when you need it.
Baselayer
A great example of an obvious baselayer would be Mons Royale's 'Temple Tech'
The shirt is designed in a slim-fit and is made to move. The seams are made with movement in mind and the material is ultra-thin, ensuring excellent sweat transport away from the skin. Even though it's thin, it's also insulating and therefore works perfectly as a baselayer.
Midlayer
As a midlayer, the Mons 'Yotei' jersey would be a great choice. It's a thicker weave, designed in a regular fit, but is still made of merino wool, which really insulates and retains the same sweat transport as your baselayer. Yotei also has a hoodie and high collar that acts as a built-in neck tube. If it's warm outside, you can save the baselayer and use Yotei as the inner layer.
Outerlayer
Mons Royale has concentrated on the innermost layers and therefore does not produce outerlayers. However, an obvious outer layer is one with good waterproofing, for example in the form of a Gore-Tex membrane. In addition, it is important to have good ventilation and a high degree of freedom of movement. A good example of an outerlayer could be AK-Burton's 'Cyclic' jacket, which is made of durable material while keeping everything out
If you're interested in our cool Mons Royale clothing, you can see the selection HERE.
At One Open Sky, we definitely recommend that you go for Mons Royale's products if you're looking for quality ski underwear that both stands out in terms of design and performance, while supporting a brand with attention to their footprint.
